Back in the 1970’s there were as meny as seven Iceland Gulls on the reservoir 
at one time. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 14, 2021, at 6:32 AM, Thomas Fiore <tom...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Wednesday, Jan. 13th:
> 
> As it turns out, there were 2 different Iceland Gulls visiting the Central 
> Park reservoir (in Manhattan, N.Y. City) on Wed. 1/13, with an earlier 
> sighting being documented & photo placed in the Macaulay archives, thanks to 
> M.B. Cooper: 
> https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/297338771
> 
> And shortly later on, the other Iceland Gull was being seen, 2 photos 
> included in an eBird report thanks to D. Aronov (with others of us also there 
> to observe in afternoon): https://ebird.org/checklist/S79180087
> 
> Plumage appears to age these as a 1st-year (first sighting & photo above), & 
> then also, a 2nd-year (with 2 photos in checklist above), both are presumably 
> of the sub-specific form ‘kumleini'.  Serious larophiles may have additional 
> comment.  
> 
> At the site, the reservoir in Central, some thin (melting) ice had formed, 
> and gulls also had been using a central dike that is often-submerged, but 
> will attract various birds including sometimes many gulls. Gulls were 
> actually down in overall numbers from high no’s. observed late Tues. 1/12 at 
> the C.P. reservoir, but there were still well over 200 others, many of them 
> Ring-billed Gulls, as is the usual in winter.  A drake Ring-necked Duck was a 
> less-common addition to the duckage at the reservoir, and many other ducks 
> continued, as previously.
> 
> . . . .
> Over at Carl Schurz Park, off East End Ave. from 84th - 90th Streets, a 
> Western Tanager was again seen, albeit not so easily, and an Orange-crowned 
> Warbler continued as well, the warbler generally close to the fence about 
> Gracie mansion (the mayor’s official / family residence) and sometimes in the 
> fenced grounds of that mansion, that being closer to E. 88th St., 
> approximately. It may be interesting to see if there might be any additional 
> less-common species lurking about the area of Carl Schurz Park and vicinity. 
> However, the habitat inside the fence at the mansion is not open to the 
> public.  Tanager sightings continue in the area of the Catbird playground, 
> which is just south of the 86th St. entrance, but the tanager can be in many 
> locations, & often favors some trees just n. of the NW section of the 
> playground. There’ve been some suet & other goodies placed near the w. edge, 
> also south of E. 86th in that park, potentially attracting a few other 
> species of interest. There’ve been roughly 3-dozen species (including the 
> above 2 as noted) found in & from Carl Schurz Park so far this year, most 
> reasonably regular, but including such as Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Gray 
> Catbird, & Hermit Thrush.
> 
> ….
> On a personal note, having 2 Iceland Gulls at the Central Park reservoir 
> brings memories of the late, great all-around naturalist Lambert Pohner, who 
> so-often bird-watched at that reservoir in the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and into 
> the 80’s, with a scope at times, and was perhaps the most regular 
> gull-spotter at that site especially in the later years of his life. Even 
> though we lacked all the rapid-notifications of modern times, his sightings 
> would get around & others sometimes were able to spot a rarer gull or other 
> bird he’d found there. (I knew him, but not well, & was more acquainted with 
> some of his rather younger peers of his later life).  Mr. Pohner was the 
> principal of the book, “The Falconer of Central Park", by Donald Knowler, and 
> he was also mentioned by Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Barlow-Rogers (the founder of the 
> Central Park Conservancy) in her book, “Saving Central Park”, and has further 
> been mentioned in books by Marie Winn, an author of many books.  We have on 
> occasion since those earlier years had 2 Iceland Gulls at the same time at 
> that site, but not all that often. 
> 
> good birding to all,
> 
> Tom Fiore
> manhattan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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