By Jeff French Segall
Standing on the southern end of Central Park’s reservoir, scouring the ice-covered surface intently, a friendly troupe of bird watchers hoped for another glimpse of the visiting eagle enjoying a repast of gull. They patiently viewed the hundreds of winged visitors, among them Mallards, Herring gulls, Buffleheads, and an occasional Coot. At times the birds rested motionless upon the frigid waters of the reservoir; at times they took flight high above the viewers. All watchers seemed satisfied to have sighted the rare Slaty-backed gull, a seemingly off-course visitor from the Arctic, as well as another out-of-place passerine wanderer: a Lesser Black-backed gull from Greenland. Viewers, armed with cameras and scopes of varying powers, shared stories and advice as dusk all-too-quickly approached over the partly melted waters of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. As this reporter left, there were hopes expressed of an eagle sighting tomorrow.
Thanks for a great laugh! This is so out of touch with reality it’s honestly hilarious! 1. Gulls are not passerines. 2. The majority of people viewing birds were there to see the Slaty-backed Gull (from East Asia). 3. The origins of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in North America are unknown, and they could plausibly be coming from a small breeding population in North America. 4. Most observers did observe the Bald Eagle catch a gull and fly off, but the highlight of the day was far and away the Slaty-backed Gull, as well as an overall impressive gull diversity.
Thanks for producing this marvelous entertainment!
And people say obsessive hobbyists can be humorless and gatekeepery!
Can’t think of anything to do but eat crow. Thanks for clarifying.
where do birds go for a drink?
a crowbar
Maybe they are hoping the Stellers Sea Eagle will show
What Dave said!
This article is beautifully written. Thank you, Jeff French Segall. And thank you to WSR for publishing such a delightful piece.
I’m glad the bird watchers weren’t standing around completely blocking the running path or anything like that.