New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, December 13, 2013:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Dec. 13, 2013
* NYNY1312.13

- Birds mentioned

PACIFIC LOON+
GYRFALCON+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
TUNDRA SWAN
EURASIAN WIGEON
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Bald Eagle
American Oystercatcher
Red Knot
Western Sandpiper
Iceland Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Black Skimmer
Razorbill
BLACK GUILLEMOT
SNOWY OWL
NORTHERN SHRIKE
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-breasted Chat
LARK SPARROW
Lapland Longspur

- 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:

Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
125 Pine Springs Drive
Ticonderoga, NY 12883

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, December 13th 2013 at 8pm. The highlights of today's tape are GYRFALCON, BLACK GUILLEMOT, SNOWY OWL, NORTHERN SHRIKE, GLAUCOUS GULL, TUNDRA SWAN, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, HARLEQUIN DUCK, EURASIAN WIGEON and LARK SPARROW.

On Thursday a gray GYRFALCON was spotted in the marshes slightly northwest of the Cedar Beach Marina on the north side of Ocean Parkway. This site east of Jones Beach and closer to but west of Captree State Park is in the vicinity of where a gray GYRFALCON spent about 3 weeks from last February to March 9th. Other than a reported sighting early this morning numerous observers at Cedar Beach today could not relocate the Gyr. But remember that last Winter it was a week after the initial sighting before the Gyr was pinned down at Gilgo.

Today a BLACK GUILLEMOT was found in Shinnecock Inlet first along the eastern jetty and ultimately flying farther into the inlet around the west side jetty. Also at Shinnecock today were 2 immature GLAUCOUS GULLS and one immature ICELAND GULL around the jetties and at least 4 SNOWY OWLS along Dune Road. SNOWY OWLS do continue to appear especially along the south shore of Long Island but also at numerous other scattered sites and it will be interesting to see how many are uncovered during the upcoming Christmas Count and we very positively commend the fantastic response of the thousands of birders who quickly and effectively protested the killing of SNOWY OWLS at regional airports. Some owls showing the stress that brought them here in such large numbers have succumbed to starvation while others continue to be harassed at certain locations like Jones Beach West End. Please, let's give them room and zero additional agitation.

The NORTHERN SHRIKE at Jones Beach West End was seen both days last weekend around the perimeter of field 2 and other birds at West End featured 3 BLACK SKIMMERS and 45 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS while among the roosting shorebirds near Jones Beach field 6 Saturday were 2 RED KNOTS and [2] WESTERN SANDPIPERS. A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was with Horned Larks at West End field 2 today.

Three HARLEQUIN DUCKS were by the western jetty off Point Lookout Town Park Saturday and 3 others were reported at Breezy Point Sunday.

Three BALD EAGLES were at Hempstead Lake State Park Wednesday. The LARK SPARROW was still at Floyd Bennett Field last Sunday staying around the berm on the east side of the Cricket Field.

Recent EURASIAN WIGEON sightings have included one on Saint John's Pond off Route 25A in Cold Spring Harbor Tuesday and one on the Mill Pond in Sayville Wednesday. Another was present last weekend on Hook Pond in East Hampton where 2 TUNDRA SWANS were still present today and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was found there Saturday. An ICELAND GULL was also on the pond today.

At Mecox Bay Sunday 3 immature GLAUCOUS GULLS were present around the flats there and feeding in the bay near Flying Point Road on the west side of the bay. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and 2 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS were also by the bridge before the last turn on Flying Point Road.

Four GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were on fields on the south side of Further Lane on Sunday. Viewed with difficultly through the vegetation lining the roadway. This flock of geese does also at times cross over the road to the open fields on the north side.

Single CACKLING GEESE were at Further Lane Sunday and at Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk Saturday and a couple of RAZORBILLS were noted off Montauk Point Saturday.

On the north fork a possible PACIFIC LOON was observed Wednesday off the causeway at Orient Beach State Park this very near Plum Island where one was reported last week. Please call in any confirming sightings.

We will be happy to report local Christmas Count highlights so please call them in.

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