Another Unusual Visitor to NYC

Back in early December, a friend of mine spotted, what was thought to be a young Orchard Oriole in Union Square Park in Manhattan. Baltimore Orioles around NYC during the winter are unusual, but not unprecedented. Regarding late Orchard Orioles, however, "Bull's Birds of New York State" states, "Unlike its cogener, the Baltimore Oriole, this species has never been recorded in NY between Oct and mid-April." Had the person been aware of that fact, and taken into consideration 2007's extraordinary list of extralimital species of birds that showed up around New York State, it might have warranted a closer look at the bird.

For over a month, Union Square's brightly colored visitor went largely unnoticed by New York City birders. On January 24th, someone went looking for the bird and correctly identified it as a Scott's Oriole. It is the first time that this southwestern bird has been recorded in New York State. As soon as the information hit the Internet, droves of people began heading to Broadway and 14th Street. Union Square Park is not so much a park as it is a plaza with statues, some patches of grass and trees. The hungry oriole, for whatever reason, passed up Central Park's 843 acres (or any of the other large expanses of nature in NYC) and came to rest in a park that is not known for its natural surrounding, but rather political rallies, demonstrations, greenmarkets and an equestrian statue of George Washington.

This past Sunday I rode the "R" train from Brooklyn to Union Square hoping to get a look at the oriole. The directions that were posted on the Internet to the Scott's Oriole's preferred habitat were pretty simple. It's about 20 yards from the subway entrance, in the small garden behind the Mahatma Gandhi statue. It was one of the most unusual directions to a rare bird that I've ever read.

There is a holly tree in that area that a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been using as a food source. The Scott's Oriole discovered the dripping sap and has been seen regularly feeding at the holes. He also feeds on scrapes of bread, fruit and other "city bird" junk food.

There were about a dozen people present when I arrived, so it wasn't hard to figure out where the bird was frequenting. The first person I approached said that it hadn't been seen in the expected location for about 30 minutes, so I strolled around the 3 acre park looking in other spots. Like most open spaces around Manhattan, the wildlife in the park is a very short list; Rock Pigeon, European Starling, House Sparrow and Eastern Gray Squirrel. There is also a small dog run, if you want to add domestic dog to the mix.

I looped around the park's interior foot path and the north end's greenmarket then headed back to the Gandhi statue. While I was waiting for the oriole with a group of other birders, Ed Coyle yelled to us, "It's over here". He was standing about 50 yards east of us and was pointing up at a bare cherry tree next to the statue of George Washington on his steed. In retrospect, it seems kind of silly, but I actually ran to where Ed was aiming his camera. The oriole stood out like a lighthouse on a stormy night. You couldn't miss it as it perched only about 10 feet up and right next to the sidewalk.

I watched it for about 1 hour during which time it moved back and forth between a dirt strip at the south end of the dog run and, what I now know, is officially named the "Gandhi Gardens". At one point, the aggressive little bird attacked a starling that came too close to his piece of bread. Shane told me that while he was watching the oriole, it was drinking from the sapsucker's tap holes when the sapsucker returned to feed. The Scott's Oriole proceeded to chase the small woodpecker to the ground where it gave it a sound thrashing. Now there's gratitude for you, beating up the provider of his sweet drinks.

I've been wondering why he chose that particular patch of plants in Union Square Park. It might be because it is the only spot in the park with any diversity of fruiting plants. There are some low wildflowers and grasses bordering the garden, but much of the ground has been worn down to the soil by the local wildlife. Dominating the larger plants is a young pine, a single American Holly tree and a grouping of berry-less winterberry shrubs. Either the winterberries are all male plants, or the birds have already eaten all the bright red fruits.

Yesterday I was at a meeting on lower Broadway. When I left the meeting at a little past 2:00PM, the rain had stopped and there was a blinding, winter sun in the sky. I decided to stop by Union Square for another look at the Scott's Oriole. The wind had really picked up since I left my home in the morning and it felt a lot colder than I anticipated. It made me think about the weather conditions this oriole should be experiencing 1500+ miles west, where he hatched last year. Hopefully, he'll realize that he's on the wrong side of the continent and eventually fly back.

When I arrived the oriole was perched out of the wind in one of the winterberry shrubs near the sidewalk on the west side of the garden. I didn't have my binoculars, but he was so close that it didn't matter. I had my little point-and-shoot Canon camera with me and decided to use it to shoot some video. At around 3PM he flew to a shrub that was only 8 feet away from me. He hopped down to a low branch, then on to the ground where he began picking at the remains of a discarded banana. The floor of the garden is about 3 feet higher than the sidewalk. A stone retaining wall is topped with a low, wrought iron fence. The Scott's Oriole was about 6 feet away from the fence. There were several birders standing behind me and, since I'm tall and didn't want to block their view, I knelt down on the sidewalk where I had an eye level view of the bird.

