Friday, 7 March, 2014 - Manhattan, N.Y. City On an afternoon cycle around the northern portions of Manhattan's waterfront, I came upon a Red-necked Grebe (in basic / winter plumage) very close to the shore at about the "latitude" of West 168 Street, off the upper part of [what I assume is still known as] Riverside Park, and a good 1/2 mile south of the G.W. bridge and the well-known landmark along the river shore at the bridge's base, the "Little Red Lighhouse"... I watched the grebe for many minutes as it fed & swam in a light ice flow, as well as out in more open water. This is my first sighting of this species off Manhattan itself - within a few yards most of the time I watched. (I may return to the site soon to see if perhaps it is still close by, & photographable... (don't forget camera batteries, duh) and if I don't make it there this late afternoon, may try there tomorrow. I'm not quite sure where parking is for this area, with a lot off the southbound W. Side Highway (or Henry Hudson Pkwy., same rd.) that is next to a sports area around the W. 150's (?), maybe W. 145 St. - that lot is open now. My access is by 2-wheeler, bicycle that is and thus along the bike & pedestrian pathway along the river's edge. There is a very slight cove at the area where I saw the grebe... & yes, I know how common this grebe species has been for some (including or esp. in other boroughs of NYC) but it's a great sighting for Manhattan - maybe even better for being a "west sider"...
Also, being up in that neighborhood, I continued on to the lagoon (& Harlem river cut-thru that comes in from the Hudson river to the west) at the northernmost end of Inwood Hill Park, next to West 215 Street, and, sharing the sight with 2 other birders, saw the very striking partially-leucistic (?) Canvasback, with a couple more of that species in standard plumage, plus the also-striking (esp. so close by & off Manhattan) drake White-winged Scoter, plus the 3 Scaup which I would say are Greater, but will defer to Joe D's ID as well as anyone who may have been able to photo, or scope, them. A Red-breasted Merganser was also present at this area as I arrived but moved off. There may be parking on or near West 215 Street, and there are #1 subway train stops close by at Broadway, a 5-10 minute walk to the east. Additional duckage was provided on the Hudson river with at least 9 Common Goldeneye (5 hens & 4 drakes) well off Spuyten Duyvil, as viewed from the river-edge ballfields at Inwood Hill park, that are accessed from the west end of Dyckman Street. Also, and perhaps seen by others in recent weeks, there were at least 9 Canvasbacks around the south side of Riverbank park, off about West 133-134 Sts. & when I watched, not that easy to observe as there are a few obstructions and areas which are completely off-limits to the public as one approaches the water-treatment plant under Riverbank park. I saw little of note at Swindler Cove park & adjacent areas (off the east end of Dyckman St., n. Manhattan) later, but that whole area can be well-worth checking - especially as ice clears away. I may as well also mention that the previously reported drab-plumafed Pine Warbler, 2 Baltimore Orioles (one in full adult male color), & some of the other birds recently seen all continued at the feeders in Central Park's Ramble this morning. The warbler & orioles may take a while to appear, the more so if various hawks are lurking and or other temporary disturbances are found. good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
