On walks into Inwood Hill Park on the final days of 2023 and in these first days and 2024 I have spotted many woodpeckers, at least a couple of Red-tailed Hawks, several Carolina Wrens, a Winter Wren, a host of Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, a few American Robins, some kinglets, many Mourning Doves, and the usual crowd of sparrows. A Belted Kingfisher has been at the Salt Marsh, and the Great Blue Heron, too, along with the usual company of gulls. There are others I am forgetting to mention. (The January 2024 Sightings page is now posted and ready to be updated.)
The final dataset for the 124th Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count is not yet available at this writing, but local reporting by Gothamist of the Central Park count turned up some fascinating information. An article by Rosemary Misdary for the nonprofit newsroom on December 19, 2023 comes straight to the point with its title – “Bird Count finds more birds staying north due to climate change.” (Link https://gothamist.com/news/central-park-christmas-bird-count-finds-more-birds-staying-north-due-to-climate-change)
While any one count is subject to many variables including weather conditions and bird behavior, the article notes, bird researchers have seen a shift in range for birds with the changing climate. Birds that would normally fly south to warmer regions are staying in the area.
According to the report, “A review of data since 2012 from the National Audubon Society’s Central Park count shows birds once thought of as migratory southern species – like cardinals, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens and red-bellied woodpeckers – are moving to the New York area.”
In addition, the article dropped a line about one of our familiar Inwood birds. “Red-tailed hawks were one of the winners of the 2023 count. Birders counted a dozen of the majestic raptors, which is about double compared to a decade ago.”
The walks of the past few days in Inwood certainly bear out the prevalence of these migratory southern species, as well as a couple of hawks, in this part of Gotham in winter.
A Look Back at 2023
This website launched on March 1, 2023, and I feel deeply gratified by this project. I initially created the site to serve as home for my many bird photos and to experiment with website design, but it’s become so much more. Following birds with some intentionality and regularity has deepened not just my knowledge of individual species but has stimulated great joy in learning more about the natural world. I see something different every day.
I have seen such wonderful sights. I recall our Osprey summer when so many Ospreys were flying around the Salt Marsh; the return of the Great Egret in March; the Pileated Woodpecker’s appearance in the Clove; how the Great Blue Herons are so good at fishing; the surprise of a Bald Eagle visiting the Salt Marsh; the apparition of Turkey Vultures; the ubiquitous woodpeckers; and the elegant Black-crowned Night Herons and their offspring. I remember a long drought of not seeing any Red-tailed Hawks and then toward the end of the year, seeing at least one every day.
Returning to the theme of climate change, I did worry often about those days of wildfire smoke and how the birds would be affected. I feel it’s important to witness and document these changes at a hyper-local level. On a positive note, the health of the Hudson River has improved in recent years and along with it, the vitality of the Salt Marsh.
Throughout this past year, I have had pleasure of meeting many fellow birdwatchers in Inwood Hill Park. I always enjoy our lively conversations and mutual discoveries. Without this informed birding community, I would have never known about the Bald Eagle or the Cedar Waxwings, the White-crowned Sparrow or the Pileated Woodpecker.
I enjoy telling far-away friends about how many nice strangers, as well as birds, I have met in the forest.
Cover: Red-tailed Hawk near the dog run. January 2, 2024.
Recent posts
- Observing Birds Outside the Window: The Comforts and Surprises of Birdwatching During a Winter Storm
- A Thanksgiving with Hawks and All the Birds of Inwood
- Easy Fall Birding with White-throated Sparrows
- The Birds for Our New York City Moment
- Fall Birding Falls Into Place: Notable Birds of Inwood During Mid-October
Birds of Inwood 
Comments welcome!