To Go

By Keith Michael

Picked up my usual sandwich, small bag of chips, and a peach tea. Self-checkout. I’m outta here.

Frequently, I’m unwittingly asked the trio of “favorite” questions:
1) What’s your favorite bird? (The one I’m looking at.)
2) What’s your favorite season? (This one.)
3) What’s your favorite place to see birds? (Where I am.)

Barred Owl. Central Park.

Seriously though, I DO perk up for eagle and owl sightings. Confession: I’m more jazzed by seeing shorebirds, winter ducks, and sparrows, than warblers. I like the change of seasons best, and to be ornery, perhaps I really like winter most of all because that’s the one most people complain about. When it comes to “where to see birds,” that really could be wherever you happen to be, but, yes, I DO have a Top Ten List of NYC places that I return to again and again. Let’s go!

One: Hudson River Park. Living in the West Village, the miles-long amenity of this riverfront ribbon of green, makes it a backyard destination for a few minutes or a full day’s outing. As it has matured during its 25 years, my bird list for this neighborhood patch has escalated to 126 species. A roosting Eastern Red Bat was my latest excitement.

Two: Central Park. Don’t want to travel too far? A short train ride takes you to one of the most unlikely, concentrated birding destinations in the country! More than 280 bird species have been seen in that urban rectangle. There’s always a new part of it to be discovered or a familiar spot to return to often.

Three: Inwood Hill Park. There couldn’t be a greater contrast on our fair isle of Manhattan than the difference between the sea level density of downtown skyscrapers and the cliffside topography and centuries-old towering stand of Tulip trees at the northern end of the island. I particularly love going there in spring for the ethereal yellow understory of Spicebush blooming and the carpet of the ephemeral wildflower Dutchman’s Breeches, all accompanied by the surround-sound of birdsong. Resident Screech Owls are the icing on an already very sweet cake.

Four: Green-Wood Cemetery. Vying for this spot-of-green favorite are Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. Starting with the Monk Parakeet colony at the 25th Street entrance, any season provides an amiable wander amid this world-class arboreum with bucolic vistas and endless human histories to ponder. Make a circuit of the four bodies of water on the map and you will have had a lovely day with, likely, a tidy bird list.

Five: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (JBWR). This vast Queens division of the Gateway National Recreation Area is worthy of a “pop out” for Snowy Owls during a winter freeze or to wade the mudflats for fall shorebird migration. It’s the place to go to catch Yellow Warblers galore in the spring or for your path to be crossed by nesting Diamondback Terrapins in the summer.

Six: Fort Tilden. The Rockaway peninsula boasts this prime winter destination to see northern seabirds who call this stretch of sand “tropical.” Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Northern Gannets, winter gulls, and loons are all worth bundling up for with the likely bonus of having miles of beach nearly to yourself amidst one of the densest urban areas on the planet. Imagine that. Oh, and in summer you can cheer on endangered Piping Plovers trying to raise their tiny families.

Seven: Plumb Beach. You’ve likely passed by this gem along the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn and never noticed it. The astonishing low-tide mudflats host foraging shorebirds, spurting clams, hordes of Fiddler Crabs, and in spring, the annual prehistoric egg-laying pilgrimage of Horseshoe Crabs.

Eight: Van Cortlandt Park. This is a vast urban forest at the end of the #1 train in the Bronx that’s been, unfortunately, sliced and diced by a spaghetti plate of highways. Still, you can duck the traffic noise in magnificent oak woodlands where you might catch a glimpse of the resident coyotes or go at night with a UV flashlight in search of Southern Flying Squirrels!

Nine: Pelham Bay Park. The #6 train drops you off at this sprawling tract of forest, marshes, meadows, and rocky coastline. It would take days to walk all the trails, and depending on where you end up, you could feel like you are almost anywhere on the eastern seaboard—though you’re still in the Bronx. I like to go in winter to look for owls and seals.

Ten: Mount Loretto Unique Area. I could go on and on about places worth repeated visits on Staten Island. First, the ferry, then the Staten Island Railroad (SIR), takes you to most of them. Like JBWR, I’ve gone there more times than I can count. Any season works. The combination of forest, swamp, ponds, grasslands, and ocean shoreline makes for a comprehensive day trip. Then throw in a few star regulars like Bald Eagles, owls, foxes, and seals. It’s irresistible to me.

Bonus: Whale Watching. I know that I’ve rounded out my Top Ten, but NYC whale and dolphin watching is another weakness of mine. Most people don’t realize that the New York bight is a prime feeding destination for Humpback Whales from May through December which means that we can easily see them. This summer, the 500th individual whale was identified within sight of the New York City skyline, only since 2012. Go out with American Princess Cruises from Sheepshead Bay for an unforgettable day on the water.

The Birds of September (top to bottom): Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Fort Tryon Park; Glossy Ibis. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge; Lincoln’s Sparrow. Bryant Park; Bald Eagle. Mount Loretto Unique Area