whale whale whale
I recently turned 30 (huge for me personally) and celebrated by going whale-watching on the American Princess, which is a beautiful diva name for a beautiful diva ship. It was a scorching hot day, but the commute to the cruise’s docks in Sheepshead Bay was easy and breezy — I took my trusty steed the B44-SBS all the way down.
As soon as you step on board the boat and feel those coastal breezes, even while it’s still docked, you know it is the start of a magical day. The last time I went on the American Princess was in 2019, also for my birthday, and I saw three whales and ate two hot dogs, which was a winning combination. That time, I also saw two ladies bring a platter of cocktail shrimp on board, which they feasted on inside the windowed, interior section of the boat. Simply aspirational! Now, the American Princess only allows you to bring sandwiches on board, a rule I understand. BYO–cocktail-shrimp-platter on the whale-watching boat opens a window to a kind of karmic justice (think of the uncooked shrimps when the Titanic went down) that I would like to avoid. So I brought bagels.
As we set off on the water, Celia Ackerman, a whale watch naturalist and research associate with the research organization Gotham Whale, spoke on a mic explaining the history of whales in New York.
Humpback whales were once all but extinct in New York City, per this Popular Science story. The waters of New York Harbor were a dumping ground for sewage, medical waste, and even paint. In the middle of the 20th century, when General Motors poured unwanted paint into the river, people could tell what shades were popular based on the current color of the river. But in the 1970s, the passage of the Clean Water Act improved water quality—dissolved oxygen nearly doubled and poop-related bacteria diminished, per JSTOR Daily. As the water cleared up, algae and zooplankton flourished, which replenished schools of small, silvery-gold fish called bunker that is a favorite food of bigger fish, dolphin, and humpback whales. And recent limits on commercial fishing of bunker have allowed the populations to flourish.
When the ocean was given a chance to recover, the humpback whales began stopping over in New York City along their migration route. Gotham Whale tracks these individual whales, which they can identify due to their unique patterns, from photos taken on the American Princess and other boats. Throughout our voyage, Celia stood on the top level of the boat with her binoculars and enormous camera trained in the distance, searching for whales. She explained we would look for them using the “o’clock” method, as if the boat were glued on an analog clock and the bow pointed toward midnight.
The seas that day were choppy, and as we headed out into open water the boat dipped and soared into the crashing waves. The seas were too rough for a couple would-be whale-watchers, who huddled inside with barf bags. But early into our cruise, Celia shared the good news: whale, 2 o’clock! We all rushed to see, and sure enough there was the small gray dorsal fin of a humpback — such a modest fin for such a big creature! The whale was feeding, and we followed it for probably an hour as it surfaced, occasionally spouting or showing the white tips of its fluke. Celia identified the whale, which had been spotted earlier in the season (and is already on the path to becoming a NYC microcelebrity.)
I unfortunately took no photos because I was too busy living in the moment. Actually, strike that. I took no photos because I was utterly convinced I would drop my phone in the ocean. Please enjoy this embedded photo, taken by Celia, instead!
“Thar she blows”
— American Princess Cruises (@APCruises) September 20, 2023
Happy Whale Wednesday! A Humpback Whale seen spouting on this afternoon Whale Watch. #whalewatching #nywhalewatching #whalespout pic.twitter.com/f7bJutQeNB
We eventually left that whale alone in pursuit of another, which we were never able to find. We finished the cruise in calm, sun-dazzled waters. And even though we had seen one whale, the American Princess crew gave us a voucher for $20 off another cruise, given the choppiness of the water. In the past week, the American Princess has had a slew of sightings, with cruises spying pods of dolphins, cownose and bullnose rays, mahi mahi, and even minke whales. I admit I was jealous reading those logs. I want to see a minke whale or a cownose ray! But, like Ahab, I am resolved to return to sea posthaste, armed with my $20 voucher. (At this point I feel like I should say I am in no way sponsored by the American Princess, I am simply a big fan!)
And even seeing one whale felt like a miracle — a reminder that the scale of our lives is dwarfed by others’, and that there are oceanic giants inhaling schools of oily fish just a few miles away from the Sheepshead Bay Applebee’s. As we saw the whale, I remembered a beautiful poem I recently encountered by Rajiv Mohabir, “Why Whales Are Back in New York City,” from Mohabir’s queer, migratory collection Whale Aria. “Behold the miracle/what was once lost/now leaps before you,” Mohabir writes.
