October Birds on Governors Island

Great Blue Heron

I took the ferry from lower Manhattan over to Governors Island with my friend Sara. By the time she arrived at the ferry terminal, she had already spotted a Great Blue Heron sitting on the pilings over towards the Staten Island Ferry dock. Neither of us had seen one downtown before, so that was pretty exciting. 

After a less than 10-minute ferry ride out into New York Harbor, we got off on the 172-acre island, which was used for military defense of the city starting during the Revolutionary War and continuing more recently as a Coast Guard base until 1996. Now much of it is accessible as a public park. 

We headed over towards Fort Jay, which was built in 1794. It has high sandstone walls surrounded by a grassy moat, as well as an upland bushy area that birds like.  

Along the way there was a migrating Palm Warbler in one of the trees.

Palm Warbler

There were also some sparrows on the ground that turned out to be Savannah Sparrows. We haven't see those very often.

Savannah Sparrow

Along the way we saw several other types of sparrows as well, including Swamp Sparrows, Song Sparrows and a few others I wasn’t so sure about. 

Swamp Sparrow

Song Sparrow

 

An American Kestrel flew over and perched on an equipment tower next to the fort, a good place to scan for small birds for breakfast.   

American Kestrel

A couple of hungry Red-tailed Hawks also cruised over the meadow area. 

Red-tailed Hawk

And when we approached the high hill across from the Statue of Liberty, we saw a Cooper’s Hawk in the distance chasing little birds through the trees.

Cooper's Hawk soaring over New York Harbor

There were whole flocks of migrating birds in the air around the hill, occasionally setting down, including Northern Flickers, Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings and smaller Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Northern Flicker

Blue Jay

    

A few members of the flock of Cedar Waxwings

Yellow-rumped Warbler

As we went back to the ferry, an Eastern Phoebe took a break from chasing insects to check us out, while a tiny, jumpy Golden-crowned Kinglet just went about its business. 

Eastern Phoebe

     

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

The view of lower Manhattan was fabulous. 

A Visit to the Lower East Side

Lower East Side Blue Jay 

On Sunday October 8, I went over to the Lower East Side for a community garden tour led by a long-time friend, Wendy Brawer. She is the founder of Green Map (greenmap.org), which promotes local ecology, wellbeing, climate justice and sustainability. 

The community gardens in this neighborhood were created by residents in the 1970s and 1980s who got together to transform vacant lots where buildings had been demolished and turn them into green spaces for positive activities and refuge. After much controversy, and eventual public action to preserve them, many of the gardens have survived and are now protected from development as recognized city parks. At this point, the neighborhood provides an important model for community-based urban agriculture, sustainability, comradery and resilience.  

We met up at La Plaza Cultural at 9th Street and Avenue C (laplazacultural.com), east of Tompkins Square Park, and entered a fun mini-forest complex, with a central gathering and performance area powered by solar panels. It is surrounded by rough paths through trees, garden patches and art installations, as well as composting and rooftop water runoff equipment. 

Solar installations, rainwater capture, medicinal plants, a fig tree, and a tiny fish pond  al La Plaza Cultural

An exhibit in the nearby Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space showed how the undeveloped space looked in the 1970s, in a photo taken by resident Marlis Momber.

La Plaza Cultural in the 1970s

I didn't know very much about this neighborhood before, and was inspired by the years of political activism, art, and cultivation behind the creation of the community gardens, as well as the hope for a future based on neighborhood collaboration, urban agriculture, and resilience to climate change.  

Lower East Side American Robin

A few blocks away at the El Sol Brilliante Garden on 12th Street, the birds were not real, but still lovely, embedded in the fence created by artist Julie Dermansky. 

At the Campos Community Garden down the block, a vibrant plastic flamingo presided over a lush plot of edible plants and a tree full of ripe figs. 

There were no red-tailed hawks visible when we passed through Tompkins Square Park, but there was a touching tribute to Dennis Edge, an East Village resident since 1970 who photographed the birds there. His book 'Tompkins Square Park Birds' documented 108 species, and was published in September 2023, just weeks before he passed away at 85. 

You can get a copy by sending a check for $59 made out "Birds of Tompkins Square Park LLC" and mail it to:

East Village Postal

151 1st Avenue Suite 24

New York, NY 10003 

(with your return mailing address) 

Fall Migration At The Battery

 

1. The north end of the park was hopping with warblers during the Wednesday morning bird walk with Gabriel Willow on September 27. The remains of the tropical storm Ophelia had drenched the city the weekend before, and that kept many birds, and birders, grounded. With fair weather the birds were able to continue their southward journey, and some stopped in lower Manhattan to eat and rest before moving on. 

The wood chip pile was especially active, with a lively mix of Prairie Warblers, Magnolia Warblers and American Redstarts. Probably there were a lot of insects hanging around in the damp chips. They are probably heading towards the Caribbean and South America.

Magnolia Warbler

Prairie Warbler 

 

American Redstart

Other migratory warblers were in the area too, including a Black-and-White Warbler, looking of insects on the London Plane trees, and a Common Yellowthroat working the bushes.   

