• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

From my Manhattan Window (1 Viewer)

An Autmnal Sign

Hello all,

A sign of the change of season arrived, outside my window: white throated sparrows.
A few minutes before I saw the sparrows, a female northern cardinal was in the bushes. Then I saw two birds which I could not identify, each more than 35 metres, away. First a bird which briefly grasped a tree trunk, which suggests a woodpecker. There was also a thrush like in the grass, even more distant. Then I noticed an ovenbird beneath my window. It might have been the distant bird. This would be the first ovenbird, which I have seen at my building.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:
 
It's always so exciting to see a new bird out the window isn't it.

An Ovenbird... oh my how lovely.

Nice one Arthur.
 
It's always so exciting to see a new bird out the window isn't it.

An Ovenbird... oh my how lovely.

Nice one Arthur.

Hello Delia,

Indeed, it is. I don't know if you read that my flat is only four minutes' walk from Broadway, about 300 metres, and only a little more distant from the Hudson River, but it is graced with a private garden of grass, bushes and trees.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Changing season

Hello,

This morning brought both white throated sparrows and a gray catbird to my window, while the temperature was about 4ºC. That was cold enough for the central heating to be going, although it is still shut off in all but one of my rooms. Immediately afterwards, a female northern cardinal turned up, but cardinals are around all year. Another glance out the window was rewarded with a hermit thrush.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood
 
West 12th today

New for my list, two Tufted Titmouse feeding during the heaviest of today's downpours in the London plane across the way.
 
New for my list, two Tufted Titmouse feeding during the heaviest of today's downpours in the London plane across the way.

Hello,

A northern mockingbird turned up at my block of flats. Mockingbirds seem to winter near my building.

I once met a very aggressive tufted titmouse in Central Park. I buzzed me for a couple of minutes. I was on the footpath, so I cannot comprehend why.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Hello,

A northern mockingbird turned up at my block of flats. Mockingbirds seem to winter near my building.

I once met a very aggressive tufted titmouse in Central Park. I buzzed me for a couple of minutes. I was on the footpath, so I cannot comprehend why.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Hi Pinewood,
The little visitor may have been expecting a snack from you.
Our NYC Titmice are certainly quite brash and will happily feed from your hand if you put a few nuts or sunflower seeds in your palm.
My guess is that it thought you looked like a sure thing.
 
Streng verboten!

Hi Pinewood,
The little visitor may have been expecting a snack from you.
Our NYC Titmice are certainly quite brash and will happily feed from your hand if you put a few nuts or sunflower seeds in your palm.
My guess is that it thought you looked like a sure thing.

Hello Ḗtudiant,

I follow the rules in Central Park and never feed the wildlife. The titmouse panhandler, local argot for beggar, had me misjudged.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Hello all,

Waiting for Sandy but I am snug in my block of flats, which is located many metres above sea level.
Some common grackles, purple race, turned up, this afternoon.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :egghead:
 
Hello Ḗtudiant,

I follow the rules in Central Park and never feed the wildlife. The titmouse panhandler, local argot for beggar, had me misjudged.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

You're more law abiding than me, Arthur. o:)
I happily contribute to the NYC Audubon feeders at Evodia Fields in the Park
and always have a few sunflower seeds for the titmice and chickadees.

It is true the Park has a big population of 'thin tail squirrels' (aka rats), but that is mostly a function of the several Park restaurants operating with inadequate garbage management.
 
You're more law abiding than me, Arthur. o:)
I happily contribute to the NYC Audubon feeders at Evodia Fields in the Park
and always have a few sunflower seeds for the titmice and chickadees.

It is true the Park has a big population of 'thin tail squirrels' (aka rats), but that is mostly a function of the several Park restaurants operating with inadequate garbage management.

Hello Ḗtudiant,

For sure. That boreal owl, which turned up, some years, ago, was always in the vicinity of Tavern on the Green, which provided plenty of mice.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :brains:
 
Hello Ḗtudiant,

For sure. That boreal owl, which turned up, some years, ago, was always in the vicinity of Tavern on the Green, which provided plenty of mice.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :brains:

Hi Arthur,
Boreal Owl memories are always welcome.
Even though the bird only allowed really terrible views, folded into the dense top of a pine, there was enough visible to call it.
I'd not thought of how that owl stayed fed, but thought it too small to tackle NYC Central Park rats, as they are pretty corpulent. I suspect the ones around the Tavern of the Green had beer bellies as well. Still, nature will find a way, the owl seemed pretty comfy during its visit.

This year seems to be a good year for visitors from the North, Chickadees and Kinglets are both already here in numbers, Purple Finches are routine and Evening Grosbeaks have been reported, although none yet in the Park.
Will keep my eyes peeled hoping for a return of our Boreal Owl!
 
After Sandy

How's the wind there today?

Hello Lashinala,

It is relatively calm and there is no rain, even a hint of sun, in the east. In Central Park, there were wind gusts to 60 miles per hour, 95 kph, yesterday. Everywhere there are leaves and branches on the ground, even some shop and building awnings which were blown off.

The Hudson rose over its banks, about 300 metres from me, but my block of flats is at least 7 metres higher than high water. We also suffered no loss of electrical power.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Last edited:
Hello,

I may have seen another wood thrush, at my window, but all I noticed was the spotted breast. It might have been a juvenile American robin.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
Hello,

I may have seen another wood thrush, at my window, but all I noticed was the spotted breast. It might have been a juvenile American robin.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Always a joy to see one, good on you!
What with the storm blowing birds about, a Wood Thrush would not be that surprising. Still, lucky to have one this late in the season. They are usually all gone by now.
A lovely bird and an enchanting singer, they have even nested in Central Park on occasion.
 
Good to hear you through Sandy unscathed! Hope all gets back to normal as soon as possible.

Dave

Hello Dave,

Thank you. I am very fortunate. I am most inconvenienced by the closing of the Metro, even its partial reopening is causing me difficulties.

With warm regards,
Arthur :hi:
 
Hello all,

I suspect that Baglee, a frequent contributor to this thread, is without electricity. His descriptions suggested that he lived near Fifth Avenue and West 11th Streets, not far from Washington Square Park, where there has been no electricity since Monday night. That area should have been without flooding, more than 1 km from any flooding. Another problem was debris from scaffolding, trees and other things blown about by the high winds.
I hope that he may be safe and dry,
Arthur
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top