Boreal Owl Aegolis funereus, Central Park, New York City, December 28th, 2004. ABA Code (2).

When the news emerged that a Boreal Owl had been discovered deep in New York City during a Christmas bird count, I felt torn between feelings of amazement and envy. Within hours, stunning pictures were on the internet, and my anxious state increased, for Boreal Owl was a species that I’d never seen. Some frustrating days were to follow as I read reports of the bird disappearing or speculation of the bird being pushed around by over zealous photographers. Late in the month, Susannah and I had a chance to visit New York to collect a visitor’s Visa for a forthcoming trip to India. By pure coincidence the Consulate of India premises was within walking distance of Central Park, and even though the owl hadn’t been reported for several days we walked over there to try our luck. Within minutes we were fortunate enough to find a birder who’d just relocated the owl and was phoning his friends! From that moment on we enjoyed the owl, and the rest of the Central Park birds in the company of some very courteous New York birders who showed a great willingness to share. It turned out to be a fine day, and we made two visits to the Boreal Owl roosting tree. But we also saw a few mid-winter surprises including no less than three Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and a Gray Catbird. I wasn’t carrying a scope that day, so most of these images were taken through binoculars. The winter of 2004/05 will long be remembered for the exceptional numbers of northern owls recorded in various parts of the country and this, apparently, was the first record of Boreal Owl in New York City for 25 years!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius, wintering in Central Park, NYC.

View from Central Park, NYC, perhaps an unlikely setting in which to see a Boreal Owl.

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