Best of the Fortnight

Here is my first "Best of" installment for 2025. Enjoy:

Cooper's Hawk

Peregrine Falcon

Red-tailed Hawk

Baltimore Oriole

Northern Cardinal

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

White-breasted Nuthatch

Black-capped Chickadee

Immature Red-headed Woodpecker

White-throated Sparrow

Great Blue Heron

American Herring Gull

Purple Sandpiper

Northern Pintail

Gadwall

Carolina Wren

Green-Wood Cemetery 2024 Highlights

Here is my highlights video of my 2024 "Birding in Peace" tours at Green-Wood Cemetery. Note that the species shown are in chronologic order from my first walk in January to the last in December. I hope you enjoy it.

Gulls, Shorebirds & Waterfowl

From Tuesday through Thursday of last week we experienced some pretty extreme winds around NYC. I have plenty of winter gear to handle the cold, so windchills are not usually an issue for me. I really wanted to get to the coast and look for gulls, shorebirds and waterfowl, but it's kind of pointless to go out looking for things with wings when winds were averaging >30mph gusts. Thursday was the worst of it with gusts of over 50mph. I barely left the house.

The worst of the weather finally passed and I eventually made it outside. I went down to Coney Island full of optimism that I'd locate a rare gull or, even better, an alcid paddling around offshore.

Coney Island looking west towards Sandy Hook

One of the first things I always do is to check the top of the historic Parachute Jump for Peregrine Falcons. A sure sign that they use that spot are the frequent remains of their meals on the boardwalk below. It's usually pigeons, but also an occasional starling.

Parachute Jump

The fishing pier is a great spot to scan the water for seaducks, grebes, gulls and loons. Some winters we'll see rare Razorbills or Thick-billed Murres around the coast and this is a perfect spot to look for them. So far it doesn't appear to be one of those years. Note: the official name of the pier is the "Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier", but everyone just calls it the pier.

Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier

Over the 2 days I birded the area I spent a lot of time scanning for birds from the end of the pier. There were plenty of Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, but nothing unusual. The walk west along the beach was dominated by hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls. The same was true for Gravesend Bay and Coney Island Creek to the north. The "typical" rarities on everyone's wish list in the winter are Black-headed Gull, Short-billed Gull, Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull.

Assorted Gulls, but mostly Ringed-billed

1st cycle American Herring Gull

There were lots of Common Loons fairly close to shore during the low-tide cycle. If this individual is any indication of the food source, they were feasting on crabs.

Common Loon eating a crab

Long-tailed Ducks were oddly absent, but there were lots of Black Scoters and Surf Scoters around. Black Scoters are typically the most abundant of the scoter species around Brooklyn, followed by Surf Scoter. White-winged Scoters are much more scarce and I usually only see a few each year.

Male Surf Scoter

I always check the rock jetties for overwintering Purple Sandpipers. This arctic breeding shorebird winters around NYC and spends its time foraging in the rocky intertidal zone. There were 7 of them at the W. 37th Street jetty on Saturday. As an aside, Woody Guthrie's grandchildren said on a podcast, that Woody's ashes were spread near that jetty. I propose the jetty be officially renamed "The Woody Guthrie Memorial Jetty". Just sayin'...

Purple Sandpiper

Coney Island Creek used to stretch all the way from Gravesend Bay to Sheepshead Bay. Much of the eastern end has been filled in, paved and buildings erected over. Today, the wide section from W. 31st Street to the Cropsey Avenue bridge is a hive of waterfowl activity in the winter. A sandspit at the western end is a low-tide roost for gull, while the main waterbody, complete with rotting wooden barge hulls, is a great spot to look for waterfowl. On Sunday I tallied 14 species of ducks and geese. The highlights being Northern Pintail and Redhead.

Steaming boat wreck

Northern Pintail

Redhead

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Finally, Killdeer aren't rare around Brooklyn during most of the year, but they are fairly scarce in the winter. It was nice to see my first of the year foraging in the mud at low-tide. There were 3 in total at the edge of Calvert Vaux Park.

Killdeer

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips for the weekend of January 18 - January 19, 2025:

Brooklyn Bird Club

Counting waterfowl within the Western Rockaway terminus: Riis Beach, Fort Tilden & Breezy Point
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Leader: Peter Dorosh and Carl Biers
Description: This is an official state count, part of the Kings tally for the NYS annual winter waterfowl survey (see reference link below). Be prepared for a challenging walk of up to 10 miles (including 5 miles on beach sand) in potentially harsh, wintry conditions, particularly at the Breezy Point unit, which spans a total of 4 miles.
Registration: Peter Dorosh, email Prosbird@gmail.com or Prosbird@aol.com
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Introduction to Birdwatching
Saturday, January 18, 2025, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: A member of the Brooklyn Bird Club
Description: Whether you’re just starting out or have already joined the birding ranks, this introductory walk is for you. Join a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club to learn the basics of birding and search for the dozens of species that visit Prospect Park through all seasons. All levels are welcome.
Registration: No registration necessary. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
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Eastern Long Island Audubon Society

