On October 29th 2012, “superstorm” Sandy devastated the east coast of the USA, affecting states from Florida to Maine, with severe damage in New Jersey and New York. That same evening, from his boarded-up garret, Corey posted a gallery of Yellow-rumped Warblers which he had photographed along the coast of New York, just before the storm hit.

JFK 19Oct14 Yellow-rumped Warbler 09

We know that Corey and his family came through the ordeal safely, but what of the warblers? There has been no update since the pre-storm post and I, for one, was getting worried.

JFK 19Oct14 Yellow-rumped Warbler 12

Damage to New York included floods caused by the storm surge, power cuts and disruption to transport, including the loss of the railway line that crosses Jamaica Bay. Two years on, the train line has been repaired at last and I paid a visit to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

JFK 19Oct14 Yellow-rumped Warbler 13

You will be pleased to know that the Yellow-rumped Warblers survived the storm and were passing through in good numbers, heading south.

JFK 19Oct14 Yellow-rumped Warbler 16

As Corey observed at the time, they do look grand with a bit of autumn bokeh, but there were plenty of Sharp-shinned Hawks around today too, many of which appeared to have bulging crops.

JFK 19Oct14 Sharp-shinned Hawk 01

Written by Redgannet
Redgannet worked for more than 35 years as a flight attendant for an international airline. He came to birding late in his career but, considering the distractions, doesn't regret the missed opportunities. He was paid to visit six continents and took full advantage of the chance to bird the world. He adopted the nom de blog, Redgannet, to avoid remonstrations from his overbearing employer, but secretly hoped that the air of mystery would make him more attractive to women. Now grounded, he is looking forward to seeing the seasons turn from a fixed point.