Category: Blue Jay
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Birds of Inwood in a Golden Light on the Last Full Day of Winter

Cover: A Great Egret arrives on a rock in the Salt Marsh as a goose flies overhead. March 19, 2025. 7:31 a.m. Inwood Hill Park, NYC. A bright sunrise at 7:01 a.m. brought a golden hue to Inwood Hill Park. The last full day of winter is a good time to observe the birds of…
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Early Morning Birdwatching in the Heat of Summer

Birdwatching during the early morning hours is often a favorite time for birders in general, but during a summer heatwave, the earlier the better. The month of July is frequently hot in New York City, but in the past few days the heat has been amplified by high humidity and poor air quality. Still, an…
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The Birds of Inwood Cool Off in the Natural Springs

The recent heat wave over the Northeast lasted an entire week, from June 17 to June 23, 2024. The air was often oppressively hot. Amid the dangerous conditions of combined heat and humidity, officials in New York City opened cooling centers. Staying indoors in air-conditioned buildings seemed the best solution for those particularly vulnerable to…
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Birds Between the Storms: A Wellness Check on the January Regulars

Successive waves of storm systems have been passing through the area, and I have been checking in on the birds to see how they fared. First, a winter storm brought snow to the city, but little of it stuck to the ground. Then a large storm brought heavy rain, this time swamping the shoreline of…
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The Beauty of Birds in Autumn

This post could be about Hermit Thrushes, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Belted Kingfishers, but it’s more about the beauty of all birds in autumn. Not even glorious pastel springtime can rival the dying colors of the forest. We do not always go on a road trip to catch the colors of springtime, but we will often…
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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…
