Shai, Brian I did a panel discussion for the Linnaean Society in January on this very subject (short write up on my blog). Our conclusion was that Bryant actually experiences little inflow and outflow from surrounding parks. Largely due to topographic effect of the buildings there which create a formidable trap. A few of us are trying to put more data behind this.
By the way, at least two swamp sparrows were still at Bryant when I checked at the beginning of last week. The best example I've seen so far in a micro park is the thrasher (one of 2 originally, and still there yesterday) which has overwintered successfully in a mere 20 square meters of plantings on 6th and 46th, a few blocks north of Bryant. This is more like a nano-park than a micro-park.... Good birding Dom www.antbirder.blogspot.com www.aventuraargentina.com + 1 646 429 2667 On 8 March 2016 at 08:14, Shaibal Mitra <[email protected]> wrote: > Very interesting, Alan, and thanks for sharing. Bryant Park is evidently > an excellent study site for winter bird dynamics, as well as for migrants. > > Jacob Drucker summarized some of the variables affecting bird occurrence > in urban micro-parks here: > > http://linnaeannewyork.org/birding-resources-rba/bird-micro-parks.html > > In view of his analysis of the spatial arrangement of habitat patches in > NYC, I am curious to know if anyone has been tracking winter numbers in > more isolated micro-parks, like St. Johns Park in Tribeca. Given Bryant's > relative proximity to Central Park, it seems quite likely that some birds > might simply have moved over to the larger park when conditions > deteriorated at Bryant. If anyone has effort-corrected data for Central > Park, it would be great to see how the numbers of various species changed > across this generally mild winter season. > > Swamp Sparrows in particular seem to have fared well this winter, being > present in most of the likely winter habitat patches I've checked during > the past couple of weeks--a pattern in stark contrast to those of the last > two, very severe winters, when swampies were almost completely frozen out > of most wintering sites on Long Island. > > In terms of spring arriving, each species has its own fairly stereotyped > migration phenology. Although blackbirds and robins are already "in" and > Eastern Phoebes will be arriving any minute now, any Swamp Sparrow or > Hermit Thrush you see through the next couple of weeks will be one that > wintered here or not far from here (it will be at least six more weeks > before we hear the tromp-tromp-tromp of thousands of Catbird feet on the > march). But we've been learning over these past few years that individual > birds that survived the winter north of their usual range, for instance at > feeders or micro-parks, often go missing in mid-March--probably because the > longer days and milder temperatures allow them to explore the broader > landscape. The flip side of this is that this wandering about brings some > of these birds in front of birders for the first time, so mid-March to > early April has become a new window for searching for western vagrants in > our area. > > Shai Mitra > Bay Shore > ________________________________________ > From: [email protected] [ > [email protected]] on behalf of Alan Drogin [ > [email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 12:10 AM > To: NYS Birds > Subject: [nysbirds-l] What's Left - Bryant Park > > As the Christmas Bird Count attests, Bryant Park had a very decent > population of winter “hardies” - Catbirds, Fox Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, a > Hermit Thrush, and even a Common Yellowthroat in the Grace Plaza - most > staying well into January until the first blizzard hit. Still, with a few > ice rink food concession stands staying in business, the numbers declined > relatively slowly. The last Swamp Sparrow, which liked to huddle over the > air vent grate along the northern edge of the rink finally disappeared by > the second ice storm in early February. Except for the typical populations > of House and White-throated Sparrows, two Catbirds remain. The only > species I’ve observed every winter that tends to slowly increase in these > last weeks of winter are Song Sparrows. That, and the forecasted > unseasonably warmer temperatures are a sign things will only get better. > > Happy City Birding, > Alan Drogin > -- > > 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/ > > -- > > ________________________________ > Support CSI students each time you shop with Amazon Smile< > https://smile.amazon.com/ch/13-3683723> > > -- > > 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/ > > -- > > -- 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/ --
