New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, January 14, 2011:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jan. 14, 2011
* NYNY1101.14

- Birds mentioned

BARNACLE GOOSE+
VARIED THRUSH+
LE CONTE'S SPARROW+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Wood Duck
Tufted Duck (not seen since last Friday)
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
American Bittern
Black Vulture
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Clapper Rail
Spotted Sandpiper
Red Knot
Wilson's Snipe
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
Razorbill
Short-eared Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Horned Lark
Eastern Bluebird
American Pipit
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow (subspecies "Ipswich Sparrow")
Seaside Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin

- 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, January 14th 2011 at 8pm. The highlights of today's tape are LE CONTE'S SPARROW, VARIED THRUSH, BLACK-HEADED GULL, BARNACLE GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE and more.

Last Saturday afternoon, what might be New York's first documented winter record of a LE CONTE'S SPARROW, was found along the runways at the Calverton Grasslands, this the former Grumman Airport property. The sparrow mostly frequented a 2 foot Juniper Tree adjacent to a fence near an electrical apparatus or 2 even smaller Junipers nearby and occasionally also moving farther afield. The 2 foot Juniper was however the bird's sanctuary and it remained there at least to midday Sunday. The reason for its disappearance is yet unclear although it had been pushed a bit.

A LARK SPARROW was also still being seen around the grasslands at least to Tuesday. Staying since discovery along the chain link fence just west of the main entrance to the grasslands off Grumman Boulevard. By mid Sunday the LARK SPARROW had moved north to Route 25 where it was feeding in a mixed sparrow flock near the Route 25 entrance to this property. That these grasslands should be preserved intact is certainly apparent based on their value as a vibrant natural and disappearing habitat. Other birds present there this past week have included ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, some HORNED LARKS, EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, over 50 SNOW BUNTINGS, a good variety of sparrows and some EASTERN MEADOWLARKS.

A CACKLING GOOSE was in a Canada flock on nearby Hulse Landing Road Saturday.

The Central Park VARIED THRUSH continues to be seen usually in its favored location which is the Maintenance Field area on the south side of the 79th Street transverse. Look for the thrush on the upslope next to and just east of the Ramble shed buildings which contain restrooms. The slope is north of the pedestrian path and south of the transverse. This area can be reached by entering the park at 5th Avenue and 79th Street, take the path on the south side of the transverse across the Central Park north roadway and look for the maintenance buildings on the other side of the road.

The immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continues in the trees on the south side of the Sheep Meadow usually just north of the 66th Street transverse. Two drake WOOD DUCK have been on [The Pond] just south of there. PINE SISKIN and RUSTY BLACKBIRD are among the nice variety of winter birds in Central Park recently.

The adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was still at Veteran's Memorial Fishing Pier in Bay Ridge Brooklyn Sunday. This pier is next to Owl's Head Park at the end of Bay Ridge Avenue or 69th Street and Shore Road. Two BLACK VULTURES in Brooklyn last Sunday were followed by 3 over Prospect Park Thursday.

A BARNACLE GOOSE has been roosting overnight recently on Belmont Lake State Park. After leaving in the morning, usually by about 8:30a, it has been relocated on the St. Charles Cemetery property to the west usually near the Wellwood Avenue entrance. One or two CACKLING GEESE have also been on Belmont Lake State Park.

On Tuesday a banded BARNACLE GOOSE, presumably a different individual, and 4 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were found at Pine Lawn Memorial Park by the Pine Lawn train station this area just north and east of St. Charles Cemetery.

Out east 4 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were again Tuesday on a field on Further Lane in East Hampton. A good number of RAZORBILLS continue off Montauk Point. A BARROW'S GOLDENEYE remains along the Route 25 causeway between East Marion and Orient on the north fork usually near the east end of the causeway but sometimes not locatable. The immature GLAUCOUS GULL remains near the Orient Ferry Terminal and 5 COMMON REDPOLL were in Orient Beach State Park Sunday. The Cold Spring TUFTED DUCK has not been seen since last Friday. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was reported last weekend from Goldsmith's Inlet in Peconic. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was on Lake Agawam in Southampton Sunday and recent birds along Dune Road west of Shinnecock Inlet have included an ICELAND GULL Sunday by the Ponquogue Bridge, AMERICAN BITTERN, CLAPPER RAIL, WILSON'S SNIPE, AMERICAN PIPIT, an "IPSWICH" SAVANNAH SPARROW and SEASIDE SPARROW and a few COMMON REDPOLLS there today.

Around Jones Beach West End a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was spotted Wednesday, 2 on Friday along with 15 COMMON REDPOLLS with 8 RED KNOT and SHORT-EARED OWL last Saturday. Two COMMON REDPOLLS were on Oak Beach Road Tuesday and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was at Jones field 6 Friday.

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. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript