Yesterday I rode the water taxi to Ikea in Red Hook (Brooklyn). The ride was fun, I love any excuse to be out on the water. The grounds around the store are park-like, with benches, grassy areas and walkways, all river (or estuary) side.
Before I went in the store I checked out the back area and behind a fence, with only small gaps for viewing, was a pond, fringed by reeds and cattails. Barn swallows perched on a wire overhead, and on the pond I caught a glimpse of a bird which I can't ID, but it had a distinctive ring around its bill. A grebe? Not sure; just couldn't get close enough.

So I finally got to JBWR to see the black-necked stilt. Good thing a woman was there to point it out to me, because I sure couldn't spot it with my Monarchs. I seldom feel the need for the expense of a scope, but for distant birds it's the only thing. Also for digiscoping. In the long run a decent scope would be like buying a camera lens as well.
I did get a nice tree swallow, above.