Bike Trip around Manhattan

Due to the warm weather, I decided to do a bike tour of all of Northern Manhattan. Starting at 125th St., over to the Harlem Piers, then North all the way to Inwood, around to Broadway Bridge, and then south via the Harlem River, I was able to make a pretty in-depth survey of over-wintering wildlife.

Here's a tally of what I found:
At the Harlem Piers, two canvasbacks continue,

while there were also these newcomers...

3 American Black Ducks!
I was also able to observe the Riverside Peregrines, and 1 adult

and 1 juvy RTH over this section of Riverside Park. Working North, the park was devoid of all waterfowl save for one or two mallards, scads of ringbilled gulls

and 1 small group of Canada Geese (much depreciated from their numbers even last week).
At the GWB, I saw no evidence of peregrines, eagles or any other raptor, but working just 5 blocks to the North, was a very shy and secretive Adult RTH moving down along the Henry Hudson Parkway. It was here that I almost died due to the icy/slush conditions! Regaining my composure, I passed Ft. Tryon and up into Inwood Hill. Songbird activity was hushed, no doubt due to the presence of hawks. At the Ranger Station, I observed 4 Redtailed Hawks--2 adults and 2 juvys--kettling up over the soccer fields.

They scattered in different directions, and I scanned the waterline for more ducks. Finally after scouring the nooks and crannies, I discovered a raft of 6 more Canvasbacks!!!

Including this shy female (a lifer).

Refueling at Indian Road Cafe, I then shot over to Broadway Bridge, where I encountered the 2 resident peregrines hunting along the towers as well as 2 more redtailed hawks way out over Kingsbridge.



Here's the remains of breakfast.

The light and relative warmth made for an enjoyable afternoon here. If I had more time, I would've stayed till night fly-in. But now to the South I traveled, hitting up Swindler's Cove on the Harlem River. I found many ring-billed gulls, mallards,

more black ducks and this gal, skulking in the trees!



I was not able to observe the Highbridge Pair of RTH's, but way out over 180th in the Bronx I did see 2 adult RTH's circling each other...perhaps the Fordham U. pair?
By now I was pretty beat, so I exited off the bike path onto 155th for my final surprise...

The overwintering Merlin, high on a Watertower.

Species totals:
4 peregrines, 2 riverside church, 2 broadway bridge.
10 rths, 1 125th st, 1 145th St. 1 185th St., 4 Inwood Hill, 2 180th over the BX and 1 over Highbridge and 155th.
2 Coopers: 1 Swindler's Cove, 1 Kingsbridge
10 canvasbacks: 2 harlem piers, 6 columbia boathouse, 2 Harlem River
10 black ducks, 3 harlem piers, 7 Swindler's Cove
near-death experiences: 2
surveying so much natural beauty in NYC: priceless!

Harlem Piers

Although to-date no Bald Eagles have been spotted off this pier, there still continues to be surprises. The Black-backed gulls, the hooded mergansers and even the occasional peregrine, this spot is always active. Its secret lies in its design: It serves as a natural windbreak and break water on the Hudson currents, enabling diving ducks to work the shoreline. Today was another level of awesomeness with what I found. Two adult male canvasbacks!

They allowed me to get fairly close,

as they engaged in diving, and all sorts of dramatic preening!



Magnificent Duck!

Here's some green thrown in as complimentary contrast.

Also seen nearby, the peregrine pair.


And this juvy RTH on 140th and FDB.

Riverside Park 125-155

As luck or geography would have it, the low lying area of 125th St. is the perfect border for neighboring redtails. I often see Cathedral Pair patrolling up to the Grant Apts over on Amsterdam before slicing South towards Wadleigh or even Mt. Sinai. Much less is known about the pair to the North, which I have been calling the CCNY pair. Sometimes I catch glimpses of the female over St. Nicholas Park and then North to 155th. Recently I had a chance to observe an adult male hunting over their territory, with him diving just past my building. By the time I had a shot he'd made his way over to PS 157 on 126th.

Numerous gulls made close passes to the hawk.

Suddenly it flew West down on some unseen birds. I lost track of the bird after then...super stealth hawk! Prey birds returned and I knew the hawk had left the area.

Next up was some mangu y cafe at Floridita's for the frigid trek to the Harlem Piers. Adverse conditions be damned, its an amazing experience to be out in the middle of the ice flows! I was looking for eagles, but instead found these great black backed gulls squabbling over a submerged fish carcass.


Juvenile

Adult

There was also the female peregrine over at Riverside Church (she can be just made out on the middle left on the scaffolding).

Making my way north I ended up at Riverbank State Park, where I happened upon this handsome quartet!

They would all dive down...


and then come up with the tough little crabs. Then would then vigourously shake them till they fell apart!

Lots of Canada Geese also. Here they are side by side for some scale.

Since the "Miracle on the Hudson" I have been paying close attention to the movements of Canada Geese. Looking over my pix from Jones Beach, Inwood, Riverside Park, Central Park and Highbridge Park, its clear the area has a ton of over-wintering geese. Its not hard to understand why. They eat grass, everything north of here is frozen and iced over, so they come to where there's an abundant supply. Until the powers that be figure out how to limit their food supply, there will always be lots of these large birds in our area.




All I can tell you is that when this adult RThawk showed up, the geese skadaddled in a hurry!

Later I watched it kiting on the wind, diving down into the Park, and juuust missing this pigeon!