New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending February 5, 2010:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 5, 2010
* NYNY1002.05

- Birds mentioned

MEW GULL+ (European subspecies "Common Gull")
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD+

Snow Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
EURASIAN WIGEON
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Black Vulture
Bald Eagle
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
SUMMER TANAGER
Lapland Longspur

- 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 AT 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 Friday, February 5th 2010 at 7pm. The highlights of today's tape are MEW GULL, DOVEKIE, SUMMER TANAGER, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, GLAUCOUS GULL, EURASIAN WIGEON, HARLEQUIN DUCK and RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.

The Brooklyn MEW GULL was seen again today appearing on the rocks a little south of the pedestrian bridge over the Belt Parkway. The pedestrian bridge is adjacent to Bay 16th Street where street side parking is usually available.

It was an unfortunate ending for birders visiting Timber Point Golf Course in Great River Sunday hoping to see the DOVEKIE that from Tuesday through Saturday had been providing great views as it attempted to survive at the West Marina where it was aided by bubblers keeping that part of the marina ice-free. The bird, showing signs that it was definitely under duress, disappeared during the bitter cold of Saturday night.

The golf course pond also froze over forcing a TUNDRA SWAN, living there through Saturday, to relocate elsewhere.

A few miles to the west from there on Saturday a drake EURASIAN WIGEON was refound in Lindenhurst. It was spotted with American Wigeon attending a mixed scaup flock at the mouth of Santapogue Creek. This area can't be viewed from the west side of the creek at Phoenician Shores Park.

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was still present Monday in the bay west of the West Pond.

Providing a very interesting winter record is a SUMMER TANAGER seen again Sunday and Tuesday at Clove Lakes Park on northern Staten Island. The tanager frequents the area around the west side of a white bridge the 2nd bridge over the creek north of Martling Avenue and calls frequently. An immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER also is staying along the hillside between the tanager site and Martling Avenue and a BLACK VULTURE was spotted Sunday by a birder while crossing the Verrazzano Bridge.

An immature GLAUCOUS GULL was spotted among the gulls gathered at Breezy Point Sunday and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was on Prospect Park Lake today.

At Jones Beach West End a RAZORBILL was reported from Jones Inlet Sunday, at least 1 HARLEQUIN DUCK continues along the Point Lookout ocean jetties and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was still visiting the lawn east of the Coast Guard Station parking lot as of Wednesday.

An immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was spotted Thursday at Caumsett State Park west of the pond that is north of the mansion there.

Farther east 4 TUNDRA SWANS were seen along Horse Mill Lane on the north side of Mecox Bay Saturday and 17 SNOW GEESE were on Short's Pond in Watermill Sunday. The 2 TRUMPETER SWANS were still on Upper Lake in Yaphank as of Sunday.

BALD EAGLES are present along the Hudson River in very good numbers now. A single scan along the Hudson River from the edge of the main parking lot at Croton Point Park on Sunday produced 47 BALD EAGLES including many adults and it should be noted that the Hudson River Eaglefest will be taking place at Croton Point Park this Saturday the 6th.

A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER has also been visiting Croton Point Park at the
westernmost camp ground and ducks around the park have included some REDHEAD, CANVASBACK and RING-NECKED DUCKS and many COMMON MERGANSERS.

The male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at the Pruyn Audubon Center in Chappaqua was reported today at 4:20p after not having been seen since last Saturday. The sanctuary address is 275 Millwood Road which is Route 133 in Chappaqua.

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