Backyard and Beyond

Last winter, the Bald Eagles were thick in the air up the Hudson at Croton Point. This winter, which has been absurdly mild, not so much. The rivers aren’t frozen further north, so there’s no reason for these fish-eaters to pile up further south.

We did see 1-3 adult Baldies yesterday over a span of nearly four hours; this could have been the same bird, of course. There was also the subadult pictured here. A Red-tailed Hawk was shadowing it earlier, probably trying to escort it out of its territory.

We also saw a male Northern Harrier low over the landfill and a Red-Shouldered Hawk perched behind a row of trees. Yeah! Both of these species are relatively rare, although Croton Point is a good place to spot them.

There were also two Black Vultures, which surprised me. And a Raven on the ground eating something, which surprised me even more. We watched it wipe off its bill on a branch before puffing out its feathers like a pufferfish.