If whale-watching isn’t your speed, don’t worry! We’re heading into some of the best months for birding in New York City, so please enjoy the many fall migration events listed below. Thanks for reading!
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Everything below is free unless indicated. Some events require registration, so please click through for more information.
August
🐦 Birding Walk at Ridgewood Reservoir: Sat. August 31 @ 10am. Join the Queer Birders to see the birds of the Ridgewood Reservoir. Meet at the Vermont Place Entrance, across from the parking lot.
🌻 Facing Climate Change in La Plaza Cultural: Wed. August 28 @ 6pm. Face climate despair head-on in these monthly, peer-to-peer meet ups. Meet other community gardeners and land stewards to learn and exchange tips for gardening with climate change and workshop community preparedness in your neighborhood. Register here.
🦅 Accessible Birding in Fort Tryon Park with Alex Wang: Sat. August 31 @ 11am. Beautiful Fort Tryon Park commands sweeping views of the Palisades and the Hudson River from soaring cliffs of bedrock in northern Manhattan. Past encounters include a variety of birds such as Bald Eagles and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Fort Tryon Park’s 67 acres are accessible to birders of all abilities and disabilities. Registration not required but encouraged. No limit.
🪻 3rd Annual Brooklyn Wildflower Festival: Sat. August 31 @ 1pm. Join the rangers at Shirley Chisolm State Park in Brooklyn for the 3rd Annual Wildflower Festival! The end of August is a glorious time in the park filled with blooming sunflowers, goldenrod, black-eyed Susans, and other wildflowers that attract pollinators and birds who are getting ready for fall and winter! Guided wildflower hike at 2pm. Guided bike tour at 4pm.
September
🐤 Queer Birders Walk at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge: Sun. Sept 1 @ 10am. Join the NYC Queer Birders and Ryan Mandelbaum for a birding walk at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
🐢 Discovery Hike — Pond Ecology in Crotona Park: Sun. Sept 1 @ 1pm. Lakes and ponds are thriving habitats to various species of birds, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians and plants. Join the Urban Park Rangers as we explore Crotona Park lake. Learn more about some commonly found species in our water bodies. In-person registration.
🦇 Bat Spotting at Prospect Park with Nic Comparato: Weds. Sept 4 @ 8:45pm, Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) seasonal associate field biologist, Nic Comparato, for a night of "batting"! Did you know that several bat species can be found in New York City? From Little Brown Bats, to Big Brown Bats, Hoary Bats, Eastern Red Bats, and more! Registration required. Limited to 25. Free. Participants will need close-toed shoes and a flashlight or headlamp.
🦜 Prospect Park Birding with Gabriel Willow: Fri. Sept 6 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) to get to know the fall migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a dazzling variety of migratory birds on their way south, including warblers, tanagers, cuckoos, and more. Registration required, capped at 30.
🌳 Intro to Dendro: Fri. Sept 6 @ 6pm. Spend two hours walking with local dendrologist, Carey Russell, while unpacking the what, where, and why of our local park and street trees. Seriously...isn't learning the names of the trees around you one of the simplest, most pleasant, and most revolutionary things you could do with your time. Registration required, $21.05.
🦜 Intro to Birding in the Central Park Ramble with Tod Winston: Sat. Sept 7 @ 8:30am. Are you curious about birding but don’t have much (or any) experience? Join NYC Bird Alliance's (formerly NYC Audubon) Tod Winston on a relaxed fall stroll in Central Park to go over birding basics and see sparrows, finches, woodpeckers, ducks, and more. Binoculars available upon request. Registration required. Limited to 15. Free.
🦜 Bird Behavior: Birding and Photography with LR2 Photo Studio: Sat. Sept 7 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) and the Bronx's LR2 PHOTO STUDIO for a special event filled with birding and photography in Crotona Park. Crotona Park's meadows, flowering trees, and sizable pool provide excellent habitat for a variety of birds including woodpeckers, warblers, and wading birds. Come take photos, look through binoculars, or just vibe! Beginners (in both birding and photography) and fellow Bronxites are especially welcome!
