New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, July 31, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* July 31, 2020
* NYNY2007.31

BROWN PELICAN
Semipalmated Plover
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
WHIMBREL
Ruddy Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
CASPIAN TERN
Royal Tern
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
Bank Swallow
Purple Martin
Cliff Swallow
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
BLUE GROSBEAK

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44nybirdsorg

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, July 31, 2020 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are BROWN PELICAN, WHIMBREL and other shorebirds, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and CASPIAN TERN, ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, BLUE GROSBEAK and more.

Going through a seemingly relatively slow period recently, last Saturday at least did provide BROWN PELICAN reports, with two off the Avalon Avenue beach on Staten Island and another seen again on the ocean off mid-Fire Island. Seabirding, though, has generally been unproductive this week.

Shorebirds do continue to move through, and today in Brooklyn four WHIMBREL were spotted as they flew over Floyd Bennett Field, this followed a short time later by five moving by Plumb Beach.

Among other more unusual shorebirds were a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Plumb Beach Monday, that day also providing a PECTORAL SANDPIPER at Mecox, with three PECTORALS at Heckscher State Park today. Other shorebirds also moving through now include SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.

Unfortunately, the region’s premier shorebirding site, the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, continues to be unsuitable for both shorebirds and birders, despite efforts to get the outflow working properly and the water level down. Stay tuned for word on hopeful improvements here.

Four LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were at Mecox Monday, with others scattered along the coast, and some ROYAL TERNS at various coastal sites were supplemented by reports of single CASPIAN TERNS at Robert Moses State Park Sunday and on Staten Island today.

A family group of ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS, including two recently fledged young, has been a highlight in Prospect Park recently, and BLUE GROSBEAKS with young remain around the very productive grasslands in Calverton.

Among a very modest movement of early landbird migrants recently have been a few LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES plus a WORM-EATING WARBLER spotted Tuesday in Brooklyn. Various SWALLOWS, including CLIFF, BANK and PURPLE MARTIN, have also been gathering in certain areas.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922. This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, July 24, 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jul. 24, 2020
* NYNY2007.24

- Birds mentioned
BROWN PELICAN+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GULL-BILLED TERN
Royal Tern
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
STILT SANDPIPER
WESTERN SANDPIPER
MARBLED GODWIT
WHIMBREL
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
BLUE GROSBEAK

- Transcript
If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44(at)nybirds{dot}org.

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: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, July 24th 2020 at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are BROWN PELICAN, fall shorebirds including MARBLED GODWIT, WHIMBREL, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, STILT SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, GULL-BILLED TERN, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, ACADIAN FLYCATCHER and BLUE GROSBEAK in this vacation shortened edition.

Sightings of BROWN PELICAN this week included singles off Coney Island Beach last Saturday and off Wolfe's Pond Park on Staten Island Sunday and hopefully others will continue to appear off Long Island's south shore.

Shorebird season is ramping up with numbers and varieties still building. This morning a MARBLED GODWIT was seen in flight moving easterly past Brooklyn's Plumb Beach where other featured species included one STILT SANDPIPER and 4 WESTERN SANDPIPERS as well as 2 GULL-BILLED TERNS. A WHIMBREL was present at Breezy Point last Sunday with 2 there Wednesday and Thursday and out at Cupsogue County Park in West Hampton Dunes yesterday, besides a WHIMBREL, other highlights included LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and WESTERN SANDPIPER. Two STILT SANDPIPERS were also at Miller Field on Staten Island yesterday.

A GULL-BILLED TERN was noted at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last Saturday and ROYAL TERN numbers continue to increase.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER is still present along the Paumanok Trail next to Jones Pond in Manorville the entrance on the west side of Schultz Road.

One or more ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS remain in Prospect Park and BLUE GROSBEAK apparently nested successfully out in the Calverton Grassland again emphasizing why this very valuable resource deserves protection.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, July 3, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* July 3, 2020
* NYNY2007.03


- Birds Mentioned

PURPLE GALLINULE+
SANDWICH TERN+
WHITE-FACED IBIS+
MISSISSIPPI KITE+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

CASPIAN TERN
Roseate Tern
Royal Tern
BROWN PELICAN
LEAST BITTERN
Acadian Flycatcher
Blackpoll Warbler

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44nybirdsorg

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, July 3, 2020 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are PURPLE GALLINULE, SANDWICH TERN, MISSISSIPPI KITE, WHITE-FACED IBIS, BROWN PELICAN, LEAST BITTERN, CASPIAN TERN and more.

The PURPLE GALLINULE found last week and, when deemed to be healthy, then released at Twin Lakes Preserve in East Wantagh, continued to frequent the southwestern section of the lower lake through Monday but has not been reported there since. If it had sought refuge in the very dense sections of the lake, however, it could easily escape detection there but still be around.

Two sightings of SANDWICH TERN this week involved an adult flying by the Breezy Point tip Sunday, followed by perhaps even the same bird visiting the Cupsogue County Park mud flats briefly on Monday morning.

