Tom's Central Park Report

Male Common Redpoll - photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK 4-2-11

Monday, 23 February, 2015

At Central Park (Manhattan, N.Y. City) a single male Common Redpoll continues to visit the feeders in the Ramble, this a.m. seen as I walked up at 7:15 a.m., while some other mornings I have not seen it until a while later in the a.m. but always making at least one appearance before 9, this past week. An assortment of other more-regular species included a Carolina Wren, a wintering Chipping Sparrow (very fluffed out & sitting still in a small shrub next to the feeder array, but then joining all the other hungry birds to feed), American Tree Sparrow (down by the lakeshore, where there was also a great deal of small bird activity), several Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (including at Strawberry Fields, & the Pinetum area, as well as by the Ramble's feeders);  down at The Pond in the park's SE corner, a drake Wood Duck continues among the many Mallards & a few Americam Black Ducks, plus a single American Coot; a female Wood Duck remains at the reservoir's miniscule path of open water (at the south end) & also along the icy bank there, among relatively scant Mallards & Canada Geese, plus a couple of Coot. At least 1 more Coot plus a very few Northern Shovelers were in the barely-open patch of water at the west side of the Lake, a bit south of the Ladies Pavillion / Hernshead.

At least today, and perhaps all this chilly week ahead, many paths, & even sections of the main Park Drives, are extremely icy-slippery in spots, and extreme caution will be needed to maintain balance & prevent a fall. I saw at least a dozen other people, many of them young & athletic, nearly do so, and I (no longer young or athletic ;-) nearly slipped any number of times. There are crews out trying to put sand, & scrape where possible but the work is very, very difficult, and the icy patches are sure to continue until there is a much longer-lasting warm-up.

Good birding,

Tom Fiore
Manhattan