January 19, 2025: Deep Freeze next several days.

Back on January 5 I wrote that with the cold weather predicted in the week after that Inwood birders should keep their eyes open for uncommon waterfowl pushed into the area by the predicted cold weather freezing interior waterways. The cold was not quite as cold as initially predicted, but in the last two weeks the park has had Mute Swans, Hooded and Red-breasted mergansers and Common Loon. Tonight the predicted low is 18 F and it may drop into the single digits for the next three nights. Up the Hudson River some areas are expecting temperatures perhaps below zero F. Once again, I say watch for unusual waterfowl pushed into our local area. However, most of you don’t have the luxury that I have of a window overlooking Muscota Marsh, so PLEASE remember temperatures like those predicted are dangerous! I will do my best to keep watch and report anything unusual, but it is likely anything pushed south from the interior would take some time to get here any way so after the temperatures start going up again later in the week might be the best time to look for birds.

Red-breasted Merganser.-  January 12, 2025 ©️ Joseph DiCostanzo

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I posted last week about going upstate to see the Taiga Bean Goose in Greenwich, NY. Yesterday, a Tundra Bean Goose was found in Portsmouth, RI. I don’t expect anything of that level of rarity showing up, but we can always hope!