Small migratory birds such as warblers move through the landscape so swiftly and unpredictably that observing them can feel at times chaotic and overwhelming.
Since the beginning of September, a few nights of high nocturnal migration have brought a flurry of new or returning birds to Inwood Hill Park. Experienced birdwatchers have gathered in the park and shared their sightings, making identification both easy and fun.
More often, I go birding by myself, looking for unusual movements in trees. Based on my own past observations, or on data from Birdcast and eBird, I make some assumptions about the likely identity and location for some of the birds. For example, I spotted a Red-eyed Vireo at the top of the Henry Hudson Bridge trail near the bridge maintenance facility. I got a good look at it, and a few days later, I came across one in the same location. We’re friends now.
One morning, while I was walking through the Clove, I caught a blur of something bright and beautiful. It was a single bird with black, yellow, and orange feathers. It could have been any of several warblers – an American Redstart, a Blackburnian Warbler, or a Bay-breasted Warbler. I’ll never know. It was too fast for me to take a picture.
Often, I’ll come across several birds flitting about a leafy tree. I’ll take some photos hoping to identify the birds later. I do not recommend this method, but sometimes I can guess likely birds based on behavior. If a small yellowish bird is flitting about the undergrowth, it often turns out to be a Common Yellowthroat. I have a lot of blurry pictures of unidentified birds.
I am most successful seeing birds when I am most present and paying attention. I get into a zone, and often this takes a good hour of practice in the field. By then, I’ll know what I am looking at, because I know what the birds are doing. Are they hunting insects on tree bark or are they plucking seeds or fruit? Can I follow them?
I was happy to get good looks at several birds including a Yellow Warbler, an immature Magnolia Warbler, an American Redstart, a Red-eyed Vireo, and a Black-and-white Warbler. I have some clear pictures, because at those moments, I had found some clarity. Only then could I focus the camera.
Cover: Black-and-White Warbler with insect. September 9, 2024.
An American Kestrel on the Athletic Fields
On the morning of September 10, an American Kestrel, the smallest of the North American falcons, perched on a goal post in the athletic fields adjacent to the Salt Marsh. This is the second time I have spotted one there. While observing one a few years ago, I watched it sweep over the field and catch a small bird on the fly. I think the little bird managed to escape, but the incident was upsetting. This time, the kestrel didn’t bother the others and could just perch there and look beautiful.
September Sightings
The September 2024 Sightings page is active. I’m seeing lots and lots of woodpeckers.
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