April 22: Six new apartment year birds in three days. [NOTE: late additions got that to eight]

It has been a very good several days for my apartment year list. On Sunday, April 20 I added three species to the list. The first was a singing Northern House Wren early in the morning. This was followed a few hours later by a female Eastern Towhee that Hilary Russ pointed out in a sapling just off the ramp going down into the Columbia Muscota area. Finally, around midday just as Ann and I were about to leave for Easter with my family in Brooklyn Allen and Karina Greene texted. A Northern Pintail was swimming on the northern side of the channel by the big “C”. This was probably the individual that has been seen periodically in the main inlet over the last two months. I was delighted to add it to my apartment year list since it was the only waterfowl species reported in the park this winter away from the Hudson that I hadn’t seen from the apartment.

I didn’t add anything to the list on Monday, April 21, but today was a great day. In the morning I saw a Spotted Sandpiper as it disappeared flying around the point going west. Soon after there was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet across Indian Road from my living room window. Finally, in the afternoon I saw five vultures circling over the Henry Hudson Bridge. Four of them were Turkey Vultures, but the fifth was a Black Vulture! These six species brought my apartment year list to 73 [see below]. The full list is here.

Besides adding three species to my apartment year list it was a very good day overall with 35 species seen from the apartment. Certainly my best day this year, perhaps my best day ever. These 35 do not include an adult Bald Eagle chasing an Osprey that Hilary and I saw in the late morning from down in the Muscota area.

Just as I finished typing this post Allen and Karina texted there was a Chipping Sparrow on the lawn in the park just in from the 218th Street entrance. When I looked out the window Allen and Karina were standing on the park road pointing and I was easily able to spot the Chipping. A few minutes later they texted there were a couple of Chimney Swifts flying overhead and vocalizing. This was a species I knew I was going to get any day now, but it was nice to add it to the list. This brings the total to 75 species.

Thank you Allen and Karina!

April 18: Two new year birds for the apartment. ADDENDUM: April 19

It was a good morning with two new species for my apartment year list this morning. First, Allen and Karina Greene reported they had a Savannah Sparrow on the lawn in Inwood going into the park from 218th Street. After scanning a bit with my scope, I spotted the bird for #65. It was great when about 45 minutes later it or another Savannah popped up in the tree across Indian Road from my living room window. In the meantime, I heard a White-breasted Nuthatch calling from the trees going into the park for #66 for the year. The full list for the year is here.

ADDENDUM: On April 19 I saw two Northern Rough-winged Swallows over the channel north of Muscota for #67.

April 12: New bird for 2025 apartment year list. ADDENDUM: April 13

Today I picked up a new bird for my apartment year list - Hermit Thrush. It is #63 for the year. I have added a page (here) where I will keep an updated list of my 2025 apartment birds.

On April 13 I spotted another year bird for the apartment - a Yellow-rumped Warbler for #64 for the year.

Apartment Year List Through April 7, 2025: ADDENDUM 04/08/2025

Back in January with some severe cold weather predicted I expected we were going to have a good variety of waterfowl in Inwood Hill Park. I was not disappointed. Since January 1st, sixteen species of waterfowl have been reported in the park. I have seen fourteen species from my apartment (see list below). The only other species I have heard of were Northern Pintail on the main inlet and Long-tailed Duck on the Hudson. The variety of waterfowl inspired me to work on an apartment year list. My all time apartment list is 126 species (Here). As of April 7 my apartment 2025 year list is 61 species (below). I cannot take sole credit for the list. I have benefited from other local Inwood birders finding and reporting species which alerted me to their presence and I was then able to see them from my apartment. I particularly want to acknowledge Allen and Karina Greene, Danny Karlson, Hilary Russ, Diane Schenker, and Elizabeth White-Pultz.

ADDENDUM: On the morning of 04/08 I added Merlin. Apartment year list is now 62.

It is going to be interesting to see how high I can get the list over the course of the year.

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Wood Duck

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Mallard

American Black Duck

Canvasback

Lesser Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Greater Yellowlegs

Ring-billed Gull

American Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Pied-billed Grebe

Horned Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Black-crowned Night Heron

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Cooper's Hawk

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Belted Kingfisher

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel Merlin

Peregrine Falcon

Eastern Phoebe

Blue Jay

American Crow

Fish Crow

Common Raven

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Carolina Wren

European Starling

Northern Mockingbird

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

House Sparrow

House Finch

American Goldfinch

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

White-throated Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Common Grackle

Northern Cardinal

 

New mammal for my Inwood Hill Park list: Woodchuck

 On March 31, Diane Schenker texted she had a Woodchuck in Muscota. I was able to see it from my apartment window so I added to both my Inwood Hill Park list and apartment list. Yesterday, Danny Karlson and Junko Suzuki let me know it was in Muscota again. Below my window it was happily eating grass and other plants.

Woodchuck - April 6, 2025

It is not unusual to see Woodchucks in the outer boroughs or outside the city, but it is fairly rare to encounter one on the island of Manhattan.