Birds of Inwood

Northern Cardinals have resumed singing their song of spring this past week, so you would never know that NYC and parts of the Tri-State area are currently under a blizzard warning. As I write, the temperatures are mild, and the sky is blue. The blizzard warning is the first such weather alert issued for NYC since March 2017.

This morning, the continuing Great Blue Heron was hunkered down at the edge of the Salt Marsh. Big herons can deal with the harsh winter weather as long as they find open water. The next round of winter weather also includes a coastal flood warning, so there will be plenty of water. We just don’t know how much and in what form. The Great Blue Heron looked weary of winter, but that is just me projecting my own feelings.

This month, many intrepid birders watched Bald Eagles gather on the ice floes in the Hudson River. Some reports indicated that eleven or twelve Bald Eagles could be seen at the same time, with the gatherings especially notable uptown between the George Washington Bridge and Dyckman Marina. I spent a couple of cold mornings in pursuit of Bald Eagles, happy to see at least one juvenile Bald Eagle near the marina on February 14. The NYPD rescued an injured mature Bald Eagle on one of the floes near the GWB and transported the bird to the Raptor Trust in New Jersey. Its condition was serious. 

I had a good, though far away, look at a mature Bald Eagle on February 11. It was perched in a tree on the Salt Marsh side of the Henry Hudson Bridge. I also saw a juvenile overhead. I was able to spot this mature Bald Eagle from a distance because that white head and profile are unmistakable. 

Other notable sightings this month include the beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk that captured my heart on Valentine’s Day, along with the usual Red-tailed Hawks. The sight and sounds of the Northern Cardinals provided pops of color and joy to the wintry landscape.

I’ve found abundant beauty, peace, and quiet while walking along the snow-covered trails. Watching the ice floes charge up and down the Hudson River and the eagles soaring overhead produces an hypnotic effect, like a glitch in space and time. I was frequently reminded of the long winter in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. If you have read the books, you’ll also recall the magic lamp-post that serves as a portal between two worlds. We have plenty of these lamp-posts in NYC parks, and many are magical. 

The blizzard is forecast to begin on Sunday, February 22, and continue into Monday, February 23. See you on the other side.

Cover: Great Blue Heron at the Salt Marsh. Inwood Hill Park, New York City. February 21, 2026. 9:04 a.m.

Sightings for February

More birds and landscapes may be found on the February 2026 page.

Latest posts

• 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
• The Snows of January and the Birds of Inwood
• The Slow, Cold Start of Birdwatching in 2026
• Observing Birds Outside the Window: The Comforts and Surprises of Birdwatching During a Winter Storm

Subscribe

Support Birds of Inwood