On Saturday, June 1, 2024, Inwood residents and visitors finally got to walk inside the Inwood Hill Nature Center. Shuttered for twelve years following extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012, the renovation of the Art Deco building in Inwood Hill Park (originally designed as a boathouse before it became a nature center) has suffered through long delays. So it was a joyous occasion to see the Urban Park Rangers greet guests inside the building on a bright and sunny Saturday morning.
While the Inwood Hill Nature Center building itself is finished, a fully realized exhibition space will open later. The soft opening this past weekend showcased some of the completed building features such as the renovated restroom facilities and the open terrace facing the Salt Marsh. A freestanding sign inside the building shows the 5-foot high water mark from the flood that inundated the building in the storm on October 29, 2012.
Birdwatchers can look forward to using the spotting scope inside the center as well as binoculars to look at activity in the marsh. Regular birders will want to visit the center to take advantage of the new Salt Marsh views from the outside terrace. These views will open up a new and wider perspective on the marsh birds and other birds that typically visit the marsh in summer and early fall. On Saturday, the park rangers also pointed out the Northern Mockingbird nest in a bush next to the building. Regular birders in the park will likely be familiar with these particular mockingbirds from previous observations.
The Inwood Hill Nature Center is located near 218th Street and Indian Road and will be open on Saturdays and Sundays.
Meanwhile, some migratory birds including Canada Warblers, American Redstarts, and Magnolia Warblers were out and about in the higher regions of the park this past weekend. At the marsh, a Great Egret has been around, and even more than one. I saw a couple of Turkey Vultures land on a high rock in the Clove earlier Saturday morning. Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, and Cedar Waxwings have been especially active and vocal.
During my morning walk today, an Osprey flew around the Salt Marsh and was mobbed by several birds. The Osprey even briefly landed in its favorite tree. I will have more to say later about the recent spring migration, but for now, summer is truly underway.
June 2024 sightings
Consult the June 2024 Sightings page for observations this month.
Latest 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!