Wednesday, Jan. 13th: As it turns out, there were 2 different Iceland Gulls visiting the Central Park reservoir (in Manhattan, N.Y. City) on Wed. 1/13, with an earlier sighting being documented & photo placed in the Macaulay archives, thanks to M.B. Cooper: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/297338771 <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/297338771>
And shortly later on, the other Iceland Gull was being seen, 2 photos included in an eBird report thanks to D. Aronov (with others of us also there to observe in afternoon): https://ebird.org/checklist/S79180087 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S79180087> Plumage appears to age these as a 1st-year (first sighting & photo above), & then also, a 2nd-year (with 2 photos in checklist above), both are presumably of the sub-specific form ‘kumleini'. Serious larophiles may have additional comment. At the site, the reservoir in Central, some thin (melting) ice had formed, and gulls also had been using a central dike that is often-submerged, but will attract various birds including sometimes many gulls. Gulls were actually down in overall numbers from high no’s. observed late Tues. 1/12 at the C.P. reservoir, but there were still well over 200 others, many of them Ring-billed Gulls, as is the usual in winter. A drake Ring-necked Duck was a less-common addition to the duckage at the reservoir, and many other ducks continued, as previously. . . . . Over at Carl Schurz Park, off East End Ave. from 84th - 90th Streets, a Western Tanager was again seen, albeit not so easily, and an Orange-crowned Warbler continued as well, the warbler generally close to the fence about Gracie mansion (the mayor’s official / family residence) and sometimes in the fenced grounds of that mansion, that being closer to E. 88th St., approximately. It may be interesting to see if there might be any additional less-common species lurking about the area of Carl Schurz Park and vicinity. However, the habitat inside the fence at the mansion is not open to the public. Tanager sightings continue in the area of the Catbird playground, which is just south of the 86th St. entrance, but the tanager can be in many locations, & often favors some trees just n. of the NW section of the playground. There’ve been some suet & other goodies placed near the w. edge, also south of E. 86th in that park, potentially attracting a few other species of interest. There’ve been roughly 3-dozen species (including the above 2 as noted) found in & from Carl Schurz Park so far this year, most reasonably regular, but including such as Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Gray Catbird, & Hermit Thrush. …. On a personal note, having 2 Iceland Gulls at the Central Park reservoir brings memories of the late, great all-around naturalist Lambert Pohner, who so-often bird-watched at that reservoir in the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and into the 80’s, with a scope at times, and was perhaps the most regular gull-spotter at that site especially in the later years of his life. Even though we lacked all the rapid-notifications of modern times, his sightings would get around & others sometimes were able to spot a rarer gull or other bird he’d found there. (I knew him, but not well, & was more acquainted with some of his rather younger peers of his later life). Mr. Pohner was the principal of the book, “The Falconer of Central Park", by Donald Knowler, and he was also mentioned by Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Barlow-Rogers (the founder of the Central Park Conservancy) in her book, “Saving Central Park”, and has further been mentioned in books by Marie Winn, an author of many books. We have on occasion since those earlier years had 2 Iceland Gulls at the same time at that site, but not all that often. good birding to all, 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/ --