Two reports of MISSISSIPPI KITE this week involved an adult over Charles Memorial Park in Queens from last Sunday, this in the Hamilton Beach section, and then on Thursday one near Oakland Lake in Alley Pond Park in Queens.

An adult WHITE-FACED IBIS, now molting its white facial feathering, was spotted twice this week at the Captree Island marsh on Tuesday and today, and another was reported Wednesday from the Lido Beach Passive Nature Area.

Two BROWN PELICANS flew by Cupsogue County Park Tuesday morning, and another was reported from lower New York Bay this morning.

A LEAST BITTERN was still visiting Big John’s Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge today, and up to three have been noted this week at the Arshamomaque Preserve in Greenport West on the North Fork.

A CASPIAN TERN visited Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn Sunday, four ROSEATE TERNS were at Breezy Point Wednesday, and ROYAL TERNS continue to arrive along the Atlantic shore.

An ACADIAN FLYCATCHER was still singing in Prospect Park on Wednesday.

This is a good time to watch for floaters, generally birds not currently expected here but perhaps now on the move due to disrupted or failed breeding attempts; an example would be the BLACKPOLL WARBLER singing at Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers on Wednesday.

And while looking for out-of-place birds, watch for the Terek Sandpiper last seen on the flats at Napatree Point in Rhode Island last Tuesday.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922. This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, June 19, 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jun. 19, 2020
* NYNY2006.19

- Birds mentioned
WHITE-FACED IBIS+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Horned Grebe
Parasitic Jaeger
GULL-BILLED TERN
Royal Tern
Roseate Tern
Cory's Shearwater
MANX SHEARWATER
Sooty Shearwater
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Hooded Merganser
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Long-tailed Duck
LEAST BITTERN
Dunlin
Ruddy Turnstone
Red-shouldered Hawk
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Acadian Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
BLUE GROSBEAK
Bank Swallow
Blue-headed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
Blackpoll Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Red-breasted Nuthatch

- Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.

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: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, June 19th 2020 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are WHITE-FACED IBIS, LEAST BITTERN, GULL-BILLED TERN, MANX SHEARWATER and other pelagics from shore, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, BLUE GROSBEAK and more.

Still traveling around locally with some Glossy Ibis an adult WHITE-FACED IBIS was spotted yesterday in the marshes on the north side of Captree Island and reported there again today. The birds, depending on the tide, also often move east to marshes north of Captree State Park.

A pair of LEAST BITTERNS have recently been visiting Big John's Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and can sometimes be seen from the blind there. Quiet observation usually produces the best results. A GULL-BILLED TERN was also seen over the West Pond at the bay on Tuesday. A couple of GULL-BILLEDS should also continue around Nickerson Beach but entry there for non-Nassau County residents is a major issue.

Seawatching from the south shore of Long Island has not been overly dynamic recently especially with a heavy fog occurring lately but two mornings off Robert Moses State Park this week did produce some positive results. Watching from field 2 on Wednesday observers spotted one MANX, one SOOTY and 4 CORY'S SHEARWATERS and 6 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS while Thursday contributed single MANX, SOOTY and CORY'S SHEARWATERS, 9 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS and a PARASITIC JAEGER visiting twice to chase terns which included a ROSEATE TERN among them. A good number of Bottlenose Dolphins and a Humpback Whale were also offshore.

The season's first ROYAL TERN was reported from Fort Tilden last Saturday.

Two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS remain along the Paumanok Trail near Jones Pond which is off Schultz Road in Manorville with two noted in Hampton Bays Sunday were at a new location.

ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS were noted in Brooklyn last Saturday both in Prospect Park and at Floyd Bennett Field the latter also producing a late BLACKPOLL WARBLER today. A small recent movement of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES lately is interesting. The YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was still singing at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River today. BLUE GROSBEAKS continue around the Calverton Grasslands area. Their breeding success in direct proportion to the lack of disturbance they encounter there.

The Greenwich-Stamford Summer Bird Count including much of eastern Westchester County last weekend recorded 131 species. Interesting species included HORNED GREBES, such waterfowl as LONG-TAILED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE and a family of HOODED MERGANSERS and decent numbers of nesting BALD EAGLES and RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. Among the shorebirds were RUDDY TURNSTONE and DUNLIN. The cuckoos included some YELLOW-BILLED and only 1 BLACK-BILLED. Good numbers of BARRED OWLS and explosive numbers of YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS were recorded but just single ACADIAN and LEAST FLYCATCHERS were found. Other highlights were WHITE-EYED and BLUE-HEADED VIREOS, BANK SWALLOW and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Twelve species of warblers were recorded but missed were several species regular in the past continuing an unfortunate trend.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, June 12, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* June 12, 2020
* NYNY2006.12


- Birds Mentioned

MISSISSIPPI KITE+
SANDWICH TERN+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Brant
Blue-winged Teal
Hooded Merganser
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Willet
Red Knot
Stilt Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GULL-BILLED TERN
Roseate Tern
Cory’s Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Tricolored Heron
Red-headed Woodpecker
Acadian Flycatcher
Horned Lark
Cliff Swallow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Ovenbird
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
SUMMER TANAGER
BLUE GROSBEAK
DICKCISSEL

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44nybirdsorg

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, June 12, 2020 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are MISSISSIPPI KITE, SANDWICH TERN, GULL-BILLED TERN, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, DICKCISSEL and more.

