Downtown Bird Nests May 23, 2024

Rock Pigeon babies on nest

People say you hardly ever see baby pigeons, so I guess I have to consider myself blessed to have these nestlings occupying a ledge over the door of our apartment building on Broadway. 

Since they were originally cliff dwellers, pigeons living in cities mostly nest out of sight on high building ledges, not in trees. I knew there was a nest over the door, because of the sticks and poops dropping in front of the building. But it was hearing the babies cheeping for food that made me look up and take a photo.    

Further downtown, there are Fish Crows nesting again at The Battery. This nest is in a London Plane tree, and there may be another one high up in a nearby pine. 

Fish Crow nest

They look pretty much like American Crows but eat fish from the harbor and make different sounds - more like coughing than cawing.  

Fish Crow near its nest in The Battery

 On the May 22 bird walk at The Battery, Gabriel Willow also spotted a Blue Jay nest, very high up in a tree. It looked like they had used some kind of plastic strips for some of their nesting material. One parent was on the nest with the end of its tail showing (upper right). The other parent flew off. 

Well-hidden Blue Jay nest

  Blue Jay at The Battery with a stick for nesting from a prior year

Over in the Battery’s Labyrinth area, there were three House Sparrow nests in the cedar trees. I haven’t seen them nest there before. Maybe they were seeking a bit of quiet and shelter from all the construction going on at The Battery to raise the edge of the bulkhead and help prevent flooding. 

House Sparrow nest at The Battery

 

Fledgling House Sparrow with parent 

Over on Governors Island, a young Red-tailed Hawk still was on the nest on May 18. It was getting big though. The nest is pretty low down on a fire escape, so it was easy to get a good view. 

Young Red-tailed Hawk on nest

 

Red-tailed Hawk parent

 

Sadly, the eggs in the 55 Water Street Peregrine Falcons’ nest did not actually hatch, even though the parents kept sitting on them long past the expected due date. This year for the first time I was watching them every day on the live video camera, in part because I was interviewed for an article about them by Matthew Fenton in the April 28 issue of the Battery Park City Broadsheet.  

www.ebroadsheet.com/falcons-hatch-before-our-eyes/

I was so looking forward to seeing the eggs hatch. 

Peregrine Falcon with eggs on camera feed from 55 Water Street nest 

 

Peregrine Falcon flying over The Battery mid-May

The White Pelican and Other Early May Birds at Governors Island

 

American White Pelican in New York harbor

 

The day started out fairly bright but by afternoon it was cloudy, and a very chilly wind was blowing across Governors Island. I was there for the first bird walk of the season with Annie Barry from NYC Audubon (soon to be renamed NYC Bird Alliance). 

We saw quite a few expected migrants and summer residents, but the star of the day for me was an American White Pelican flying around in the harbor.  There was something funny about its bill, which I thought at first might be a fish in its mouth, especially since it was being chased by gulls. Then I realized it was a weird fin-like growth on its bill that I later read pops up during breeding season.   

   White pelican flying over Ellis Island 

I think of pelicans as southern, tropical, coastal birds, but learned that there are a few that winter in the Chesapeake Bay and they might move up the east coast on their way to their breeding grounds - which are mostly inland, on lakes out west in the US and in Canada (Saskatchewan and Alberta). 

White pelican being chased by a gull

On the scheduled Governors Island walk, the first thing Annie Barry showed us was the Red-tailed Hawks’ nest on a fire escape. She said there were chicks inside but they were not easily visible.   

Mother Red-tailed Hawk guarding the nest

Red-tailed Hawks often nest on Governors Island, though when I have seen them before they were higher up, on a tower.  

 

The Red-tailed Hawk mother gave us a warning look

Along the waterfront, Common Terns were back in their usual spot on the pier farthest out on the Brooklyn side. No nests yet, but they seemed to be doing some courting-related posturing. 

Common Tern striking a pose

Males will offer a fish to females to see if they are interested. The size of the fish seems to be a determining factor in her acceptance. 

Fish gifts are part of the Common Terns' courtship 

             Some Canada Geese bombed onto the pier, startling a Double-crested Cormorant.

            

           Brants flew overhead. 

And a baby duck was swiftly carried along in the current, all alone. There were adult Mallards and American Black Ducks nearby but none paying attention to the duckling. Welcome to New York.

