Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglots). This bird was quite territorial, chasing robins, sparrows, and me, making two passes overhead. Spring must be not too far away.
Downy Woodpercker (Picoides pubescens). A rather subtle tapping alerted me to this one.
Size comparison between Herring (Larus smithsonianus) and Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis). All of the above were in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Gratuitous: Inwood Hill in winter with Canada geese and a couple of Mallards in the foreground.
And the Hudson from Fort Tryon. Spent some time — but not that much time in the cold — scanning the ice floes for Bald Eagles. No luck. A friend in Riverdale spotted a dozen eagles on the ice below him on the river in the thick of the cold this week. 
Weekend Birds, Ice, Sky
Published January 27, 2014 Fieldnotes 3 CommentsTags: birding, birds, Brooklyn, Hudson, Inwood
Backyard and Beyond 
Hi there Matthew, Do you know anything about the Dolphin in the East River that was spotted March, 2013? I am a GED teacher at Project Renewal and my students are curious about this dolphin. Sincerely, Linda Musial, a teacher
I didn’t see it myself, but it did get a lot of press, for instance http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/dolphin-seen-on-an-apparently-healthy-swim-in-the-east-river/
There was also one in the Gowanus Canal in January, but that didn’t end well. A healthy animal would be unlikely to nose up that toxic stew. The story http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/dolphin-that-died-in-canal-was-chronically-ill-necropsy-shows/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
Same goes for Coney Island Creek, which saw a one way trip by a dolphin in November http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/36/47/all-dolphin-in-coney-island-creek-2013-11-22-bk_36_47.html
On a more optimistic note, NY harbor hosts Harbor Seals during the winter.
I can’t wait for spring to arrive, that burst of life from what can seem like a quiet earth is a true joy year after year, thank you for sharing your pictures and keep exploring.