A visual journal exploring the birds of Inwood and Northern Manhattan by Teri Tynes

  • Vultures Among Us

    Of all the wonderful sightings of birds this month, I continue to be haunted by the apparition of two great-winged creatures in Inwood Hill Park on the morning of June 13. They were Turkey Vultures. I was walking in the Clove and listening to the musical song of the Wood Thrush when my eye caught…

  • Fishing Lessons with the Great Blue Heron

    With the official beginning of summer, it’s time to savor the long slow days. As one suggested activity, I highly recommend finding a place to watch a Great Blue Heron go fishing. Fortunately, anyone near Inwood Hill Park’s Salt Marsh can enjoy the opportunity to watch the slow and steady actions of this tall regal…

  • After the Smoke Cleared, New Signs of Life at the Salt Marsh 

    On Wednesday, June 7, dense trails of smoke from wildfires in Canada descended on New York City, thickening the skies with one of the worst pollution events in the city’s history. The Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered in the hazardous zone by the afternoon. Apocalyptic images of the famous skyline of the city, suddenly covered…

  • Suddenly, Ospreys

    (UPDATED June 11, 2023) A pair of Ospreys has been active at the Salt Marsh and Muscota Marsh in recent days, and there’s some indication that they may attempt to stay. On the late afternoons of May 29 and 30, the Ospreys were flying over the marshes and diving feet first into the waters to…

  • Summer Season with the Baltimore Orioles

    The Baltimore Orioles are in town, and I don’t mean just the ones playing away games at Yankee Stadium this past week. I’m referring to the all-star birds of orange and black, joining the major league Cardinals and Blue Jays above the athletic fields and all around the edges of Inwood Hill Park. Most Baltimore…

  • Listening to the American Redstart

    Like most warblers, the American Redstart is a petite bundle of energy unwilling to sit still for pictures. It appears in quick flashes, a blur of black and orange (the male) while flitting from tree to tree to forage for insects. Though dressed in the colors of Halloween (a frequent characterization), American Redstarts are rarely…