Tom's Early Morning Report:

Baltimore Oriole - Central Park, 12/12/2011- photo by DAVID SPEISER-
 http://www.Lilibirds.com

TOM FIORE reports this morning-Wednesday, 5 March, 2014 - Central Park, N.Y. City

A not-too colorful PINE WARBLER continues in the Ramble, with a sighting at about 8:55 - 9 a.m. this a.m., the warbler approaching the feeders from the east, looking around, feeding only as normally, that is not from any feeder but gleaning from twigs & branches along trees, while exhibiting a bit of modest aggression to some House Finches that approached it. After about 5 minutes there, it flew east again, going out of sight at least 75 feet away. (A possible area to also check for it might be at Cedar Hill, across the East Drive of the park, just east of the Ramble's east edge; lots of conifers there; at least some viewing possible.)  Also at the feeding area in the Ramble, between 8 - 9 a.m., 2 Baltimore Orioles (bright adult male. not-so bright f.), American Tree Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, "red" Fox Sparrows (several), Brown Creeper, Carolina Wren, and various other usuals... no Rusty Blackbird noticed yesterday; in a look at the Loch & some of the Ramble area, I found just one Rusty, at the stream near W. 77 St.) and also possibly fewer Common Grackles than a couple of days ago, although more of them are also going to be moving north.  A Cooper's Hawk continues to visit the feeder area and when it's around, the other birds can be very quiet, temporarily disappear.

The Reservoir, very very slowly going to open a little more, still held a drake Red-breasted Merganser (an uncommon but virtually annual visitor there, sometimes quite briefly visiting) and there were 5 Wood Ducks resting as well; gulls by the hundreds: a scan revealing just the 'usual 3' species of the colder seasons, and a few American Coots plus the regular gangs of Canada Geese & Mallards. Numbers of N. Shovelers have dropped a lot, but are still around at The Lake & Reservoir. By next week more water will open in the parks still-mostly-frozen ponds & at the Reservoir.

. . .

good birding,

Tom Fiore

Manhattan

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