I received an email from Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy proclaiming the official opening of Pier One today . Though it may not have much habitat, nevertheless, the new park space gives more coastal access to seeing birds on the East River, best during the late fall into winter months for waterbirds. However, birding is surprising. Even in scant habitats, during migration, you always find something in sparse green spaces. Look at City Hall in lower Manhattan: oftentimes I hear of warblers and even an American Woodcock with little habitat.
From the BBPC email posting:
Pier 1 Opens!
Excellent News! The Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation opened Pier 1 this morning, restoring public access to this portion of the Brooklyn waterfront for the first time in over a century.
Pier 1 is the largest of the park piers, and the only one built on landfill rather than on pile-supported structure. That foundation provides the base for a new topography including a hill at the center of the pier which provides dramatic and sweeping views of the New York Harbor and the Brooklyn Bridge. When complete, Pier 1 will include two large lawns, the Bridge View lawn and the Harbor View lawn, a playground at the northern edge with play equipment for younger children, a waterfront promenade, and a series of tree-lined pathways that provide a varied waterfront experience. The "Granite Prospect" is a set of steps built from granite stones salvaged from the Roosevelt Island Bridge reconstruction and is located along the western edge of the pier. Over 360 trees are planted on Pier 1 and more are on the way! This summer, a salt marsh planted with native plant life will open and a boat ramp for non-motorized watercraft will open.
Check out their website http://www.brooklynbridgeparknyc.org/.
