What began as a post-Christmas drama — the sighting of an endangered finback whale, breathing, just barely, as it floundered in the surf of Rockaway Inlet in Queens on Wednesday ...  the mammal died overnight. ...  the beast, estimated to weigh 30 tons.
The animal showed up on the beach emaciated ( extreme weight loss ); at 60 feet long, it should have weighed around 60 tons, said Robert DiGiovanni Jr., executive director of the Riverhead Foundation on Long Island, the officially designated marine-mammal rescue group for the region. In death on Thursday, the whale’s spinal column could be seen under taut gray skin. “It was clearly sick for a very long time,” Mr. DiGiovanni said.
Though the whale, whose age and sex were not yet known, would be small for an adult finback, it was also possible that this whale was an adult and lived out its full lifespan – finbacks, the second-biggest whale after blue whales, can live to be 90 years old.
On Wednesday, the whale had come to rest down the beach on property managed by the Breezy Point Cooperative, a gated community that was savaged by fire and floods during Hurricane Sandy, and, some residents said, could scarcely afford another headache. But on Thursday morning, the tide pushed it over onto federal property at Gateway.
As the wind whipped up on Thursday, the seawater around the animal’s drooping tail grew red with blood. Seagulls stood their distance, looking unsure what to do as the gathering of humans stood beside the carcass, discussing the daunting tasks ahead.     src

Chickadee.  Bufflehead, perhaps. 
At birder feeder: Titmouse.

Photo:
   Titmouse - <1a>   <1b>  
   Lake/Pond 
   Album - Picasa   Google+

Hooded Mergansers (at least 3 females and 2 males).  Shovelers (a lot), some are very close and may prepare to sleep.  The two beautiful black-and-white feral rabbits.

Video:
   Hooded Merganser - <1>   <2>  
   Great Blue Heron

Photo:
   Pictures of the breached West Pond

Video:
   Yellow-rumped Warbler bath at Blind Pond
   Red-breasted Mergansers (female)

No Hooded Merganser nor Great Blue Heron.  Shovelers (still many, greater in number than previous years).  Cormorants (2).  Song Sparrows.  White-throated Sparrows.  Cardinal.  Blue Jay heard. 
Hybrid Mallards: 4 new young ones (1st year?), look like the 2 regular residents of hybrid male mallards or the mother (like a Northern Pintail) of the hybrid son but bill's color is different and legs' color is pale and less orange.   Not the female Mallard (American Black Duck?) on 8/27/2011 [<1>   <2>   <3>].   Not immature American Black Duck (cf. here).

Photo:
  Song Sparrow - <1a>   <1b>   <2>   <3>   <4>  
  White-throated Sparrow - <1>   broken leg 1  
  Ring-billed Gull - <1> (probably an adult)
  Hybrid Mallard -  <1> (why bills are pink? color distorted?)
  Turtle - <1>

Note:
  (1) The first hybrid family of Mallard (3/12/2011).
  (2) The 2 regular residents of hybrid male mallards now joined the Northern-Pintail-like mother and son  (2/21/2011).
  (3) On Friday, November 23, Gateway National Recreation Area reopens two favored sites: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens and Great Kills Park on Staten Island. ... The East and West Ponds, two freshwater ponds at the Refuge, were breached by Hurricane Sandy.  src

Great Blue Heron (FOS) enjoys a little turtle as its company.  Ring-billed Gulls (more).  Cormorants (2+).  Shovelers (closer to land and their number may be even greater than on 11/17).

Photo:
  Shoveler - male-1    female-1    female-2
  Cormorant -  <1>   <2>  

Ring-billed Gulls (4-6), FOS.  No Hooded Merganser.  Shovelers (many).  Woodpecker, probably Downy.  House Finches (M+F).  Cardinals.  Blue Jays.  Juncos.  RWBBs (M+F).  Song Sparrow(s).  Sparrow with a bright brown back.  etc.

Photo:
  Shoveler - male-1

Nuthatch.