Urban Hawks

August 10, 2019December 25, 2020Other Animals

Inwood Hill Seal

At the north end of Manhattan, Inwood Hill Park has been the host of a Harbor Seal this summer. Seals have used the same location in the past, and this may be the same seal that was at the park last year. This seal is tagged on the right hind flipper and the number is 205 on a yellow tag with black letters. The number is a bit worn and could be 295, but it’s unlikely.

This year’s seal likes to come ashore near people, which makes it difficult at times to stay 50 yards away from the animal, as recommended by NOAA Fisheries guidelines. I kept having to move farther back has it came closer to shore.

On Facebook’s Inwood Times page, Donnalyn Carfi posted the following information.

For anyone that is interested in the Inwood seal, I heard from Mystic Aquarium see below:

I just received some photos today that are nice and clear images of the tag. So it is confirmed to be #205. This is indeed a seal that our Animal Rescue Program has rehabilitated. He was originally rescued in May 2017 in Scarborough, ME by an organization called the Marine Mammals of Maine. He was considered to be an abandoned pup and about one week old when he was admitted. He did well in rehab and we were able to release him in Charlestown, RI in October 2017. His name while in rehab was Bluebell.

I forwarded a link to my photos to Marine Mammals of Maine, and got a nice note back from their Executive Director, Lynda Doughty. She shared that the seal was reported to them on 5/25/2017 and that he was rescued on 5/26/2017. He was stabilized and triaged at their center and transported to Mystic on 5/28/2017.

If you’re enjoying Bluebell, I’m sure Marine Mammals of Maine or Mystic Aquarium would love a donation to thank them for their rehabilitation efforts!

July 20, 2019December 27, 2020Other Birds

More Common Terns

These photos were taken on two days over the last week. The Governors Island Common Tern colony is doing well, with many of the chicks getting quite large. With so many youngsters running around, it’s amazing the parents find their own offspring to feed. But they seem to figure it out without a problem.

July 18, 2019December 22, 2020Other Birds

Central Park Reservoir Barn Swallows

On the eastern wall of the western most pump house on the north side of the Central Park Reservoir is a Barn Swallow nest. There are four young. It’s a nice nest to watch, since it is fairly exposed.

July 18, 2019December 22, 2020Other Birds

Eastern Kingbird Fledglings

This year has been disappointing for Red-tailed Hawks in southern Manhattan. Although it most likely fledged, I can’t find the fledgling from the West End Avenue/72nd Street Nest. This leaves us only with a few fledglings to watch above 110th Street.

Since it’s a hike to see the fledglings uptown, I’ve been spending time this last few weeks looking at other species that nest in the city. There are lots of youngsters around. These pictures are of and Eastern Kingbird family who were near the pier at Turtle Pond. The snack was a dragonfly.

July 10, 2019December 27, 2020Other Birds

Common Terns

The Common Terns nesting on Governor’s Island have lots of chicks running around now. Some big and some little, they are running all around the north end of Lima Pier.

The first adult tern in the video appears has a VHF NanoTag tracker. While this season’s nano tags haven’t shown up in the Motus database, you can see the data from NYC Audubon’s 2016-2019 Semipalmated Sandpiper tags on the site. Click on a tag with activity and then select “Show detections in: a map”. While due to limitation in receiver station coverage you don’t get a full picture of the bird’s movement, you do see birds movements to the Canadian Maritimes, the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, New England, and South America. You can see an animation of all the tag movements here. Select the play icon to start the animation. Great work by Ariel Lenske, Kaitlyn Parkins, and Susan Elbin.

July 10, 2019December 27, 2020Other Birds

Crab For Lunch

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron nest at Governors Island continues to delight me each time I visit. On Tuesday, I arrived just in time to see an exchange between the parents, with the male being replaced by the female, who regurgitated food for the nestlings. I usually can’t see what’s been delivered but today, one youngster got hold of a huge piece of crab. It took a bit of effort to position it so it could be swallowed, while also preventing it from being stolen by a sibling.

A nearby Fish Crow nest has begun to fledge, with one of the first fledglings on a windowsill below the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron nest. Another young Fish Crow was branching in the nest tree.