🏝️ Crescent Beach Park Cleanup: Sat. Sept 7 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O for a volunteer cleanup at Crescent Beach in Staten Island! Registration required.
🍄 Fantastic Fungi Hike at High Rock Park, Staten Island: Sat. Sept 7 @ 10 am. Join us for an exciting adventure at High Rock Park: Nevada Ave parking lot. Explore the magical world of mushrooms and fungi with our knowledgeable guides. Whether you're a seasoned mushroom hunter or just curious about the fungi kingdom, this hike is perfect for nature lovers of all levels.
🦅 Park Pals at Jamaica Bay: Sat. Sept 7 @ 10:30am. Park Pals is an early childhood family program for children ages 0-6 and their caretaker(s). Our September session's focus is shorebirds! What makes a bird a bird? Where do shorebirds build their special nests? Explore these questions on a nature walk in the refuge with a Park ranger, along with a themed read-aloud, arts and crafts, and sensory and scientific activities in the visitor center. For kids, register at the link above.
🦜 Fall Migration Birding in Brooklyn Community Gardens: Sat. Sept 7 @ 2pm. Join NYC Parks GreenThumb at Highland Park Community Garden for the most sacred time of year for birding as birds make their way down the Atlantic Flyway. We'll walk through different gardens and discover together what birds we can find. This is a beginning birding class, no experience needed. Limited binoculars will be available. Register here.
🦅 Governors Island Bird Tour with NYC Bird Alliance: Sat. Sept 7 @ 2pm. Nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island, which provides excellent habitat all year round. Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, these tours will help you discover all of the birdlife the island has to offer. Binoculars are available to borrow. The tour will meet on Governors Island in front of the NEW location of our seasonal environmental center: Colonels Row House 405B. No registration required. Free.
🐤 Pelham Bay Park Birding with Joe McManus: Sun. Sept 8 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) to explore New York City's largest park this fall. Pelham Bay Park's forested areas, salt marshes, and grassy meadows offer rich habitat for a variety of migrating birds. Scopes may come in handy if you have them. Registration not required but encouraged. No Limit. Free.
🐤 Queens Botanical Garden Birding: Sun. Sept 8 @ 9:30am. Explore Queens Botanical Garden in search of migrant songbirds and learn about the resources the Garden offers to birds and other wildlife. These outings are held in partnership with the Queens Botanical Garden. Registration required.$4 for QBG Members and $10 for non-members, which includes Garden admission.
🪶 2nd Sunday Birding at Wave Hill: Sun. Sept 8 @ 9:30am. all is peak migration time along the Hudson River, and we have a front row seat! Join naturalists and bird guides Gabriel Willow and Ryan Mandelbaum as you explore Wave Hill’s gardens, woodlands and the skies overhead to look for resident and migrating birds. A limited number of binoculars, monoculars and walking sticks are available to borrow at the Perkins Visitor Center. Registration required, $17.
🌾 Ridgewood Reservoir Volunteer Landscaping: Sun. Sept. 8 @ 10am. Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department to remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir. The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens. A lush and dense forest has grown in its two outside basins while a freshwater pond with waterfowl sits in the middle basin. This fresh water source is critical to migrating birds on the Atlantic Flyway. Registration required
🐤 Central Park Birding with the Young Conservationists: Tues. Sept 10 @ 7:30am. Witness the beauty of fall migration with NYC Bird Alliance's (formerly NYC Audubon) Young Conservationists as birds follow the Atlantic Flyway northwards. Look for warblers, thrushes, and other migrants in the landscape of Central Park, and learn about the finer points of their identification and ecology. Registration encouraged. No limit.
🦆 Birding at Brookfield Park with Anthony Ciancimino: Tues. Sept 10 @ 5:30pm. Discover a diversity of fall migrants with longtime birder and Staten Island resident Anthony Ciancimino. Expect to see a variety of species of waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors that utilize the important marsh habitat found at the park.
🦆 Prospect Park Birding with Gabriel Willow: Fri. Sept 13 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) to get to know the fall migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a dazzling variety of migratory birds on their way south, including warblers, tanagers, cuckoos, and more. Registration required. Free.