                               

Black-and-White Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Up in the treetops, Gabriel spotted a new bird for me (and maybe the park) - a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Because of its size, quick movements and hazy high perch, I could only get a blurry photo of it, but enough to get the general idea of how it looks. Some of them breed in the northeast but then many go to Mexico or the Caribbean in the fall.      

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird peered down at us from a high branch. It was probably migrating also. Even though there are still many flowers in the park, soon the nectar sources will be gone, and the hummingbirds generally go south within the US for the winter.  

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

In the Labyrinth, we saw a lone, robin-sized, beady-eyed Brown Thrasher digging around for insects on the ground by some new plantings. A few might stay in northern areas for the winter, but others move somewhat further south.   

Brown Thrasher 

 

Further south in the park, a scruffy American Goldfinch was digging seeds out of one of the last of the cone flowers. Goldfinches molt in the fall as well as in the spring, when they get their bright yellow feathers. Some might stay nearby all year, but others move into the southern US or Mexico. 

 

American Goldfinch

2. After more rain on the following Saturday, I went back out early Sunday morning, October 1. I met up with several other Battery birders, and the park was again excitingly full of activity. I ended up staying for hours as the day became bright and sunny, and there were still more birds to see.

I thought there would be warblers again at the wood chip pile, but instead there was a new thrush  - Todd Olson identified it as a Gray-cheeked Thrush. They breed in Alaska and across northern Canada, then winter in Central and South America. So just passing through.  

Gray-cheeked Thrush

 

We also saw a Swainson’s Thrush nearby at the Labyrinth, which was more olive-greenish gray, with a ‘buff’ eye ring. They also head to the tropics for the winter.

Swainson's Thrush

 

There was a Hermit Thrush, too, which is smaller, browner and brighter, with a cinnamon-colored tail, and a white eye ring. Some of these might even stay around in the winter.  

Hermit Thrush

 

Another smaller but similar looking bird with a spotted breast was in the Labyrinth earlier. It is called a Northern Waterthrush, but it is actually a warbler. A summer resident.

Northern Waterthrush

 

Ovenbirds are warblers too, also with spotted breasts. They look a bit similar to the Northern Waterthrushes, and are about the same size. And both birds are often seen walking on the ground.  But the Ovenbirds have an orange crest on top rather than an eye stripe, and also a white eye ring.  

Ovenbird

 

Other migrants I saw in the grass were Palm Warblers. They are easy to recognize because they often pump their tails when they land. 

 

Palm Warbler

I was happy to see a bright male Black-throated Blue Warbler in the Labyrinth. I had missed getting a photo of one flitting in the bushes on Wednesday, but this one was standing boldly on the wood chips.   

Black-throated Blue Warbler

 

A bright, multicolored Northern Parula was examining the bushes, looking for insects. 

   

Northern Parula

As was a Blackpoll Warbler. During breeding season the males are striking in their black and white striped plumage (and black caps), but this time of year, as they migrate, they all look pretty subdued. Many of them travel a really long way, down to South America.

  

Blackpoll Warbler 

There were also a couple of warblers I don’t often see around here, on their way to the tropics.

A Tennessee Warbler was exploring the aster bushes. 

Tennessee Warbler

And the Nashville Warbler was in the grass at the Labyrinth along with the Palm Warblers. 

Nashville Warbler 

Those were a couple of wonderful birding days at The Battery. I’m hoping for a few more good days before migration season is over …we’ll see.  

Birding On Top of the Javits Center

                                   

Last week I got a chance to spend some time wandering around the Javits Center rooftop farm and orchard with my camera, seeing what birds I could find. 

From the Javits Center's rooftop farm you can see the Empire State Building in the distance. 

The one-acre farm started operating last year on the relatively new extension building at the north end of the Javits Center. The vegetables and fruits grown there are used to prepare meals during big events and conferences. 

They are very proud of their bird sightings up there. The day before I went, someone had spotted a Ruby-throated Hummingbird for the first time - the fifty-fourth species to be recorded on the roof. I was lucky enough to see 14 different types of birds when I visited. Since then two more species have been added.    

I first learned about the Javits farm last summer at an NYC Audubon event, when I met Julia Widmann, who is now the building’s Sustainability Operations Manager. 

I already knew there was an expansive (seven acre) passive green roof on the main building, known as the Crystal Palace. 

 The Javits Center's Crystal Palace is on 34th Street and 11th Avenue near the Hudson River.

           

The main roof is planted with low-growing sedum plants, which helps boost energy efficiency - with the plants in place, the building absorbs less heat in the summer and loses less heat in the winter. The sedum beds also absorb rainwater, which helps reduce strains on the city's water treatment plants and keeps the river water cleaner. And now there are solar panels up on that roof, as well as an experimental wind turbine. Meanwhile, ceramic dots embedded in the window glass have reduced migrating bird collisions by 90 percent. 

Sedum plants and solar panels on the roof of the Crystal Palace,
as seen through the dots on the bird-friendly glass window

The main roof area has also become an important breeding habitat for Herring Gulls, with active support from NYC Audubon. 

An adult Herring Gull lounges on one of the Javits Center's solar panels.

