How to find the Varied Thrush

If you want to see New York's latest unusual visitor, here are clear directions via Tom Fiore:


Varied Thrush -- [imm, female, male] picture courtesy of Birds.Audubon.com

Manhattan, east side east of First Ave.,  below 20th Street; Wed., 18 Dec., 2013
Of the adult male Varied Thrush seen today (esp. well before a Sharp-shinned Hawk put in an appearance directly above the thrush's favored feeding areas, and then in nearby trees on the inner oval - where the large Christmas tree, as well as prominent menorah both near a small guard-booth, & quite close by the "Study", a book-filled library space, are all good visual cues to the spots the thrush may like, it's also adjacent to bldg. No. 11 on the west side of the oval) - it may also be added that the proper street to walk in, headed to the east from First Ave. is: 18th St. - that will lead one in to the oval, and almost anyone in the grounds can likely direct a visitor to the oval & holiday tree & menorah area, as well as the library. There is also a small cafe within the oval circle perimeter that is not more than 100 yards to the south. Please use discretion in observing, & be polite to all others - this is a residential area off of the main streets of Manhattan. There is also security in the vicinity.

I'd assume this thrush will be in the general area (of Stuyvesant town) for the duration, until & unless a series of negative (non) sightings comes in lasting multiple days. The thrush is naturally shy and may take a while to show. I'd also ask that anyone who hears it call or sing add that to their report[s] & it ought to be obvious, please-please-please do NOT play a recording to a bird that is already well out of range - let it do what it will here - may it have a fair chance in N.Y. City.

good birding,

Tom Fiore
Manhattan

114th Annual Christmas Bird Count results

Susan Elbin of the New York City Audubon just sent in a report of the species tallied at the 12/15/13 Christmas Bird Count:

Hooded Merganser - Central Park -- 12/12/07

Photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK - http://www.lloydspitalnikphots.com

The 114^th Annual Christmas Bird Count was held in Central Park on 15 December 2013. The day started with a snow storm and ice, but by the time the count began, the skies were merely overcast. Temperatures were just below freezing at 8 am but rose to 36 degrees by mid-day. We were 75 birders on slush and ice. Many of us discovered our waterproof boots weren't all that! 

We are still checking some flock numbers and count week birds with other teams, and this is not the full count circle (NJLH), but here is the tally so far. We saw 5,414 birds representing 62 species. There was one each of Snow Goose, Green-winged Teal, and Bald Eagle at the Reservoir; a Baltimore Oriole in the Ramble; and an American Woodcock in the Northwest section. Noticeable by their absence were Black-capped Chickadees (n=1) and Tufted Titmouse (n=1)!

There was a large flock of Canada Geese flying over Manhattan on Sunday. 

The tally so far:

Species	Total
Snow Goose	1
Canada Goose	455
Wood Duck	10
Gadwall	3
Black Duck	5
Mallard	497
Northern Shoveler	143
Green-winged Teal	1
Lesser Scaup	4
Bufflehead	14
Common Merganser	7
Hooded Merganser	17
Ruddy Duck	25
Pied-billed Grebe	3
Double-crested Cormorant	2
Great Blue Heron	3
Cooper's Hawk	4
Red-shouldered Hawk	1
Red-tailed Hawk	7
Bald Eagle	1
American Kestrel	4
American Coot	19
American Woodcock	1
Ring-billed Gull	181
Herring Gull	28
Great Black-backed Gull	3
Rock Pigeon	459
Mourning Dove	93
Red-bellied Woodpecker	37
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	19
Downy Woodpecker	34
Hairy Woodpecker	2
Northern Flicker	7
Blue Jay	165
American Crow	17
Black-capped Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
Brown Creeper	9
Carolina Wren	8
Winter Wren	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	4
Hermit Thrush	5
American Robin	45
Gray Catbird	1
Northern Mockingbird	6
Brown Thrasher	4
European Starling	263
Eastern Towhee	4
Chipping Sparrow	3
Fox Sparrow	8
Song Sparrow	26
White-throated Sparrow	526
Dark-eyed Junco	73
Northern Cardinal	78
Red-winged Blackbird	7
Common Grackle	978
Brown-headed Cowbird	12
Baltimore Oriole	1
House Finch	74
American Goldfinch	10
House Sparrow	993

Good Birding in the New Year!

