New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, January 24, 2014:

RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* January 24, 2014

Birds Mentioned:

(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+
GYRFALCON+
MEW GULL+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
TUNDRA SWAN
Eurasian Wigeon
KING EIDER
Common Eider
Northern Gannet
Peregrine Falcon
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Ring-billed Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
Razorbill
Snowy Owl
Short-eared Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
NORTHERN SHRIKE
Horned Lark
American Pipit
Lapland Longspur

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: Gail Benson

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, January 24, 2014, at 6:00 pm. The highlights of todays tape are PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, GYRFALCON, MEW AND BLACK-HEADED GULLS, NORTHERN SHRIKE, GLAUCOUS GULL, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, TUNDRA SWAN, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, KING EIDER and a pelagic trip reminder.

Last Saturday the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was relocated north of Riverhead, feeding with a flock of Canada Geese on the north side of Sound Avenue across from the Roanoke Vineyard, a short distance east of Roanoke Avenue. As that field is used by hunters the geese hopefully moved elsewhere, but we have no subsequent reports since Saturday. There have been no definite reports of the Jones Island GYRFALCON this week but it should be looked for, especially in the marshes, from west of Gilgo east to the area north of the Cedar Beach Marina. Though the entire extent of marshes does offer good habitat both for this bird and several PEREGRINE FALCONS using the same area.

Word is just in that a COMMON GULL, the Eurasian form of Mew Gull, was identified roosting today with Ring-billed Gulls on Veterans Memorial Pier in Brooklyn, this area south of the Verrazano bridge near where one resided in the 2009-2010 winter. Further information will be forthcoming,

The Jones Beach West-End NORTHERN SHRIKE was reported west of the West-End 2 parking lot Thursday, and another was spotted Monday in East Hampton near the intersection of Old Town Road and Gin Lane. Also in East Hampton, two TUNDRA SWANS were still on Hook Pond, at least as long as it remained unfrozen through Tuesday, and three to five GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE have been again visiting the fields along Further Lane.

Shinnecock Inlet has been providing a nice selection of winter birds lately with both GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS being seen there. The Iceland favors the east jetty, often feeding around its tip, while one or two GLAUCOUS GULLS are usually on the west side, often on the beach. Three female KING EIDERS and at least one young male continue at Shinnecock, usually with the Common Eiders and Scoters along the beach. On Saturday four BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES joined the Gulls and NORTHERN GANNETS feeding just offshore. Then on Monday an immature BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen in the inlet. A RAZORBILL was also seen there Saturday. The best numbers for these are at Montauk Point where over 180 were counted Sunday morning. At Montauk Point they often are cycling back and forth with the Eiders and Scoters feeding off the Point, providing nice views. A BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was also at Montauk Point Sunday. Finishing up out East, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL remains at Napeague at the end of Lazy Point Road and two SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen at the Calverton Grasslands, the former Grumman Airport, late Saturday afternoon.

EURASIAN WIGEONS this week were noted Saturday at Veterans Memorial Pier in Brooklyn, Monday on the Oyster Bay Mill Pond, Thursday at the Sayville Country Club, and at Massapequa Preserve where Thursday a hybrid Wigeon and two WILSONS SNIPE were also present. An ICELAND GULL was at the Coney Island Creek again this week. At Jones Beach West End a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was with four AMERICAN PIPITS and some HORNED LARKS on Thursday, and RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continued near Turtle Cove at Pelham Bay Park and in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. And of course SNOWY OWLS continue to grace our outer beaches and other suitable as well as some unexpected sites in our region.

Dont forget to call See Life Paulagics, which is sponsoring a pelagic trip with the Captain Lou Fleet out of Freeport on Saturday, February 1st leaving at 6am. Call (215) 234-6805 for information or visit their website at < http://www.paulagics.com/site/ >.

To phone in reports on Long Island, call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126, or on weekdays please 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 ~