It would be a sad census in any case, but the tally of trees lost in Central Park to high winds during the storm on June 10 comes with particular ill grace in the middle of the Million Trees NYC campaign.

“You felt it was like a tornado,” said Douglas Blonsky, president of the Central Park Conservancy and the administrator of Central Park.

According to the conservancy’s survey, 33 trees were significantly damaged, 24 of which have already been removed.

The largest trees lost, measured in diameter at breast heig...
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We were saddened to hear our friend Marty Sohmer passed away on February 26th at Beth Israel Medical Center. He will be dearly missed by all  who  knew him. You can view and/or upload photos of  Marty  at the  "Central Park  Birders" photo gallery.

I only knew Marty Sohmer in the last few years of his life. But for five or six years we birded together at least six days a week, almost always in Central Park.. When the birding was slow we talked a great deal, and he told me something of his earlier life. Quite a l...
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I have, on many occasions, observed the "Geese Police's" Border Collies chasing Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Ruddy Ducks and Mallards off the Harlem Meer and it's quite possible that the reason for the steep decline in overwintering waterfowl on Central Park's lakes is a direct result of this harrassment. Only the Reservoir is immune because it is controlled by the city and not the Parks Dept. Its waterfowl population was pretty steady over the winter.

Now that spring is here I have been watching the Geese Police chasing the long-legged waders from the Harlem Meer. I u...
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A photo essay about my book "Birds of Central Park" is featured in the August 2007 issue of the National Wildlife Federation's magazine "National Wildlife."

The article by NWF editor Laura Tangley is entitled "Images from an Urban Oasis" and begins, "More than 200 bird species are regularly spotted in New York’s Central Park, and one remarkably patient photographer has spent thousands of hours capturing their behavior..."

My friend Rita McMahon and her partner Karen Heidgerd have a new Web site with information about the Wild Bird Fund that they sponsor. Below is from their site:

Rita McMahon and Karen Heidgerd are the key rehabilitators for New York City's wild birds. Rita is a television consultant who lends her time to save local birds. Karen is the Practice Manager at Animal General. Both of these caregivers are licensed to rehabilitate wilds birds by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. They have received a Federal Migratory Bird Permit License issued by the Department of the I...
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When Ben Stiller goes into a book store to learn more about history in the movie, "Night at the Museum," he is seated right next to my book.

My book is a movie star!

Thanks to my eagle-eyed friend Christine for picking-up on this one and thanks to my good friend Ben Stiller for placing the book in the shot. Just kidding about Ben Stiller--he's not that good a friend.

Amateur photographers and independent filmmakers looking to chronicle bird life, take snapshots in Times Square or capture the distinctive thrum of New York’s streets will not need to obtain permits or insurance under new rules being proposed by the Bloomberg administration.

The rules, to be released on Tuesday for public comment, would generally allow people using hand-held equipment, including tripods, to shoot for any length of time on sidewalks and in parks as long as they leave sufficient room for pedestrians.

The propos...
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If you're like me, vast numbers of catalogs start arriving in late October and early November, filling my mailbox and recycling bin to capacity. I do all of my shopping online so rarely, if ever, do I look at a catalog. Besides, catalogs are an environmental nightmare. According to catalogchoice.org , 

• Over eight million tons of trees are consumed each year in the production of paper catalogs.
• Nearly half of the planet’s original forest cover is gone today. Forests have effectively disappeared in 25 countries, and another 29 have lost more than 90% of their forest cover.
• Deforesta...
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Filed at 8:52 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Put your hands up and back away from the breadcrumbs. Feeding New York City pigeons could soon be banned under a proposal to thin the flocks of the birds sometimes referred to as ''rats with wings.''

City Councilman Simcha Felder said Monday that he would introduce legislation to ban pigeon feeding and fine those caught flouting the ban $1,000.

The ammonia and uric acids in pigeon droppings can rust steel and corrode infrastructure, he wrote in a report outlining potential solutions to...
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This Google Map I created pinpoints many of the birding locations referred to in bird reports from Central Park. Most of these locations are not listed on any other maps.

An article I wrote about photographing birds in Central Park appeared in the March 2007 issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine. It hit the newsstands in mid-February and, based on the buzz, you should be seeing more photographers in the park this spring.

You can purchase a subscription to Outdoor Photographer in the magazine section of my e-store .

I have recently taken over the New York City Audubon Society's Photo Committee.

One of my first acts was to rename it the Photo Special Interest Group (PhotoSIG). After that I built a Web site with news, tips, forums, and gallerys. You can visit the site but you have to be a New York City Audubon Society member for full access.

We meet the third Tuesday of every month at the Coffee House at 20 West 44th Street on the 6th floor. Meetings begin promptly at 6:00pm. Check the Web site for a calendar of events. Meetings are open to all. A $3.00 donation is requested to cover the cost of room r...
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