New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, August 3, 2012:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Aug. 3, 2012
* NYNY1208.03

- Birds mentioned

AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER+
LEACH'S STORM-PETREL+
BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL+
RUFF+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Cory's Shearwater
Great Shearwater
MANX SHEARWATER
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
AMERICAN AVOCET
Whimbrel
MARBLED GODWIT
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
WILSON'S PHALAROPE
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Gull-billed Tern
Black Tern
Royal Tern
Common Raven

- 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 3rd 2012 at 7pm. The highlights of today's tape are AMERICAN AVOCET, RUFF, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, MARBLED GODWIT, MANX SHEARWATER, GLAUCOUS GULL and pelagic trip sightings including BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL.

The East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge continues to attract large numbers of shorebirds especially during the period from 2 hours before high tide to 2 hours after. An AMERICAN AVOCET appeared on the East Pond on Wednesday with a RUFF, apparently the season's 4th for the East Pond, showing up on Thursday. The RUFF was not seen today but the avocet continues at the north end of the pond. Additionally on the East Pond have been up to 3 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, these last Sunday, a brief visit by a WILSON'S PHALAROPE at the south end Monday morning and small numbers of PECTORAL, WESTERN and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. Also noted have been unusual East Pond shorebird species like RUDDY TURNSTONE, RED KNOT and SANDERLING plus high numbers of other more expected species. Up to 3 GULL-BILLED TERNS have also been visiting the island at the north end.

For those visiting the East Pond the walking conditions are decent but it is muddy in places and please stay near the phragmites edge and if possible walk in groups so as to keep the shorebird disturbance to a minimum. Remember the pond is for the shorebirds and birders and photographers should be respectful visitors.

The date for the annual shorebird festival at Jamaica Bay is August 25th.

Another good gathering of shorebirds has been along Dune Road west of Shinnecock Inlet on the south shore of eastern Long Island. On the low tide flats and mussel beds just west of the Ponquogue Bridge last Saturday were a MARBLED GODWIT and a WHIMBREL along with several other species. Some BLACK TERNS were also just east of the Ponquogue Bridge. A MANX SHEARWATER paid a brief visit to Shinnecock Inlet Saturday morning before moving east and a couple of WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS were offshore.

Two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were among the gulls sitting on the Tiana Beach parking lot Saturday while farther west on Dune Road the Pike's Beach / Cupsogue County Park area has also attracted good numbers of shorebirds plus a growing number of ROYAL TERNS and 4 more WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS were out on the ocean off Cupsogue Saturday.

At Smith Point County Park in Shirley a summering GLAUCOUS GULL was still present Saturday and at Jones Beach West End 11 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were counted along the beach Thursday perhaps indicating another infusion similar to last year's. High numbers of shorebirds have also been gathering around West End.

A couple of COMMON RAVENS have been frequenting the Argyle Park section of Babylon recently.

But perhaps the week's most interesting news however comes from a fishing boat that last Saturday and Sunday spent some time along the edge of the continental shelf about 92 miles south-southeast of Shinnecock Inlet. Among the seabirds seen and photographed were 6 or 7 BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS these accompanied by 26 LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS and 330 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS for comparison. Shearwaters included 1 AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER, 1 MANX SHEARWATER and 16 GREAT SHEARWATERS as well as 5 CORY'S SHEARWATERS and much closer to shore. Some exciting cetaceans were also spotted including over 70 Rizzo's Dolphins and 7 Fin Whales.

This seems like a good time to mention that a pelagic trip out of Freeport is scheduled for September 16th. The destination the continental shelf in New York waters. The possibilities are excellent including additional BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS and even WHITE-FACED STORM-PETRELS. For information go to the See Life Paulagics website at http://www.paulagics.com/ or call (215) 234-6805.

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