New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, February 7, 2014:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 7, 2014
* NYNY1402.07

- Birds mentioned

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+ (no reports)
BARNACLE GOOSE+
COMMON MURRE+
ATLANTIC PUFFIN+
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Eurasian Wigeon
King Eider
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
NORTHERN FULMAR
Northern Gannet
Black Vulture
Rough-legged Hawk
Semipalmated Plover
BLACK-HEADED GULL
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Black-legged Kittiwake
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
Red-headed Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Vesper Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow

- 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)
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, February 7th 2014 at 7pm. The highlights of today's tape are pelagic trip results including ATLANTIC PUFFIN, DOVEKIE and NORTHERN FULMAR, BARNACLE GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, ICELAND GULL, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and NORTHERN SHRIKE.

Boy did the weather ever cooperate for last Saturday's pelagic trip aboard the Captain Lou VII out of Freeport sponsored by See Life Paulagics the trip got out about 60 miles enjoying almost glasslike conditions for most of the journey. Very enjoyable views were had of many of the 279 RAZORBILLS, 242 COMMON MURRES, 230 DOVEKIES and 7 ATLANTIC PUFFINS. Two NORTHERN FULMARS cruised by the boat and gulls following the boat's chum slick included an ICELAND, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED and 25 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES. Also well offshore were some NORTHERN GANNETS and a few HORNED GREBE and RED-NECKED GREBES plus some Common Dolphins and a Fin Whale. We won't discuss the bird that got away.

The BARNACLE GOOSE was still using the creek and ballfields at the northeastern section of Randall's Island last Saturday but the only subsequent report was of the bird possibly with Canadas in Central Park on Sunday.

At Jones Beach West End NORTHERN SHRIKE was spotted on at least 4 different days this past week ranging from the southwestern corner of lot 2 and near the turnaround to off the fishing access road by the Coast Guard Station yesterday and even east of the Roosevelt Nature Center on Tuesday. Two SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were still around Jones Inlet Saturday and one or two RED-NECKED GREBES continue in the inlet. This latter species actually now appearing in several different locations in New York City waters. More unusual for RED-NECKED GREBE was one on the main pond at Connetquot River State Park from Tuesday with 2 there today and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was east of Jones Beach at Gilgo on Tuesday.

Out at [...] Shinnecock an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was still present Saturday and Sunday on the ocean across from Road I. A boardwalk crossing over the dunes to the beach there. At Shinnecock Inlet immature GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS continue as do at least 2 female KING EIDER mixed in with the scoter and Common Eider flocks offshore. A few open areas along Dune Road especially near Triton Lane continue to produce NELSON'S, SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROWS.

The female type YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen again Sunday amongst a large flock of mixed blackbirds at the Buffalo Farm at the southwest corner of Reeves Avenue and Roanoke Avenue north of Riverhead. There were no reports of the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE from that area but several large flocks of Canadas do remain there these including a few CACKLING GEESE. BLACK VULTURE also remains in that area near Church Lane which runs south from Sound Avenue. A VESPER SPARROW was reported from Doctor's Path on Tuesday.

The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was reported from Sunken Meadow State Park Tuesday and EURASIAN WIGEONS during the week included two at Sayville Golf Course Saturday afternoon and one on the Sayville Mill Pond Thursday. One continuing around Veteran's Memorial Pier up to the 58th Street Pier in Brooklyn and one at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye.

The GLAUCOUS GULL was at Napeague Harbor west of Montauk Saturday and an ICELAND GULL continues at Iron Pier Beach in Northville. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were at Randall's Island Saturday and Coney Island Creek Monday.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS during the week included birds at Green-wood Cemetery and Dyker Beach Park in Brooklyn and at Kissena Park in Queens.

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