For the last 5 years, I have lead a New Years Day Bird Walk at Greenwich Point Park. I feel it is a nice, non-commercial way to begin the year with a relaxing walk in lovely natural setting. Others agree, making it one of my most popular walks – this year 35 people joined our walk.
Weather cooperated providing a nice morning, cool, partly sunny but none of the wind that can be so chilling by the water. Birds were not quite as cooperative. Although ducks and other water birds were scarce, we did see a total of 33 species of birds. (The complete list if shown at the bottom of this post.) It was good jumpstart to a 2014 bird list.
For me, the best bird of the day was a good close look at a N. Pintail. Its one of my favorite birds, quietly graceful and elegant.
My favorite remembrance of New Years at Greenwich is always the huge number of other people enjoying the park on winter morning. There were over 100s, families with children, dog walkers, strollers, serious joggers, a couple of hiking groups, roller skaters, and at least 2-3 groups of polar bears taking a New Year plunge into the frigid water of Long Island Sound. Good Start to New Year
Most unusual sight was two joggers dressed up as bananas.
Birds Seen (33 Species)
Backyard Birds: Chickadee, Cardinal, Robin, House Sparrow, House Finch, White-throated Sparrow, Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Starling
Ducks and Water Birds: Long-tailed Duck, N. Pintail, Mallard, Black Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Horned Grebe, Common Golden-eye, Double-crested Cormorant
Others: Winter Wren, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Am. Tree Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird
Gulls: Herring Gull, Ringed-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull
Shorebirds: Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone
birdsoup 
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