Urban Hawks

September 7, 2024September 8, 2024Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Other Birds

Bryant Park

Bryant Park is a small park by the New York Public Library. It is a green space near the brightly lit buildings of Times Square and ends up attracting many migrating birds who end up making a stop in the park. Rarely, a few of these birds stay the summer, as did two Mourning Warblers this year.

Over the last few days, the park has had two rare visitors, a Marsh Wren and a Yellow-breasted Chat.

While difficult to see with binoculars, if you have a spotting scope, from the western side of the park, you can see the Peregrine Falcon nest box at the top of the MetLife Building at 200 Park Avenue. On the three days, I visited the park, a Peregrine Falcon was perched on the nest box each day.

Peregrine Falcon Nest Box Location, MetLife Building (Photograph courtesy of Rolf Obermaier)

September 2, 2024September 17, 2024Other Birds

Eastern Whip-poor-will

Thanks to a report from Pat Durban scores of birders got to see a perched Eastern Whip-poor-will in the Locust Grove of Central Park on Labor Day. About fifteen of us waited around for the fly out, where after a brief flight to nearby branch, the bird flew quickly out of site.

August 23, 2024August 23, 2024Other Birds

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

With the weather getting cooler and fall migration having already begun, I’ve resumed making trips to Central Park. On my last trip to the park, I was delighted to see this Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Shakespeare Garden.

July 30, 2024July 30, 2024Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Darien Osprey

A weekend out of the city, brought me to an Osprey Nest on Long Island Sound. I had seen signs of the nest having nestlings the last time I was out, but now in late July the nest had two fledglings flying about. Osprey have made a fantastic recovery from DDT, and I counted eight Osprey in the cove where the nest is at one point.

July 30, 2024July 30, 2024Northwest Central Park Hawks

93rd Street Fledglings

I’ve had the hardest time catching up with the 93rd Street fledglings. I’ve seen the parents but rarely the fledglings. This is typical of hawk watching. As the fledglings become more accustomed to their surroundings and begin to learn to hunt on their own, their range increases. And for a few weeks, it was too hot to look for them!

I did find one of them high on a new building on the north side of 96th Street on the 19th of July.

July 30, 2024July 30, 2024Other Birds

Reservoir Barn Swallows

I kept track of the Barn Swallow nest on the reservoir going back a few times over three weeks. Only one nest was visible, but it was clear there were more nests under the arches of the eastern gatehouse of the two north gatehouses.

All of the nests appeared to have fledged by the third week of July. Then for a few days, the fledglings hung out on the gatehouses. By late July they were spending the day primarily on the North Meadow.