Our lead photo is of the two tuliptrees in the park. The picture was taken on November 15, 2021 and shows the trees slightly post-peak foliage. Although there are still green leaves, some of the colored leaves are dried but persisting on the trees. We are monitoring the tree on the right year-round as part of the park’s phenology project.

Would you like to volunteer to monitor the seasonal changes of a tree in the park? We’d love to have you join the project. We will provide socially-distanced, masked training in the park.

You can observe fall color–reds, purples, yellows, oranges, and browns–in the canopy and in the understory. In the top row: kousa dogwood, sweetgum, oakleaf hydrangea. A ginkgo is pictured above. The ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is known for its synchronized leaf drop–all the leaves are shed simultaneously. This dramatic leaf drop typically occurs after the first frost, which might happen this week. Keep track of this season’s fall color with us on Instagram and Twitter.

We released a new episode of the Your Bird Story podcast last week. Take a listen to Part 1 of the two-part series about parents who birdwatch. Two parents who watch birds in the park are featured in the episode.

In other bird news, although the hawks are still being spotted in and around the park, the hawk cam is not operational. We reached out to New York University twice this fall and have been told the matter is “under discussion.”

Loyan led a bird excursion in Inwood Hill Park last Saturday. The group observed 13 species including greater black-backed gull, Cooper’s and red-tailed hawks, red-bellied and hairy woodpecker, dark-eyed junco, cedar waxwing, and yellow-rumped warbler.

Have you read Loyan Beausoleil’s study of bird activity at the Naval Cemetery Landscape in Brooklyn? Loyan has also prepared a research presentation (aka slide deck) about the year-long project.