A Bald Eagle landed on the tall snag on the south side of the Salt Marsh in Inwood Hill Park this morning and stayed for about ten minutes before flying off. It brought its prey to eat – not identified – and took in the surroundings. Seeing a Bald Eagle perched on a tree in Manhattan is an unusual sight.
Other birders in the park had already seen a Bald Eagle this week. I first heard the rumor of one about ten days ago when a man I had not met before approached me and told me he had seen one flying around the marsh and landing in a tree. A fellow birder who goes by the X/Twitter handle of @CTHackett chased a Bald Eagle on the morning of Saturday, September 2 and posted a picture on the platform. Yesterday morning, others saw the Bald Eagle as well, perched on the Osprey’s usual tree, and told me about it after I arrived home.
This morning, I was hoping to see the Bald Eagle for myself. I arrived in the park around 7 am and saw the usual Great Egret, a couple of Great Blue Herons, and a couple of Ospreys. One of the Ospreys perched for awhile on its favorite tree. It was hot outside, as New York City has been under a heat advisory for the past few days.
The Bald Eagle landed on the snag at 9:20 am. The Osprey circled above, displaced from its usual perch. Bald Eagles will often steal an Osprey’s catch, I have learned.
Onlookers this morning seemed quite impressed. The Bald Eagle was close enough to be seen without binoculars or a zoom lens.
The Bald Eagle is a strong and proud-looking bird, a symbol for the nation and a longtime symbol for indigenous peoples. The land of Inwood Hill Park was once home to the Lenape people.
One onlooker told me that she was heartened to see it. She said something to the effect that with all the troubles in the world, the fact that we were seeing a Bald Eagle meant everything was going to be alright.
Cover: Bald Eagle. September 7, 2023. 9:28 am.
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Sightings page
See the September Sightings page for regular image postings.
Birds of Inwood 