While looking for Central Park’s Snowy Owl, which has stayed much longer than expected, we ran across an Eastern Coyote.
It was in the North Meadow, and fairly relaxed before deciding to bolt northeast towards the compost heap.
Some resources about Eastern Coyotes:
You may have seen some news about the Coyote that’s been seen in Central Park lately. We’ve had sightings consistently over the last few years in the park. Late winter is a common time for sightings. Many young Coyotes are pushed out of their family units in the late winter, and a few have been wandering into Manhattan each year.
I followed a Coyote in 2010 and had a wonderful experience. At the time, we’d had some negative outcomes with previous Coyotes in the Manhattan, and I wrote about the issues. The questions at the time was do you try and capture the Coyote or just let it stay. Given the experiences of other cities, the answer seems to be just let it be.
If you use the category search on the right, and select Central Park Coyote 2010, you’ll see what I wrote back then.
A new resource that might be helpful if you’re interested in Urban Coyotes is the Gotham Coyote Project website.
Tonight I finally was able to photograph the rabbit that has been in the park since at least March. I first saw it at the Swedish Cottage, and it has made its way to the Tupelo Meadow over the last few months. I saw it after sunset, and it was in among the Fireflies and American Robins. Rabbits aren’t naturally in the park, and this one is most likely a released pet. I’m glad it has survived over the last few months.
Monarch Butterfly migration seems to be in full swing with over 100 seen in Central Park’s Butterfly Garden on Tuesday. I visited today and enjoyed the show. One of the butterflies had been tagged, and I reported it to monarchwatch.org
At the north end of Manhattan, Inwood Hill Park has been the host of a Harbor Seal this summer. Seals have used the same location in the past, and this may be the same seal that was at the park last year. This seal is tagged on the right hind flipper and the number is 205 on a yellow tag with black letters. The number is a bit worn and could be 295, but it’s unlikely.
This year’s seal likes to come ashore near people, which makes it difficult at times to stay 50 yards away from the animal, as recommended by NOAA Fisheries guidelines. I kept having to move farther back has it came closer to shore.
On Facebook’s Inwood Times page, Donnalyn Carfi posted the following information.
For anyone that is interested in the Inwood seal, I heard from Mystic Aquarium see below:
I just received some photos today that are nice and clear images of the tag. So it is confirmed to be #205. This is indeed a seal that our Animal Rescue Program has rehabilitated. He was originally rescued in May 2017 in Scarborough, ME by an organization called the Marine Mammals of Maine. He was considered to be an abandoned pup and about one week old when he was admitted. He did well in rehab and we were able to release him in Charlestown, RI in October 2017. His name while in rehab was Bluebell.
I forwarded a link to my photos to Marine Mammals of Maine, and got a nice note back from their Executive Director, Lynda Doughty. She shared that the seal was reported to them on 5/25/2017 and that he was rescued on 5/26/2017. He was stabilized and triaged at their center and transported to Mystic on 5/28/2017.
If you’re enjoying Bluebell, I’m sure Marine Mammals of Maine or Mystic Aquarium would love a donation to thank them for their rehabilitation efforts!
I’m on vacation and can’t help share pictures of this cute Sea Otter near Monterey, California.