Following last week’s 2 sightings, 3 more MISSISSIPPI KITE observations occurred this week – one moving over the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn last Saturday afternoon, heading west towards Staten Island, was perhaps even the same bird reported Sunday morning over Mount Loretto, and then on Tuesday evening an immature was photographed as it headed in a northerly direction over the Bylane Farm in Katonah, northern Westchester. As a note, next year should hopefully include a regional 17-year Cicada outbreak and maybe many more Kites locally.

Out at Cupsogue County Park in Westhampton Dunes, visits on Wednesday and Thursday mornings provided a decent variety of shorebirds, including a “WESTERN” WILLET in breeding plumage, a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and some RED KNOTS and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, plus on Thursday a short visit by a SANDWICH TERN. As a note, Cupsogue, like many south shore beaches, is currently on a county residents only admission policy.

Other notable shorebirds for the week featured a STILT SANDPIPER at Heckscher State Park Wednesday and Thursday and 3 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS at Brooklyn’s Plumb Beach on Monday.

The Captree Summer Bird Count last Saturday recorded 122 species including first records of BRANT and BLUE-WINGED TEAL, plus HOODED MERGANSER, 5 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL, 66 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, GULL-BILLED and ROSEATE TERNS, SOOTY SHEARWATER, TRICOLORED HERON , and, among the passerines, ACADIAN FLYCATCHER at Heckscher, HORNED LARK, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, and a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continuing at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River.

Three CORY’S SHEARWATERS were spotted off Riis Park Wednesday.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continues near Jones Pond along the Paumanok Trail off Schultz Road in Manorville.

Later moving ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS were noted in Central and Forest Parks this week, and CLIFF SWALLOWS are nesting in Alley Pond Park along Alley Creek.

Among the later WARBLERS noted this week were OVENBIRD, TENNESSEE, NORTHERN PARULA, MAGNOLIA, BLACKBURNIAN, CHESTNUT-SIDED and BLACKPOLL.

A SUMMER TANAGER was found Tuesday at the Uplands Farm Preserve in Cold Spring Harbor.

BLUE GROSBEAKS in the Calverton grasslands area should not at all be disturbed as they continue their nesting activities.

A DICKCISSEL made a surprise appearance last Saturday in Somers, Westchester County, but could not be subsequently relocated.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922. This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, June 5, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* June 5, 2020
* NYNY2006.05


- Birds Mentioned

MISSISSIPPI KITE+
ATLANTIC PUFFIN+
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW
RED PHALAROPE
POMARINE JAEGER
DOVEKIE
ICELAND GULL
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
Leach’s Storm-Petrel
Cory’s Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Great Shearwater
BROWN PELICAN
Red-headed Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Nelson’s Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Mourning Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
SUMMER TANAGER
BLUE GROSBEAK

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44nybirdsorg

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, June 5, 2020 at 10:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are MISSISSIPPI KITE, BROWN PELICAN, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, POMARINE JAEGER, CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW, ICELAND GULL, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSEAK, a belated pelagic trip report including RED PHALAROPE, DOVEKIE and ATLANTIC PUFFIN, and more.

An immature MISSISSIPPI KITE was a fortunate sighting Sunday morning in Central Park, nicely photographed as it briefly flew over the Ramble, headed east. Another was subsequently spotted Monday morning over the Sterling Forest visitor’s center in Orange County.

This morning a sea watch off Robert Moses State Park Field 2 produced 3 BROWN PELICANS slowly making their way east, and a little later 2 were seen off Field 5, where they shortly continued further east. Otherwise, sea watching lately has only produced a few SOOTY SHEARWATERS and WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS.

Very interesting, though, was a belated report from a private fishing boat back on May 27, well south of Shinnecock inlet, that encountered 2 RED PHALAROPES, 1 DOVEKIE, 1 ATLANTIC PUFFIN, with possibly more present but disappearing quickly, 1 CORY’S, 2 GREAT and 19 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, and 2 LEACH’S and 6 WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS.

A female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was a nice find on Wednesday at the Sayville Maritime Museum in West Sayville.

An adult POMARINE JAEGER was loafing on the beach near the eastern Tern colony at Nickerson Beach last Saturday but did not remain overnight.

Another surprise was a CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW recorded as it sang near the Rye shore last Saturday night only.

An ICELAND GULL was noted again last Sunday at Brooklyn’s Plumb Beach, and a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was still around the Paumanok Trail off Schultz Road in Manorville yesterday.

Landbird migration, coming quickly to an end, is still providing a few highlights. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was still singing Tuesday at the Muttontown Preserve, where other migrants that day also included ALDER FLYCATCHER and MOURNING WARBLER.

Other FLYCATCHERS during this week also featured YELLOW-BELLIED, ACADIAN and OLIVE-SIDED, while the WARBLERS, mostly gone now, did include some MOURNINGS, with birds at Central Park and such Brooklyn locations as Prospect Park, Greenwood Cemetery and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Other WARBLERS lingering here featured a few CAPE MAY, BAY-BREASTED and BLACKBURNIAN as well as other later species like MAGNOLIA, WILSON’S, CANADA and BLACKPOLL, plus some other late migrants.

