I might have been keen to shake the dust of New York City from my shoes if there were any dust, but the sidewalks are hosed down each morning and it was a bit of a drizzly morning. But this was the start of my drive West and I was keen to see the miles ticking by,…
Author: Mark
Born Bristol, UK
Educated: Cleeve House School Bristol, Bristol Grammar School and Downing College Cambridge
Ph.D. University of Aberdeen, Winter activity of pipistrelle bats.
NERC post-doctoral Research Fellow, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford University
Former Conservation Director of the RSPB, 1989-2011
Liberty and the pursuit of happiness
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I was in Central Park by 630am – and it may have been too early. There weren’t that many birds around. I added Magnolia Warbler to my list for Central Park but saw few other warblers. I added cream cheese bagel and coffee to my waistline and got a cab south down Broadway. Walking the last few…
Birding with the Empire State Building as background
I had a nice day’s birding today. And I think I saw another warbler species. I went to Jamaica Bay – over the Queensboro bridge from 59th St Manhattan, then get lost a bit, and you are there! A walk through some scrub and then you are looking out over a wetland. Many of the usual birds…
The living and the dead
I walked north 8 blocks to Central Park and on the way saw countless house sparrows and starlings – I won’t keep going on about them but it is really striking how common they are here. Indeed, Greg Butcher, from National Audubon, made a good suggestion – that Audubon and the RSPB should do a joint…
I’m driving in my car
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Actually, I’m not, as I am still in New York, although gas is so cheap and parking so expensive, and the traffic moves so slowly, that driving around Manhattan might work out cheaper than parking! ‘My’ car is a tank! It’s a Dodge Grand Caravan – which would easily seat 6 people. It’s very comfortable, quite…
Breakfasts
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A few people have commented that my waistline must be expanding even further given the breakfasts I’m having – obviously in the interests of research with waitresses. And I’ve just had breakfast at the Morning Star Cafe (open 24 hours) on 2nd Avenue just around the corner from the Pod Hotel where I am staying….
Let’s swap?
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My Republican friend in Washington DC (whose name must be kept a closely guarded secret because if his colleagues knew he had been meeting with an effete, European, pinko-liberal like me he would be doomed) and I came up with a great deal. It’s going to change your life. It’s coming soon. And it goes…
Fitz
I’ve spent another day at Cornell talking to interesting people about birds, the environment and environmental issues. Everyone has been very open and welcoming. The day started with birding at 6am. We saw a few waders – a familiar Dunlin, some almost familiar Semi-palmated Plovers (much like a Ringed Plovers) and Spotted Sandpipers (much like Common…
Room 101
Room 101 is not a very auspicious place to be put but actually the Courtyard Marriot in Ithaca is a very friendly place and Room 101 is very comfortable. Ithaca, NY is famous for vegetarian cookbooks, a defunct shotgun company and the truly famous University and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. The bird people are…
Still raining
I thought of detouring to Niagara Falls but that would have been silly – it would have added too many miles and I have seen torrents of rain all day anyway. When it hasn’t been raining hard it has been raining very hard. So not a bird-rich day – even though the Allegheny Mountains, through which…