[nysbirds-l] Couch's Kingbird thoughts (Manhattan NYC)
Dec. 30, 2014 In looking at reports and hearing from various observers of the Couch's Kingbird, & somewhat from my own observations of several days ago, I (and others) have wondered where the Couch's Kingbird frequenting the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan all this month (and perhaps back in Nov. as well, according to our initial informants) has been roosting, as well as where it may spend time when not being noticed along the various streets (fire escapes, balconies, trees, and other perches) it has been tracked from. It also seems, and please correct this if not accurate, that this bird is being seen primarily (only?) in the hours between roughly 8:30 a.m., and more often later in the morning, thru about 3:30 p.m. and more often earlier in the afternoon. So, there may be a few daylight hours each day when it isn't being found, and it seems somewhat more reliable from about 10 thru about 2 or 3... but then, no one so far has proposed what the largest circle this bird is feeding & exploring in may be. And of course, as noted by many, there are rooftops & likely some courtyards & areas that may hold feeding, roosting, and stop-off areas for the kingbird, which easily can remain hidden to general view by most, or all of the many seekers. It will be interesting to see if the bird seems to adjust its behavior at all in response to the winter, as colder weather continues. Some are already reporting it finding fruits and one wonders if it would resort to foraging on other edibles, such as all the potentialy caloric detritus that we humans leave around in any crowded urban space. It seems likely there could be a renewed burst of observers seeking as we transit into a new year & some wish to add it to a list of 2015 sightings. Hoping all who show up are able to see it while it's around; as is apparent, patience (and a certain amount of free time) may be very useful in seeking this, & as already pointed out by Hugh McGuinness & others, local "networking" among those with the technologies, is a great way to keep tabs on the bird and give more seekers a good chance of seeing this. It would also be very useful if folks get views of this bird in any "new" locations, to report those, even if they happen to be just a half-block from one already known, more so if farther out, as well as any observations that are in the first hour of daylight, &/or in the last hour. And certainly, with a bird this rare for the region (and many, many more birders still interested in traveling a ways to try for it), a report to this easily- accessible list is a good idea each a.m., if no one else has reported for the day, as well as any late-day reports, as some folks may come seeking quite late. good luck, and thanks, 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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] Couch's Kingbird thoughts (Manhattan NYC)
Dec. 30, 2014 In looking at reports and hearing from various observers of the Couch's Kingbird, somewhat from my own observations of several days ago, I (and others) have wondered where the Couch's Kingbird frequenting the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan all this month (and perhaps back in Nov. as well, according to our initial informants) has been roosting, as well as where it may spend time when not being noticed along the various streets (fire escapes, balconies, trees, and other perches) it has been tracked from. It also seems, and please correct this if not accurate, that this bird is being seen primarily (only?) in the hours between roughly 8:30 a.m., and more often later in the morning, thru about 3:30 p.m. and more often earlier in the afternoon. So, there may be a few daylight hours each day when it isn't being found, and it seems somewhat more reliable from about 10 thru about 2 or 3... but then, no one so far has proposed what the largest circle this bird is feeding exploring in may be. And of course, as noted by many, there are rooftops likely some courtyards areas that may hold feeding, roosting, and stop-off areas for the kingbird, which easily can remain hidden to general view by most, or all of the many seekers. It will be interesting to see if the bird seems to adjust its behavior at all in response to the winter, as colder weather continues. Some are already reporting it finding fruits and one wonders if it would resort to foraging on other edibles, such as all the potentialy caloric detritus that we humans leave around in any crowded urban space. It seems likely there could be a renewed burst of observers seeking as we transit into a new year some wish to add it to a list of 2015 sightings. Hoping all who show up are able to see it while it's around; as is apparent, patience (and a certain amount of free time) may be very useful in seeking this, as already pointed out by Hugh McGuinness others, local networking among those with the technologies, is a great way to keep tabs on the bird and give more seekers a good chance of seeing this. It would also be very useful if folks get views of this bird in any new locations, to report those, even if they happen to be just a half-block from one already known, more so if farther out, as well as any observations that are in the first hour of daylight, /or in the last hour. And certainly, with a bird this rare for the region (and many, many more birders still interested in traveling a ways to try for it), a report to this easily- accessible list is a good idea each a.m., if no one else has reported for the day, as well as any late-day reports, as some folks may come seeking quite late. good luck, and thanks, 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