A LINCOLN’S SPARROW was still in Bryant Park in Manhattan last Sunday, and a NELSON’S SPARROW was photographed Monday at the Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center in Brooklyn.

SUMMER TANAGERS in the NYC area included reports from Central Park to Sunday, at Greenwood Cemetery Tuesday and Wednesday, and at Brooklyn’s Owl’s Head Park yesterday.

With BLUE GROSBEAKS nesting in the Calverton grasslands area and breeding season in general now in full swing, we can only again point out how crucial this period is to our nesting birds, so please do nothing to disturb their current activities.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 29th 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 29, 2020
* NYNY2005.29

- Birds mentioned
ARCTIC TERN+
BROWN BOOBY+
SWAINSON'S WARBLER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

PARASITIC JAEGER
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
CORY'S SHEARWATER
Sooty Shearwater
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Northern Gannet
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
MARBLED GODWIT
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
BLUE GROSBEAK
SUMMER TANAGER
PHILADELPHIA VIREO
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Mourning Warbler
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT

- Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.

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: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, May 29th 2020 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are SWAINSON'S WARBLER, BROWN BOOBY, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, MARBLED GODWIT, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, ICELAND GULL, ARCTIC TERN, CORY'S SHEARWATER, PARASITIC JAEGER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK and much more.

Some exciting birds at the end of a mixed period of migration included a SWAINSON'S WARBLER seen briefly but well at Muttontown Preserve in Nassau's East Norwich on Tuesday. The bird was seen from the trail north of the equestrian area parking lot off Route 106 but could not be relocated subsequently.

On Thursday a BROWN BOOBY was identified moving east off Robert Moses State Park during a seawatch. It should be noted that good numbers of NORTHERN GANNETS are now also moving by including about 300 estimated off Triton Lane along Dune Road last Monday with virtually all the GANNETS now immatures. The Triton Lane watch Monday also provided the season's first shearwaters with 23 SOOTY and even 2 early CORY'S as well as 28 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS and 4 PARASITIC JAEGERS. On Thursday SOOTY SHEARWATERS included 56 off Moses Park and fewer numbers off Dune Road sites while 4 PARASITIC JAEGERS cruised by Pike's Beach east of Cupsogue County Park and 2 were noted from Moses. Interesting along Dune Road as well were the 24 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS gathered at Tiana Beach and 9 more at Pike's Beach.

Last Sunday an ARCTIC TERN was found at Democrat Point at the western tip of Fire Island with a CASPIAN TERN at Mecox the same day. Single ICELAND GULLS were spotted Sunday at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Wednesday at Brooklyn's Plumb Beach.

Shorebirds are now gathering in good numbers along south shore estuaries including at Cupsogue County Park and east along Dune Road. Highlights so far included a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE photographed Tuesday at Plumb Beach and a MARBLED GODWIT spotted today at Cupsogue.

Most unusual among the passerines was a young male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD photographed today during its brief stay at Point O'Woods in central Fire Island.

Among the various but decreasing numbers of warblers this week were a PROTHONOTARY seen again Monday at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in the North Garden and a YELLOW-THROATED still singing at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River last Saturday. Among the latest to move through several MOURNING WARBLERS were noted this week. The YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT continued in Central Park’s Ramble through last weekend and a few SUMMER TANAGERS remained in Central Park and elsewhere.

Some BLUE GROSBEAKS remain around the Calverton Grasslands but unfortunately they apparently have been aggressively pursued by various people some using tapes to extreme excess and this practice, especially with very sensitive nesting species, cannot be condoned. Enjoy these birds peacefully but do not harass them.

Among the later migrants are some ALDER and ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS and at least 3 PHILADELPHIA VIREOS this week and NELSON'S SPARROWS were noted as of Wednesday at Plumb Beach.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 1, 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 1, 2020
* NYNY2005.01

- Birds mentioned
BROWN BOOBY+
WHITE-FACED IBIS+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Parasitic Jaeger
Black-legged Kittiwake
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Caspian Tern
Least Tern
MANX SHEARWATER
Northern Gannet
HARLEQUIN DUCK
KING EIDER
Cattle Egret
SANDHILL CRANE
White-rumped Sandpiper
WHIMBREL
Red-headed Woodpecker
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Great Crested Flycatcher
Seaside Sparrow
BLUE GROSBEAK
SUMMER TANAGER
Bank Swallow
Warbling Vireo
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Worm-eating Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Wood Thrush
Veery

- Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.

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: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, May 1st 2020 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are BROWN BOOBY, SANDHILL CRANE, WHITE-FACED IBIS, MANX SHEARWATER, BLACK-HEADED GULL, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, WHIMBREL, BLUE GROSBEAK, SUMMER TANAGER, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER and much more.