🎣 Community Science Fishing at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Fri. Sept 13 @ 4pm. Learn the basics of catch-and-release line fishing from the Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy’s own expert anglers and contribute to community science efforts assessing the health of the East River. No experience or supplies needed – equipment is provided but please note only a limited rods are available to loan and will be handed out on a first come, first served basis. All ages welcome. Registration recommended.
🦜 Summer on the Hudson with Ryan Mandelbaum: Fri. Sept 13 @ 5:30pm. Meet at 120th Street and Riverside Drive and explore Riverside Park on a family-friendly bird walk. Bring binoculars! Kids welcome!
🦜 Bird Watching/ Observación de Aves at Ridgewood Reservoir: Sat. Sept 14 @ 8am. Join author and naturalist Heather Wolf for a bird walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir. With the weather turning it's a great time to come out and enjoy the reservoir and see some birds! We will meet in the parking lot on 58-2 Vermont Place, Brooklyn, NY 11207, across the street from the reservoir. This event will be in both spanish and english. Registration required.
🦅 Van Cortlandt Park Birding with Alyssa Bueno: Sat Sept 14 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance on a bird tour in one of the Bronx's largest green spaces. Participants will look for various species of resident and migrant birds and discuss a wide range of avian topics. This event is held in partnership with Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. Registration required, capped at 20.
🦅 Birding — Hawk Watch at Pelham Bay Nature Center: Sat. Sept 14 @ 10am. Join the Rangers as they hike up the hills of the Bronx-Pelham Landfill, a site closed off to the public. Once known as Tallapoosa Point, the decommissioned landfill is now home to an abundance of wildlife and a popular fly over for hawks and other raptors. Registration is required. Registration opens Wedesday September 4.
🪱 Tiny Terrariums at Wave Hill House: Sat. Sept 14 @ 10am. Explore the bustling world of tiny creatures in the dirt right beneath your feet. We'll learn about soil and decomposers as we craft mini jar habitats. While jars are provided, we encourage families to go green and bring their own glass or plastic containers from home.
🦆 Let's Go Birding Together at Alice Austen House: Sat. Sept 14 @ 10am. Pride shouldn't only be celebrated during June! Join NYC Bird Alliance at LGBTQ+ historical monument Alice Austen House for a Let's Go Birding Together (LGBT) outing this fall. Spend the first hour birding on the museum grounds, which will then be followed by a guided tour of the Alice Austen House Museum. Registration encouraged.
🦇 Bats of Marine Park, Brooklyn: Sat. Sept 14 @ 12pm. Join Gotham Bat Conservancy for an event discussing the bats present in Marine Park, Brooklyn, and the important habitat Marine Park provides.
🦇 Don’t Be Afraid, Go Batty at Marine Park: Sat. Sept 14 @ 1:30pm. Bats are an essential part of a healthy, robust ecosysystem. Marine Park offers several environments that support bats. Find out how and why bats are important with a presentation by Ryan Mahoney, President and Principal Biologist of the Gotham Bat Conservancy. Meet in the Salt Marsh Nature Center, E33rd and Ave. U for this free program. Sponsored by the Salt Marsh Alliance, Inc.
🐦 Latino Conservation Week: Bilingual Birding at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Sun. Sept 15 @ 9am. To kick off Latino Conservation Week, join NYC Bird Alliance and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy for birding in English and Spanish! Come and explore the woodlands and meadows, and enjoy views of the city and the waterbirds on the East River. Registration encouraged.
🐦 NYC Queer Birders Walk at Greenwood Cemetery: Sept 15 @ 9am. Join NYC Queer Birders and Megna Thornton for a birding walk at Greenwood Cemetery.
🦆 Crotona Park Birding with Haley Scott: Sun. Sept 15 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance bird guide and Bronxite, Haley Scott, and explore the beautiful Crotona Park. Its meadows, flowering trees, and sizable pool provide excellent habitat for a variety of birds including woodpeckers, warblers, and wading birds. Registration encouraged.
🦆 Intro to Birding at Jamaica Bay with Tod Winston: Sun Sept 15 @ 9:30 am. Are you curious about birding but don’t have much (or any) experience? Join NYC Bird Alliance's Tod Winston a relaxed stroll in Jamaica Bay to go over birding basics and look for wading birds, raptors, shorebirds, waterfowl, warblers, and more. Binoculars available upon request. Registration required, capped at 15.