His feathers and the silver base of his bill gleamed in the intense, winter sunshine. As I watched the bird from the southwest feeding on pieces of a tropical fruit it felt like the wind subsided and the blustery afternoon momentarily warmed up. I walked the short distance to the subway entrance and went back to Brooklyn.

A big "Thank You" to Steve Garza and Ed Coyle for the use of their photos

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

New Sidebar Element

I just added a new element to the sidebar that I hope you'll find useful. It's a list of links to recent rare bird sightings around NYC. Occasionally, it will include reports from Long Island and Upstate New York

A Look Back

After watching the two Red-tailed Hawks courting in the woods behind the zoo, I began to think about the first hawk nest that I closely observed. The year was 2002 and it was a pair that became known as Big Mama and Split-tail. For various reasons, many people more experienced with urban Red-tailed Hawks believed that it was their first nesting attempt, but they sucessfully raised 2 young. In the following years Big Mama and Split-tail reared 5 more offspring of which 2 died of the disease frounce. Big Mama went on to pair with a younger male named "Junior". They subsequently moved to a nest in Green-Wood Cemetery where they've raised three offspring in 2 years.

When I went home from Prospect Park on the 13th I looked at some old photos and read through my journal from 2002. Below is the entry from the most memorable event of that spring:

June 11, 2002

It has been 108 days since I started watching the Red-tailed Hawks building their nest and 7 weeks since the two chicks hatched. My vigilance at the nest finally paid off on a morning that was both exhilarating and, at times, harrowing.

When I arrived at 8am the younger chick was in the oak tree adjacent to the nest tree. The older chick was nowhere to be found and I assumed it had fledged. Thirty minutes later I located it in an oak tree not far from where I was standing, a considerable distance from where it was when I left the park last night. By around 8:30am the adult male arrived with a White-footed Mouse and was joined by his mate at the nest. The female took the mouse in her bill and flew out to her usual perch where she could be seen by both chicks. The older, more advanced chick began squealing and she flew to a branch above her hungry offspring. As the drama unfolded a group of us were riveted by the two birds as the chick tried to maneuver itself into a position where it could safely take the rodent from its parent. At one point I stepped back from the group for a different perspective and, from the corner of my eye, spotted the younger bird soaring from its high perch in the oak tree down into the grass directly beside me. The chick made a soft landing and just stood there looking a bit confused.

Stephen Rudley and I immediately placed ourselves between the roadway and the young chick. Despite the fact that it was this bird’s first experience with terra firma it could run surprisingly fast. I was amazed at how long its legs were and how it looked more like an ostrich running than a hawk. As luck would have it Ann Wong, the head biologist from the Prospect Park Alliance, was present. Moments later, Tupper Thomas, the park administrator, arrived. Within 30 minutes a work crew arrived, put up cones to block one lane of the road and began quickly erecting a snow fence along the edge of the curb. As this was happening Stephen and I continued to follow the hawk herding it away from both the roadway and the open, and very busy, Long Meadow. At one point our little friend began bolting down the dirt path while flapping its wings. When it couldn't gain altitude it just hopped up on a low boulder and looked around. The rock was in a very open spot next to the road and Stephen thought that he could gently coax the bird to perch on a large branch that he would then carry back up the hill. No dice. The hawk just sat down on its haunches as if in complete resignation. After a short rest it began running back up the hill towards its starting point. I followed it as it foraged like a chicken in the underbrush and was surprised when I saw it eating an earthworm (mmm, tastes like rat).

At the top of the rise is a small tree that leans over at a slight angle. The young raptor had checked it out a couple of times earlier but had trouble climbing up it, as the angle was perhaps a little steep. I had an idea that I thought might help. I located a very long log, dragged it out of the woods and leaned it against the tree at a lower angle. I hoped that our wayward friend would use it to climb tohigher ground. It didn't take long but sure enough it climbed up on it and began making its way up the tree (that log has now become known as "Rob's Hawk Ladder"). As we were playing raptor herder momma Red-tailed Hawk remained perched above us most of the time. By about 12:30pm the little one had made a lot of progress and was about 12-15 feet back up in a tree. Meanwhile, the older chick (who we had completely forgotten about) had flown into a Sycamore Maple about 30 yards south of where we had been watching it earlier. It has completed the flying exam and passed with, well, flying colors.