Despite the virus and generally adverse weather patterns migration continues to happen and probably the biggest surprise was an adult BROWN BOOBY found late this afternoon sitting on a fence post in the median of Ocean Parkway at Gilgo. At dusk the BOOBY was still roosting in the median on the west side of Gilgo.

Another surprise was a SANDHILL CRANE photographed Wednesday as it flew over the north end of Central Park.

A WHITE-FACED IBIS was photographed with Glossy Ibis at Captree Island last Tuesday and one was also seen again on Thursday at the Timber Point Golf Course in Great River.

During Thursday's storm single MANX SHEARWATERS were reported from Robert Moses State Park in the morning and then off Hook Pond in East Hampton in the afternoon. Other highlights from these seawatches included a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, 1,259 NORTHERN GANNETS, 1 ICELAND and 12 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS at Moses and 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS going by together off Hook Pond. A BLACK-HEADED GULL continuing at Timber Point to Sunday was followed by a full adult visiting Knapp's Lake at Brockwood Hall Park in East Islip yesterday.

At Orient Point 3 KING EIDER last Sunday were down to 1 female today and the 4 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were last noted Monday.

A WHIMBREL at Timber Point Saturday was followed by 6 Tuesday at Smith Point County Park in Shirley and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER stayed at Captree Island to Saturday.

On Thursday an ICELAND GULL was seen again in Sheepshead Bay and 11 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were counted at Riis Park. A few reports of CASPIAN TERN included one at Prospect Park Lake Wednesday and 3 at Hempstead Lake State Park today.

A CATTLE EGRET was still around the Down's Creek area in Cutchogue at least to Wednesday. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continues at Central Park's north end with another found at Connetquot River State Park Tuesday. A BLUE GROSBEAK found Monday at Fort Tryon Park on Manhattan was still present today and the season's first SUMMER TANAGER appeared at Hempstead Lake State Park Wednesday. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER lingered at Hempstead Lake to Tuesday with others found Wednesday in Prospect Park and at Fuch's Pond Preserve in Fort Salonga while a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continues at Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River with another reported from Central Park's north end Wednesday.

With a decent influx of migrants during the week some arrivals have included LEAST TERN, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, both GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER and EASTERN KINGBIRD, WARBLING VIREO, BANK SWALLOW, VEERY and WOOD THRUSH, GRAY CATBIRD and BROWN THRASHER and SEASIDE SPARROW.

In addition numerous species of warblers in varying numbers have featured first reports of HOODED, AMERICAN REDSTART, CERULEAN, MAGNOLIA and BLACK-THROATED BLUE and increasing numbers of WORM-EATING, BLUE-WINGED, NASHVILLE, NORTHERN PARULA, PRAIRIE WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN and the like.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, April 24, 2019:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Apr. 24, 2020
* NYNY2004.24


- Birds mentioned
BROWN PELICAN+
WHITE-FACED IBIS+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
GLAUCOUS GULL
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Caspian Tern
HARLEQUIN DUCK
KING EIDER
Least Bittern
Tricolored Heron
CATTLE EGRET
Little Blue Heron
Short-billed Dowitcher
Stilt Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
WHIMBREL
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
VESPER SPARROW
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
Scarlet Tanager
Cliff Swallow
Yellow-throated Vireo
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Worm-eating Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush

- Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44(at)nybirds{dot}org.

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: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, April 24th 2020 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are BROWN PELICAN, WHITE-FACED IBIS, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, ICELAND GULL, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, WHIMBREL and other shorebirds, CATTLE EGRET, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER and spring migrants.

Early for our region, but always welcome, a BROWN PELICAN was spotted flying by Robert Moses State Park last Saturday morning.

At least one of last week's WHITE-FACED IBIS at Timber Point Golf Course in Great River visited the marsh by the East Marina a few times last weekend with one of the few small flocks of Glossy Ibis moving around that area. Though a WHITE-FACED was not reported there after Sunday among the other unusual birds during the week were an immature BLACK-HEADED GULL, 2 WHIMBREL and 5 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS present there today. Three additional WHIMBREL were noted on Fire Island east of Smith Point County Park last Sunday.

At Orient Point an immature male KING EIDER joined the female there at least to Thursday and 4 or more HARLEQUIN DUCKS remain as well with an ICELAND GULL stopping by there Thursday. A GLAUCOUS GULL visited Lemon Creek Park on Staten Island last Saturday. An immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was spotted off Moses Park Tuesday and some regional LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS starting to gather locally included 16 at Moses Park Tuesday. A CASPIAN TERN was seen Monday and Thursday at Mecox Bay. A decent spring location for this species.

A nice gathering of shorebirds at Captree Island last Sunday featured single STILT, WHITE-RUMPED and LEAST SANDPIPERS and 2 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS among the GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS there.

During the week single TRICOLORED and LITTLE BLUE HERONS also appeared.

A LEAST BITTERN was a surprise visitor to a City Island backyard last Sunday.

A CATTLE EGRET found Wednesday on Long Island's north fork was relocated near the Downs Farm Preserve off Route 25 west of Cutchogue on Thursday but not reported today.

Single RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continued this week in Central Park's north end, at Cunningham Park in Queens and at the Long Pond Greenbelt in Sag Harbor.

