I have always wanted to see a Pileated Woodpecker in Inwood Hill Park, and I finally saw one this morning. I was wrapping up my birding walk and ready to go home when I met a fellow birder who let me know about the Pileated in the Clove. He said he learned about it from another birder. I wasn’t far away so I thought that maybe I could find it.
There it was, in all its glory, drumming away at a fallen dead tree near the sacred circle in heart of the Clove.
I heard that Pileated Woodpeckers were large birds, and I was indeed surprised by its grand size.
After several minutes, a group of people with their off-leash dogs walked by, and it flew away. A few minutes later, a couple of birders came by looking for it. I showed them my pictures, and they pointed out it was a male because of the red “mustache” on its cheek.
Walking home, I ran into another birder who said she saw it yesterday on the most eastern ridge of the park. We exchanged how thrilling it was to see it up close. I showed her these pictures.
Recent posts
- 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 - Blizzard Warning: A Great Blue Heron Hunkers Down, and Other Stories of the Birds of Inwood in a Cold and Snowy Month
Northern Cardinals have resumed singing their song of spring this past week, so you would never know that NYC and parts of the Tri-State area are currently under a blizzard warning. As I write, the temperatures are mild, and the sky is blue. The blizzard warning is the first such weather alert issued for NYC… Read more: Blizzard Warning: A Great Blue Heron Hunkers Down, and Other Stories of the Birds of Inwood in a Cold and Snowy Month - A Red-shouldered Hawk for Valentine’s Day
I fell in love this morning on my walk over to the Hudson River. I was walking very slowly on the sloped path leading up to the Henry Hudson Bridge. The path was a little icy, still covered with recent snow, and I was careful with every step. My intention was to see the Bald… Read more: A Red-shouldered Hawk for Valentine’s Day
Birds of Inwood 
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