rear window mode
My parents got me my first pair of binoculars this Christmas, and I spent a rainy afternoon this weekend watching every living thing scurrying around the backyards I can see from my window. There weren’t too many birds out, presumably because of the rain, but there were a handful of plump squirrels running around the red carpet of leaves in my neighbors’ yard. I can, of course, see these squirrels without the binoculars, so I wasn’t expecting anything particularly revelatory through my newfound magnification. But I was surprised by how, so close-up, the squirrels looked utterly distinct from one another.
Although the first squirrel looked like any other gray squirrel at a distance, I saw through the binoculars that it had a pink scar running down its spine. The scar was wide and pale pink but did not seem to hamper the squirrel as it scampered around, crunching on nuts. What could have given the squirrel such a nasty scar? I imagined a hawk clutching the animal in its talons before dropping its meal, an electrical burn, some oddly linear kind of mange? I unfortunately took no pictures through the binoculars — so great is my respect for this squirrel’s privacy.
The other squirrels were in better shape. One had little white spots around its ears, and another had a handsome red stripe down its back. I marveled at each of these squirrels, individuals with unique lives and perhaps even interpersonal drama that I was not privy to — at least before I got the binoculars. Maybe soon I will even have squirrel gossip to share!
I also recently became acquainted with some other of my local wildlife, specifically the flies that occasionally spend time in my apartment. I wrote about how you can identify a house fly, and why it is probably not a real house fly, in Defector. This was a fun story, in part because I went down a rabbit hole of forensic entomology that scratched the part of my brain that was once addicted to Law and Order: SVU.
Next month, I’m hoping to take my binoculars into the (cold) world on a birding jaunt or two. Although it’s quite unpleasant to be outside these days, the new year promises some wonderful creature sightings. We’ve got a handful of seal spottings, a bald eagle watch, a gull identification lesson in Coney Island, and lots of good old-fashioned birding. Thanks again for spending time with Creatures NYC in 2024. Hope to see you out there, and happy (almost) new year!
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UPDATED JAN 6
January
🌳 Hatsuhinode (初日の出): New Year’s Day Sunrise Hike and Meditation: Wed Jan 1 @ 6:30am. Begin the New Year with a moment of beauty and connection. Join us for Hatsuhinode—the Japanese tradition of welcoming the first sunrise—on a peaceful hike through Van Cortlandt Park. Led by Yoshiko Mori and Noel Hefele, this event offers space to reflect, connect with nature, and celebrate fresh beginnings. Registration required.
🌳 New Year’s Day Hike in Staten Island: Wed Jan 1 @ 11am. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a lengthy hike in Deere Park, where Urban Park Ranger hiking guides will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City. Explore nature, discover our city's urban forests, and unplug from the world to clear your head. Dress warmly.
🦆 Saturday Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Sat Jan 4 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and naturalist Gabriel Willow to get to know the winter residents of beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl. Registration required. Limited to 30.
🐦 Intro to Birding in the Central Park Ramble with Tod Winston: Sat Jan 11 @ 8:30am. Are you curious about birding but don’t have much (or any) experience? Bundle up and join NYC Bird Alliance's Tod Winston on a relaxed winter walk in Central Park to go over birding basics and see sparrows, finches, woodpeckers, ducks, and more. Registration is required. Limited to 15.
🌱 Forest Park Winter Vine Sweep: Sat Jan 11 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Parks and The Forest Park Trust for a winter vine sweep, where we will hike on our trails and remove harmful vines from our trees and shrubs before they leaf out this spring. We'll also discuss basic forest structure and the importance of biodiversity. Come dressed in warm layers and sturdy boots or shoes. Registration is required.
🦆 Saturday Morning Birding at Prospect Park with Gabriel Willow: Sat Jan 11 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and naturalist Gabriel Willow to get to know the winter residents of beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways attract a variety of winter birds including juncos, thrushes, and waterfowl. Registration required. Limited to 30.
🐦 Park Pals at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge: Sat Jan 11 @ 10:30am. To kick off the new year, our Winter Wonders session will focus on exploring the winter landscape at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and learning about seasonal changes, highlighting the differences between winter and summer. We’ll enjoy themed sensory activities, a read-aloud, and a winter scavenger hunt in the refuge led by a Park Ranger. Registration link coming soon. This event is for kids.
🌳 Winter Sensory Perception Hike in Powell’s Cove Park, Queens: Sat Jan 11 @ 1pm. Explore the sights, sounds, smells and feel of winter on this exploratory hike. Connect with nature in fun and new ways while learning more about the season.
🐦 Intro to Birding at Van Cortlandt Park with Tod Winston: Sun Jan 12 @ 8:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance's Tod Winston on an Intro to Birding tour in one of the Bronx's largest green spaces. Participants will search the park's diverse habitats for its many resident and wintering species, including songbirds, woodpeckers, raptors, and waterfowl. Registration is required. Limited to 20.