A VESPER SPARROW found Monday in Central Park's north end was followed by a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW present yesterday and today at Sparrow Rock.

At Hempstead Lake State Park a male PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, first spotted last Sunday along the southwestern shore of Hempstead Lake, was still being seen there yesterday. This area is across the road and usually a little south of parking field 1. A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continues to sing near the entrance to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River. Among the warblers being observed during this past week were such arrivals as OVENBIRD, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, WORM-EATING, PRAIRIE and BLACK-THROATED GREEN.

Other arrivals have featured YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, CLIFF SWALLOW, ORCHARD and BALTIMORE ORIOLES and SCARLET TANAGER.

Decent numbers of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS moved by local hawkwatches Wednesday and Thursday.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, April 17, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Apr. 17, 2020
* NYNY2004.17

- Birds Mentioned

WHITE-FACED IBIS+
CAVE SWALLOW+

(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Northern Gannet
American Bittern
Little Blue Heron
Green Heron
Glossy Ibis
Broad-winged Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
Short-billed Dowitcher
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Forster’s Tern
Chimney Swift
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
American Kestrel
White-eyed Vireo
VESPER SPARROW
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
Louisiana Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44nybirdsorg

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, April 17, 2020 at 10:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are CAVE SWALLOW, WHITE-FACED IBIS, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, ICELAND GULL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, GRASSHOPPER and VESPER SPARROWS, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER and spring migrants.

As spring migration slowly increases in intensity, certainly one very unexpected visitor was a CAVE SWALLOW spotted Tuesday morning moving west over the dunes at Robert Moses State Park Field 2. With a few down in Cape May, New Jersey recently, this report definitely provides a very unusual seasonal record for this species locally. Determining which race it was would be quite interesting.

On Wednesday a WHITE-FACED IBIS was picked out in a group of GLOSSY IBIS at the Timber Point Golf Course in Great River. Later that day, as the IBIS flocks moved around the area, a second WHITE-FACED was also tentatively identified. This golf course is currently closed, and we do not know what their future policy will be regarding visiting birders.

Out at Orient Point the two female KING EIDERS were still present last Sunday, when another female was identified as it flew past Robert Moses State Park in a Scoter flock.

The five HARLEQUIN DUCKS at Orient Point last Sunday were down to four today, and the Sheepshead Bay male was still around last Saturday.

An ICELAND GULL also visited Sheepshead Bay on Saturday, this followed by one in the Riis Park-Fort Tilden area on Monday and one off Orient Point today.

Some LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS included one on Central Park Reservoir and three at Floyd Bennett Field on Monday and one at Croton Point Park in Westchester today.

A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was still at Central Park’s north end today, and the one in Cunningham Park in Queens was observed on Tuesday, both birds now in nice adult plumage.

A survey Tuesday at Freshkills Park on Staten Island, where access is restricted, did produce four GRASSHOPPER and three VESPER SPARROWS as well as an estimated fifty AMERICAN KESTRELS.

Single AMERICAN BITTERNS were noted along Dune Road and at Big Reed Pond in Montauk this week, and good numbers of NORTHERN GANNETS were still in western Long Island Sound earlier this week, with over five hundred counted off Playland Park in Rye late Tuesday afternoon.

A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER has been singing recently at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River since last Saturday, with another noted again Sunday at Connetquot River State Park nearby.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen again at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday, while among other species of WARBLERS appearing locally in very limited numbers so far have been BLUE-WINGED, NORTHERN PARULA and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, along with more YELLOW, BLACK-AND-WHITE and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH and the now common PALM, PINE and YELLOW-RUMPED.

Other migrants making appearances or in slightly increasing numbers this week have included CHIMNEY SWIFT, SOLITARY and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILLET, FORSTER’S TERN and only a very few COMMON TERNS, LITTLE BLUE and GREEN HERONS, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, WHITE-EYED VIREO, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and INDIGO BUNTING.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, April 10, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Apr. 10, 2020
* NYNY2004.10


- Birds Mentioned

VARIED THRUSH+
PAINTED BUNTING+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

KING EIDER
Common Eider
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Lesser Yellowlegs
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Forster’s Tern
Northern Gannet
Broad-winged Hawk
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Purple Martin
Bank Swallow
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Chipping Sparrow
VESPER SPARROW
Orchard Oriole
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER



If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44nybirdsorg

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, April 10, 2020 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are VARIED THRUSH, PAINTED BUNTING, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, YELLOW-THOATED and ORANGE CROWNED WARBLERS, VESPER SPARROW and more.

With an increasing number of spring arrivals raising anticipation of migration to come, it is still a few overwintering birds that provide this week’s rarity highlights. The VARIED THRUSH in Prospect Park was spotted on Tuesday near the Upper Pool, its recently most favored location. In addition, Brooklyn on Tuesday also produced another sighting of a PAINTED BUNTING, this at the Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center.

Among the waterfowl, two female KING EIDERS were present in the COMMON EIDER flock lingering off Orient Point at least to Tuesday, while up to five HARLEQUIN DUCKS also continuing there were seen through Wednesday. The male HARLEQUIN DUCK visiting Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay was reported again today.