🪶 RBESNA Birding with Russell Jacobs: Tues. Sept 17 @ 5:30pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore the Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area (RBESNA). This stretch of beach is closed during the summer breeding season for nesting shorebirds like Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers, as it becomes a vital foraging habitat in the fall for sandpipers and other shorebirds making their way south. Scopes may come in handy. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Fall Bird Walk at The Battery: Weds. Sept 18 @ 8am. Join Gabriel Willow for a bird walk at The Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. After the walk, we hope you will linger to enjoy the nation's largest perennial garden open 365 days free to the public. Registration requested.
🐦 Birding in East Harlem with EsplanadeFriends: Weds. Sept 18 @ 6pm. This fall, 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.
🦇 Bat Spotting at Kissena Park with Nic Comparato: Weds. Sept 18 @ 8:45pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance seasonal associate field biologist, Nic Comparato, for a night of "batting!” Come for a stroll at dusk to see and hear these cute critters when they're most active. Registration required. Limited to 25. Participants will need close-toed shoes, bug spray, and a flashlight or headlamp.
🐤 Latino Conservation Week: Bilingual Birding at Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Thurs. Sept 19 @ 5:30pm. This Latino Conservation Week (September 14-22), join NYC Bird Alliance led by naturalist Oliver Lopez along Flushing Meadows Corona Park's Willow Lake. See sparrows, finches, ducks, wading birds, and more. Beginning birders are more than welcome! Registration encouraged.
🦆 Prospect Park Birding with Gabriel Willow: Fri. Sept 20 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the fall migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a dazzling variety of migratory birds on their way south, including warblers, tanagers, cuckoos, and more. Registration required, capped at 30.
🪶 International Coastal Cleanup Day at Plumb Beach: Sat. Sept 21 @ 9am. Join Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy and Global Citizens to help remove debris from the shoreline, marsh, and Greenway surrounding Plumb Beach and record data to contribute to advocacy efforts worldwide!
🐤 Mandarin-English Bilingual Birding at Kissena Park: Sat. Sept 21 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance Board President, Mike Yuan, and bird guide, Xinyi Zhang, for a Mandarin-English bilingual bird outing! We will explore the beautiful Kissena Park in Queens. This green space contains a wide variety of trees as well as a lake that make great habitat for migrating and resident birds alike. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Arverne East Nature Preserve Bird Tour with Don Riepe: Sat. Sept 21 @ 10am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and Jamaica Bay resident and birder, Don Riepe in the newly opened Arverne East Nature Preserve in Far Rockaways, Queens. The preserve provides habitat for a variety of sparrows and other birds stopping over in New York City, while shorebirds like Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers, and Black Skimmers can be found nesting on the beach. Registration encouraged.
🐝 Governors Island Birds & Bees Tour: Sat. Sept 21 @ 2pm. Join NYC Bird Alliance and The Bee Conservancy for a special tour highlighting the birds and bees around Governors Island, including the Urban Farm. Since 2018, The Bee Conservancy has established a Bee Santuary on Governors Island, complete with native flower beds, honey bee hives, and native bee homes.
🦜 Pelham Bay Park Birding with Joe McManus: Sun. Sept 22 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to explore New York City's largest park this fall. Pelham Bay Park's forested areas, salt marshes, and grassy meadows offer rich habitat for a variety of migrating bird. Registration encouraged.
🦜 Intro to Birding in Marine Park with Ronnie Almonte: Sun. Sept 22 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest green space, Marine Park! Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds.
🪶 NYC Queer Birders Walk at Van Cortlandt Park: Sun. Sept 22 @ 10am. Join the NYC Queer birders for a birding walk at Van Cortlandt Park.
🐤 Nature Exploration - Captain Tilly Park, Queens: Sun. Sept 22 @ 10am. On nature exploration hikes, we will discover the plants and animals that inhabit the urban forest. Please bring your own binoculars. Rangers will introduce you to the many species of birds, plants and other living species within Captain Tilly Park.
🦜 Warbler Watch at Pelham Bay Nature Center: Sun. Sept 22 @ 11am. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see spring migratory birds. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Approximately 45 species of warblers migrate every season! Join the Urban Park Rangers to learn about these amazing animals on a fun and informative nature walk through NYCs largest park. Binoculars will be provided.
