Category: birdwatching
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How the Birds of Inwood Stay Warm in the Cold Northern Manhattan Winter
During the recent cold and snowy nights, I was awakened by the sounds of snapping tree limbs falling in the forest down the street. Some of the trees are old and brittle there. I imagined the birds waking up, too, jolted from their feathery dreams to find a new limb in the cold night air. …
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Birds of the New Year in Inwood and Highlights of 2023 in Local Birding
On walks into Inwood Hill Park on the final days of 2023 and in these first days and 2024 I have spotted many woodpeckers, at least a couple of Red-tailed Hawks, several Carolina Wrens, a Winter Wren, a host of Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, a few American Robins, some kinglets, many Mourning Doves, and the…
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The Wrens of Inwood
In the past few weeks with the arrival of colder weather, I have spotted one or two Winter Wrens in the forest understory of Inwood Hill Park. The migrating wrens will sometimes be seen near Carolina Wrens, a regular bird of the forest, as they share similar behaviors. Every birdwatcher in the park has come…
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An Autumn Walk in Inwood Hill Park
On Friday morning, as I gazed up at the fall foliage at the top of Inwood Hill Park, I was drawn to explore the higher paths of the park. I was hoping, of course, to see birds, but as I set out on my walk, I didn’t see many. The sheer brilliance of the falling…
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The Ebb and Flow of Egrets and Herons
At high tide on the Salt Marsh, one Great Blue Heron tends to perch on a tree above the shoreline while a younger one explores the tunnel between the Salt Marsh and Muscota Marsh. The Great Egret often perches on another branch or on a railing on a dock. They are all waiting for the…
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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…
Birds of Inwood 