Lakes of Patchogue
January 18, 2025, Meet at 8:00am
Leader: Rosemary Valente
Description: Meet at Swan Lake, East Patchogue. Rosemary Valente will be leading this trip and visiting various locations around Patchogue.
Registration: Please contact Ro to register and for questions, hobbesmom4ever@gmail.com
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Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace
Sunday, January 19, 2025, 7:00am - 8:30am
Description: Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean that there aren’t interesting birds to discover in Green-Wood. For some bird species that migrate south after the breeding season, Brooklyn is their Miami during the cold months.
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NYC Bird Alliance

Gull Spotting
Saturday, January 18, 2025, 10:00am - 11:30am
Leader: Ryan Mandelbaum
Description: Interested in learning about gulls but don't know where to start? Join Ryan F. Mandelbaum for a gull-watching lesson on Coney Island beach. This will be a different kind of birding than you might be used to; rather than looking for many different species of birds, we'll be looking for the three or four different plumages of our three wintering gull species while discussing how to pick out some of our less common visitors.
Registration: Registration page
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Saturday Morning Winter Birding at Prospect Park
Saturday, January 18, 2025, 10:00am - 11:30am
Leader: Gabriel Willow
Description: Join NYC Bird Alliance and naturalist Gabriel Willow to get to know the winter residents of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl.
Registration: Registration page
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Winter Birding at Pelham Bay Park
Sunday, January 19, 2025, 9:00am - 10:30am
Leader: Haley Scott
Description: Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore New York City's largest park! Pelham Bay Park's forested areas, salt marshes, and grassy meadows offer rich habitat for a variety of migrating birds.
Registration: Registration page
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Oakland Lake Winter Birding
Sunday, January 19, 2025, 9:30am - 11:00am
Leader: Woo Sung Park
Description: Alley Pond Park is an ecological treasure. Containing both fresh and saltwater wetlands, forests, tidal flats, meadows, and glacier-formed landscape, this park supports a vast array of birds. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore Oakland Lake within the park in particular.
Registration: Registration page
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NYC Queer Birders

Shirley Chisholm State Park
Sunday, January 19, 2025, 9:00am
Leader: Kelly McGarry
Description: Meet at Oystercatcher trailhead.
Registration: Registration not required.
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South Shore Audubon Society

Mill Pond Park
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Leader: Members of SSAS
Description: Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road. The park is four blocks west of the Wantagh State Parkway.
Registration: Registration is required by calling Joe Landesberg at 516-467-9498
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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, January 18, 2025
Birding: Winter Waterfowl at Beach 54th and Almeda Avenue (in Rockaway Community Park), Queens
10:00am - 11:00am
Birding programs are an all-inclusive safe space and appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free

Birding: Winter Waterfowl at West 90th Street and Central Park West (in Central Park), Manhattan
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Birding programs are an all-inclusive safe space and appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free

Sunday, January 19, 2025
Birding: Winter Birds at Rose Avenue and Oak Avenue (in Kissena Park), Queens
11:00am - 12:00pm
Join us on this Ranger led walk along the trails identifying various woodland birds and other birds that have migrated for the winter.
Free

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New Years Day - Coney Island

We always start the New Year by taking the F train to Coney Island for the "Polar Plunge". The annual New Years Day event is, basically, a party on the boardwalk and beach. My wife and I are sane enough not to participate, but it is fun to watch. This year event organizers were anticipating approximately 5,000 swimmers. An added bonus for going to Coney is that I get to begin the new birding year by spotting my first winter seabirds and, occasionally, a rare visitor or two.

The temperature was not ideal for swimming and gusting winds made it a little challenging to spot birds in the choppy water.

Coney Island looking west towards Rockaway Inlet

There were so many people registered to swim this year that they had to stagger small groups to keep the beach from getting out of control.

Coney Island "Polar Plunge"

We walked down to the end of the fishing pier with our friends Bob and HJ. From there we scanned the water for scoters, eiders and loons. There were quite a few Black Scoters nearby and streaming passed on the distant horizon. At one point a young Surf Scoter landed near the pier. It dove for food for several minutes before flying off to join some of his friends near a red channel marking buoy.

Immature Surf Scoter

Farther offshore, Northern Gannets could be seen diving for fish in the hazy, heat distorted air.

Northern Gannets

I usually tally my first Peregrine Falcon of the year on New Year's Day. The 250' tall Parachute Jump tower at the edge of the boardwalk is a preferred vantage point for local falcons. One can nearly always spot one up there in the winter. When we first arrived it was devoid of raptors, but as we walked back to the boardwalk from the pier, one sped towards the open water, directly over our heads.

