The sight of a Yellow Warbler can bring a rare thrill during spring migration season here. Cute by any definition, their cheerful color can brighten even the grayest of days. In Inwood, I most often spot one in a tree bordering the Salt Marsh, though I will hear their song high in the forest. I don’t see them often.
The Cornell Lab’s All About Birds map page on the Yellow Warbler describes their typical journey from winter grounds in Central America or northern South America. While they migrate earlier than other songbirds, “Yellow Warblers from eastern North America fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop journey; some Yellow Warblers in fall take an overland route around the Gulf.” Source
This spring migration season has been a gratifying one for birdwatchers in the New York City region. A series of southerly winds brought in scores of new arrivals, and then an unusual period of cool days with northerly winds kept many of them here.
On May 19, I saw a Bay-breasted Warbler and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak within a minute of one another. Both are unusual sightings for me, and I was filled with a rush of birdwatching adrenaline that sent me out on subsequent walks. These birds fly up through Central America during migration, and like the Yellow Warblers, fly over the Gulf.
Other recent personal sightings include Northern Waterthrushes and Swainson’s Thrushes, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a family of American Robins at nest, an Eastern Kingbird, a few Great Crested Flycatchers, Northern Flickers, Warbling Vireos, Magnolia Warblers, many American Redstarts, a Black-and-white Warbler, and Common Yellowthroats. Of course, others saw many more birds. Everyone walking through Inwood Hill Park couldn’t miss the Baltimore Orioles and Gray Catbirds. See photos on the May 2025 Sightings page. I also saw my first-of-season Ruby-throated Hummingbird. It was flitting about a tree up on the Henry Hudson Bridge trail.
The spring migration season continues through early June, but it’s already hit a high peak. Now, I’ll begin to spend less time in the high forest watching for warblers and more time at the Salt Marsh.
I still can’t get over the Yellow Warbler’s epic long-distance journey to a stop in my neighborhood. Look at this little bird and imagine a journey that takes it over Cuba, up the western coast of Florida, into the Georgias and Carolinas, and north through the long stretch of the Atlantic Flyway. The eastern migrants may still not stop until they land in breeding grounds in Canada.
Cover: Yellow Warbler singing. Inwood Hill Park. May 15, 2025. 8:03 a.m.
Migration Resources
- Website: Look at Audubon’s Bird Migration Explorer to dive into the journeys of bird species.
- Book: A World on the Wing – The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds by Scott Weidensaul. W.W. Norton, 2021. The book describes the conservation efforts to track birds worldwide and account for the many threats facing birds on their journeys.
Watching the Tides
The morning of May 21 brought cool winds from the north and east, and rain was looming in the forecast for multiple days. While walking along the trail at the Salt Marsh shortly after dawn, I spotted an impressive large bird high overhead. As it gracefully came down for a landing, it revealed itself as a Great Blue Heron.
To observe the marsh birds and shorebirds that thrive at the Salt Marsh, it is handy to consult a tide chart. The wading birds forage during the hours before and after low tide. Shorebirds such as the recent Spotted Sandpiper will explore the muddy flats. The marsh at high tide is also of interest. Ospreys will scout the inlets for diving and fishing. So, too, will the Belted Kingfishers.
One good resource for local NY tides is marineweather.net. I like to consult the page for Spuyten Duyvil Creek, Hudson River. Historically, the tides of Spuyten Duyvil Creek are legendary.
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