NYC Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending December 31, 2009:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Dec. 31, 2009
* NYNY0912.31

- Birds mentioned

MEW GULL+
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
TUNDRA SWAN
Northern Gannet
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Bald Eagle
Northern Goshawk
Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
American Woodcock
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
BLACK GUILLEMOT
Long-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Eastern Phoebe
Common Raven
House Wren
Pine Warbler
SUMMER TANAGER
Chipping Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole

- 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 nysarc3@nybirds.org.

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

Jeanne Skelly - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
420 Chili-Scottsville Rd.
Churchville, NY 14428

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

To report sightings call:
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (weekdays, during the day)
Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126 (Long Island)

Compiler: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County

Transcriber: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, December 31st 2009 at 5pm. The highlights of today's tape are MEW GULL, BLACK GUILLEMOT, DOVEKIE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, TUNDRA SWAN, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD and SUMMER TANAGER.

Last Saturday in miserable weather a MEW GULL was found roosting on a ball field at Bensonhurst Park in Brooklyn. This gull, perhaps the same individual present in Brooklyn back in April 2007, appears to be the European subspecies known as Common Gull and has been present along the Gravesend Bay waterfront at least through Wednesday. To look for the gull the best option would seem to be to park in a rest area lot accessed off the eastbound Belt Parkway that is just west of Bensonhurst Park and the Kohl's Shopping Center [Caesar's Bay Bazaar] and adjacent to 20th Avenue. The gull has been seen at a few locations west of this lot up to a footbridge that crosses over the Belt Parkway just west of Bay 16th Street. A promenade along the water provides viewing access to Gravesend Bay. Watch for flocking Ring-billed Gulls and it has been suggested that 2 hours before high tide might be a good time to search.

A very interesting apparently high eastern Canadian Arctic form of BLACK GUILLEMOT found on the 19th off the north section of Southampton was still present off the end of Sebonic Inlet Road on Wednesday. This impressively white individual has been staying near the narrow channel connecting Bull's Head Bay with Peconic Bay. But the channel has recently been choking up with ice jams. When open this site provides wonderful views of the guillemot. To reach this site from Route 27 in Southampton College go north on Tuckahoe Road, pick up Sebonic Inlet Road and take it to its end at the inlet which is just east of the road. The guillemot is often with Long-tailed Duck and Bufflehead.

A small wreck of DOVEKIES occurred on eastern Long Island last Sunday due to the storm with 3 individuals found from Hither Hills State Park to West Hampton. These birds were rescued and returned to the ocean and another was seen off the west jetty at Shinnecock Inlet Monday. An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL, inadvertently left off last week's tape, was also seen with Bonaparte's at Shinnecock Inlet back on the 24th.

The Northern Nassau Christmas Count last Saturday netted 100 species featuring LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, GREEN HERON, 2 AMERICAN WOODCOCK, HOUSE WREN, 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS and the 2 COMMON RAVENS in Roslyn Harbor in count period.

The Bronx/Westchester Count Sunday among its 117 species recorded 2 NORTHERN GANNETS, 2 BLACK VULTURES, 4 BALD EAGLES, NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 3 CLAPPER RAILS and 5 VIRGINIA RAILS, 2 AMERICAN WOODCOCK, 2 LONG-EARED OWLS and 1 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, HOUSE WREN, SALTMARSH SPARROW, 4 BALTIMORE ORIOLES and 2 COMMON RAVENS seen by 3 parties as they moved down the Hudson.

The Smithtown Count Sunday recorded NORTHERN GANNET, GLAUCOUS GULL and RAZORBILL.

The Staten Island Count back on the 19th among its 110 species recorded CACKLING GOOSE, TUNDRA SWAN, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD last seen on the 24th and the SUMMER TANAGER still at Clove Lakes Park Monday.

Six GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE visited Belmont Lake State Park last Friday and recent TUNDRA SWANS include 2 at Massapequa Preserve in the pond off Pittsburgh Avenue last Friday and 1 at Connequot River State Park last Thursday where there was also EASTERN PHOEBE and PINE WARBLER.

A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was on the ice at Wolfe's Pond Park late last Sunday.

Birds off Camp Hero at Montauk Point last Monday featured 29 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES and 25 RAZORBILLS among good activity there.

See Life Paulagics is sponsoring an 8 hour pelagic trip from Freeport aboard the Captain Lou VII on Sunday, January 17th. This trip will cruise near shore waters looking for murres and other winter specialties. The cost is 130 dollars. Check their website for details at http://www.paulagics.com/ or call (215) 234-6805.

Have a happy and birdy New Year.

To phone in reports on Long Island, call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126, or weekdays call Tom Burke at (212) 372-1483.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society.

- End transcript