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.
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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.
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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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