New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, November 15, 2019:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Nov. 15, 2019
* NYNY1911.15

- Birds Mentioned
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER+
WESTERN MEADOWLARK (possible)+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Cackling Goose
HARLEQUIN DUCK
BROWN PELICAN
GOLDEN EAGLE
Common Gallinule
MARBLED GODWIT
Long-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Parasitic Jaeger
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Royal Tern
WESTERN KINGBIRD
NORTHERN SHRIKE
Vesper Sparrow
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
SUMMER TANAGER

If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:

Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
125 Pine Springs Drive
Ticonderoga, NY 12883

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Number: (212) 979-3070

Compiler: Tom Burke
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Gail Benson

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings! This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, November 15, 2019 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are BROWN PELICAN, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, WESTERN KINGBIRD, NORTHERN SHRIKE, a possible WESTERN MEADOWLARK, GOLDEN EAGLE, HARLEQUIN DUCK, MARBLED GODWIT, ICELAND GULL, and a late SUMMER TANAGER.

A BROWN PELICAN seen soaring over Coney Island Creek Park early last Saturday morning may have been the same one spotted later that day at 2 different locations on Staten Island, while the BROWN PELICAN out in Montauk was still present yesterday around the inlet to Lake Montauk, often seen on the west side of the inlet but sometimes venturing in as far as the Coast Guard Station.

A couple of ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS this week began with one Monday only at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, followed by one found today out in Yaphank at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center. The Yaphank Flycatcher was frequenting the southern border of the park near the railroad tracks; this park is located off Yaphank Avenue south of Exit 67 on the Long Island Expressway.

Of the 2 WESTERN KINGBIRDS present last week at Jones Beach West End, both were noted up to last Sunday, and one was still near the now-under-construction Roosevelt Nature Center yesterday.

An adult NORTHERN SHRIKE was photographed yesterday morning at Caumsett State Park, found by the salt marsh near Lloyd Point at the north end of the park.

Last Saturday morning a birder had a brief but very intriguing encounter with a Meadowlark at Crab Meadow Beach in Northport, during which the call note of the Meadowlark was recorded. The lower pitch of the call note coupled with certain field marks suggested that WESTERN MEADOWLARK was a possibility, but given the overlap and variability of field marks within the Meadowlarks and the possibility even of hybrids, this bird’s identity remains uncertain.

A highlight of any hawk watch, GOLDEN EAGLES appearing locally included 2 last Saturday, 1 at Brookfield Park on Staten Island and another at Laurel Ridge Setauket Woods Nature Preserve; the latter site also produced 4 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, now fairly widespread in our area.

Local increases in waterfowl featured a female HARLEQUIN DUCK briefly visiting Coney Island last Sunday before continuing east. CACKLING GEESE were reported from 5 Long Island sites this week, including a returning bird at Hendrickson Park in Valley Stream.

An immature ICELAND GULL appeared last Sunday along the Hudson River near Croton Point Park.

Two MARBLED GODWITS were still frequenting the bars around the Jones Beach West End Coast Guard Station at least to Monday, and 4 or more LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS continue along Santapogue Creek off Venetian Boulevard in West Babylon. A few AMERICAN WOODCOCKS have been noted lately.

Two PARASITIC JAEGERS were spotted off Jones Beach last Sunday, with 6 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and 38 ROYAL TERNS also counted there.

A COMMON GALLINULE was at Mill Pond Park in Bellmore early in the week.

Certainly unexpected was the female SUMMER TANAGER reported in Central Park earlier today, an interesting late date.

Among the SPARROWS, a few VESPERS continue to be seen locally, while late lingering WARBLERS this week featured BLACK-AND-WHITE, AMERICAN REDSTART, NORTHERN PARULA, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACK-THROATED GREEN and WILSON’S.

To phone in reports please call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922 and leave a message.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript