Date: Saturday, 15 August 2009 (4:00p-5:45p) Location: Queens College - Rosenthal Library Observers: Bruce Kamiat, Ben Cacace Reported by: Ben Cacace
The main purpose for visiting the Queens College campus was to see wild Italian Wall Lizards. This introduced species is doing well in various locations in the NYC metro area and is able to overwinter here. The avian report relates to a "family" of Red-tailed Hawks seen around the Rosenthal Library. The 3 hawks were seen separately - 2 adults (different molting patterns of the flight feathers, 1 molting on both wings with the other molting just the left wing) and 1 juvenile. Is there a nest nearby? This site was recommended for lizards by Dr. Russell Burke. The first lizards spotted were in the gardens outside the Rosenthal Library. Here there was plenty of cover for the young ones to quickly scatter for protection. Young Italian Wall Lizards were the 1st to be seen. Bruce Kamiat soon found an adult male lizard sunning itself on a ledge just outside of cover. It remained in the same spot for the time we were there. The difference in size between the young and the adult was huge. The reason for going to the site was to see NYC lizards in action and to know what to look for when trying to find them in a location where they haven't been reported before. I'm still looking for the place where the local American Kestrels are finding their lizards. It's good to have an image of what to see in the field and it was good to "see" that when they move under cover they can be heard rustling from point to point. The following map shows known locations of lizard colonies. Some were gleaned from Google searches on the web. The icon for St. Michael's Cemetery is a potential spot I'd like to check for lizards closer to the kestrel nest than the other known locations: http://tinyurl.com/mp34dx The only reports I've seen of lizards on Manhattan are of a possible colony in Inwood Hill Park. If you know of other sites where lizards can be found in the NYC area please let us know. Thanks! Weather for 15-Aug (3:51p-5:51p) < http://tinyurl.com/mlc8pb >: - Conditions: scattered clouds - Temperature: 88 to 84 F (31 to 29 C) - Wind direction: southerly - Wind speed: 15-13 mph (gusts to 18 mph) -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Temporary archive: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