As nervous as we all were when the younger hawk was running around on the ground we were relieved once it made it back up into the tree. The chick is probably only a day behind its sibling with regard to development and I feel confident that by tomorrow it should be fine.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Prospect Park, late Sunday

I went for a bike ride in Prospect Park late Sunday afternoon.

After one lap around the park, I rode into the open area above the Vale of Cashmere. The area's official name is "The Rose Garden", but I've been told that there haven't been roses there since the 1940's. It should be renamed "The American Yew" garden, for all the yew shrubs that border the grass field with non-working decorative fountains. I took that route because it allows me to ride down the paths into the Vale of Cashmere, then continue cycling passed Nelly's Lawn, through Battle Pass and into the Midwood. I get bored if I just stay on the road that loops around the park.

Someone had put out mixed bird seed next to the ponds in the Vale. A squirrel was chowing down, while the birds waited their turn. There was a flock of about 30 Mourning Doves perched in a tree above the ponds. As I passed beneath them another 20 or so flushed from the brick sidewalk and muddy hillside. I stopped briefly to speak with a woman who appeared to be clipping branches from a thorny shrub. People sometimes take a lot of liberties in Prospect Park, so I stopped to say hello and see what she was doing. It turned out that she was a botanist and was just clipping a couple of tiny, dead branches for samples. Neither one of us were certain of the plant species. I've looked at that plant hundreds of times as I'm fascinated its beauty and intimidating nature.

As I was pedaling towards Battle Pass I heard the chirping call of a Red-tailed Hawk. It wasn't the typical, wheezy "keeeerr", but the short, high-pitched notes that I usually associate with fledglings begging for food. My bins always come with me when I go into the park, even if I'm just going for a bike ride. I'm glad I had them with me yesterday. After a brief search I located a large, adult red-tail perched in the North Zoo Woods (I recently found an old Prospect Park map and discovered that the area in question was originally named the "East Woods"). I leaned my bike up against a tree and watched her calling. Within a few minutes, her mate flew in from the woods west of me. He had a fresh kill in his talons and placed it on the branch next to the calling female. She accepted the gift and he flew to a perch just above her. He sat and watched for several minutes as she tore into, what looked like, a baby squirrel. It may only be January, but Red-tailed Hawks are already preparing for the breeding season. Marge called on Saturday to tell me that she spotted one of the released juvenile Red-tailed Hawks in Green-Wood Cemetery. She also said she witnessed Big Mama and Junior talon-grappling in the sky above the cemetery. Ah, love is in the air.

About 30 minutes later I was riding along Center Drive when I spotted four people staring up into the woods of Quaker Ridge. I figured that they were looking at a red-tail. Valerie was one of the people. I rode over in time to see two or three Red-tailed Hawks fly off towards Lookout Hill. She told me that three juvenile red-tails were playing together in the woods. I asked if any were banded, but she didn't have her bins and couldn't tell. The hawks were soaring over Lookout, so I pedaled up the road and turned onto the path to the top. I found one hawk perched in a tree near the Butterfly Meadow, and another was flying just above. I didn't see a third, but ran into another birder, named Rob, who also said that three juveniles had been playing around in the woods of Lookout Hill. They were last seen flying out of the park towards the Green-Wood Cemetery.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Breakfast Visitor

Our neighborhood hawks sure like to perch on the building opposite our kitchen. During breakfast this morning my wife said nonchalantly, "Looks like the Cooper's Hawk is back". I leaned over to the window and looked across the courtyard to the roof of an adjacent building. The hawk wasn't perched on the antenna, as I expected, but on the corner of the roof. It also wasn't a Cooper's Hawk, but a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk*. That's a first for our "backyard". There's a flock of pigeons that roosts on the next building over, unfortunately, he'd have little chance of catching one. He was scanning the ground for something a bit smaller, maybe a junco, White-throated Sparrow or House Sparrow. After we cleaned up our breakfast dishes, I took another look and he was still on the roof.

That brings our roof raptor list to 4 species; Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk and American Kestrel. There is a very narrow stretch of backyards between the buildings on our block, but I guess it attracts a lot of prey.

*Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks are notoriously difficult to tell apart in the field. My assumption that it was a sharpie is based entirely on its very small size relative to the ledge and bricks. I measured a brick outside my window and it is only 2" thick. Also, he looked tiny compared to the pigeons that were flying past.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Hawk Release

Friday I had the honor of participating in the release of three rehabilitated Red-tailed Hawks. They were first year birds that were injured in Brooklyn and brought to "Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation" on Long Island. Bobby Horvath operates the small facility and I've mentioned some of his rescues in past postings.

