New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, December 28, 2012:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Dec 28, 2012
* NYNY1212.28

- Birds Mentioned:
BARNACLE GOOSE+
PACIFIC LOON+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Eurasian Wigeon
TUFTED DUCK
Red-necked Grebe
Northern Gannet
Great Egret
Black Vulture
Bald Eagle
Virginia Rail
Spotted Sandpiper
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Black Skimmer
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
SNOWY OWL
Barred Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Common Raven
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Orange-crowned Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
"Audubon's" YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin

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 nysarc1 AT nybirds.org .

If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:

Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
486 High Street
Victor, NY 14564

~ Transcript ~

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Weekly Recording: (212) 979-3070

To report sightings call:
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (weekdays)
Tony Lauro (631) 734-4126

Compilers: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Karen Fung

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, December 28th, at 7:00pm. The highlights of today's tape are TUFTED DUCK, PACIFIC LOON, DOVEKIE, SNOWY OWL, BARNACLE GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, and Audubon's form of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

The Bronx-Westchester Christmas Count last Sunday recorded 126 species. Highlights included the BARNACLE GOOSE continuing at Van Cortlandt Park (often on the Parade Ground or on the Lake), some NORTHERN GANNETS and 4 RED-NECKED GREBES offshore, 4 GREAT EGRETS, 5 BLACK VULTURES, 6 BALD EAGLES, 21 RAZORBILLS, 9 BARRED OWLS, 2 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, VIRGINIA RAIL, 7 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, 10 COMMON RAVENS, and singles of HOUSE WREN and MARSH WREN. Warblers included 2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER at Wave Hill, a PRAIRIE WARBLER, 2 PALM WARBLERS, and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, while sparrows featured singles of CLAY-COLORED SPARROW at Marshlands Conservancy and Pelham Bay Park, and 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS. Also counted were 1 RED CROSSBILL and 76 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, 13 COMMON REDPOLLS, and 11 PINE SISKINS.

The Smithtown Count, held Thursday in unfortunate weather, netted 100 species including 4 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 3 CACKLING GEESE, RED-NECKED GREBE, 52 NORTHERN GANNETS, 16 GREAT EGRETS, 4 VIRGINIA RAILS, 33 RAZORBILLS, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, EASTERN PHOEBE, HOUSE WREN, 6 RED CROSSBILLS and the lingering Audubon's form of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, which continues at Sunken Meadow State Park around the eastern end of the main parking lot.

The drake TUFTED DUCK is still being seen around the Halesite Marina, in the south end of Huntington Harbor, through today. Last Saturday, after it flew out from this area, the TUFTED was eventually found in a scaup flock along the south side of Lloyd's Neck off Lloyd Harbor Road. Also seen in Huntington Harbor last Saturday were a DOVEKIE and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER around some private docks, and 2 BALD EAGLES. The SPOTTED was also there on Sunday.

Another BARNACLE GOOSE, plus singles of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and CACKLING GOOSE continue in the Belmont Lake State Park to St. Charles Cemetery area, east of Farmingdale. Though the BARNACLE was reported from Colonial Springs Golf Club, it should be noted that this private club is not open to non-members. Check for the geese overnighting on Belmont Lake and then moving to grassy areas around Wellwood Avenue and in the cemetery during the day.

A few alcids along the Coney Island waterfront in Brooklyn featured single DOVEKIES Saturday and Sunday, and a small number of RAZORBILLS. An ICELAND GULL and two BLACK SKIMMERS also continue along the Brooklyn shoreline.

Another ICELAND GULL has been seen a few times since last Saturday on Central Park Reservoir, this perhaps the same bird seen on Randall's Island.

Some crossbills, mostly WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS now, continue to be seen in city parks, from Pelham Bay to Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

A male WILSON'S WARBLER and a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH were found in Alley Pond Park today, and an INDIGO BUNTING was still in Kissena Park recently.

At Jones Beach West End, about 30 RED CROSSBILLS were seen Tuesday, with a few COMMON REDPOLLS there the day before. More of both crossbills continue at Heckscher State Park.

The two EURASIAN WIGEONS were on the upper pond at Massapequa Preserve on Sunday, this the pond north of the Pittsburgh Avenue pond.

Out at Montauk Point, a PACIFIC LOON was seen again offshore last Saturday. If a lingering bird, it is very hard to pin down. The occasional DOVEKIE also remains around the Point with a good number of RAZORBILLS. Also seen Saturday were an immature GLAUCOUS GULL and two ICELAND GULLS, with another ICELAND remaining near the Montauk Harbor entrance.

The SNOWY OWL visiting Hicks Island was seen again Sunday from the end of Lazy Point Road in Napeague, and a EURASIAN WIGEON was around the Deep Hollow Ranch pond on Sunday.

In Setauket, and adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen briefly Saturday moving northwest, and a DOVEKIE was spotted flying west on Tuesday.

Crossbills on eastern Long Island included 10 RED CROSSBILLS on East Lake Drive in Montauk Saturday and 15 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS west of Shinnecock Inlet Monday.

Single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE on Sunday were at Smithhaven County Park and on Further Lane in East Hampton, and two CACKLING GEESE were reported from Miller's Pond in Smithtown on Sunday.

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 TAPE~]

~ End Transcript ~