I saw the Western Tanager in Carl Schurz Park (Manhattan, about 86th and East End Avenue) this morning (12/16) about 9:40 AM. It was in exactly the spot described by Tom Fiore yesterday. A Baltimore Oriole visited the spot repeatedly as well.
Happy birding, Ed G. On Tue, Dec 15, 2020 at 7:02 PM Thomas Fiore <[email protected]> wrote: > Manhattan, N.Y. City - Tuesday, Dec. 15th: > > There are at least two Western Tanagers in Manhattan simultaneously; one’s > been seen & reported regularly (for at least ten straight days) at West > 22nd Street, east of Tenth Ave., in the Chelsea neighborhood - and that > tanager continues there in Chelsea. A 2nd and different W. Tanager is in > Carl Schurz Park, which is east of East End Ave. near the eastern edge of > Manhattan, in the upper east side neighborhood - that park is where Gracie > mansion, the NYC mayoral residence, is located (the park itself is all > public access, the area immediately around the mansion is not) - this > Upper-East Side Western Tanager appears to be a first-fall female, with no > hint of red feathering at all (in the face). It is bright yellow, and has > pale wing-bars on blackish wings. The bill color & shape also is a match > for Western (& not for Scarlet). P.S.- as noted, there are (at least) 2 > orioles as well in the same park, so some care should be taken in > distinguishing, although good views of any should bring the proper species > ID into focus. The tanager there is more yellow (overall) than either of > the 2 orioles I watched. It took a while for me to locate these birds - > and all 3 may be wandering about that park, which is not all that large, > but neither is it just a “pocket” sized park. All of the park is > immediately east of East End Ave. and there are several entry points, > centered on E. 86th St. as the main crosstown thoroughfare. > > This tanager was also seen in company with 2 Baltimore Orioles (also > first-winter birds), and the tanager -in particular- was seen on this > afternoon, at one tall deciduous tree with many small leaves still on the > tree (an elm. I believe), which is located immediately west of the “Catbird > Playground”, & that tree also closest to East 85th Street, but near (& > outside of) the playground’s outer fence. Even more specifically, that > leafy tree is just 3 or 4 yards south of the sign (large - name as above) > near the west / NW edge of that fenced playground area, & the tanager (as > well as the 2 oriole when they were present) was most interested a slight, > subtle flow of sap, running down the west-facing edge of said tree, visible > from the paved path if facing the very large referenced sign & looking up & > very slightly to the right (if one is facing due-east). There are some > other similar trees (also tall & still leafy) where the 2 orioles and at > least briefly, also the tanager, went; those other trees both a short way > north & also a bit east of the tree in which the tanager spent the most > time. N.B., there have been some reports from this park, indicating the > presence of these birds, but not all have suggested or stated the W. > Tanager was also present, in addition to 2 (or more?) orioles. > > Just to be explicit, the Carl Schurz Park Western Tanager is *not* the > bird from West 22nd Street, and neither of these 2 Manhattan Western > Tanagers are the bird that had been for some while at Green-Wood Cemetery > in Brooklyn (Kings County, NYC) not long ago. That Brooklyn W. Tanager > showed some red in the facial area, well-seen in some of the photos of that > individual. > > There have been other Baltimore Orioles seen elsewhere in Manhattan, > within the past week, and some of those may still be present… I tried > searching around in Carl Schurz Park for a bit, with the thought that where > 3 normally-neotropical-wintering birds are lingering, might be others. > However I did not come up with any other such species, and in general, > found the park somewhat quiet for most birds beyond typical, feral “city” > species of Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow, & Euro. Starling (although I am > aware some additional native birds are seen there, some of those likely > also lingering, but much-more expected species (for Manhattan) - such as > White-throated Sparrow, etc. > > The winter storm expected in the region on Wed. eve. into Thursday may > obviously affect these tanagers, orioles, some warblers that have been > lingering this month. > > A bird that is perfectly winter-hardy (native to areas in southern S. > America where there are cold winters), a Monk Parakeet (which is an > established & breeding species in the N.Y. City region, & beyond in various > states) was seen again (T. Olson) along the lower Hudson river, this last > at the vicinity of Chambers Street, lower Manhattan, & a bit east of the > Hudson; the report including a photo of this individual. A *possible* place > where Monk Parakeet could become established in N.Y. County might be in > part at Governors Island. > > Perhaps some other N.Y. County sightings at another time… > > Good birding to all - and thanks to the many who also keep the birds’ best > interests at heart, when out in the field - > and limit any possible disturbances to the birds’ requirements for food, > shelter, & safety, and quiet, including for birds trying to roost > undisturbed. > > 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/[email protected]/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/ > > -- > > -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