Bobby and I have corresponded for over a year, but we had never met. When he was planning to release some hawks in Brooklyn he asked if I'd like to be present. I was thrilled with the idea of being up close with the hawks and watching them fly off into the wilds of Brooklyn. Imagine how I felt when he asked me if I'd like to hold, then release one of the hawks. I tried to act all cool, like it was an everyday event, but I was jumping out of my skin with excitement.

It was a crisp 30 degrees and there was a steady wind blowing in from the west. Bobby and another rehabber (I was so focused on the hawks that I can't remember her name) took the first hawk out of its carrier. It seemed surprisingly calm and composed. When he was faced into the wind, he instinctively opened his wings to catch the uplift. The first bird was released and headed towards a huge linden tree to the north. It perched near the top of the tree.

As they extracted the second bird from the carrier they asked if I'd like to release it. Well, yeah!

Bobby showed me how to hold the hawk. He also explained that I shouldn't be worried about the bill, as they won't bite me. Their talons were another story. Given half a chance, they'd put a few good sized holes in me. I held the young Red-tailed Hawk firmly around his legs. He was a relatively small, male bird. The hawk seemed relaxed and imposing as he scanned his new surroundings. When it was time to let him go, I faced into the wind and opened my grip on his legs. I didn't have to toss him in the air or give him any kind of help. He just opened his wings, caught the wind and effortlessly ascended into the air. The raptor made a wide, arcing turn and found the tallest tree to land in and survey the new setting.

The third hawk flew off in the same easterly direction. Later, as Bobby and his assistant were closing up the empty carriers, Bobby spotted one of the Red-tailed Hawks taking off from his initial perch and heading over the trees. When the bird flew out of sight, Bobby had a smile and look of satisfaction on his face.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Last Weekend of 2007

What a difference a year makes. In 2006, Sean, Shane and I rushed around New York State collecting bird sightings. For 2007, our priorities were such that we spent very little time birding together. My involvement with the Ridgewood Reservoir project kept me more focused on that conservation issue and less so on personal bird listing. I went from seeing 315 species in the state in 2006 to 249 in 2007, but I have no complaints.

Birding has made me more aware of our seasonal cycles in the Northeast. It has also made me wonder about the logic of our calendar. We begin the year in the middle of winter and end the year in the middle of winter. I suppose it makes sense somewhere in the world.

In January of 2007, I spent some of my time watching a female Merlin that overwintered in Prospect Park. As winter rolled around again, I ended the year crossing paths with a Northern Goshawk who had moved into Prospect Park in November.

On Saturday, December 29th, I rode the "J" train over to Ridgewood to meet someone. The sky was dark and threatening, so I didn't stay for very long. Leaves have fallen from all the trees in the basins, giving a very different perspective when looking across the tops of the forests. I put my camera on the tripod, pulled the legs all the way out and extended the center post to its limit. With the self-timer set to 10 seconds, I hoisted the tripod as high as I could and faced it into basin 3. The resulting images are nearly unrecognizable from the lush, green habitats of spring and summer. Rows of bare, slender Gray Birch trees stood up like quills on a porcupine.

While waiting on the platform of the elevated train station, I noticed a large flock of pigeons swirling around above an apartment building west of the reservoirs. The swirling, undulating mass of birds was hypnotic. Suddenly, the organized movement of the flock was interrupted and they split off into chaotic groups. A Peregrine Falcon was plunging headlong through the center. She missed her target and circled back up above the pigeons as they regrouped. On a second pass she hit one bird and it started tumbling, but righted itself after a few seconds. I expected to see the falcon swoop in for the kill, but instead, a second, larger Peregrine Falcon appeared and the two began fighting. The chase ended up over the Ridgewood Reservoir where they twice locked talons. There was a big difference in the size of the two birds, so I assume they were male and female. The pigeons had resumed their synchronized maneuvers, but the falcons were so engrossed in their aggression towards each other, they forgot about the hunt. As a train approached the station, I watched the two peregrines disappear behind the trees at the reservoir heading north. The reservoir is nearly equidistant from 7 bridges. I wonder if the two falcons were from nests on any of those bridges.

In the afternoon, and the following day, I walked around Prospect Park for several hours. It probably sounds silly, but I was looking around for any last minute additions to the park's 2007 bird list. I guess the urge to build a long list has carried over from my 2006 experiences.

