Birds of Inwood

When I was a young girl growing up in Texas, my family liked to take a walk in the neighborhood on the morning of Thanksgiving Day. We gathered autumn leaves and branches to decorate the dinner table. A great pecan tree grew in our front yard, alongside a magnolia and its fragrant blossoms for a later season. As the centerpiece for our Thanksgiving feast, a large cornucopia overflowed with fruits and native varieties of corn. We placed our leaves and twigs there, too. I remember that my grandmother, the daughter of immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, spearheaded the pre-feast saunter. 

After moving to New York City nearly twenty years ago, I was invited to a large Thanksgiving event in Tribeca. I decided it would be fun to revive my family tradition by encouraging a group of downtown artists to go forth and gather leaves and branches for the table. A few people were game, but we ran into a slight problem. SoHo and Tribeca are not exactly the leafiest of neighborhoods. Still, we managed to retrieve a few leaves and a fallen branch from a tiny pocket park amidst the cobblestone streets.    

Decades later, finding myself the same age as my grandmother and in a different place, I plan to take a walk on Thanksgiving morning. A stroll in Inwood Hill Park will guide me through the largest autumn cornucopia imaginable – an old-growth forest with a bounty of fallen leaves, nuts, and seeds. I plan to (mostly) leave the leaves alone where they have fallen and instead enjoy the sight of beautiful birds feasting on autumn’s bounty. I wish I had been more aware of the birds when I was young, but I am trying to make up for it now. 

As I walk along the park trails, I will pass through land originally inhabited by the Lenape people. On Thanksgiving Day and days beyond, I will recall that indigenous people recognized birds, like high-flying eagles, as sacred birds that could carry messages between Earth and the spirit realm.  

As with my later-age awakening to birds, the power of gratitude came to me late in life. I am now more aware of life’s blessings and make note to count them each day. My encounters with birds expand my consciousness and increase my thankfulness tenfold. Life is bigger with birds and all of nature, expanding the world beyond the walls of a New York City apartment to include the whole sky. 

The Gap Between Thanksgiving Day and the Christmas Season Doesn’t Exist Anymore

Another family tradition involved creating a healthy gap of days between Thanksgiving and decorating for Christmas. This waiting period seems increasingly difficult to pull off, but I understand it. Holiday preparations give people so much joy. In NYC, the tree has arrived at Rockefeller Center, and the department stores have revealed their store windows. Santa arrives at the end of the Macy’s parade, signaling we can ring the jingle bells.   

Let’s Celebrate a Hawksgiving!

Everyday sightings of Red-tailed Hawks are possible this time of year in the local region. These charismatic birds of prey find hunting opportunities in the forest and in the back alleys of the neighborhood. I’ve seen at least one on each morning walk. On Monday, I saw three of them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November in the forest has been a feast for the eyes. Just take a glance at the November 2025 Sightings page.

Many thanks to all of you who have been following along with Birds of Inwood this year. I look forward to sharing the birds of late autumn and early winter with you as we close out 2025.

Cover: A Red-tailed Hawk on a great tulip tree at the eastern edge of Inwood Hill Park. November 24, 2025. 7:40 a.m.

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