The GHO returned this weekend. Saturday I started the day relatively early at the Hudson River around Dyckman Street, using the Ft-Wash Greenway to check on the Red-Tail nest in the Henry Hudson Median. Red-Tails at that time were not showing any nesting behavior. The Red-Tails displayed some interesting aerial moves, torpedo-ing upwards. Two Peregrines and a pre-adult Bald Eagle flew over while I walked back north on the path. As I was passing the canoe club, two Red-Breasted Mergansers landed in the waters just south of the sailing dock. I met Michael Waldron on the pier. Up on the soccer the eagle made a few low passes and an adult made an appearance higher up near the overlook. Golden-Crowned Kinglets fed in the trees on the fence-line of the northern fields and in the woods along the northwestern path in the forest. Up on the ridge some Phoebes and a Pine Warbler foraging low between the two sets of pines on the center path. Four men explored the forest floor with metal detectors and small trowels (technically illegal in this park). I talked to James and Joe and met Diane. Later in the Clove I saw the GHO in the vine covered day-roost and encountered Danny nearby. People passed by in steady clusters on the road so I didn't hang out long. Saturday evening I returned to the park and found the GHO perched high in the Clove, approximately 100ft up. I observed from the east road above the Clove. He flew off to the ridge and I and others (the GHO was reported with location on eBird and Twitter) lost him on the north ridge. Also found the GHO on Sunday morning (raining heavily) and evening. Monday morning the GHO was in his vine covered, day-roost. I saw a loon, I think, flying north on the river. Monday afternoon I began work on English Ivy on the southern slope. I cut some gaps in the ivy attacking five or six trees - Oaks, hackberry and black locust. Later around 6:30pm I had the GHO perched about 100ft up in the Clove again. The owl stretched and released a pellet. After about 45 minutes he took off towards the north ridge. I caught him on video flying above Clove Road. In Englewood I've had a few good migratory encounters. Lots of house finches, a few Northern Flickers, many Red-wing blackbirds and Grackles. On my way in one morning I heard a Pine Warbler singing at the southern edge of the west side parking lot.
3/26/21
Around Inwood, Nest Scouting - 3/26/21
After a day or two of moist weather today strong sun and broke through with high winds and a humid feel. High puffy clouds sailed through the sky. I biked down Dyckman to Ft Washington Park and to check on the Red-Tail nest. It was my first time viewing the nest from below. It took some time to find. The views from the lower path are pretty good. A Red-Tail in the area performed in the wind and chirped. The flight style was spectacular. The raptor kited off the edge of Ft. Tryon and then stooped into the wind. The force of the wind lifted the raptor up into the air and it shot straight up into the air, missile shaped until they crested and dove and opened up their wings again. They performed the torpedo fall and rise like a stitching of thread and then sunk into the canopy. There was a lot of human activity on the bike path too. The fishing area was crowded and two men were drinking beers and gardening the thin strip of land between the fence and the Amtrak fence. I saw a man’s bare ass who was drying off after swimming in the river. I saw the riverside artist working diligently with sticks and trash, wearing a pink zip-up hoodie. I biked up to Dyckman Ball fields. The lot in front of the pier was packed with cars. I hung out at the top of the fields, only able to see Gulls and a solitary Canada floating against the wind. I continued around to check on the Screech Owls. On Screech was visible in the small side whole. There were several female RWBB in the soccer field. A dozen or so song sparrows ventured out of the Marsh Regeneration area to feed in the fields along with the two Swamp Sparrows. Up in Marble Hill I watched the male Peregrine perch on the north tower of Broadway Bridge for a while and then zoom around in the persistently gusty winds. Hundreds of European Starlings flocked and perched on the lower trusses of the bridge.
