Starting in late March, birds start returning to New York City from their Winter migrations, and local species start preparing nests for their reproductive urges. During this time of year I usually try to spend as much time in Central Park as I can, attempting my best to capture photos of them. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, I can no longer walk through the park on my commute, and being in the park on the weekend doesn’t seem to be the best idea this year.
I live in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in the rear of the building, which faces the rear of the buildings from the next block. If you’ve ever seen Hitchcock’s Rear Window, you know what my view is like. Between my building and the other buildings are relatively large outdoor spaces for the garden apartments, and in those spaces, several trees. During the early morning and late afternoon, if I’m paying attention, I can usually catch several birds visiting, searching for food and nesting material.
After paying attention to some of the birds I’ve seen, I think it’s safe to assume that there is a pair of robins and mourning doves nesting nearby. There is also a group of blue jays who seem to be a bit territorial and act like they control this area. I’ve begun calling the group of blue jays “The Goodfeathers”, like you said to someone, “You’re gonna like this bird. He’s all right. He’s a good feather. He’s one of us.”
The list of species I’ve seen:
- American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
- American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
- American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
- Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
- Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
- Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
- European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
- House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
- Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
- Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
Some photos of the birds from my “rear window”:
