Registrar: Lisa Kroop
Participants: 12
Weather: 57°F–62°F, overcast; breezy, 8 mph NE to 7 mph E
Bird Species: 37
Following summer-like weather on Thursday and Friday, a cold front had arrived on Saturday morning with clear blue skies and—in Prospect Park at least, during a Linnaean walk on that day—many, many birds. By Sunday, the day of this walk, the weather had turned chilly, overcast, and breezy with a forecast of rain for the afternoon. Despite this, birds were around, and ultimately we tallied 37 species for the morning.
We began our walk, heading to the bay at the north end of the park. As we walked, many Blue Jays were calling and flying overhead. The tide was falling, and mudflats were emerging—occupied by a few gulls and a barely visible Great Blue Heron hunched beyond a mudflat ridge.
We turned to the marsh regeneration area—a fenced-in, densely packed patch of grasses, shrubs, and small trees—to look for sparrows, warblers and other birds. A couple of Savannah Sparrows were spotted perched on the bare branches of a small tree, and a couple of House Finches and an Eastern Phoebe made an appearance, while many House Sparrows energetically moved between the grasses, shrubs and trees. We also watched the skies and saw a Cooper’s Hawk, a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, and more jays.
Leaving the marsh regeneration area, we again turned our attention to the bay. This time, we saw a second Great Blue Heron fly by; a Peregrine Falcon perched at the top of the closest lift tower of the Broadway Bridge; and a Belted Kingfisher, perched in profile and surveying Spuyten Duyvil Creek.
Next, leaving the wind behind, we walked through the Clove—a steep, deep valley surrounded on both sides by woods with tall, mature trees including oaks and some of the largest tulip trees in New York City. With the exception of the frequent calling of Blue Jays, it was very quiet and still. We spent time here, pausing to listen and look for bird activity. Although Blue Jays dominated, there were also vocalizations by Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers; American Robins, Northern Cardinals, and Golden-crowned Kinglets; and a White-breasted Nuthatch. Most visible were the surprising number of Downy Woodpeckers that were busily foraging together in leaf litter under the cliffs, and a Hairy Woodpecker that alighted on a tree trunk right next to the path, about two feet up.
We made our way to the highest elevation of the park, pausing at the Overlook to view the Hudson River and the Palisades. A large group of Blue Jays streamed past, flying downstream over the river, and a couple of Red-tailed Hawks and a Turkey Vulture were in the skies over New Jersey. We headed back into the woods and began the descent to the lower level of the park and the end of our walk. On our way down, we passed one and then, soon after, a second juvenile Red-tailed Hawk—each perched close to us, one over the path and the other nearby in the woods. We spent time admiring them in hushed silence and then continued on our way.
Just as we were saying our goodbyes, a light rain began to fall. Nevertheless, a couple of us stayed a bit longer to revisit the marsh regeneration area to look for more sparrows. Only House Sparrows seemed to be around. We moved to a bench looking out on the bay and, out of nowhere, a Peregrine Falcon flew past and out of sight. And then a Song Sparrow popped out from the marsh onto the edge of the sidewalk nearby, only to be replaced shortly thereafter by a Swamp Sparrow. These sparrows brought the species count to 37, and we called it a day.
Many thanks to Loyan for leading us on a wonderful walk, birding through Inwood Hill Park!
Species Lists
Birds
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)
Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern)
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
American Redstart
Northern Cardinal
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
