Clove Lakes Park was created in the 1930s by filling in marshland and damming up a brook that ran to the Kill van Kull. Almost half of its 198 acres are devoted to recreation; ballfields, a playground (restrooms), and boating facilities. The other half comprises some excellent bird habitat—in the form of Brooks Pond, Martling Pond, Clove Lake, streams, and one hundred acres of hilly woodlands. Paved pedestrian roads encircle the lakes, and an informal network of dirt trails wind through the woods. The City of New York/Parks and Recreation owns Clove Lakes Park. The Park’s name is derived from the Dutch word “kloven,” meaning a stream-cut valley. An elegant restaurant, The Stone House at Clove Lakes, overlooks Clove Lake and serves lunch and dinner year-round.

Birding is particularly good during spring migration, especially if you are looking for warblers. Spring mornings, it is possible to see 15-20 warbler species, including Louisiana Waterthrush (early in spring) and Cerulean, Prothonotary, Kentucky, and Mourning (late in spring) Warblers. Also watch for Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Empidonax flycatchers, and more. In recent years, a pair of Great Blue Herons has successfully nested in Clove Lakes Park—one of the only breeding records in New York City in the past century.