A gull endangered by a careless smoker’s discarded lighter carried it away from a neglected section of the West Promenade. Marta Balla caught it in a photo.
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Photos courtesy of Marta Balla
“I saw this bird trying to eat a lighter,” Balla wrote.
“I hated seeing this poor bird so desperate to get this lighter. I tried to get the lighter, but it didn’t let me.”
From bottle tops to pen lids, seabirds consume plastic discarded by thoughtless humans.
Often mistaking plastic objects floating in the sea for food, the adult birds pick them up and then feed them to their young, with disastrous consequences.
Is it so hard discarding used objects in appropriate containers instead of just dropping them in public spaces? Birds aren’t the only ones endangered.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- Queens News and Community Updates Affecting Roosevelt Island ResidentsFor Roosevelt Island residents, Queens news and community updates are both close and relevant. From local incidents to new openings and street safety, see how city events shape our days.
- How Roosevelt Island Reflects New York’s Big Moments This WeekThis week, see how Roosevelt Island reflects New York’s big moments, from citywide sports wins and parades to local voting and youth programs.
- How Roosevelt Island Reflects a City on the MoveDiscover how Roosevelt Island reflects a city on the move, capturing the currents of New York through neighborhood routines, sports celebrations, and community moments.
- Keeping Steady Through City Currents: How Roosevelt Island Residents Stay ConnectedNew York’s shifting news often impacts daily routines on the island. Discover how Roosevelt Island residents stay connected through city changes and local events.
- Neighborhood Notes: Weekly Changes and Community Moments Across Roosevelt Island and BeyondNeighborhood notes on weekly changes and community moments across Roosevelt Island and neighboring areas, including emergency response, community events, new developments, and local reflections.
The Line That Didn’t Land
I stood in the back of Good Shepherd Chapel on the evening of April 15, 2026, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, watching people adjust scarves and jackets before the meeting began. Benjamin Jones, President and CEO of RIOC, thanked us for attending and, without a pause, said he was “pleased to host tonight’s town hall on the city’s demolition of its steam plant.” The demolition, in other words, was not up for discussion.