🦜 Prospect Park Birding with the Young Conservationists: Mon. Sept 23 @ 7:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance and Ryan Mandelbaum and get to know the fall bird migrants of “Brooklyn's Backyard,” beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a dazzling variety of migratory birds on their way south, including warblers, tanagers, cuckoos, and more. Registration encouraged.
🦜 Central Park Evening Birding with Gabriel Willow: Mon. Sept 23 @ 5:30pm. Witness the beauty of fall migration with Gabriel Willow as birds follow the Atlantic Flyway northwards. Look for warblers, thrushes, and other migrants in the landscape of Central Park, and learn about the finer points of their identification and ecology. Registration required. Limited to 30.
🦜 Freshkills North Park Birding with Anthony Ciancimino: Tues. Sept 24 @ 5:30pm. Join Staten Island resident and birder 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 waterfowl, raptors, and sparrows. Registration encouraged.
🐦 Fall Bird Walk at The Battery: Weds. Sept 25 @ 8am. Join Gabriel Willow for a bird walk at The Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. After the walk, we hope you will linger to enjoy the nation's largest perennial garden open 365 days free to the public. Registration requested.
🦆 Prospect Park Birding with Gabriel Willow: Fri. Sept 27 @ 9am. Join NYC Bird Alliance to get to know the fall migrants of beautiful Prospect Park. The meadows, forests, and waterways of Prospect Park attract a dazzling variety of migratory birds on their way south, including warblers, tanagers, cuckoos, and more. Registration required, capped at 30.
🦅 Van Cortlandt Park Birding with Alyssa Bueno: Sat. Sept 28 @ 9am. Wrap up Climate Week 2024 with NYC Bird Alliance on a bird tour in one of the Bronx's largest green spaces. Participants will look for various species of resident and migrant birds and discuss a wide range of avian topics. This event is held in partnership with Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. Registration required, capped at 20.
🦜 Birding on the QueensWay with Woo Sung Park: Sat. Sept 28 @ 9:30am. Join NYC Bird Alliance's Woo Sung Park and The Trust for Public Land and explore the QueensWay as Climate Week 2024 wraps up! The QueensWay is an intiative to transform the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch that cuts through Forest Park into a new green space. This blossoming new park is sure to attract many bird species this fall. Registration encouraged.
🪶 Beach Cleanup and Coastal Birding Event at Norton Basin Natural Area: Sat. Sept 28 @ 10am. Join New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a beach clean-up and coastal birding event. Volunteers will remove debris from the coastline to improve the ecosystem and mitigate plastic pollution, while enjoying nature and spotting shorebirds migrating south. Attendees are advised to wear close-toed shoes, sunscreen and clothing they don’t mind getting a bit dirty.
🪼 Community Science Seining: Sat. Sept 28 @ 10am: Discover the amazing biodiversity of the East River as Brooklyn Bridge Park staff and marine biologists use a seine net to catch-and-release incredible organisms that live below that water’s surface. Be ready for exciting discoveries! All ages are welcome at this free event.
🍄 Fantastic Fungi Mushroom ID Hike at Seton Falls Park: Sat. Sept 28 @ 11am. This Urban Park Ranger led hike will take you through the forest to learn how to identify fungi. Participants will learn about the crucial role that mushrooms play in an ecosystem and how natural decomposition takes place. In-person registration.
🦜 Accessible Birding at Kissena Corridor Park with Alex Wang: Sat. Sept 28 @ 11am. Join NYC Bird Alliance's Alex Wang on an a stroll through Kissena Corridor Park in Flushing, Queens! This green space connects Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Kissena Park and provides excellent habitat for migrating birds. Wang offers augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) pamphlets, Braille pamphlets and plush birds for an inclusive birding tour.
🦅 Field Sketching with Sam Philbert: Sun. Sept 29 @ 12pm. Bird guide and artist Sam Philbert will lead a field sketching workshop on Governors Island! Learn tips to record and draw species in your environment to fill your own nature journal. Governors Island's diverse habitat supports the nearly 240 bird species spotted on the island so far, and makes for great art inspiration. Bring a drawing book or paper and something with which to write/draw to document your findings! Registration required. Limited to 30.
