By the time the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk landed on a perch near the Salt Marsh on October 4, it was sopping wet. It was practicing its hunting skills by buzzing over the ducks in the water and then chasing a Belted Kingfisher foraging there. The hawk and the fast kingfisher flew circles around one another over the water.
The two then flew from the main inlet of the Salt Marsh to the nearby Muscata Marsh next to the boathouse. They managed to stay clear of one another.
To complicate matters, two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks frequent the area, and they both chase kingfishers. In addition, a pair of Belted Kingfishers fly back and forth from the marshes, both mixing it up with the pesky juvenile hawks.
I observed a similar skirmish on another day, but I could not positively identify which of the two hawks or which of the two kingfishers were involved. On one occasion, I happened to observe a chase from the Henry Hudson Bridge trail. Their flights drew them near the continuing Great Blue Heron who tends to rest on a branch near the main inlet shoreline. The heron was miffed, vocalized loudly, and then flew off to a more peaceful part of its territory.
Cover: A wet juvenile Red-tailed Hawk after chasing a Belted Kingfisher. October 4, 2025. 8:09 a.m.
Early October 2025 Sightings
Since my last posting, I’ve enjoyed up-close meetings with a Blue-headed Vireo, the first time in a prime spot along the bridge trail. Walking up the sloped bridge trail affords good views of migrating birds, especially in the indented open areas on the forest side along the way. I think of these spots, some with bare trees and others with diverse foliage, as bird amphitheaters. I saw a Magnolia Warbler near the vireo one morning. Over the past week, Common Yellowthroats could be spotted in lower vegetation.
On Monday morning and again on Tuesday, I observed what turned out to be a female Black-throated Blue Warbler in the Clove. I only identified it later, after checking my online sources. The olive-green warbler was just wandering the same spot, foraging for whatever it could. On Tuesday morning, I happened upon the recognizable Black-throated Blue Warbler on the ground at the edge of the woods across from the basketball courts. I wondered how they would look side by side, so I painted this illustration. While different colors, you can still see the similarities, including the thin stripe above the eye and the telltale white wing patch.
Male and female Black-throated Blue Warblers observed in their own foraging grounds of the forest one morning, now reunited in my sketchbook. Illustration in water-soluble graphite, watercolors, and gouache.
The best day for birdwatching this week was Thursday morning, October 9. BirdCast estimated that over a billion birds were in flight around 10:30 p.m. on October 8. The billion birds flew through the eastern United States on vigorous tail winds and didn’t stop until they needed a place to rest.
Recent arrivals on Tuesday morning included Yellow-rumped Warblers and another Blue-headed Vireo. This one also seemed curious about who else was frequenting the high forest trails. More on the October 2025 Sightings page.
The Birds of Inwood Shop of Redbubble
After a visit to a museum exhibition, I like to browse the gift shop. In that spirit, I have opened a brand new Birds of Inwood shop on Redbubble featuring some of my bird artwork. Be one of the first to visit the new Birds of Inwood shop, and look for gifts for yourself and others for this holiday season! Many thanks for your support! So, please visit BirdsofInwood.redbubble.com and follow me there. More items coming soon!
Recent posts
- Northern Mockingbird – The Bossiest Singer in the Park
- An Early Spring Preview of the Birds of Inwood
- The Snowiest of Snows, and a Bald Eagle Appears
- Blizzard Warning: A Great Blue Heron Hunkers Down, and Other Stories of the Birds of Inwood in a Cold and Snowy Month
- A Red-shouldered Hawk for Valentine’s Day
Birds of Inwood 
Comments welcome!