Susan Elbin

compiler

Results of Brooklyn Christmas Count - Manhattan to come and FULL MOON

FULL MOON tonight [ actually, at 10:28 tomorrow morning...]
***************************************************************************
Brooklyn XMas Count Annual Report: 2013

Bold = All time high / low

Italic = 10-year high/low

Low count stats exclude miss years

Species	#
Snow Goose	130
Brant	15723
Cackling Goose	2	NEW FOR COUNT
Canada Goose	1607
Mute Swan	171
Wood Duck	10	IRR; ALL-TIME HIGH (by almost 4x)
Gadwall	126
American Wigeon	126
American Black Duck	732
Mallard	888	10-yr hi
Northern Shoveler	484
Northern Pintail	2
Green-winged Teal	98
Canvasback	2	All-time low (tie)
Greater Scaup	1778
Lesser Scaup	81
Surf Scoter	46
White-winged Scoter	19
Black Scoter	64
Scoter (sp.)	2
Long-tailed Duck	249
Bufflehead	621
Common Goldeneye	11
Hooded Merganser	109	All-time high
Red-breasted Merganser	571
Ruddy Duck	279
Ring-necked Pheasant	1	All-time low (tie)
Red-throated Loon	27
Common Loon	66
Pied-billed Grebe	5
Horned Grebe	99
Red-necked Grebe	1
Northern Gannet	208
Double-crested Cormorant	130
Great Cormorant	52
Great Blue Heron	12	10-year low
Northern Harrier	12	All-time low
Sharp-shinned Hawk	5
Cooper's Hawk	9	10-year low
Red-tailed Hawk	13	10-year low
American Kestrel	1	10-year low
Merlin	1	10-year low
Peregrine Falcon	3	10-year low
Clapper Rail	3	IRR
American Coot	46
Black-bellied Plover	20
Semipalmated Plover	1	RARE
Killdeer	17	10-year high
Greater Yellowlegs	7
Ruddy Turnstone	3	IRR
Sanderling	401
Purple Sandpiper	23
Dunlin	38
Wilson's Snipe	1	RARE
American Woodcock	1
Bonaparte's Gull	242
Ring-billed Gull	6797
Herring Gull	1616	All-time low
Great Black-backed Gull	150	All-time low
Rock Pigeon	704
Mourning Dove	150
Monk Parakeet	10	10-year low
Snowy Owl	15	IRR; ALL-TIME HIGH (by c. 4x)
Belted Kingfisher	1	10-year low
Red-headed Woodpecker	1	RARE
Red-bellied Woodpecker	33
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	22
Downy Woodpecker	30
Northern Flicker	8	All-time low
Blue Jay	62
American Crow	70	All-time low
Horned Lark	50
Tree Swallow	4	IRR
Black-capped Chickadee	4	All-time low
Tufted Titmouse	4	All-time low
White-breasted Nuthatch	5	10-year low
Brown Creeper	1	10-year low
Carolina Wren	34
Winter Wren	2
Hermit Thrush	11
American Robin	33	10-year low
Gray Catbird	5
Northern Mockingbird	32	10-year low
European Starling	924	All-time low
American Pipit	2	10-year low
Cedar Waxwing	3	10-year low
Orange-crowned Warbler	2	IRR
Nashville Warbler	1	RARE
Yellow-rumped Warbler	135	All-time low
Palm Warbler	1
Eastern Towhee	2	10-year low
American Tree Sparrow	59
Chipping Sparrow	4
Field Sparrow	6
Savannah Sparrow	36
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow	1	RARE
Sharp-tailed Sparrow (sp.)	1	RARE
Fox Sparrow	50	10-year high
Song Sparrow	247
Swamp Sparrow	86	10-year high
White-throated Sparrow	377
Dark-eyed Junco	207
Snow Bunting	251	10-year high
Northern Cardinal	153
Red-winged Blackbird	111
Eastern Meadowlark	1	10-year low
Rusty Blackbird	3	IRR
Common Grackle	2
Brown-headed Cowbird	356
House Finch	156
American Goldfinch	164
House Sparrow	418

Total:        110  species

             38,991  individuals