Nearly all the expected winter species were around the park's various habitats, although the woodlands seemed unusually quiet. On Sunday, my wife and I were at the Vale of Cashmere looking around for birds. It's a natural wind break and there's almost always a lot of activity in that area. An unleashed dog ran up the hillside and through the woods. Dozens of birds that I hadn't seen on the ground flushed. Perhaps the Northern Goshawk was still around and the birds were being extra cautious.

Robin and I were walking back home from the Peninsula when I noticed a large lump in the trees near the Maryland Monument. A young Red-tailed Hawk. My wife noticed a second one farther up the hill. We decided to walk up to the path that parallels Wellhouse Drive, to get a closer look. It took a few moments to located the perched red-tail. The second juvenile hawk was circling Lookout Hill a short distance away from the perched bird. Then, as if it materialized out of thin air, the goshawk flashed in front of us. She effortlessly weaved around the trees as the second red-tail attempted to harass it. The goshawk looped around the base of the tree where the first red-tailed hawk was still perched. She was less than six feet off the ground as she continued up the ridge and out of sight near the Butterfly Meadow.

I've seen Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks zipping though the woods plenty of times. They are relatively small birds and they appear, physically, made for the job. The Northern Goshawk is a very large, bulky raptor that I wouldn't expect to be very agile. However, after witnessing the ease with which she navigated a path through the tangles of the forest ... my wife and I were blown away by the experience.

Prospect Park, 12/29-12/30/2007
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Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Jones Beach & Long Beach

Shane and I drove out to the Jones Beach Coast Guard Station this morning hoping to locate a pair of Little Gulls that has been seen in the company of some Bonaparte’s Gulls. There was also a King Eider reported in the area. During our “Big Year” last year, the King Eider became Shane’s nemesis bird as he made 5 unsuccessful trips to Montauk, where one had been hanging around. We assumed that, since neither one of us were particularly pressed to locate one, it would probably be very easy.

The tide was high in the cove next to the Coast Guard Station and there was very little bird activity other than a huge flock of Brant and a few dozen American Oystercatchers. We decided to drive to Long Beach, on the west side of the Jones Inlet to check for gulls and Harlequin Ducks. For many years a flock of harlequins were regular winter visitors to the rock jetties at Long Beach, but have been MIA for a couple of years. I haven’t seen any in 2 years and I was really happy to learn that a flock of 4 have finally returned.

Instead of going straight to the inlet, we drove into the Hempstead Town beach parking lot at the end of Loop Drive to check the beaches west of Jones Inlet. As we were pulling into a parking space close to the beach, I spotted a Northern Harrier soaring low over the dunes. Once we were on the beach, we noticed that there was a very large flock of gulls about a mile west of us. It was a little far to walk, so we drove to the parking lot of the "Malibu" cabana club. About 250 yards west of the club's western-most beach access was a very large mixed flock of gulls. They were feeding either at the edge of the water or floating up and down behind the breakers a few yards off shore. The majority were Bonaparte's Gulls, of which there were approximately 800. I’m still a novice when it comes to gull identification, but Shane has the skills and patience to scan the mass of white, black and gray birds. After about 2 hours of searching through the flocks, we were pretty certain that the Little Gulls weren’t around and so we drove the short distance back to the inlet.

I quickly spotted 4 Harlequin Ducks in their favorite location near the northern end of the jetty at Mineola Avenue. Shane spotted the King Eider swimming in the northwest side of the channel. We tracked it for about 30 minutes as it moved across both sides of Jones Bay.

As we were leaving, we ran into Peter Sculley and told him about the large flock of gulls that we had scoured earlier in the day. After a few minutes we decided to go with him back to the beach and search through the gulls one more time. The large flock was still present, but we still couldn’t find any Little Gulls, but, as a consolation, we did find a Lesser Black-backed Gull feeding along the shore. Towards the end of the day another flock of Bonaparte's Gulls came in to roost a short distance offshore at the Hempstead Town beach.

Other highlights from the day was a White-crowned Sparrow along the median near the Coast Guard Station; a Lapland Longspur within a flock of Snow Buntings at the Malibu beach and a Red-necked Grebe in Jones Inlet.