🦆 Birding at Freshkills North Park with Anthony Ciancimino: Sun Jan 12 @ 8:30am. Join Staten Island resident Anthony Ciancimino for a tour of Freshkills Park’s North Park. This park is a beautiful oasis of wetlands and grasslands, where you can expect to see a wide variety of wintering waterfowl, raptors, and sparrows. Registration encouraged.
🐦 2nd Sunday Birding at Wave Hill: Sun Jan 12 @ 9:30am. Explore Wave Hill’s tranquil gardens and woodlands with resident naturalist guide Gabriel Willow to observe birds in their winter habitat. Birders of all levels encouraged. Registration encouraged.
🌾 Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir: Sun Jan 12 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir! Registration required.
🌲 Advanced Winter Tree ID in Forest Park: Sun Jan 12 @ 1pm. Trees have a special place in our environment. Join us for a hike of Forest Park and take a deeper dive into learning the intricacies of winter tree identification.
🦅 Bald Eagle Watch in Riverdale Park: Sun Jan 12 @ 1pm. New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots. Winter is a spectacular time for observing bald eagles in New York City parks. See if you can spot any on this adventure with our Urban Park Rangers. Registration required.
🪨 Geology-Fort Tryon Rocks!: Sun Jan 12 @ 1pm. Join the Rangers for a rock walk of Ft. Tryon Park! We'll hike up the hill to take a look at the spine of Manhattan and all the formations it contains.
🐦 Winter Waterfowl at Rockaway Community Park: Sat Jan 18 @ 10am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are an all-inclusive safe space and appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Join us as we spot some of the migratory waterfowl that spend the winter with us.
🐦 Gull Spotting with Ryan Mandelbaum: Sat Jan 18 @ 10am. Interested in learning about gulls but don't know where to start? Join this gull-watching lesson on Coney Island beach. Rather than looking for many different species of birds, we'll be looking for the three or four different plumages of our three wintering gull species while discussing how to pick out some of our less common visitors. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Winter Waterfowl in Central Park: Sat Jan 18 @ 1pm. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are an all-inclusive safe space and appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Join us as we spot some of the migratory waterfowl that spend the winter with us.
🐦 Queer Birders Walk at Shirley Chisolm State Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 9am. Led by amazing Kelly McGarry. Meet at Oystercatcher Trailhead parking lot.
🦆 Winter Birding at Pelham Bay Park with Haley Scott: Sun Jan 19 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore New York City's largest park! Pelham Bay Park's forested areas, salt marshes, and grassy meadows offer rich habitat for a variety of migrating birds.
🦭 Seal Exploration in Pelham Bay Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 9am. Winter is an amazing time of year to observe seals in the Long Island Sound. You may be surprised by what looks like a rock in the distance, is actually a healthy seal.
🐦⬛ Oakland Lake Winter Birding with Woo Sung Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 9:30am. Alley Pond Park is an ecological treasure. Containing both fresh and saltwater wetlands, forests, tidal flats, meadows, and glacier-formed landscape, this park supports a vast array of birds. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore Oakland Lake within the park in particular. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Winter Birds at Kissena Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 11am. Join us on this Ranger led walk along the trails identifying various woodland birds and other birds that have migrated for the winter.
🌳 Winter Tree ID in Irving Square Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 11am. Join the Rangers for an exploration of the trees in Irving Square Park! Learn how to identify trees in the winter and gain a new perspective of the trees living in our city.
🌲 Advanced Winter Tree ID in Riverside Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 1pm. Trees have a special place in our environment. Join us for a hike of Riverside Park and take a deeper dive into learning the intricacies of winter tree identification. We will use iNaturalist and field guides to help us.
🦉 Owls at Van Cortlandt Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 1pm. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best bird viewing spots in New York City. Learn more about the various species of owls found in our parks and hopefully be lucky enough to spot them. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
🐾 Animal Tracking at Alley Pond Park: Sun Jan 19 @ 1pm. Join this Urban Park Ranger led walk as we look for evidence of wildlife in the park. Rangers will show animal footprints, scat, and other evidence of animals along the trails as participants get to test their own tracking skills.
🦉 Winter Birds and Their Adaptations Webinar with Tod Winston: Wed Jan 22 @ 6:30pm. Learn about the great variety of birds that spend the winter in New York City, including harlequin ducks and snowy owls, and the fascinating adaptations that allow them to survive below-zero temperatures! THIS IS A VIRTUAL EVENT. Limited to 500. Registration required. Free.
🦆 Birding at Wolfe's Pond Park with Anthony Ciancimino: Sat Jan 25 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance at one of Staten Island's hidden gems, Wolfe's Pond Park. Explore the park’s diverse habitats and spot wintering birds like Northern Pintails, American Black Ducks, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Registration encouraged.
🦆 Winter Waterfowl in Calvert Vaux Park: Sat Jan 25 @ 10am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are an all-inclusive safe space and appropriate for all skill levels. Join us as we spot some of the migratory waterfowl that spend the winter with us.
