New York City Rare Bird Alert

Here is the latest Rare Bird Alert report.
---
RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* November 12, 2004
* 04.11.12

- Transcript
hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
number: 212-979-3070

to report sightings call:
- Tom Burke (212) 297-4804 on weekdays
- Tony Lauro (631) 734-4126 for Long Island

compiler: Tom Burke
coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County

transcriber: Andrew Guthrie

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings! This is the New York City RBA for Friday, November 12th at 6 p.m.

The highlights of today's tape are CALLIOPE and SELASPHOROUS HUMMINGBIRDS, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, SNOWY OWL, TUNDRA SWAN and a possible PACIFIC LOON.

A hummingbird visiting a Larchmont yard from Thursday through Sunday morning was fortunately photographed and as a result subsequently identified as a young male CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD. It has not been seen since Sunday morning.

A Selasphorous RUFOUS/ALLEN'S type HUMMINGBIRD appeared last Friday at the same feeder that has hosted a Selasphorous hummer in two of the past three years. This feeder is at 615 Narrow River Road in the town of Orient at the end of the North Fork. The feeders this hummer is using are hanging in the front of the house and can be viewed from the roadway. Good photos could be useful in identifying this bird; please be respectful of the local residents when visiting there.

Certainly the most unusual, even bizarre, report of the week comes from Central Park where some birders on Great Hill Tuesday morning identified a flock of 25 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS soaring overhead. Fifteen minutes later this sighting was followed by another flock of 200, much higher and farther off, that was also identified as this species, though it is not clear how Snow Geese were actually eliminated as a possibility. Per the Bull books on New York State Birds, the maximum number of White Pelicans mentioned together in the state is six.

Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were found last Saturday at Silver Lake Park in North White Plains, Westchester County, where they were at the north, vegetated end of the lake. They were at the same site Monday afternoon but have not been seen there since.

Out east, two SNOWY OWLS have shown up, one at Old Inlet on Fire Island since Sunday. This area can be reached by walking west about a mile along the National Seashore beach from Smith Point Park in Shirley. The other SNOWY OWL was found at Nappeague Wednesday along the ocean beach just west of the end of the Nappeague Lane beach access.

Also out east, six TUNDRA SWANS appeared briefly Saturday on Maratooka Lake on the east side of New Suffolk Avenue in Mattituck, and a drake EURASIAN WIGEON showed up there Thursday. On Sunday two TUNDRA SWANS also arrived at Hook Pond in Easthampton and 25 ROYAL TERNS were still at nearby Georgica Pond. A BALD EAGLE was at Nappeague Sunday. Six RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS, four adults, continue at Barcelona Neck in Sag Harbor, and another RED-HEADED was at Cedar Point on Sunday. Fifteen RUSTY BLACKBIRDS visited Preston Pond in Calverton recently.

A possible PACIFIC LOON was seen with about thirty RED-THROATED LOONS off Great Kills Park on Staten Island last Saturday, but unfortunately was far enough out that its identification could not be confirmed with certainty.

The good flights Monday and Tuesday brought some PINE SISKEN flocks to the Jones Beach West End, along with an immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER Monday and sixteen EASTERN BLUEBIRDS Tuesday, and the occasional NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL is also appearing there, thus time for a reminder that roosting owls are in a precarious position, and we as birders should make every effort not to disturb them, as their survival depends on their ability to remain concealed. Three NORTHERN GOSHAWKS flew by the Fire Island hawk watch site on Tuesday.

The Monday flight brought thousands of COMMON GRACKLES and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, plus lots of ROBINS and WAXWINGS, over Central Park. Some COMMON LOONS and seasonal ducks and hawks have also been present, and an immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER appeared Monday, along with a BLUE-HEADED VIREO and eight EASTERN BLUEBIRDS. Eight WARBLER species in the park included NASHVILLE, BLACK-THROATED BLUE and BLACK-AND-WHITE Monday, PALM, OVENBIRD and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT Sunday and Monday in the Conservatory Garden.

Monday also produced two EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, RUSTY BLACKBIRD flocks and a BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and some PINE SISKENS have been visiting the Ramble feeders.

Prospect Park highlights have featured WOOD DUCK, 200 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER Wednesday and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, WILSON'S WARBLER Monday, and a good selection of late fall migrants. A possible BREWER'S BLACKBIRD on the south side of the lake today needs follow-up confirmation.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye Wednesday.

To phone in reports, on Long Island call Tony Lauro at 631-734-4126, or on weekdays call Tom Burke at 212-297-4804.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York, www.linnaeansociety.org, and the National Audubon Society.