New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, October 11, 2013:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Oct 11, 2013
* NYNY1310.11

- Birds Mentioned:
Selasphorus Hummingbird+
[Eurasian Linnet]+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Common Eider
Cory's Shearwater
Peregrine Falcon
SORA
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
AMERICAN AVOCET
HUDSONIAN GODWIT
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
WILSON'S PHALAROPE
Lesser Black-backed Gull
CASPIAN TERN
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
WESTERN KINGBIRD
American Pipit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Lark Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
BLUE GROSBEAK
Dickcissel


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)
125 Pine Springs Drive
Ticonderoga, NY 12883

~ 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 (Long Island)

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, October 11th, at 11:00pm. The highlights of today's tape are WESTERN KINGBIRD, AMERICAN AVOCET, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, CASPIAN TERN, LARK SPARROW, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, BLUE GROSBEAK, SORA, and RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.

A decent week, sprinkled with some nice birds, though hampered again by easterly components to the winds, was highlighted by a WESTERN KINGBIRD appearing last Sunday near the turnaround at Jones Beach West End. Present much of the day, we have no subsequent reports of the bird. Other birds at Jones Beach West End featured a flyover AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER on Saturday. Shorebirds gathered on the bar included WESTERN SANDPIPER and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT popped up in the hedgerow by the Coast Guard Station. Over 300 BLACK SKIMMERS have also been visiting the bar at West End, with two ROYAL TERNS there Saturday, when an immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER appeared around the turnaround, followed by a BLUE GROSBEAK there on Wednesday.

Last Sunday, an AMERICAN AVOCET was found near Captree State Park, while over the bridge at Robert Moses State Park, two ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS reported near the hawk watch Saturday were apparently replaced later in the morning by two YELLOW WARBLERS. An excellent PEREGRINE flight was captivating the hawk counters there.

Seen offshore at Robert Moses State Park last weekend were many scoters on the move, a small number of jaegers, and on Sunday, over 30 CORY'S SHEARWATERS, with LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and ROYAL TERN also noted on both days. At nearby Gardiner's Park, two CASPIAN TERNS flew by the beach on Saturday, and some NELSON'S SPARROWS were frequenting the salt marsh there, with inland as well as coastal races represented. This species can also be found at such Brooklyn sites as Marine Park and Plumb Beach, and presumably at other appropriate marshes along the shores of Long Island and Westchester.

Both LARK SPARROW and CLAY-COLORED SPARROW were reported last Saturday from the Native Plant Garden at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, and a LARK SPARROW found yesterday at the Great Hill in Central Park was still present today. Another CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was at Marine Park in Brooklyn last weekend.

A SORA was still at Prospect Park Lake last Saturday, and this was followed by a more disoriented SORA seen in Manhattan's Bryant Park today.

On Tuesday, RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were noted in several locations, including three together at Owl's Head Park in Brooklyn, and singles in Central Park and Caumsett State Park; these in addition to one at Pelham Bay Park last weekend that increased to two on Wednesday.

A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was reported in Central Park Sunday and Tuesday, but the most unexpected land bird in New York was probably the Eurasian Linnet spotted in the Kissena Park Corridor in Queens on Wednesday, this presumed escape seen again there today.

At now-closed Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a WILSON'S PHALAROPE was noted at the south end of the East Pond last Sunday and Monday, followed by an HUDSONIAN GODWIT there today.

On eastern Long Island a rufous-type selasphorus hummingbird has been at a private feeder in Southold recently, reminding us that it is again vagrant hummingbird season.

Two DICKCISSELS were at the Community Garden in East Hampton last Saturday, and two COMMON EIDER visited Shinnecock Inlet on Tuesday.

Yesterday, 21 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were counted on a Cutchogue field off Oregon Road near Depot Lane. About 50 AMERICAN PIPITS were there today.

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 ~