NYC Mulchfest 2026

It's that time of year: NYC Mulchfest is happening this weekend! 

I visited Tompkins Square Park to catch the fresh mulching this morning. This is my 15th year in attendance.

I think this may be the warmest Mulchfest I can remember - the temp was near 50°F, much higher than normal for January.

The mood was festive as park department employees tossed the old holiday trees into the chipper.

Some live action video:

What the videos and photos do not convey is the heavenly scent of evergreen. I'm sure the scent will linger in the park for days.

Chipping will continue in Tompkins Square on Sunday, as well as in several other locations around the city, which you can find here.

 

See my past Mulchfest posts here, as well as my dedicated Mulchfest Flickr photo album.

Year-End Bird Highlights - Part 2

Continuing with year-end bird highlights, here are a few more favorites from this last year.

Varied Thrush: 

This was a rare visitor to Brooklyn. I've only seen this West Coast bird once before...in Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan in 2013.

Great Blue Heron:

Blue Herons are impressive where ever they go.

Pied-Billed Grebe:

I liked how this Grebe blended in with the autumn colors in Prospect Park this last fall.

Ospreys:

I have many photos of these two having several interactions. The one on the left was bent on getting the other one out of that one spot in the water.

Peregrine Falcon:

I found this Peregrine serenely resting in a tree, watching the sun go down.

Merlin:

I was fortunate to encounter this Merlin as he hunted in Brooklyn.

Muscovy Ducks:

This lady has a lot of heads to count!

Western Cattle Egret:

The yellow swoosh of feathers on the egret's head makes it easy to identify in flight.

Caspian Tern:

I advise anyone who wants to learn about terns to visit the Gulf Coast in winter. They're all there and it's a great lesson in identification.

Wild Turkey:

This is a wild turkey named "Astoria" who has decided Battery Park is her turf. I'm happy to see a turkey at home there after we lost our beloved Zelda in 2014.

Black-Bellied Plover:

When scanning a beach full of shorebirds, I find Black-Bellied Plovers some of the easiest to pick out, no matter what plumage they're wearing. They have a unique size and shape that sets them apart, and their calls are unmistakable. Shorebird identification can be really tough, so I appreciate these guys for being stand-outs.

Northern Cardinal:

A Cardinal can brighten any day.

Barred Owl:

In the spring, I came upon two Barred Owls having a conversation in a woodland and it sent chills up my spine. They make some of the coolest sounds.

Long-Eared Owl:

This owl was taking a nap in the sun, so I let them be.

Great Horned Owl:

This owl looks annoyed as it had just been assaulted by 15 crows who took off as soon as I showed up. The owl then looked right at me, which was my instruction to leave, so I left it to rest.

The Great Horned Owl above is just starting its night. It's on the prowl for prey and I caught sight of it just as I was leaving a park for the night.

 

 

Year-End Bird Highlights - Part 1

I've seen a lot of great birds this year and have taken more photos than I'll ever be able to post, but I'll try a series of highlights. I spend a lot of time photographing birds, which means not enough time to actually process the photos. Such is life!

Anhinga: 

Getting flirty! I'm really captivated by these snake birds and love the mechanical sounds they make.

Black-Necked Stilt:

With a long pointy bill up front and amazingly long trailing legs, this bird flies like a javelin

Brown Pelican:

This individual was terrorizing everything in a small lake. It methodically scoured the shallows, making dive after dive, circling the lake.

Glossy Ibis:

The vibrant colors of the ibis are really visible in bright sun. 

 

Speaking of dazzling colors...

 

Gray-Headed Swamphen:

I can't believe this bird was named after the dullest part of itself. It's a walking blaze of color.

Here's another colorful gem.

 

Painted Bunting:

Semipalmated Plovers:

These cuties are small but lively. They might be my favorite shorebird.

Hudsonian Godwits:

I'd never seen Hudsonian Godwits before, so it made my day to see these two at Jamaica Bay.

Hermit Thrush:

I saw more Hermit Thrushes this last fall than ever before.

Loggerhead Shrike:

What a fierce little bird. 

Sandhill Crane:

This Sandhill Crane decided to fly in and land very near me. I had to back myself down into a ditch to give it some space as it strutted its stuff along a berm.

 

They're really magnificent in flight. During migration, Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary Crane cam is essential viewing. The cranes gather in one area by the thousands and their fly-ins and fly-outs are spectacular.  

White Ibis:

I haven't yet found anyone who gets as excited to see White Ibises as I do. They are common in their habitat, but uncommon to me.

Swallow-Tailed Kite:

This year was the first time I'd seen a Swallow-Tailed Kite, and then it seemed they were everywhere I went. 

Snowy Egret:

On a trip to Florida, I had a wonderful experience watching herons and egrets fly in to their roosting islands at sunset. That's something I'd like to see again in the coming year.

 

More to come.

 

 

Raptor season begins

My favorite part of winter is seeing more raptors around the city as they either migrate or set up territory. The leafless trees make them easier to find and observe.

A quick update on our local Red-Tailed Hawk pair, Amelia & Charlie: I saw them in Tompkins Square last night getting dinner. Charlie caught a rat and took it to a tree where both hawks hung out together until the sun went down. Of course, I did not have my camera with me, so I don't have any photos, but it was nice to see them together and they look good.

I do have many photos of other raptors I've seen over the last several months, so here are a few to get started.

Red-Shouldered Hawk (immature): 

Adult:

Another immature:

Adult:

Mississippi Kite (adult):

Cooper's Hawk (adult):

Short-Tailed Hawk (adult dark morph) with something in its talons:

This was my first time seeing a Short-Tailed Hawk and these were the only photos I was able to get of this elusive individual.

Red-Tailed Hawk (adult):

Another adult:

 

Immature:

Another immature:

Immature Red-Tail chased by and American Kestrel:

More to come.