Peregrine Falcon

We would normally walk down the beach to the western terminus near the private community of Seagate. There are usually wintering Purple Sandpiper foraging along the rock jetty at that spot. The wind was coming directly out of the west and gusting at times up to 40mph. We decided it would be a less than fun stroll into the sand scouring wind. Instead, we opted to walk in the opposite direction to Paul's Daughter for some hot toddies.

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Coney Island, Brooklyn
Jan 1, 2025

Brant
Canada Goose
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Rock Pigeon
Ruddy Turnstone
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
European Starling
House Sparrow

New Blog Feature

I just added a new feature that I think you might enjoy. In the "Contents" section there is now an entry called "A Year in Green-Wood Cemetery". This is a static page of all my 2024 weekly summaries for the cemetery. It is listed from oldest to newest with date links. It should come in handy to see what one might expect to observe during any specific weeks of the year.

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips for the weekend of January 11 - January 12, 2025:

Bedford Audubon Society

Field Trip to Greenwich Point
Saturday, January 11, 2025, 8:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: Tait Johansson
Description: Register early to join us for our popular annual Field Trip to Greenwich Point with Naturalist Tait Johansson. Greenwich Point is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and due to the park’s peninsular geography and the variety of habitats available it is an important migrant stopover for many species of birds. Good numbers of waterfowl winter offshore and in Eagle Pond so we will be looking for Brant, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Great Cormorant, Horned Grebe, and both Common and Red-throated Loons and Ruddy Turnstone. On land, we might be lucky enough to encounter Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow and Snow Bunting.
Registration: Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. Registration required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713.
View Details


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Brooklyn Bird Club

Walking the Sandy Coastline of Brighton Beach and Coney Island
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Description: Primarily coastal waterfowl and ducks, gulls and beach habitat species.
Registration: Peter Dorosh, email Prosbird@gmail.com or Prosbird@aol.com
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Introduction to Birdwatching
Saturday, January 11, 2025, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: A member of the Brooklyn Bird Club
Description: Whether you’re just starting out or have already joined the birding ranks, this introductory walk is for you. Join a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club to learn the basics of birding and search for the dozens of species that visit Prospect Park through all seasons. All levels are welcome.
Registration: No registration necessary. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
View Details


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Linnaean Society of New York

Croton Point Park and Shawangunk Grasslands N.W.R.
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Leader: Julien Amsellem
Description: This combo trip will start at Westchester County’s Croton Point Park, a large peninsula that juts out into the Hudson River near its widest point. The park’s location on the Hudson flyway attracts a wide variety of birds to its many habitats, including expansive bays, tidal wetlands, immense grasslands, and mature forests. Among the many exciting sightings here are high numbers of Bald Eagles, large congregations of many duck species, and excellent grassland species, like Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Lark, Snow Bunting, and American Pipit.
Registration: Nick Dawson — thewriternickdawson@gmail.com
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NYC Bird Alliance

Intro to Birding in the Central Park Ramble
Saturday, January 11, 2025, 8:30am - 10:30am
Leader: Tod Winston
Description: Are you curious about birding but don’t have much (or any) experience? Bundle up and join NYC Bird Alliance's Tod Winston on a relaxed winter walk in Central Park to go over birding basics and see sparrows, finches, woodpeckers, ducks, and more. Some say winter may be the best time to learn! Binoculars available upon request.
Registration: Registration page
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Saturday Morning Winter Birding at Prospect Park
Saturday, January 11, 2025, 10:00am - 11:30am
Leader: Gabriel Willow
Description: Join NYC Bird Alliance and naturalist Gabriel Willow to get to know the winter residents of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl.
Registration: Registration page
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Intro to Birding at Van Cortlandt Park
Sunday, January 12, 2025, 8:30am - 11:30am
Leader: Tod Winston
Description: Join NYC Bird Alliance's Tod Winston on an Intro to Birding tour in one of the Bronx's largest green spaces. Participants will search the park's diverse habitats for its many resident and wintering species, including songbirds, woodpeckers, raptors, and waterfowl, and discuss a wide range of bird-related topics. Binoculars available upon. request.
Registration: Registration page
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Birding at Freshkills North Park
Sunday, January 12, 2025, 8:30am - 10:30am
Leader: Anthony Ciancimino
Description: Join Staten Island resident Anthony Ciancimino for a tour of Freshkills Park’s North Park. This park is a beautiful oasis of wetlands and grasslands, where you can expect to see a wide variety of wintering waterfowl, raptors, and sparrows.
Registration: Registration page
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Queens County Bird Club

Ft Tilden/Breezy Point
Saturday, January 11, 2025, 7:45am - 12:00pm
Leader: Eric Miller (917) 279-7530
Description: This mini-trip features spectacular views and opportunities for sea-watching. Please bring your scope if you have one.
Registration: Please contact trip leader for meeting time and location.
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South Shore Audubon Society