Jones Beach & Long Beach, 12/26/2007
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Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe (107 on ocean in front of "Malibu" cabana club.)
Red-necked Grebe
Great Cormorant
Brant
King Eider
Harlequin Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Sanderling
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Northern Flicker
Fish Crow
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
American Tree Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
American Goldfinch

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Blue Jay, American Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

New York Botanical Garden Christmas Count

On Sunday, Shane Blodgett, Steve Nanz and I participated in the Bronx/Westchester CBC. Just as in the past 5 years, our territory was the New York Botanical Garden. I've always enjoyed covering the NYBG's 250 acres, especially because we get to walk around for 3 hours before it is opened to the public. Next to my very first Christmas Count in 1995, it was nearly the worst weather that I've experienced. It rained, pretty much, for the entire time we were outdoors. At least this year, as opposed to 1995, the temperature was above freezing. I don't, for the most part, mind being out in the rain, but when raindrops collect on my binocular's lenses it makes viewing a challenge. Whenever any of us noticed something of interest, we'd quickly wipe off our lenses then try to make the identification before a puddle formed around our bin's objective lens. At one point Shane and I started fantasizing about various wet weather inventions for birdwatchers. How about little, tiny windshield wipers for binoculars?

It was a good exercise for identification by "Jizz". We managed to tally a respectable day list. It was the Christmas Bird Count, but might have been called "The Christmas Raptor Count". We counted 5 Red-tailed Hawk, that were in all likelihood the Fordham University Rose Hill family (Hawkeye, Rose and kids), two Sharp-shinned Hawks, two Cooper's Hawks, a Long-eared Owl and a Great Horned Owl. In addition, when we were stopped at a traffic light at the corner of Jerome Avenue and East 213th St, I noticed a kestrel balanced on the tip of a very tall, PVC antenna. At first, I thought that it was just a component of the antenna. Then I noticed that it was pumping its tail as it tried to remain balanced on the swaying, white pole.

Finding the Long-eared Owl was a nice surprise as we've never encountered one in the botanical garden. Steve was walking several yards ahead of Shane and myself. I noticed some movement in a tangle of shrubs to his right. They were Blue Jays. Steve took a quick look and continued walking. When I approached the noisy birds, I stopped to looked for the object of their ire. I didn't notice anything right away, so I did my best impression of a screech owl (not very good) to try and call out any unseen birds in the tangle. Suddenly, from the dark grays and browns of the shrubs, a large head with gold eyes swiveled around and glared at me. It flew off towards the south. I was stunned that the owl was perched only two feet off the ground and about 12 feet away, yet its camouflaged plumage made it invisible until it moved. Steve came running back to try and photograph the bird. It disappeared from sight, but Steve walked quietly in the direction that it flew. Moments later we began hearing a loud "cak, cak, cak, cak, cak, cak". None of us had any idea what bird was making the noise. I followed the sound and tracked it to a juvenile Cooper's Hawk in a cluster of pines. I assumed that the Long-eared Owl was also in the pines and the hawk was trying to scare it off. Shane and I looked in the direction that the hawk was facing and found the owl trying to blend into the dense branches of the conifers. He wasn't successful and the hawk chased him off towards the native forest.

Finding the Great Horned Owl was a fluke of my laziness. Steve, Shane and I were walking in a section of woodlands when we encountered a downed tree across our path. Steve was ahead of me and I watched him struggle to duck under the large tree trunk. I couldn't be bothered, so instead began to look for a path around the obstacle. I chose the path of least resistance, which still had some patches of snow and was very muddy. I had my head down, watching my footing, when I noticed a large area of white splatters then looked directly above. Bent over and staring down at me was a Great Horned Owl. I chuckled and muttered to the owl, "So that's where you've been hiding", then motioned for Steve and Shane. I had actually carefully scanned that tree earlier in the morning and didn't see him.

When we were walking back to the garden's cafe for lunch, I spotted an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk perched in a tree at the top of a rise in the Rock Garden. The uniformly, dim, gray sky seemed like it was fractured into pointed stained glass plates by the tree's branches. The rounded hawk looked like an intentional spotlight in the artist's design.

Shane found the highlight of the day. The three of us had split up to walk the 50-acre native forest section of the garden. I heard Shane shout something unrecognizable and ran towards his voice. He was looking straight up into a River Birch and, without putting down his bins said, "Redpolls". During irruptive years I've seen as many as three at a time, but he had found a flock of 13 Common Redpolls feeding on the tiny cones in a cluster of River Birches. I watched them for a few seconds that ran off to find Steve, who had his camera. Normally, it wouldn't be very difficult to track someone down in the forest, but today there was a layer of fog drifting through the woodlands. We were probably slogging through the mud in opposite directions, but eventually figured it out and the three of us studied the rare NYC flock for about 30 minutes. Steve was struggling to photograph the birds as the lighting was terrible and the birds were high in the trees. At one point I noticed a flock of chickadees coming through the woods and turned to watch them. I started "spishing" to attract the chickadees when Steve shouted from behind me, "Don't stop!" Apparently, redpolls were also attracted to the noise and began to descend towards Steve. I don't think anybody truly knows why making the type of sound usually reserved for calling house cats to dinner, attracts birds. Some people are always able to attract birds in this manner. It doesn't usually work for me, but fortunately it did this time because it allowed Steve to take a very nice portrait of a redpoll.

