New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 13, 2011:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 13, 2011
* NYNY1105.13

- Birds mentioned

Greater White-fronted Goose
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Least Tern
GULL-BILLED TERN
Roseate Tern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Tennessee Warbler
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
Cape May Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Bay-breasted Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
SUMMER TANAGER
Lincoln's Sparrow
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 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, May 13th 2011 at 9pm. The highlights of today's tape are YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, GULL-BILLED TERN and RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.

A key week for migration, the past week several days were hampered by northerly winds but nevertheless good birds were present.

In Prospect Park birders last Sunday were aided by a large termite hatch out that attracted at least 17 of the 28 species of warblers seen in the park that day. Highlights at the hatch out included CERULEAN WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER and HOODED WARBLER while other warblers featured TENNESSEE WARBLER, WORM-EATING WARBLER a late LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH and WILSON'S WARBLER. On Thursday Prospect Park added OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and LINCOLN'S SPARROW.

Central Park last Saturday produced a lingering SUMMER TANAGER around the Ramble and a BLUE GROSBEAK briefly seen first at Cherry Hill and later near the Oven. Both YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO were noted Saturday and unexpected for Central Park and a good mix of warblers was also present. The RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was still south of the Sheep Meadow as of Wednesday.

At Forest Park in Queens a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was singing persistently east of the waterhole on Saturday morning but could not be relocated later. A young male SUMMER TANAGER put in several appearances around the waterhole Saturday and again on Sunday. Perhaps most impressive now in Forest Park and also noted somewhat in other parks was the good number of CAPE MAY WARBLERS present. For several visiting the waterhole and others scattered about the park BAY-BREASTED WARBLER and WORM-EATING WARBLER were among the other warblers in Forest Park Saturday.

In Riverside Park on northern Manhattan the water drip has been attracting a good variety of birds. On Thursday these included a male SUMMER TANAGER, TENNESSEE WARBLER and HOODED WARBLER. The drip is located around 119th Street just below the tennis courts.

LINCOLN'S SPARROWS have been showing up recently including one in Bryant Park Thursday and 2 HOODED WARBLERS visited the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx last Saturday.

Out at Jones Beach West End a male PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was discovered at the Coast Guard Station hedgerow on Sunday. The peak count of GULL-BILLED TERNS at the West End occurred that day with 8 on the Coast Guard sandbar. On Monday an adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was spotted in the West End turnaround.

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was reported from Muttontown Preserve last Sunday.

The adult GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen again Sunday with Canadas at Caumsett State Park this bird first noted back on May 1st. Its presence now does raise concerns over origin.

Some ROSEATE TERN and LEAST TERNS were moving by with Common Terns off Democrat Point on Fire Island last Saturday and other recent arrivals have included SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER and WILLOW FLYCATCHER.

A BLUE GROSBEAK was back at the Route 51 fields adjacent to Hunter's Garden on Thursday and this triggers a reminder that this breeding season is absolutely critical to the ongoing existence of all our migrant birds and every effort needs to be made to avoid any disturbance in their nesting areas.

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.