Birds of New York (BONY)

Summary

The author, Remington Write, shares their experience of attracting a diverse array of birds to their fifth-floor fire escape in New York City, just two blocks from Central Park, by putting out birdseed, and reflects on the joy and calmness these birds bring to their daily life.

Abstract

Living in close proximity to Central Park, the author has the unique opportunity to observe a variety of birds, from snowy egrets and red-tailed hawks to the more elusive snowy owl, herons, swans, and cormorants. However, it's the birds that frequent their fire escape that have become the focus of their attention. By providing seed, the author has turned their fire escape into a popular bird hangout, attracting mourning doves, blue jays, sparrows, chickadees, and even a tufted titmouse. The author takes particular delight in the antics of the birds, noting the boldness of a chickadee or sparrow that isn't intimidated by larger birds, the chill demeanor of the doves, and the elusive nature of the blue jays. The presence of these birds has brought a sense of reassurance and wonder to the author's life, though they ponder whether the birds will return once the weather warms.

Opinions

The author expresses a clear fondness for the mourning doves, describing them as "very chill" and unperturbed even when the window is opened.
There is a sense of pride in not attracting pigeons, with the author preferring the more varied birdlife over what is considered a common city bird.
The author finds the blue jays to be "raucous" and difficult to photograph due to their quick movements, suggesting a mix of frustration and admiration for their elusiveness.
The author is amused and impressed by the boldness of the "incredibly ballsy chickadee" that fearlessly claims its spot at the feast.
The presence of the birds, particularly the cooing of the doves, is described as calming and reassuring, indicating the author's appreciation for the tranquility they bring.
There is a hint of concern or curiosity about whether the birds will continue to visit once the weather changes and natural food sources become more abundant.
The cat, JJ, is mentioned as an observer of the bird activity, with the doves showing a clever understanding of windows to continue their meals undisturbed.

Ok, Birds of My Fire Escape

We live two blocks from Central Park meaning we’ve essentially got an 840-acre backyard that attracts some serious birds unlike the birds who are attracted to my fire escape but we’ll get to that. Snowy egrets come through Central Park in the spring, red-tailed hawks glide above, and everything from our famous snowy owl to herons and swans and cormorants as well as every description of migrating songbird make appearances.

But living on the fifth floor just above several trees means that here we have mourning doves as well as (three) blue jays and the little brown birds, sparrows and chickadees. This year I began putting out seed and now our fire escape is the most popular hang-out in the neighborhood.

My first visitor to the banquet was a tufted titmouse. Adorable and swift, the little darling darted about for a day or two and then disappeared as the gang of mourning doves took over.

Now I daily host about fifteen mourning doves, those three raucous blue jays, and one incredibly ballsy chickadee. Or is it a sparrow? At any rate, even the jays don’t scare it away from dinner. Nor do the doves. Today I watched the cheeky little fellow push a dove out of the way to get at the goods.

Getting a picture of any of the jays is tricky. They zip away at the slightest movement in the window. The doves, though? They’re very chill. Sometimes when I open the window to put out fresh seed, they just sit there and watch me with mild curiosity.

I’m not sure what it says about me that I’m pleased that the pigeons haven’t discovered this fire escape feast. Let them stick to park benches and piles of ramen on the sidewalk!

And overseeing all the fluttering and fussing out on the fire escape is the Queen of this little fiefdom, JJ herself. The doves, however, know how windows work and seldom let the cat’s presence interrupt lunch.

There’s something reassuring and wonderful about those birds. The cooing of the doves is calming and I love the twitchy energy of the jays. I wonder if they’ll bother coming around once the weather warms and they can find food elsewhere? They’ll know where to come next winter.