Massapequa Lake
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Leader: Members of SSAS
Description: Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road. Massapequa Lake is at the south end of Massapequa Preserve, between Lakeshore Boulevard and Ocean Avenue.
Registration: Registration is required by calling Joe Landesberg at 516-467-9498
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Urban Park Rangers

Sunday, January 12, 2025
Birding: Bald Eagle Watch at Palisade Avenue and Spaulding Lane (in Riverdale Park), Bronx
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Winter is a spectacular time for observing bald eagles in New York City parks. See if you can spot any on this adventure with our Urban Park Rangers. Bring your own binoculars.
Free

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Week 52 - Green-Wood Cemetery

When I decided to document all the seasonal changes in historic Green-Wood Cemetery over the course of a year, I wasn't certain how things would unfold. One of my concerns was whether I had the stamina to commit to the 52 focused blog postings. Another was that I'd have to go into the cemetery a minimum of 3 times a week. Weather conditions sometimes made it difficult to stick to that schedule, but I managed to work around it a few times. The most difficult period was the final two weeks of the year due to holiday considerations. This final week I was only able to get into the cemetery twice, but made up for the missing day by spending several more hours each day.

In early January I'll post my 2024 Green-Wood Cemetery bird list, plus a short highlights video, which I do every year.

So what was cooking in Green-Wood during the final week of the year? We aren't quite there yet, but hellebore are preparing to push up through the snow and mud very soon. The current period of change is nearly imperceptible, but things are happening

I was not completely surprised, but certainly delighted, to find at least two Baltimore Orioles dispensing with their usual southbound migration. Instead, they appear to be thriving this winter by feeding primarily on a bumper crop of yew berries.

Baltimore Oriole

It has been a joy watching our overwintering immature Red-headed Woodpecker for the past 70 days. It continues a busy schedule of collecting acorns, caching them, excavating nighttime sleeping cavities, and chasing squirrels and birds from his territory. Its near constant, soft chattering makes me wonder if it misses talking to other Red-headed Woodpeckers. As we approach the new year, this young bird's brown head plumage is increasingly transitioning to the brilliant namesake red. Last week I noticed that it now has an almost complete red bib.

Immature Red-headed Woodpecker

Another winter-only woodpecker, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, can also easily be located by its vocalization - a cat-like "mew". Yew trees are one of the preferred sources for sap, but I also watched one last week catching drips from a young Norway Maple.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Water bird diversity and abundance on the Sylvan Water increased slightly with the addition of four Hooded Mergansers and a male and female Bufflehead. That brings the total number of species on the pond to a modest 6. If Sylvan doesn't freeze I expect to see several more species come and go over the rest of the winter.

American Coot

Hooded Merganser

Bufflehead with mergansers

The usual suspects were still being seen in expected abundance. A pair of Chipping Sparrows is considered rare for Brooklyn in the winter by the Cornell eBird website standards. However, I've found that several are always able to make a living in Green-Wood Cemetery, even during the most extreme conditions. Two or three are currently feeding around Dell Water with the more common sparrows.

Chipping Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Carolina Wren

Tufted Titmouse

Back in May I spotted an unusual flowering tree called the Dove Tree (also call Ghost tree or Hankerchief tree). Named for its two large white bracts which flutter in the wind, I'd never seen one before. Last week I noticed that it is now sporting fairly large ovate fruit. Apparently our wildlife isn't attracted to it as they look untouched. Most sources report that the fruit is toxic to humans. Perhaps the same is true for our native animals.

Dove tree fruit

My last note is about fungi. The first is a tiny, orange fungi call the Orange Hobnail Canker. I observed it along the base of a Red Oak. From the little I've read online, it prefers oaks and hickories. There seems to be some scientific discussions about its taxonomy...too much for me to wrap my brain around. Suffice to say, it's popping up around the cemetery now. The second is a very common fungi similar in looks to tree ears. It is the Amber jelly roll (Exidia crenata). Seen mostly in fall and winter, you'll often encounter it on broken branches lying on the ground. Non-toxic, some people put it in soups and noodles. The most frequent description I've found online regarding its taste and texture is "unremarkable". True tree ear (wood ear) fungi are more sought after in this country.

Orange Hobnail Canker

Amber Jelly Roll

Well, there you have it. Fifty-two weeks in the most incredible urban oasis in New York City. I'll continue to post about my observations at historic Green-Wood Cemetery in the future, just not as consistently. It's impossible to predict what the new year will bring but, hopefully, this closer look at the seasonal cycles will help create a picture of the regular changes and threads that connect everything in our local environment. My 2025 posting may include a wider look at the nature throughout the entire borough of Brooklyn. Have a safe New Year's and hope to see you in the field. Cheers!

Groundhog