New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, February 8, 2013:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 8, 2013
* NYNY1302.08

- Birds mentioned

BARNACLE GOOSE+
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
ROSS'S GOOSE
Eurasian Wigeon
TUFTED DUCK
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
American Bittern
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
Snowy Owl
Barred Owl
Common Raven
Lapland Longspur
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll

- 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@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

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, February 8th 2013 at 7pm. The highlights of today's tape are YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, ROSS'S GOOSE, BARNACLE GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, TUFTED DUCK, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, DOVEKIE and BLACK-HEADED GULL but firstly some sad news.

This past Tuesday Starr Saphir finally lost her long and courageous battle with cancer. Starr was a principle member of the New York City birding scene and treated many birders, novice and advanced alike, to the wonders of birding in the metropolitan area and a few weeks ago Long Island birder and long time friend Al Wollin also past away. Both will certainly be missed.

Water related birds continue to be the main attraction regionally with the possible exception of the 2 to 3 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS that have led birders on a merry chase around the Calverton area recently. The YELLOW-HEADEDS have been associating with large grackle, blackbird, cowbird flocks feeding in fields around Route 25 and adjoining roads. Once finding a flock look carefully as the birds move about in the fields. Some roads to try for the blackbird flocks include: along Route 25 north of Splish-Splash or Edwards Avenue, Manor Road or Twomey Avenue plus adjacent roads.

A drake TUFTED DUCK continues to be seen occasionally on the pond at Blydenburgh Park south of Route 25 in Smithtown. A couple of ROSS'S GEESE have been present with Canadas lately one seen to Monday at Heckscher State Park is presumably the same individual spotted Wednesday on Westbrook Pond north of Heckscher and south of Route 27 off Main Street Route 27A. The second has been seen most frequently on Merritts Pond north of Riverhead but has also wandered north to the fields around Doctor's Path near Sound Avenue.

Single BARNACLE and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE continue in the Belmont Lake State Park to St. Charles Cemetery area sometimes seen north of St. Charles at Pine Lawn Cemetery or the private Colonial Springs Golf Course.

The pair of BARROW'S GOLDENEYES continues with Commons at the south end of Lake Montauk as viewed from South Lake Drive or other vantage points. The immature BLACK-HEADED GULL and sometimes also an adult Black-headed can be seen at the same location. Finishing up the Montauk area some RAZORBILLS continue at the point, 2 ICELAND GULLS remain along the beach west of the Montauk Harbor Inlet and up to 40 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS have continued to visit the pines at Kirk Park on the western end of the town of Montauk. The adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL continues at the end of Lazy Point Road in Napeague and if there look for the SNOWY OWL occasionally seen on Hick's Island across the channel.

AMERICAN BITTERNS remain along Dune Road west of Shinnecock Inlet. Up to 6 EURASIAN WIGEONS have gathered recently on the west of Sayville Golf Course.

In the city area Central Park reservoir has hosted ICELAND GULL recently. BARRED OWL continues in the park and at other local sites and a COMMON REDPOLL was at the Ramble feeders on Wednesday. Six WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were in Prospect Park in Brooklyn Wednesday with 8 plus a COMMON RAVEN at Green-wood Cemetery last Sunday. A RAZORBILL was in Dead Horse Bay in Brooklyn last Saturday and single DOVEKIE and RAZORBILL were reported off Beach 24th Street in the Rockaways Thursday. AMERICAN BITTERN was still at Brooklyn's Marine Park Nature Center last Sunday.

A LAPLAND LONGSPUR has been seen again at Jones Beach West End and a SNOWY OWL was present at that area through last weekend.

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