Here's a link to Mike Bochnik's summary of the count.

Steve and Shane in the native forest of NYBG
by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

An Animal Christmas Story

Peace, Love & Understanding this Holiday Season and Year Long,

Rob "The City Birder"

Sick hawk in Park Slope

Yesterday I received an email from my friend, Christina, with a link to a Flickr webpage. A woman found a hawk standing on the sidewalk a few blocks away from where I live. The author of the webpage thought that it was a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, but I'm certain that it's actually a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawks are usually rare around NYC in December, but in recent years seem to be reported on the annual Christmas Bird Count more frequently.

I was concerned about the poor thing and sent an email to Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who works with many of the injured raptors from NYC. Below is his response. I'll post some updates as soon as I know anything:

Hi Rob,

I've been busy picking up [juvenile] red-tails this season, 16 so far and mostly from Manhattan and the Bronx but not the one (?) in the picture. The last Brooklyn red-tail I know of for sure was back on 11/30 from Bristol St.

You're right it could be a red-shouldered. I've had a few and the [juveniles] have the distinct shoulder patch, which I couldn’t make out from that shot, but it does have the long stick-like legs. Many birds I receive from [Animal Medical Center], which provide excellent care and release to me for further care when they're ready. They just can't assess the bird’s flight ability from a small hospital cage, so if they were to attempt to release on their own, it might just hop skip away and not be retrievable once freed. Just yesterday I got another [juvenile] red-tailed from there, came from 192 St. and Bennet Ave in Washington Heights, and a [juvenile] Black-crowned Night Heron with a foot injury from Prospect Park. Unfortunately, I don't always get the intake info on the animal’s origins if a Good Samaritan doesn't leave that info. I just only know from which borough it came. The red-tail from Bronx I got after Thanksgiving from the NYPD did fine and was released. I try to return birds from nearby where found when possible, but this time of year with [juveniles], it’s a judgment call. First, if it isn't an accomplished hunter and just came in starving without an injury I sometimes winter them over. Chances are, after I fatten them up and the weather gets worse, it just may end up starving again and this time might not be found before too late.

The injured birds that can be assumed decent hunters can go back where found. They're not necessarily resident birds this time of the year. Some are migrants or else 16, so far, would account for a good chunk of all the resident yearlings and I doubt that’s the case. The city birds that have grown up on mostly pigeons and rats don't have the same opportunity out here on Long Island. Here it’s mostly rabbit, squirrel, and mice so it makes my release site decision a gamble either way. I recently got in a bird I banded and released out here. 8 days after release, about 10 miles from the site, someone actually witnessed it hit an aluminum street light pole. It did fine and I re-released him again hoping for the best this time. If anything interesting come in from your neck of the woods I’ll let you know.

I appreciate the site as always and have a nice holiday season as well.

Bobby

If you ever encounter an injured hawk or any other bird, here is a website with some good advice.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

SoHo Red-tailed Hawk

I just received the following email and photos from a friend who works in SoHo.

From: Thomas Kozak
Date: December 21, 2007
Subject: FW: Bird Photos

Hey Rob, thought you'd enjoy these photos from my office at Broadway and Houston. Seems like at least one red-tailed is doing some last minute Xmas shopping in SoHo.

One of Tom's coworkers spotted the little thing sitting on the window ledge of their conference room. I'm not sure who actually took the photos, but if you let me know, I'll add credit below the images.

In the close-up photo, he (or she) is looking a bit bleary-eyed. I hope that it wasn't sick or injured and was just taking an afternoon snooze.
















I recognized the location, 599 Broadway, as I had a client for many years in "The Cable Building" on the opposite side of Houston Street. I didn't think that there was enough green space for a resident hawk to hunt around that area, but a look at Google Earth showed several small parks around SoHo.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Christmas Bird Count & Holiday Thanks

Every December at this time, across the country (and now several other countries) birders are preparing for the world's most extensive nature survey - The Christmas Bird Count. I've been participating since 1995, except for 2002, when my arm was in a cast. Brooklyn's count was this past Saturday and I might have missed that one, too.

