Registrar: Nick Dawson
Participants: 13
Weather: Overcast, cloudy, 26°F, southwesterly wind
Bird Species: 30
Birding in January in Manhattan is tough. It’s cold, it’s windy, and it’s seldom tougher to find birds. At this time of year, Governors Island is one of the more promising spots to visit, and luckily Annie Barry leads an annual walk there for the Linnaean Society. Annie has been birding on Governors Island for the past two decades, starting long before the birding community at large got wise to the wonders of the place, so her knowledge and expertise is invaluable.
January is a good time for a variety of gulls and is during what people call “weird duck season,” so on a winter day on Governors Island, you have a chance of seeing Bonaparte’s Gulls and Common Goldeneye, two great birds for New York County, and maybe even some Purple Sandpipers at Picnic Point.
On this particular day, when the 26 degree temperature felt a lot colder due to the wind chill and our proximity to the water, Annie’s hardy, hearty bunch of Linnaean birders sadly didn’t see any of those species, but nevertheless enjoyed tromping around the island, warmed by each other’s company and the simple pleasure of observing birds. Like a Great Black-backed Gull wrestling with its breakfast. Or a couple of Great Cormorants hanging out with their Double-crested kin. Or an American Kestrel actively hunting against the backdrop of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Sometimes you can miss all your target birds and just have a great time anyway.
Species Lists
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mallard
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
House Finch
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