 

 

Red-winged Blackbirds seemed to be thinking about mating. The females look more like big sparrows - it is the males that have the dramatic red and yellow patches on their wings.

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Female Red-winged Blackbird      

    

                          

The Killdeer are large plovers that are early breeders. They make shallow nests on the ground around Governors Island.  

It will be interesting to see what other types of birds show up in New York harbor over the summer and fall. 

NYC Audubon has a space in one of the houses out there (405B on Colonels Row) and will offer regular guided walks there on Saturday afternoons at 2pm, along with other events and art exhibitions.  

Spring Birds and Flowers Brighten Up City Hall Park

From my window on Broadway I can easily see the rows of multicolored tulips and the pink flowers on the cherry trees across the street.  

But I have to go into the park and scout around to find out what types of wild birds are hanging out there. 

The first one I saw was an Eastern Towhee, a type of large sparrow, digging in the dirt looking for bugs to eat. These birds mostly spend the winter farther south on the east coast and then come north for breeding season. I once saw a couple nesting in low bushes in Battery Park, so possibly they will be able to find a protected spot nearby to make a nest. I didn’t hear it make its call, but it is supposed to sound like “Drink your tea”.  

Male Eastern Towhee - the female has a brown head. 

 

In the same area of the park there were a couple of White-throated Sparrows calling to each other from different trees. Their song is commonly described by birders as “Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada”. Some of them spend the winter in the city, but they sing the most in the spring when it is time to mate. And they generally do that further north, often in Canada.

This White-throated Sparrow had very bright yellow spots above its eyes.

Down on the ground a Hermit Thrush was busy catching bugs in the grass. These birds pass through New York in the spring to pick up some food during their northward migration, but  they don’t nest here. We see them again in the late fall on their way back south.   

Hermit Thrushes have distinctive rusty-orange tail feathers.

 

There was also an Ovenbird, a type of warbler, foraging in the grass. These birds are smaller than the Hermit Thrushes, but have some similar striping on their chests. However, it is their heads that have an orange tinge, not their tails. They don’t usually breed in the city, though they might nest fairly close, building the dome-shaped nests that explain their name.   

Ovenbirds are known for calling out “teacher, teacher”. 

Then a Palm Warbler showed up next to the Ovenbird. Palm Warblers stop by during their spring and fall migration. Mostly they breed further north or in Canada. They forage on the ground for insects, and have rusty red caps of their heads.  

Palm Warblers bob their tails as they walk around. 

A larger bird flashed by and when it landed in a tree off in the distance, I saw that it was a Northern Flicker, a type of woodpecker. Some of the ones you see in New York actually stay around for the winter, while others are migratory and only pass through on their way to breed up north. They make nest in holes in trees, and I once saw one nesting in Central Park. They have unusual foraging habits for woodpeckers - they like to eat ants they find on the ground.  

Male Northern Flickers have a black mustache. 

Up in the northeast area of the park I found a group of tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets flitting madly around in the tops of the trees, chasing little bugs. Most of the kinglets are just passing through the city during their migration, though a few might spend the winter here. It is the males that have the ruby feathers on their crowns, but they are rarely visible.  

Ruby-crowned Kinglets prefer conifer trees.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what other birds show up as the spring migration season goes on.   

At City Hall, Wild Birds Watch Over Lady Justice

During the January snowstorm, I could see from my window that an American Kestrel was scanning the park from the crown of City Hall’s statue of Lady Justice. A light dusting of snowflakes accumulated on her head and shoulders. 

Below in City Hall Park, a gray squirrel scurried around in the snow, possibly digging for snacks it had hidden away earlier in the season.  

The squirrel was probably too big for a kestrel to go after. Kestrels in the city usually prey on mice and smaller birds.

But it would be a good catch for the Red-tailed Hawk that cruised past. 

Both the kestrel and the squirrel quickly moved along, just to be safe.     

The left hand of the statue holds the symbolic scales of justice. 

Her right hand grips a sword.

 

But the birds are oblivious to her crown and sword, and her judgments. 

Twittering starlings sometimes gather on her head.

And also the cawing crows that have been spending the winter in City Hall Park.

I was happy to see the statue so well used and appreciated by the local birds. 

And also to be able to observe their activities from my window without having to stand out in the cold.