3/25/21
Palisades Park 3/25 (GWB north to Alpine Section)
Warm with sun fighting through dispersing fog. Bike north on 9 from CNBC. Spotted sticks or nest in top of cell antenna. No visible nest occupants. Locked bike at park headquarters and hiked north on cliff side trail. Saw a few black vultures perching. Scared a raven off of Bombay Hook perch. South of the Bombay Hook a bald eagle was perched in the canopy below the cliffs. Up near the big cliffs I found a Peregrine perching. It flew off towards The New York side of the river, the town north of Yonkers. Turkey vultures, ravens, crows. Not many passerines. Saw an blue, iridescent beetle on the trail. On the road down to the Alpine Marina I spotted a nest box up on the cliffs side, about twenty feet below the cliff edge. The box was three sided. Made of wood or composite material and had whitewash descending onto the rock face below. Some lady with a big lens chatted me up about the Eagle nest by Greenbrook Falls. I saw the female eagle in her nest. I saw another Peregrine and two more eagles in the southern section of the park. Also got my first Northern Flicker of the season. One of the eagles perched on the west tower of the GWB, only momentarily. Also a Canada Goose was sitting at the edge of a cliff over the road down to Ross Dock. It was funny to see the goose surveying the river from a cliff perch like a raptor. It honked a few times as well. I left the park around 7pm, making my visit there last over four hours. The only Red-Tail I saw was perched in the woods of Fort Lee park.
3/22/21
Palisades Park, NJ 3/19/21
The wind blew from the northwest intensely at the Dyckman Street Pier. The sun illuminated the cliffs on the western shore before raising high enough to reach down onto the Hudson River surface. Gulls flew into the wind just over the pier, frantically hovering in place. The wind pushed the iron gate over the latch and I had to bend it back through to get off the pier. I walked around the norther tip of the park and ran into Danny near the marsh regeneration area. We saw a Merlin fly across the northern edge of The Clove. After work I picked up some fig bags, a Snickers and vegan jerky at CTown. I laid on the couch and looked at the map of the Palisade Park. Around 3:00pm I got on my bike and road the Greenway South to 170-something Street. The nest between the Ft Washington Greenway and the main Greenway appeared to have new sticks on it. The wind blew very hard across the bridge. Around 4:30pm I took my first break from pedaling, north on Hudson Drive in the Palisades. A high pitched chipping sounded from somewhere east of the road. A Brown Creeper appeared on tree trunk. A little further up something zipped north along the cliff face that looked like a small falcon. About five minutes later a two Peregrine Falcons circled over the road, swinging at each other and then flying off in separate directions. High up the slope under the canopy along the cliff base a Red-Tail perched with it's very bright buffy chest standing out against the diabase backdrop. The woods were quiet except for about eight Juncos and the occasional American Robin. A man passed me on an electrically powered bicycle and then doubled back to ask about hawks he had seen from his apartment on Cabrini Street in Manhattan. He told me he had an owl perch once on his fire-escape and that also he let his cat outside to eat birds. His cat eats just the heads off the birds. Then he said he had seen a coyote on Hudson Drive a few days ago. The wild animal was walking down the road in front of his bike and then veered off into the forest after about a minute. To end the conversation I said, "Alright, I'd like to get to this eagle's nest before dark." He replied, "Ah, yes. You and Hitler both. Eiglar Hitler." Then he sped off to the north. I stopped at the Eagle nest and took some photos, ate some snacks and then spotted some Wild Turkeys perched in a tree to the west of the road. A brief squeal came from the Eagle nest and I went back to see the male had arrived at the nest. He arranged some nest material and snacked on a fish that was draped over the side of the nest. I continued on to the Alpine Marina, scanning the river edge and the cliff faces from below. A Great Blue Heron flew up over the cliffs. The bathrooms at the marina were open. I stood inside to warm up for a few minutes. Darkness fell on the woods below the cliffs. I walked up the hill from the marina and caught some faint hoots of a Great Horned Owl. I was able to hear the call three more times, very faintly. I think there may be a nest in this area. While I was waiting to hear more calls or get a sense of the direction they came from I heard some light steps hitting the leaves in the woods. Then I heard some yelping and tussling sounds come from the woods above the road. As I scanned the woods I heard two quick barks from the road. When I shined my headlamp down the road I hit two eyes low to the ground reflecting back at me. I skipped a rock off the ground in the direction of the eyes. The animal, likely a coyote, climbed up into the woods. I biked south back down Hudson Drive towards Englewood Cliffs Marina, careful not to hit a rock or anything. Around the EC Marina I heard an Eastern Screech Owl calling from the trees just over the road. I made it home after 9pm.