On Friday, I was putting on my coat and about to leave the house for an appointment when my cellphone rang. I didn't recognize the telephone number and considered letting it go to voicemail. When I picked up a woman on the other end said, "Is this Rob Jett, Robin's husband?" I replied, "What is this in reference to?" She repeated, "Is this Robin's husband?" "Who's calling please?" The voice at the other end of the line said, "There's been an accident." The bottom of my stomach dropped out. My mouth and throat were suddenly so dry that I could barely speak. The woman said in a very calm, reassuring voice that she had been hit by a taxi, but that she seemed OK. I wanted to run out the door, but knew it would be pointless. She was at the intersection of 57th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, I was in Brooklyn. I started to feel a little better when I heard Robin's voice in the background. In addition, the kind stranger who stopped to help my wife as she lay in the middle of the crosswalk was a retired nurse. That also helped to ease my mind a bit. An ambulance was en route and she would call once they knew the location of the hospital. She hung up and I began pacing around the apartment. The next call was from my wife. She calmly told me that she was going to St. Luke's on 59th Street. Then she commenced cursing the cab driver and how she wanted to kill the jerk. She sounded fine.

We spent the remainder of the day in the Emergency Room. There were no cuts or abrasions, but the X-rays revealed that her most serious injury was a fractured shoulder. She said that her whole body was hurting. I imagine that it felt like getting hit by an NFL tackle ... only you're not wearing any padding. I said to the attending nurse, "I guess this isn't the first time you've seen a patient who had been hit by a taxi." She said that I'd be surprised how many come in. No, I wouldn't.

Robin didn't want to take a taxi home (go figure), so we took the subway. Her right arm was in a sling, so I held her left arm as she limped onto the subway car. She immediately turned to a young woman in a seat at the end of the car and said, "I was just literally hit by a cab. Could you get up and give me your seat?" She may be down, but she's definitely not out.

That night I told her that I planned to drop out of the Christmas Bird Count to stay home with her. She insisted that she would be fine and I would be silly not to go. We went back and forth like that for a few minutes until I relented. She just wanted some peace and quiet to catch up on her reading.

My alarm woke me at 5:45am. I checked the weather and the windchill was 17 degrees. I was part of the team that was covering Floyd Bennett Field, Dead Horse Bay and Four Sparrow Marsh. Much of our effort would be spent walking in a line across Floyd Bennett's Grassland Management Area. In the past, we've had some pretty brutal wind whipping across the fields. The 140 acre tract is part of NYC Audubons Grassland Restoration and Management Project that was spearheaded by Ron and Jean Bourque. People are restricted from walking the grassland and I feel privileged to do so during the CBC. It is one of only two large remnant grasslands in New York City.

There are also several stretches of pine barrens on Barren Island, the island where the old, decommissioned airbase was constructed. Historically, Long-eared and other owl species are found among the pines. The conifers are primarily a mono-culture of Japanese Black Pine and, for whatever reasons, they are all slowly dying off. I"m always optimistic that I'll find owls, but haven't in several years. It was a good day for diurnal raptors, however, and we observed 8 different species, a Christmas Count first for me. The best one was the blackest dark morph Rough-legged Hawk that I've ever seen. It hovered briefly over a small stretch of grassland just to the north of the park's entrance. It flew in from the north, and after a few minutes of scanning for prey, continued flying south across Rockaway Inlet towards the Rockaway Peninsula.

There was an abundance of Horned Larks in two or three flocks that seemed to be constantly on the move. Perhaps they were a bit nervous because of the abundance of predators. We were never able to locate a Lapland Longspur that has recently been seen in the company of one of the lark flocks. However, at one point Roberto, Lenore and I followed in our bins a flock of 18 Horned Larks with a single, smaller bird. Presumably, it was the longspur, but I try to avoid "what-else-could-it-be" logic.

A flock of four Eastern Meadowlarks was a species save for the borough. We usually find them after they flush during our walk across the fields. In the past, I've only had 5-second views of their stuttering flight going away from me before they drop back down into the grass and vanish from sight. Yesterday they gave us an early Christmas present when all four perched for several moments on the branches of a bare sapling in bright, early morning sunshine. It looked like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree with bright, yellow ornaments.

The purpose of collecting bird data on the Christmas Bird Count is to use the information, not only to assess the health of their populations, but also the general health of our environment. In the relatively short period of time that I've been participating, I've become aware of declines in some species. I try my best to be well-informed about environmental issues, but my experience on Friday emphasized the tenuous nature of all of our existence. My wife likes to tease me by saying that I'm saving the world one bird at a time, right now I'm just thankful that one particular Robin is still here.

A big thank you to Scott Whittle for his sharp eyes during the count and permission to use his photo.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"