City Hall Park Welcomed Hermit Thrushes and White-throated Sparrows During Late October Heat Wave

 

A migrating Hermit Thrush stopped to forage on the lawn near City Hall in Manhattan

Our apartment overlooks City Hall Park, and from inside I often hear Blue Jays and American Crows, which is a bit surprising considering the remarkable amount of noise from traffic, sirens, protestors, sidewalk performers and leaf blowers in the park. 

But there are quiet moments sometimes when the birds call out, and in recent years I have become more tuned in to their voices.    

Still, I don't usually take my camera and look for birds in City Hall Park because it is so busy, and now surrounded by fencing that doesn't allow for much roaming. 

Fenced off lawn and trees on the east side of City Hall

I do occasionally do some gardening activities there with the Friends of City Hall Park group though, and recently noticed some bird activity, so last week during the warm weather I decided to take a look. 

My neighborhood birding friend Sara advised me to focus on the southern section of the park, below City Hall. (She is very proud that she once spotted a rare Yellow-breasted Chat there.) 

Most of the migratory warblers had already passed by late October, so I wasn't hoping for anything too unusual. 

What I did find right away was a group of migrating Hermit Thrushes that had stopped over to get some food as they make their way further south in the US for the winter. 

Hermit Thrush on a chain near the Tweed Courthouse 

These are birds that breed in northern forests, where they are rarely seen (which is why they are called hermits) but are known for their hauntingly lovely songs. They weren't singing in the city, though, mostly just hunting for insects.  

They are smaller than the American Robins, which are also in the Thrush family, and are regular residents of City Hall Park. Some robins even stay around the city for the winter.

American Robins are cousins of Hermit Thrushes

I also noticed quite a few White-throated Sparrows, which arrive in the city in the fall after breeding further north, and then they stay here for the winter. 

A White-throated Sparrow hunting for insects on a tree branch

Besides insects, they also feed on seeds, fruits and berries during the winter. Native plants in the parks help provide them with food. 

This White-throated Sparrow investigated a Beauty Berry bush 

Of course there are also non-native European House Sparrows that  live in the park year-round. They were brought to New York in the mid-1800s and have thrived here - and all over the country actually.   

A House Sparrow perched on one of the decorative bird-topped posts in City Hall Park

The House Sparrows are about the same size as the White-throated Sparrows, but don't look the same up close.   

Male House Sparrow 

Male and female House Sparrows also look quite different from each other. Male House Sparrows have dark masks around their eyes, white-cheeks and dark patches on their chests. Female House Sparrows are lighter colored, and have gray cheeks, with light streaks above their eyes.

Female House Sparrow

Do look out for White-throated Sparrows in the parks during the winter, but look in the trees or on the lawns. They aren't likely to be mixing with the House Sparrows you see eating people food.  

 

An Unexpected Flaco Celebration

I finally met Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl that escaped from Manhattan’s Central Park Zoo in February and has since been living wild in the park’s north woods, to the delight of many New Yorkers. 

It felt a bit like meeting the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. His story has become mythical and inspirational, since he has survived successfully as a free bird after living in captivity for 12 years, almost his entire life. 

His escape was made possible when some unknown person made a hole in the steel mesh surrounding his small enclosure at the zoo. He evaded attempts by zoo staff to recapture him. They were afraid he would not be able to feed himself, but he quickly applied his instincts to capturing rats in the park. Now tourists and residents make pilgrimages to the north woods in search of Flaco. 

I wasn’t intending to look for him but was walking near there with a friend and she persuaded me to go look since I was so close. 

As I wandered into the area and was considering which way to go, a young woman approached me and asked ‘Have you seen Flaco?’ I thought she was a fellow seeker, but then she said ‘Look up, he is right over your head.’ And he was - though quite well camouflaged. 

While she was explaining where to look, several other people came by and before long we had formed a pop-up community of Flaco fans looking hopefully up into the tree, waiting for him to make a move. 

A passing bicyclist was playing the song ‘I Will Survive’ which led to cheering. 

He peered down at us and we felt blessed. 

I was glad to experience such an unexpected moment of community among strangers in the city - even though I am usually uncomfortable about the attention given to non-native celebrity birds. (Yes, I’m thinking about you, Mandarin Duck.)