New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, August 19, 2011:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Aug. 19, 2011
* NYNY1108.19

- Birds mentioned

Common Eider
CORY'S SHEARWATER
GREAT SHEARWATER
MANX SHEARWATER
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
WHIMBREL
HUDSONIAN GODWIT
MARBLED GODWIT
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Common Nighthawk
WESTERN KINGBIRD

- 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, August 19th 2011 at 7pm. The highlights of today's tape are WESTERN KINGBIRD, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, MARBLED GODWIT, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, WHIMBREL, MANX SHEARWATER, CORY'S SHEARWATER and GREAT SHEARWATER.

First a Jamaica Bay update. After recent rains and with no appreciable drainage occurring on the East Pond, the water level on the pond is now almost too high even for ducks. Yes, that is a joke. But unfortunately the absence of shorebird habitat there is no joke. If you are concerned about the lack of appropriate edge for shorebirds please call Gateway National Park personnel to voice your complaints as to how poorly the situation has been handled this Fall. You can call Linda Canzanelli at (718) 354-4665 or send an email to linda_canzanelli [AT] nps.gov or to doug_adamo [AT] nps.gov ... Something drastic needs to be done with the East Pond or as a fallback to the West Pond with the shorebird festival only a week away.

Last Saturday before the rains two HUDSONIAN GODWITS were present along the west side of the East Pond and north of The Raunt with a MARBLED GODWIT across the way. At lower tides the godwits were also seen along the edge of the bay north of the East Pond with two Marbleds there.

At a large puddle formed at Floyd Bennett Field last Monday a gathering of shorebirds featured a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE and 22 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.

At Jones Beach West End the HUDSONIAN GODWIT was last reported on the Coast Guard bar on Saturday afternoon while two MARBLED GODWITS continued there or on the bar across the inlet up to Wednesday with one noted Thursday. Also at West End Sunday in pools in the dunes were 1 PECTORAL SANDPIPER, 3 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS and 16 STILT SANDPIPERS.

A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was seen in a puddle in Robert Moses State Park parking field 2 today and birds out at Democrat Point on the western tip of Fire Island today included single MANX SHEARWATER and WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, 3 BLACK TERNS and 2 ROYAL TERNS.

Out on eastern Long Island a WESTERN KINGBIRD was found Sunday at the Deep Hollow Dude Ranch east of the town of Montauk and was still present today. The bird has been using the fence lines along the pastures on the south side of Route 27 but later today it was across Route 27 at the Roosevelt Third House County Park. Fifty COMMON EIDER were counted at Montauk Point on Sunday.

At Cupsogue County Park in West Hampton Dunes the MARBLED GODWIT total rose to 6 by Wednesday when a WHIMBREL was also present on the flats north of the parking lot. Over 30 ROYAL TERNS and a few BLACK TERNS have also been frequenting these flats. A seawatch off Cupsogue Sunday noted over 80 CORY'S SHEARWATERS with a MANX and GREAT SHEARWATER and several WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS. Some ROYAL and BLACK TERNS were also feeding offshore. More CORY'S SHEARWATERS were also seen off Shinnecock Inlet. Today at Cupsogue the 6 MARBLED GODWITS were still present and shearwaters were still offshore mostly all CORY'S with a GREAT or two.

Two immature LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were with other gulls on the Tiana Beach parking lot off Dune Road last Sunday.

Shorebirds on the flat at Sagg Pond in Bridgehampton Tuesday included single MARBLED GODWIT and PECTORAL SANDPIPER and 12 BLACK SKIMMERS were at Mecox that day.

On the North Fork at least 2 WHIMBREL were still at Cedar Beach Park in Southold on Wednesday and 20 ROYAL TERNS were on Robin's Island off New Suffolk today.

Among the southbound migrants recently have been some evening COMMON NIGHTHAWKS these usually peaking in late August and early September.

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