But I hadn’t known there was a working farm in midtown! I was amazed when Julia took me on a tour last summer. And when I heard about the birds coming there, of course, right away I wanted to be able to take photos of them.

It would be great if other buildings in midtown Manhattan could have working farms too.  

Last week I signed up for a climate conference at the Javits Center, and attendees were free to explore the rooftop farm, so I came prepared with my telephoto lens. 

I started the day with a guided tour for conference attendees led by Dustin Partridge, who is NYC Audubon’s Director of Conservation and Science. He told us there had been several migrating warblers at the farm the day before, along with the newly sighted hummingbird, so after the tour I set out to see what I could find. 

My search began by the sunny farm area, where I looked for migrating warblers. At this time of year, these tiny birds are moving south for the winter along the well-traveled Atlantic flyway, which leads them right over Manhattan. They fly at night, and when it gets light and they see a patch of green below, they drop down to find food and rest.  

I had noticed a Palm Warbler in the corn patch when the tour group passed by. 

So cool to see corn plants on a Manhattan roof. 

Palm Warblers are small but easy to recognize from a distance because they tend to bob their tails up and down when they land. There were several of them in the farm rows, very busy catching bugs for breakfast. Finally one of the Palm Warblers sat down on one of the farm stakes, and I got a clear shot. 

A Palm Warbler surveyed a crop row on the farm, looking for insects.  

My next catch was a Northern Parula carefully examining the tomato vines for tasty insects. I saw some movement in the leaves and waited for a while until this very colorful bird came into view.      

A Northern Parula explored a row of tomatoes. 

I also saw a pair of Common Yellowthroats flitting around the farm. They are interesting because the males and females look so different. The male has a bright yellow breast and black bandit mask across his face, while the female has more subtle yellow and brownish coloring and a sweet-looking face. 

A male Common Yellowthroat warbler looks very bold with his dark mask.

Female Common Yellowthroats seem very demure in comparison.

Over in the orchard, it was shady, with a cool wind coming off the Hudson River. 

Deep soil beds in the orchard area allow the apple and pear trees to put down roots.  

I saw a striking Black-and-White Warbler on the ground in between the apple trees, which were full of ripe fruit. There was also a female Black-throated Blue Warbler down in the leaves, but it snuck off before I could get a clear photo of it.  

Black-and-White Warblers are quite fashionable visitors to the city. 

A dark-breasted American Robin flew into the orchard while I was sitting there hoping for more warblers to show up. Some robins will go a little bit further south for the winter, but others will hunker down in the city. Instead of worms and insects, they will switch their diet to fruits and berries. 

This American Robin seemed quite puffed up. 

Soon a Northern Mockingbird stopped and stared at me from the orchard wall. They are wonderful mimics, but this one stayed silent. Like the robins, these birds can eat berries and fruits in the winter, so they don’t have to migrate, though some might shift southward.   

A Northern Mockingbird stared at me until I moved away.

Later a flock of House Sparrows flew into the orchard, gathering at the tops of the trees. They were introduced from Europe, but are now one of the most common species in the city. 

Off the streets, House Sparrows eat seeds and grains, bugs and berries rather than bread. 

The sparrows were joined by a few European Starlings, who have a similar story of being introduced to this country and then dominating the available habitat. 

This European Starling looked oddly scruffy around its head. 

When I was going through my photos, I saw that one of the sparrows was actually a wild, native bird - a Swamp Sparrow. They breed in wetland areas in the northeast US and Canada, and many of them move down to the southeastern states for the winter. The House Sparrows stay in the city all year. 

A Swamp Sparrow stepped into the light at the orchard.

Back near the farm, several Mourning Doves were hanging around, looking for seeds on the ground, or perching on the greenhouse roof. They nest all around the city, on roofs and windowsills, sometimes several times during the summer. A few also spend the winter, but many move south when the weather turns cold.  

This Mourning Dove calmly surveyed the rooftop scene in midtown. 

Overhead I saw five American Crows sitting on the roof’s light poles, scuffling with each other for position, then flying around the buildings. 

This crow spread its wings majestically in the sunny morning light. 

A few adult Herring Gulls also flew over. 

 

Earlier I had seen some young Herring Gulls from this year’s nests sitting in the sedum on the roof of the main building. There can be as many as 150 nests in the summer, and in July, NYC Audubon staff members put identifying legs bands on the young gulls. It takes four years for the gulls to be old enough to breed, and during the tour Dustin Partridge reported that some of the banded birds come back to nest at the Javits Center when they are ready.  

Juvenile Herring Gulls have mottled gray and brown feathers.  

I was surprised to hear that one of the banded birds from last year went off for the winter and ended up way out west in Vancouver. I don't think all of them leave town though, since I have seen Herring Gulls in Battery Park and New York Harbor in the middle of the winter.     

It was great to see so many birds using, or passing by, the Javits Center roof, and  I am hoping to have a chance to go up there again to look for more. Meanwhile, I wish more New York City buildings could be so bird friendly. 

If you want to take a tour yourself, go to https://javitscenter.rezdy.com/496420/tour-of-the-javits-center

Gail Karlsson

karlssongail@gmail.com

gailkarlssonbirdsnyc.blogspot.com