New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, June 21, 2013:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* June 21, 2013
* NYNY1306.21

- Birds Mentioned:

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN+
LEACH'S STORM-PETREL+
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE+
MISSISSIPPI KITE+
BLACK-NECKED STILT+
ARCTIC TERN+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Cory's Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Manx Shearwater
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Least Bittern
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
Least Tern
GULL-BILLED TERN
Black Tern
Roseate Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Red-headed Woodpecker
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
BLUE GROSBEAK


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@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
**Note: There is no phone service this week.**

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

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

[~BEGIN RBA~]

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, June 21st, at 7:00pm. The highlights of today's report are SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, MISSISSIPPI KITE, BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, ARCTIC TERN, GULL-BILLED TERN, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, and BLUE GROSBEAK.

Please note that our phone service has been interrupted, but we hope to have it back operating soon.

With the 17-year cicadas now out in numbers in many areas, especially along the Hudson River, the added benefit has been the presence of kites in the area. Last Saturday a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen and nicely photographed as it hunted cicadas over the state line overlook, one of the river vantage points off the Palisades Parkway. This site, off Exit 3, is in New Jersey, just a mile south of the New York line. Unfortunately, the SWALLOW-TAILED continued to move south, rather than up into New York, but the numerous cicadas along the Hudson could attract another one.

The subadult MISSISSIPPI KITE on Staten Island was still being seen sporadically as it feeds on cicadas over the woods at the Cemetery of the Resurrection, through today, though a patient vigil may be needed. The entrance to the cemetery is off Sharrott Avenue, just north of Hylan Boulevard. Watch especially over the tree line along the western border of the cemetery.

Another current highlight locally has been the number of ARCTIC TERNS reported, especially on the mudflats at Cupsogue County Park in West Hampton Dunes. Last Saturday at least six different individuals in varying plumages from first summer to adult were photographed out there, and almost the same number was present on Sunday, with the week also producing a few individuals. Other terns there have included a BLACK TERN or two, a few ROSEATE TERNS and FORSTER'S TERNS, some LEAST TERNS and BLACK SKIMMERS, and numerous COMMON TERNS, while nearby Pike's Beach, just to the east, added the season's first two ROYAL TERNS on Tuesday. Shorebirds there have been somewhat low in numbers, but featured two good highlights: first, a BLACK-NECKED STILT flying west over the Cupsogue flats Tuesday afternoon, and then a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE appearing along the east side of the big sand spit in the bay on the east side of Pike's Beach on Thursday, and still in that area today.

Watching for offshore pelagics from Cupsogue was also rewarding Saturday morning, with a dozen or so CORY'S SHEARWATERS and several WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS seen early and a PARASITIC JAEGER appearing somewhat later. 15+ CORY'S were also off Shinnecock Inlet Saturday afternoon, and over 50 CORY'S were counted off Cupsogue on Sunday, with others during the week.

Another immature ARCTIC TERN has been reported during the week at Nickerson Beach off Lido Boulevard, west of Point Lookout, where BLACK TERN, GULL-BILLED TERN, and ROSEATE TERN have also been noted around the tern and skimmer colonies.

A LEAST BITTERN was spotted at the Lido Beach Marine Conservation Area just east of Nickerson Beach today.

Two GULL-BILLED TERNS have recently been south of the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where the breach still exists. Please express your concerns about this at the Front Desk, as this breach needs to be filled up.

An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was present in Stony Brook Harbor last Sunday.

YELLOW-THROATED WARBER continues at Connetquot River State Park, where they are likely nesting, and a young male BLUE GROSBEAK was also spotted there on Wednesday.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were noted at the Bronx Zoo Park on Wednesday and in Alley Pond Park in Queens on Thursday.

A fishing boat that went out about 85 miles southeast of Shinnecock last Saturday produced 11 CORY'S SHEARWATERS, 28 GREAT SHEARWATERS, 42 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, 4 MANX SHEARWATERS, 145 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, 4 LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS, and 2 POMARINE JAEGERS. The LEACH'S were at the farthest extent of the voyage.

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.

[~END RBA~]

~ End Transcript ~