🦝 Urban Wildlife - Raccoons at Travers Park Queens: Sun. Sept 29 @ 2pm. Join the Urban Park Rangers in honor of International Raccoon Appreciation Day to learn more about this adaptable and resourceful species. We will discuss all things raccoons and make a raccoon themed craft. Best for kids.
🦜 Central Park Evening Birding: Mon. Sept 30 @ 5:30pm. Witness the beauty of fall migration with Gabriel Willow as birds follow the Atlantic Flyway northwards. Look for warblers, thrushes, and other migrants in the landscape of Central Park, and learn about the finer points of their identification and ecology. Registration required. Limited to 30.
Ongoing:
🐋 Whale-watching on the American Princess: The American Princess is a ferry vessel with indoor/outdoor seating that departs from Pier 3 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in the waters around NYC on Weds-Sun. all summer. You might see humpback whales, pods of bottlenose dolphins, and seabirds or falcons diving for prey. American Princess partners with Gotham Whale, a nonprofit dedicated to the study, advocacy for and education about the whales and marine mammals of New York City. Adult tickets are $69, special pricing for seniors and kids. It’s a splurge, but a lovely jaunt around the ocean. The last time I went, I saw three humpback whales!
🐤 Evening Migration Walk Series in Central Park: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 5pm. Join naturalist Gabriel Willow to witness the spectacle of autumn migration as songbirds follow the Atlantic Flyway to their tropical wintering grounds. Look for tanagers, warblers, and other neotropical migrants in the wilds of Central Park, and learn the finer points of ID. $30 per walk, registration required, capped at 15.
🐢 Nature Exploration: Wildlife Appreciation: Join Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs on Thursdays and Fridays at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation. From noon to 3pm, learn about the plants and animals living in the lake and lullwater, test the water quality, and observe pond samples. From 2-3pm, join naturalists to learn more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. From 3-4pm, enjoy a birding or nature walk and pick up some litter on the way!
🐦 Classic Harbor Line NY Harbor Eco-Cruise: Throughout July and August, join urban naturalist Gabriel Willow for captivating 3-hour evening cruises through the heart of our city and see a number of abandoned islands where birds love to nest!. North Brother & South Brother Islands, nestled in the East River, are a nationally recognized haven for colonial water birds, gulls, herons, cormorants, and egrets. $125. Registration required.
🌳 Forest Restoration Fridays in Forest Park, Queens: Join NYC Parks and The Forest Park Trust for Forest Restoration Fridays this summer to engage in hands-on forest restoration work, including invasive species removal, trail restoration, and possible planting in our park. The events are from 10am to 12pm. Registration is required. All tools will be provided, and no prior experience is needed. Please come dressed in sturdy, closed-toe shoes and bring your own water bottle.
🦐: Shoreline Strolls at Gansevoort Peninsula: On Saturday afternoons, stroll along the a sandy shoreline beach to a pine grove, pile field and salt marsh at Gansevoort Peninsula in Hudson River Park. You’ll have the chance to learn more about these fascinating ecosystems from our River Project team. Grab your binoculars and try to spot some of the shorebirds seen regularly dabbling in our salt marsh, or see if you can spot some of the resident hawks that use the light poles.
🦪 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.
🦀 Hudson River Park’s Wetlab Look-ins: On Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3-6pm and Saturdays from 11a-5pm, visit Hudson River Park’s Wetlab to see a rotating exhibit of fish and invertebrates collected in the park as part of an ongoing Fish Ecology Survey. Animals are also regularly released to ensure that their behaviors are minimally impacted, meaning there’s always something new to explore at the Wetlab.
🌹 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.
🐟 Open Hours at Brooklyn Bridge Park Environmental Education Center: Visitors of all ages can get to know Brooklyn Bridge Park with rotating 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. New 2024 hours are Thursdays 3-5 PM, Fridays 3-5 PM, and Saturdays 1-5 PM! All sessions are free and drop-in.
🦜 Wednesday Morning Fall Migration Series with Joe Giunta: Birders of all levels can enjoy this fun and educational series of five bird outings, observing the diverse and ever-changing waves of migrants that stop over Central Park during fall migration. Wednesdays, September 4-October 16, 7:30-10:30am. Registration required. $133 for NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon members), $190 for non-members. Limited to 20.
Thanks for reading! As always, you can view this email online for potentially updated list of events.