Also in Brooklyn, a GLAUCOUS GULL was spotted at Floyd Bennett Field Sunday, followed by one at Coney Island Creek Wednesday, both locations also producing ICELAND GULL sightings Wednesday. Other ICELAND GULLS included two at Playland Park in Rye and one at Croton Point Park last Sunday and one at Miller Field on Staten Island on Wednesday. Last Sunday’s large Gull gathering at Playland Park also included two adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS plus a count of over 650 NORTHERN GANNETS, this species occurring in unusually large numbers recently in western Long Island Sound. This total, however, would never approach Long Island south shore numbers, where over 4,000 were estimated in Fire Island Inlet yesterday.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS featured one still in Central Park’s north end today, one in Cunningham Park in Queens to Tuesday, and one at Wolfe’s Pond Park on Staten Island Monday.

A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was reported singing at Connetquot River State Park , a known breeding site, on Wednesday, and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at the Salt Marsh Nature Center Wednesday.

Six reports of VESPER SPARROW included two at Caumsett State Park Tuesday, and singles on Tuesday at Floyd Bennett Field, Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers and Nissequogue River State Park in Kings Park, along Hulse Landing Road Wednesday, and at Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers last Saturday.

Among the recent migrants have been a few LESSER YELLOWLEGS, some FORSTER’S TERNS as of Wednesday, and a few BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, mostly inland.

Various arriving passerines, generally as expected, have included BLUE-HEADED and WHITE-EYED VIREOS, PURPLE MARTIN and BANK SWALLOW, HOUSE and MARSH WRENS, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, HERMIT THRUSH and CHIPPING SPARROW. An ORCHARD ORIOLE was reported singing on Long Island Sunday, and among the WARBLERS joining already present PINE, PALM and YELLOW-RUMPED have been some LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, BLACK-AND-WHITE and YELLOW, with just one or two of OVENBIRD, NASHVILLE and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, April 3, 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Apr. 3, 2020
* NYNY2004.03


- Birds mentioned
WESTERN SANDPIPER+
VARIED THRUSH+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Red-necked Grebe
Razorbill
Glaucous Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Harlequin Duck
King Eider
American Bittern
Green Heron
Dunlin
Sanderling
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Red-headed Woodpecker
Vesper Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Black-and-White Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush

- Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.

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: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, April 3rd 2020 at 9pm. The highlights of today's tape are VARIED THRUSH, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, GLAUCOUS GULL, ICELAND GULL, WESTERN SANDPIPER, VESPER SPARROW and a few early migrants including YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER.

In Prospect Park the VARIED THRUSH was present through yesterday now seemingly favoring the area around the edge of the Upper Pool.

The female KING EIDER was still off Orient Point Wednesday two days after the 4 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were last noted there. The Brooklyn HARLEQUIN DUCK was still at Sheepshead Bay Tuesday and a pair of HARLEQUINS were spotted Thursday at Smith Point County Park in Shirley.

Rather unexpected was an adult GLAUCOUS GULL seen from Coney Island Creek Park in Brooklyn late Tuesday morning this followed by an ICELAND GULL on a light pole at Ceasar's Bay Bazaar. Another another ICELAND was at Smith Point County Park on Thursday.

WESTERN SANDPIPER was seen again Monday in a large DUNLIN and SANDERLING flock at Nickerson Beach and a RED-NECKED GREBE was off Plumb Beach Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Out at Cupsogue County Park last Tuesday 17 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were counted along the beach and 4 RAZORBILLS were spotted offshore while an AMERICAN BITTERN was still along the Dune Road last Sunday.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS locally featured the one still at the north end of Central Park on Wednesday and another remaining in Cunningham Park in Queens through yesterday.

Among some recent arrivals, and certainly unexpectedly early, was a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO seen well as it flew near Mott Lane in Bellport Tuesday afternoon. A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER at Central Park's Tanner's Spring Thursday morning was also rather early joining some widespread PINE and a few LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH and PALM and YELLOW-RUMPED as the first warblers returning to our region.

Out east an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen again Saturday at the Sound Avenue Nature Preserve west of Roanoke Avenue in Riverhead.

A VESPER SPARROW was photographed at the Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers on Monday.

Also appearing this week were a GREEN HERON in Prospect Park Tuesday, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER on the Central Park Reservoir and WILLETS along the south shore of Long Island while a small number of BARN and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS also joined local TREE SWALLOW gatherings.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.

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

- End transcript ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website Newatlas.com:

American robins head north sooner due to Arctic snow melting earlier
By Nick Lavars
April 02, 2020

Climate change threatens to shake up the lifestyles of many animals around the world and a new study has revealed that for the American robin these wheels are already very much in motion. Scientists tagged the songbirds with GPS units to track their migration patterns and found that they are embarking on their annual Arctic-bound journey earlier each decade, with a shift in snow melt conditions a big part of the reason why.

American robins spend most of the year scattered around the US and Mexico, but each time spring rolls around they pack up and head north towards Canada and Alaska for a little summer vacation. There, they do their best to find a mate, put together a nest and raise a family, fattening up on insects, berries and worms while they’re at it.

