January 1st, New Year’s Day 2021 - New York County (in N.Y. City) - As of around mid-day, the Black-headed Gull seen at Randall’s Island for a while on 12/31, by multiple observers, was NOT seen for the new year; that gull might however be in the general area, & could be sought in many places, both there & in waters all around. (Also, thanks to Ben Cacace for the note that the *BHGU* sighting at Randall’s was not a ‘first’ for that location, it had been reported there in at least prior years, the more recent being in 2015, per eBird.)
On Randall’s Island in N.Y. County, a Greater White-fronted Goose (of the Greenland-breeding form) continued to be seen on 1/1; early in the day at the n.e. quadrant around Field #42, with Canada Geese. Many hundreds of Canada Geese were again present around the island, esp. in the northern portions as is usual in winter. Also continuing to this new year there is an adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, at the Little Hell Gate salt marsh where it can be a bit skulking. Both Western Tanagers continue to frequent the areas they have respectively been in, in Manhattan on 1/1 - one along West 22nd Street, just east of Tenth Ave. in the Chelsea neighborhood (and keep in mind that this bird does range up & down that street, and sometimes is in the small Clement Clarke Moore park on the corner of Tenth Ave., as well as occasionally out-of-view on or around buildings there, & can be some way ‘up’ the street, to the east, &/or along Tenth Ave. nearby), with a 2nd / different W. Tanager staying close to, and often in, Carl Schurz Park, off East End Ave. and near E. 86th St., the nearest major crosstown thoroughfare. That “Upper East” tanager may wander out at times along East End Ave., where there are some trees with a bit of lingering fruit, but is often found just inside the park, & may be sought looking up into some of the elms, & especially those just south of the 86th St. entrance. Patience with either tanager will help with finding. Of local / county interest, at least one Canvasback (adult/drake) was found along the Hudson river, near & seen both just south, as well as north, of Pier 40, near W. Houston Street, as seen from west of the Hudson river greenway. With this sighting, there might be some others lurking about in the county’s waters - & it is possible that more than just one of these is in that area, too. These ducks have a proclivity for piers, and some may lurk in shadows near or under such structures at times (patient observing is helpful). Thanks to A. Evans, & also T. Olson, for reporting. A Lincoln’s Sparrow is lingering in Union Square Park, & thanks greatly to A. Deutsch who has so many times found & reported birds from that most-productive small park of mid-lower Manhattan. (Many are aware of the Scott’s Oriole that was one of the rarer species to be found in NYC, having spent time at that small park - a number of years back!) A Rusty Blackbird that’s been lingering has again been in the Ramble of Central Park; if just one (as it now seems) the bird moves a bit from the swampy area south of the Gill, & along the Gill itself, the small stream in that part of the park. There may be some other Rusty’s lurking elsewhere. Common Ravens are continuing to be noted in a number of locations in N.Y. County, mainly one or sometimes 2 at a time, & this includes from Central Park. Nearly 80 species had been found in N.Y. County even by mid-day on Jan. 1st this year, and of those, about 60 species were seen within Central Park, or as fly-overs from there. .. Good birding to all - please remember to use all proper caution as the coronavirus is still very active in all areas. Tom Fiore, manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
