Thread by @Luo_Qing, 2020 has been such a difficult year but connecting with nature, particularly [...]

2020 has been such a difficult year but connecting with nature, particularly through birding, has been an incredible solace. Seeing birders in Central Park this spring inspired me to buy my first pair of binoculars since I was a kid. 204 species later, here are 10 favourites 1/14

American Woodcock, @bryantparknyc , June. Astonishing to see this shy forest bird in midtown Manhattan, where it set up shop in the shrubbery for weeks. Having missed out on peak spring migration this was when I started to twig how fascinating #UrbanBirding in NYC could be. 2/14

Great Egret, @CentralParkNYC, June. Loved watching this stunning bird stalk around the Pond fishing on summer evenings - deeply soothing after finishing yet another lonely day of working from home. 3/14

Red-tailed Hawk, @randallsisland, July. This RTH swooped down on a rat right in front of me as I was biking round Randall's Island one morning and took its breakfast off to a nearby tree. Such beautiful raptors and very special to see them raising chicks over the summer. 4/14

Black-crowned Night-Heron, @randallsisland, September. I miss seeing these guys now they've flown south for winter: I love how they stand hunched in sober black, white and grey feathers like stocky Dickensian clerks but with bonkers red eyes and those long fancy head plumes. 5/14

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, @CentralParkNYC, September. Mesmerising to watch these little beauties zip between flowers and mindblowing that a bird that weighs less than a nickel can migrate from NYC to Mexico

. 6/14

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, @CentralParkNYC, September. Mesmerising to watch these little beauties zip between flowers and mindblowing that a bird that weighs less than a nickel can migrate from NYC to Mexico . 6/14

Black-and-white Warbler, @CentralParkNYC, September. Having missed out on most of spring migration, fall migration felt like a wall-to-wall warbler bonanza. Love these humbug-striped B&Ws, not least because they're easier to identify than lots of their warbler buddies

7/14

Black-and-white Warbler, @CentralParkNYC, September. Having missed out on most of spring migration, fall migration felt like a wall-to-wall warbler bonanza. Love these humbug-striped B&Ws, not least because they're easier to identify than lots of their warbler buddies 7/14

European Starling, @randallsisland, October. One of the reasons birding is good for my mental health is that it requires mindful outward-focused attention, which means I find myself noticing that even the commonplace, like this Starling, can be incredibly beautiful. 8/14

Northern Cardinal, @CentralParkNYC, October. Speaking of commonplace, I know Northern Cardinals (and Blue Jays) are ten a penny in the Eastern US but that bright red plumage and black bandit mask will never not look exotic to my British eyes, and they always cheer me up. 9/14

Belted Kingfisher, @randallsisland, October. I have loved getting to know the routines of my local kingfishers: coming across them as they go about their daily rounds feels like greeting a friend you bump into regularly on the street. Patch birding can be a wonderful thing. 10/14