It's  Fall. The weather is cooling and we're enjoying some drier weather. Birds are beginning to migrate again. Warblers will begin to be seen in greater numbers, kettles of hawks will appear and shorebirds will continue their journey south. Some shorebirds migrate from the Arctic to Central and South America and stop over here in the Bronx on the shores of City Island and Pelham Bay Park. Several other bird species will also migrate through our area. Link here to find out about migration.

Where To See these Migrating Species:

Warblers-
   Many warblers will soon be resting here. They will stay a few days, perhaps a week. It all depends on the weather. Warblers as well as other species wait for dry cool weather and wind currents which will aid them in their migration. Last year there was a fallout.  For a week or so there were hundreds, maybe thousands of Yellow- rumped Warblers as well Ruby Crowned Kinglets all over the northern zone of the park. Perhaps a storm or a strong air current carried hundreds of these birds to our park. Here they rested until they were ready to continue their journey. As I birded the park they were as common as House Sparrows.
   There are many species that will pass through the park this Fall.
To find them you'll have to bird often. They are spread all over the park. It's always best to bird after a change in the weather, perhaps after a storm or the movement of a cold front through our area. Check here to see which birds will most likey be around.

Birds of Prey
Believe it or not, the parking lot at Orchard Beach is a great place to see migrating birds of prey.  Dr. Robert DeCandido has studied the birds in PBPK for years, he says it all, "Pelham Bay Park is the best place in New York City to see hawks, eagles and falcons in migration. In fact on one September day not too long ago, over 15,000 migrating birds of prey were counted passing over Pelham Bay Park."
If you're interested in spending some time watching hawks, wait for a sunny, dry, cool day, preferably when a new weather front has moved through. Park yourself in the lot and look up. Hawks and other birds of prey ride on columns of air and can often be seen spiraling on these air currents. These spiraling groups of hawks are called kettles. Air currents rise when the sun heats the ground below. If you want to see the hawks migrate at eye level, you'll have to find an official Hawkwatch. There are Hawkwatches all around our area in Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They are usually on the top of mountains. One famous hawkwatch is at Hawk Mountain. Click here for information.
Email me for more tips on spotting hawks and Hawkwatches.


 

On September 5th I escorted some German journalists through the park to go birdwatching. It was their first trip to the Bronx. They were amazed at the variety of  birds here. We spotted 4 Ruby- throated Hummingbirds, like the one pictured here, in the first 15 minutes of our walk. These birds are migrating through on their trip south to Mexico or Central America. I took this photo on our last CIB walk on Labor Day.

This Osprey is hovering in the Lagoon near Twin Island.

Warblers, such as this Yellow Warbler, lose their breeding plumage in the Fall. Immature birds have not yet received their adult feathers. This makes identifying these birds particularly challenging in the Fall. The famous Peterson Field Guide refers to these birds as "Confusing Fall Warblers."

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Shorebirds
    There are miles of shoreline to search for shorebirds. This is a confusing and difficult group of birds to identify. After years of birdwatching they are still a challenge to me. Because one never knows what to expect, I check Turtle Cove almost daily. Hunter Island and Twin Island are also good places to find shorebirds.There is almost always some species of shorebird foraging in the mud flats. Some years I've seen a great variety of shorebirds right here in PBPK. You'll need good binoculars, a scope and lots of patience to find and identify these birds.
    The photo above was taken at the Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival in late August 2007.
Link here for more about Shorebird Migration