Observations, ideas, and wonderings on birds encountered in the landscape.
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Two Herons in the Stillness of Dusk
On the evening of July 14, I walked over to the Salt Marsh in Inwood Hill Park to follow up on reports of a Black-crowned Night Heron there. I did get to see it, but first I was completely captivated by the stillness of another heron. The weather hasn’t been good for frequent walks of Read more
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An Eastern Kingbird Guards the Peninsula
Cover image: Eastern Kingbird on the Peninsula. Inwood Hill Park. July 6, 2023 For the past few days, as well as for the past few months and possibly for years, an Eastern Kingbird has fiercely guarded its seasonal territory on the Peninsula in Inwood Hill Park. This narrow strip of land, home to the neighborhood’s Read more
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Otherworldly Cedar Waxwings, and Their Comings and Goings
Cover image: Cedar Waxwing in a tree next to the Salt Marsh. Inwood Hill Park. June 3, 2023. Whenever I encounter Cedar Waxwings, and they generally travel in groups, they seem to arrive from outer space. They are all beautiful and mysterious, thanks to those masks. Their arrival is unpredictable, appearing out of the blue, Read more
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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 Read more
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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 Read more
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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 Read more
Birds of Inwood 