Here's a follow up and more details regarding the Western Tanager in Prospect Park.
Just before noon today, Shane Blodgett and I had been slowly making our way north along the eastern side of the Vale of Cashmere. The fountain in the ornamental pond is broken so only a little bit of water remains at the north end where birds come to bathe and drink. At the north-western edge and overhanging the pond is a small shrub-like tree adjacent to a flowering rhododendron. I noticed what I thought might have been a female Scarlet Tanager tucked in at around 11 o'clock in said tree. It was obscured by leaves, so I couldn't see the whole bird. When it turned I noticed an eye-ring and immediately tried to get Shane on the bird. As it shifted around I then saw that it had two obvious wing bars and yellow undertail! Conveniently, it then flew across the pond and landed in a shrub at eye level only about 20 feet away from us. Shane very calmly said, "It's a Western Tanager" and snapped off a few photos. Well, maybe he wasn't exactly calm and it's possible there may have been a more colorful expletive before the word "western". Anyway, the bird seemed to be eying the muddy puddle below, but was very tentative about flying into the pond. It then flew back across the pond and into a hawthorn tree where it disappeared for a few moments. When Shane walked over to try and get some more photos I spotted it flying back into the original tree where it promptly vanished. While Shane and others walked the Rose Garden and paths above the Vale of Cashmere I stayed and monitored the water, thinking it would eventually come back. After 90 minutes I had to leave, never having relocated the bird. My possibly overly optimistic thoughts are that the bird is still in the area because we never saw it fly up and out of this woodland ringed depression. Also, it was very hot by 12:30pm and the activity in this previously birdy spot had noticeably slowed. It's interesting to note that in the 1 1/2 hours that I watched the pond a really nice mix of birds came and went. In addition to an assortment of warblers, I counted oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Lincoln's Sparrow and many goldfinches. Shane will post a note once he uploads his photos of the tanager. Good birding, Rob http://citybirder.blogspot.com @thecitybirder -- 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/ --
