Rare bird still here and a PS

Varied Thrush in Central Park's Maintenance Meadow

Photo by DAVID SPEISER http://www.lilibirds.com

A bulletin just received[ via Metro Birding Briefs] from Central Park birder Harry Maas:

Having survived yesterday's monsoon, the Varied Thrush continued this morning [Thursday, December 2] in the Maintenance Field in New York's Central Park, frequenting both the slope immediately east of the men's bathroom and along the western edge of the Field.

PS from Marie: In regard to whether the Varied Thrush has ever been sighted in Central Park before, Jerry Kamlet just sent a correction:

Dear Marie,

A word re: current CPK varied thrush; NOT the first CPK report.

On Nov 24, 2003 Brian McPhillips and I had 2 close and prolonged looks near the Loch, at a young male varied thrush (guidebook in hand) which we reported in the boathouse bird log.

Citing from my diary: "robin size, long sl curved beak, bright orange eyebrow and throat, black breast band, grey-br back, orange wing bars, scalloped rusty design (sic) on light tan belly, sl darker crown..."

No pics and not found by the "elite" the next day so skeptical reception; mentioned as "unconfirmed" on one blog.

Well, they laughed at Columbus.

Cordially,

Jerry Kamlet

A lost link

In my excitement about yesterday's discovery of the Varied Thrush, I left out a link to Corey Finger's interesting website. Here it is:

http://10000birds.com/varied-thrush-in-central-park.htm

Varied Thrush still here -- David and Murray shoot him

with a camera of course:

Varied Thrush -- 11/29/10

photo by DAVID SPEISER

Varied Thrush -- 11/29/10

Photo by MURRAY HEAD who writes:

Hi Marie,

Maintenance field - South, Then Center.

I would have gotten closer but would have certainly been torn asunder... like the woman whose dogs ran exactly to where he was poking around.

Murray

Needless to say there were many visitors to the Maintenance Meadow today, where the rare bird continued its second day of Central Park residency. Here's a small group captured around noon by MURRAY HEAD:

New bird for Central Park!!!

Varied thrush in Vancouver -- 2/15/09
photo by Charlie Moores

Hot off the presses: Birder Corey Finger reported this on eBirds less than half an hour ago:

Sunday, 12/28/10 -- posted at 2:14 pm
There is a Varied Thrush in Central Park's Maintenance Meadow (at the northeast corner of the ramble). When I arrived at 11:45 or so the bird had been seen three times in the last hour or so and it showed itself off and on for the half-hour I was there.

I'm sure others got better shots but I was lucky enough to have the bird fly past rather close to me and I got one decent flight shot which is at the link below my signature.

Good Birding,
Corey Finger

And here's Corey's Varied Thrush, photographed by him TODAY in Central Park:
PS from Marie:

As far as I know,, there has never been a Varied Thrush seen in Central Park until today! This is a bird normally seen in the Pacific northwest!!!! [Pardon the exclamation marks!!!!!]