🐦⬛ Highland Park and Reservoir Birding with Oliver Lopez: Sun Jan 26 @ 10am. Located in both Queens and Brooklyn, Highland Park boasts forested areas, reservoir, and a community garden. Join NYC Bird Alliance in search of winter migrants in this beautiful outdoor space. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Birding in Midtown Greenway with EsplanadeFriends: Sun Jan 26 @ 11am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and EsplanadeFriends to discover the East River Esplanade and its adjacent green spaces. Expect to see many water birds right off the coast. Registration encouraged.
🌳 Prospect Park Super Hike: Sun Jan 26 @ 11am. Take a long hike through one of his most famously pastoral parks and escape the busy feel of the city. Explore the hidden paths, waterways, meadows and woods the way that Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux intended for visitors in this 585 acre green gem of Brooklyn.
🦭 Seal Exploration in Lemon Creek Park: Sun Jan 26 @ 11am. New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. Winter is an amazing time of year to observe seals our waters. You may be surprised by what looks like a rock in the distance, is actually a healthy seal.
🦅 Raptors in Inwood Hill Park: Sun Jan 26 @ 1pm. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see birds of prey. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels. Join the Urban Park Rangers as we explore Inwood Hill Park's ecosystem and determine what kind of raptors make it their home.
🐿️ Discovery Hike-Animal Adaptations in Cunningham Park: Sun Jan 26 @ 1pm. Hibernation? Migration? Brumation? Torpor? Hundreds of animal species spend their winters in NYC parks. Learn how animals such as birds, squirrels, chipmunks and others survive the cold and the snow in this educational wildlife viewing adventure.
February
🦆 Winter Birds in Silver Lake Park: Sat Feb 1 @ 11am. Join us on this Ranger led walk along the trails identifying various woodland birds and winter waterfowl.
❄️ Winter Sensory Perception Hike in Canarsie Park: Sat Feb 1 @ 11am. Explore the sights, sounds, smells and feel of winter on this exploratory hike. Connect with nature in fun and new ways while learning more about the season.
🪵🐦 All About Woodpeckers: Sun Feb 2 @ 10am. Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through the forest of Alley Pond Park while highlighting the signs and tracks of woodpeckers. There are many species that can be seen (and heard) on our trails.
🦫 Groundhog Day Hibernation Hike: Sun Feb 2 @ 10am. Did Staten Island Chuck see his shadow this morning? Find out on this hike while learning more about how other animal species spend their winters in New York City parks. Learn how birds, groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks and others survive the cold and the snow in this educational wildlife viewing adventure, followed by games and activities.
🦆 Winter Waterfowl at Van Cortlandt Park: Sun Feb 2 @ 1pm. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
🦆 Birding at Freshkills North Park with Anthony Ciancimino: Sat Feb 8 @ 8am. Join Staten Island resident Anthony Ciancimino for a tour of Freshkills Park’s North Park. This park is a beautiful oasis of wetlands and grasslands, where you can expect to see a wide variety of wintering waterfowl, raptors, and sparrows. Registration encouraged.
🦅 Winter Birding at Shirley Chisholm State Park with Outdoor Afro: Sat Feb 8 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and Outdoor Afro to explore the largest state park in New York City, Shirley Chisholm State Park! Built on what was once a landfill, the park is now a thriving spot full of wildlife, including hawks, waterfowl, wetlands, and native plants. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Park Pals at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge: Sat Feb 8 @ 10:30am. This month, we will explore how animals stay warm and cozy through the winter at Jamaica Bay, including wintering waterfowl paddling through icy waters, birds and butterflies migrating south, and the special fur and feathers of our animal friends who stay behind. We’ll enjoy themed sensory activities, a read-aloud, and a nature walk in the refuge led by a Park Ranger. Registration link coming soon. This event is for kids.
Ongoing:
🦭 Urban Naturalist Tour: Seals, Seabirds and Winter Wildlife: Join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow (or guest host Russell Jacobs) in a 2.75-hour sunset cruise exploring the NYC winter wildlife and history of Lower NY harbor, the NYC skyline, and the obscure islands of Hoffman and Swinburne Islands just beyond the Verrazzano Bridge! Seal sightings are not guaranteed on this NYC wildlife boat tour, but they have been a constant inhabitant of Swinburne and Hoffman during winter for the past several years. $124 Adult, $86 Child.
🪼 Open Hours at the Environmental Education Center at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Get to know Brooklyn Bridge Park with monthly educational themes, a 250 gallon aquarium filled with critters from the East River, a 10’ scale model of Brooklyn Bridge Park, crafts, a reading corner, and much more. Open weekly on Thursdays 3-5 PM, Fridays 3-5 PM, and Saturdays 1-5 PM.
🦪 Shoreline Cleanup with the Billion Oyster Project: On Thursdays at 2pm, loin us in collecting debris from New York City's shorelines to prevent it from re-entering the waterways when the tide returns. This is important in achieving our goal of protecting the biodiversity that lives near our reef sites.
🌹 New York Restoration Project: Everyone deserves access to high-quality public green space. If you’re interested in forest stewardship, volunteer with the NYRP in the parks of northern Manhattan clearing invasive plants, mulching, and clearing litter. Volunteer dates listed in the link above. Registration required.