With these warmer seasons in the Arctic kicking off earlier due to climate change, scientists at Columbia University began to wonder what impact this would have on the migration habits of the American robin. To find some answers, the research team turned to Canada’s Slave Lake, which acts as a pit stop for the birds on their journey north.

Researchers have been monitoring the migration patterns of birds at Slave Lake for a quarter of a century, with visual surveys and netting censuses revealing that robins are heading north around five days earlier per decade since 1994, or a total of 12 days earlier now than they did back then. To understand the reasons behind this, the Columbia researchers took things one step further and equipped 55 robins with tiny GPS devices.

This GPS data of the birds’ movements was able to be connected with weather data on temperatures, snow depth, winds, rain and other elements that could impact their migration behavior. This analysis revealed that the robins starting moving north earlier when the conditions were warmer and drier, with snow coverage a particularly important factor.

“The one factor that seemed the most consistent was snow conditions and when things melt. That’s very new,” says lead author Ruth Oliver. “We’ve generally felt like birds must be responding to when food is available – when snow melts and there are insects to get at – but we’ve never had data like this before.”

The team says this is the first study to reveal how environmental conditions are shifting migration patterns along this route. This kind of information can help them develop predictive models of how the birds will respond as the climate continues to change.

“Because the timing of migration can indirectly influence the reproductive success of an individual, understanding controls over the timing of migratory events is important,” Natalie Boelman, a coauthor on the paper.

From here, the team hopes to map out the birds’ entire migration path, rather than from a midway point, using tissue samples collected during the GPS fitting that could reveal clues about their earlier whereabouts.

The research was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Source: Columbia University
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Ear Birding for Spring

With the current pandemic keeping most of us at home I thought it would be a good time to review the importance of ear birding and recommended tools. In preparation for the wave of songbirds about to descend upon the NYC area, below are some teaching tools to help one appreciate the assortment of buzzes, chips, trills, tweets, whistles and warbles coming our way.

There are several sources available to help you learn how to identify birds by ear, some online, some app and some discs.

• Audubon has a good website of earbirding information here.

• The Cornell Lab has a really good online game called "Bird Song Hero" at this link.

• Birdwatchers Digest has a free download called "How to Identify Birds Without Using Your Eyes" at this link.

• Larkwire is an iOS-based app. Learn about it at this link.

Here are a few more resources:

• BirdGenie (not one of my favorites)
• Chirp!
• Merlin (not so much a teaching tool, but more of a reference)

While the above are pretty good, the best teaching tool for my money is the Peterson Field Guides series of CDs (as far as I am aware, they are not available as digital downloads). These discs are not reference recordings, but rather well organized lessons that use groups of similar sounding species, repetition and mnemonics to help you quickly learn sounds. Here on the east coast of North America you should purchase "Birding by Ear: Eastern/Central" and "More Birding by Ear Eastern and Central North America". There are discs available for the west coast, as well.

Below is a list of recommended tracks to study. Obviously, there are many more common species in our area which you could add as you feel needed.

The colorful wood-warblers are the most important songbirds to learn. Once you've purchased the discs, use iTunes (or similar software) to import the following tracks so you don't have to constantly shuffle through the 6 discs:

Name	Album	Disc #	Track #
Sing-songers	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	1	4
Warbling Songsters	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	6
Wood Warblers and a Warbling Wren	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	1
Warblers: Buzzy	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	1
Warblers: Simple	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	2
Warblers: Two-Parted	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	3
Warblers: Complex	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	2	4
Empidonax Flycatchers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	1	4

Note that I included the empidonax flycatchers on the list as they are notoriously difficult to separate visually, but each have very distinctive vocalizations.

The woodland thrushes are also incredible songsters, so I recommend the following tracks:

Name	Album	Disc #	Track #
Thrushes	Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	2
Thrushes	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	1	7

One family of bird vocalizations that I tend to neglect are the shorebirds. More often than not, during spring migration a group of calling shorebirds passing overhead are noted only as "flock of unidentified peeps". While their calls and songs may not be nearly as melodic as the wood-warblers, they are each unique and easily identifiable if you take a few minutes each day to study the recommended "Birding by Ear" tracks.

Name	Album	Disc #	Track #
Shorebirds: Pairs	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	1
Shorebirds: Plovers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	2
Shorebirds: Whistlers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	3
Shorebirds: Peepers	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	4
Shorebirds: Other	More Birding by Ear, Eastern/Central	3	5

Please note that I don't make any money promoting the Peterson Field Guide series. I only do this because I have found that their systematic approach to learning bird-song to be the most effective available. If you have recommendations for other learning tools, feel free to email me or put something in the comments section. Spend 15 - 20 minutes a day listening during your commute, so that by the time all the songbirds begin streaming through NYC I guarantee you'll be able to find a lot more birds and add a whole other dimension to the experience of birding.

No matter how you approach birding (and ear birding), be sure to always put the welfare of the birds ahead of your desire to "list". If you have any doubt about birding ethics, please refer to the American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics. ...Read more