Denny,

Sandra Anderson said...
"The" place for gulls in /near New York City is the Fresh Kills garbage dump
on Staten Island,"
and
Mark Columbino said
"....Another place to try for gulls is Liberty State Park...."

I just spoke to Dick Ryan who has for many years been one of the premier birders in the New York Metropolitan area. I had asked him about the New Jersey Meadowlands area which 20 years ago was the best gull area near New York by far. Now that it has been made into a park, it has been cleaned up and is not such a great birding area. He tells me that there are currently two red-hot gull locations - First the North Jetty of the Manasquan Inlet, south of NYC in New jersey. Here there is a black-tailed gull as well as lesserr black-backed, little, black-headed and I think he said Iceland. Purple sandpipers are also here. The great other spot is on the Delaware River,in a garbage dump on the Pennsylvania side accross from Florence, NJ, about 2 hours or less drive time from NYC. This site is the best gull birding in the region.

Dick runs Neotropic Bird Tours, you may have seen his ads in Winging It, etc. If you want to get more detailed birding info (or want to investigate great birding in Central or South America) call him at 1-800-662-4852. I've known and birded with Dick for over thirty years and am constantly amazed at his skill and knowledge. By the way, Liberty State Park and Fresh Kills dump are good spots, also.



Greg

Greg Toffic
Curator of Birds
Woodland Park Zoo
5500 Phinney Avenue N.
Seattle, WA 98103
(206)684-4836 PH
(206)233-7278 FAX


>>> <osprey at nwinfo.net> 01/31 4:48 PM >>>
Tweeters,

My wife and I will be in New York City the first week of April. There will
be little time for birding but I am wondering about possibilities for
Iceland Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull. We will be staying in Manhattan.

Does anyone have tips for an "easy" spot to see one or both (the Staton
Island Ferry, maybe)?

Thanks,

Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA

osprey at nwinfo.net