Where To Bird

Birding this area is simple and safe. You can bird all day here or go for a one hour walk and still see many birds. Pelham Bay Park can be muddy and buggy, especially during the warm months, so be sure to wear appropriate footwear and insect repellent. (There are ticks here, so cover up.) Besides birds, there is other wildlife here. Rabbits, deer and even coyotes have been spotted. Most trails are marked and maintained, but some may get overgrown. You won't get lost since you are never far from a road. Binoculars and field guides are recommended. If you're looking for shore birds, a scope is helpful. You should use the NYC Parks Department Map linked here.

1. Nice beginners walk... This is my favorite walk since it begins and ends on City Island where there is food and bathrooms. You can keep it short or extend it to your liking.

Park your car or get off the bus at the foot of the CI bridge on the City Island side. If you want to eliminate the walk over the bridge there is a small parking lot at the entrance to Rodman's Neck. That is located very soon after the entrance to the City Island traffic circle. As you travel around the circle you will spot a small entrance almost immediately after turning on to the circle, find a spot and park. Rodman's Neck gets very busy during warm days in Spring and Summer, as does City Island. Rodman's Neck is also the location for the NYC Police Department firing range and is the place where the bomb squad sets off explosives. (There's a local Red Tail Hawk who often perches on the streetlight at the entrance to the parking lot here. He can be seen sunning himself in the early morning. He's become accustomed to cars and people.)

Begin by walking over the bridge. Look for Egrets, Gulls, Osprey and Red Tailed and Cooper's Hawks. During the cold Winter months expect Bufflehead, Mallards, Scaup, Mergansers and many other duck species. Follow the walking/ biking path birding the circle and the area. Many common species abound, include White Throated Sparrows, Catbirds, Thrushes, Cowbirds, Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Flycatchers and Flickers to name a few. During the Fall and Spring expect to see many migrating species especially Warblers.

Continue walking and go halfway around the City Island traffic circle. You will be alongside City Island Road. You will come to Turtle Cove, a lagoon. (Its near the golf driving range.) Here you can find several Duck species in the Winter and a nice assortment of shorebirds the rest of the year. Great and Snowy Egrets roost here. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Ibis, some Sandpipers and thousands of Red Winged Blackbirds are regulars. After birding this area make a U turn and walk towards the CI traffic circle. Instead of heading back to City Island make a left turn down Park Drive. Walk a few hundred feet until you spot a large boulder. This is a great birding area.

Spend some time here before finding a small path that takes you down and around the back side of the lagoon. Here, you can see the lagoon from another vantage point. Vertical posts mark the trail head. (Be careful, there is poison ivy!) If the day is beautiful you can continue walking the trail and it will eventually lead you back to Orchard Beach Road. Follow the road back toward the City Island traffic circle and bridge.

2. A nice variation is to begin your walk as above, however, as you walk along the bike/walking path toward the CI traffic circle look for an opening in the wooded area to your right. This opening has some vertical posts, (logs,) marking the trail. As you walk this trail it will fork. The right fork will lead you to Orchard Beach. The left fork will take you on a nice walk that will exit onto Park Drive. Either way, you're going to see lots of birds!

3. If you want to see some shorebirds try Hunter Island at Orchard Beach. (Free entrance to park your car except for the summer months.) Park your car and begin walking along the boardwalk. Keep walking until you come to the far end of the boardwalk. If you walk a bit too far you will see the Orchard Beach Nature Center. Go back a bit and find a path to Hunter Island. Walk the trails here to find a variety of birds. Note, Hunter Island is now a misnomer since it is no longer an Island.
Hunter Island Marine Sanctuary

4. Bartow Mansion is also nearby. Parking is free. Look at the map to locate it by car on Shore Road. There are many walking trails, a pretty garden and opportunities to see a variety of birds. Shorebirds are often visible from the trails. Owls have been seen in this vicinity.

5. Park at Bartow Mansion and bird the horse trails behind the Pelham/Split Rock Golf course. You can park at the golf course, but save your money and park at Bartow Mansion and walk across the road. Behind the golf course parking lot is a horse trail. It's a rather long walk if you decide to do the entire trail. It loops into The Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary and travels alongside the Hutchison River Parkway for a while before cutting back. The trail will leave you on Shore Road about a mile from the Bartow Mansion where you began. You may want to do half the trail so you can return easily to your car.

6. Long Eared, Saw Whet and Great Horned Owls are often seen in Pelham Bay Park. Park your car or get to Orchard Beach Parking lot. From the north side of the lot begin exploring the wooded areas. If you're lucky you may run into some local birders who are familiar with the location of the owls.