A fog settled over the Salt Marsh in Inwood Hill Park early this morning. It was also a time of high tide, and the tide was higher than usual. The regular denizens such as the Great Egret were away. A couple of Song Sparrows were present. Looking closer at the tree that reaches over the water, though, three Northern Rough-winged Swallows could be seen preening their feathers or resting for the next flight.
Northern Rough-winged Swallows do not particularly announce themselves on a drizzly morning such as this. They are dullish brown in color, fading to white on their chests, and they have long bodies and smallish heads. Their name derives from the tiny hooks on the edge of their outer wing feathers, giving them a rough appearance. Such details would be hard to discern even in clear weather.
The swallows left the branch from time to time, usually in pairs, to fly over the marsh or to circle the athletic field in order to eat insects in flight. Their nonchalant flights, slower than other swallows, made for pleasant entertainment on an atmospheric morning.
These images would not suffice for any proper bird identification, but I like their painterly quality.
Here are additional pictures of a Northern Rough-winged Swallow at the Salt Marsh from May of 2022. On that morning, the weather was clear.
May 12, 2022
Recent posts
- A Flurry of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Flickers Flickering, and a Great Egret Returns
Today, April 22, 2026, is Earth Day, a time to learn more about and advocate for the health of our home planet. The birds depend on us. A great thing about being out in nature in the morning is that a memorable morning with birds can last all day. Whatever I’m doing, whatever happens during… Read more: A Flurry of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Flickers Flickering, and a Great Egret Returns - The Kinglets of the Forest, with More Stories and Tech-Related Mishaps in the Age of Digital Birding
So tiny and fast. They were kinglets, and I saw both kinds this week in the forested areas of Inwood Hill Park. Kinglets are either golden-crowned or ruby-crowned, fast-moving, and constantly in search of insects. They may be distinguished by the color of their crowns and the coloring around the eyes. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet features… Read more: The Kinglets of the Forest, with More Stories and Tech-Related Mishaps in the Age of Digital Birding - Northern Mockingbird – The Bossiest Singer in the Park
Northern Mockingbirds are famous for their expressive and varied songs, often mimicking other birds. All this month, whenever I have had occasion to walk in Inwood Hill Park or Sherman Creek Park, I’ve come across a loud mockingbird singing its heart out. - An Early Spring Preview of the Birds of Inwood
A burst of spring weather and unseasonably warm days brought a variety of birds to Inwood Hill Park in Northern Manhattan this week. The three days in early March— March 9 through March 11— felt like a gift, especially after a long winter of cold temperatures and abundant snow. Many New Yorkers talked about how… Read more: An Early Spring Preview of the Birds of Inwood - The Snowiest of Snows, and a Bald Eagle Appears
On Monday, February 23, the snow fell across New York City in steady downfalls over many hours, embedded in a winter storm that arrived late afternoon on Sunday and continued well into the afternoon. By the end, Central Park experienced one of the largest snowstorms in the city’s history. * Up here in Northern Manhattan,… Read more: The Snowiest of Snows, and a Bald Eagle Appears
Birds of Inwood 
Comments welcome!