Where to Escape the Dogs?; Central Park Report

From Datnioides:

I don't understand how anyone can bird the city parks these days, let alone attempt bird photography, while being jostled by swarms of off leash dogs and their unspeakable owners. I understand at least one pro bird photographer had to curtail his activities in Central Park due to the constant disturbance of off leash dogs.

. . . Are there *any* . . . places accessible to a carless nondriver where one can photograph birds without being disturbed by off leash dogs? . . . I would appreciate any advice on how to escape the tragedy of the commons writ large known as DOPR. Thanks

The closest place is Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which at least during migration season can have a surprising variety of birds, at photographing distance, ranging from red-tailed hawks to thrushes to migratory warblers. But it can get crowded on afternoons and weekends, and on weekday mornings it is plagued with leaf blowers. New York Botanical Garden, with its (comparatively) vast area and the Bronx River running through it, is an even better place, and it is across the street from the Botanical Garden stop on Metro North.

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2 dogs loose in the Central Park ramble this morning during dog hours, including this one just north of the boat house, whose owner is heedless of a birding group. This same fellow was in the same place at the same time two weeks ago. Obviously, he's not worried about being caught.



And the Turtle Pond area, where dogs must always be leashed, was as usual flooded with unleashed dogs.