New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, February 28, 2014:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb 28, 2014
* NYNY1402.28

- Birds mentioned

*PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

TUNDRA SWAN
Wood Duck
Eurasian Wigeon
Redhead
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
Red-necked Grebe
Bald Eagle
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
American Woodcock
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
SNOWY OWL
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
NORTHERN SHRIKE
Tree Swallow
Cedar Waxwing
Pine Warbler
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Baltimore Oriole

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

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Number: (212) 979-3070

Compiler: 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, February 28, 2014 at 6 pm.

The highlights of today's tape are PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, TUNDRA SWAN, EURASIAN WIGEON, NORTHERN SHRIKE, SNOWY OWL, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GLAUCOUS GULL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.

But first I'd like to address something more important--a petition is now being circulated on the internet to get National Parks officials to address the West Pond situation at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. For much too long, the Parks people have dragged their feet, their inaction causing a severe situation for the West Pond. Please sign this petition, letting the officials know the breach on the pond must be closed soon and the pond restored to the condition that helped Jamaica Bay become an internationally important refuge. A link to the petition is at http://tinyurl.com/west-pond-petition. Thank you for signing.

Out east, with less snow on the ground, the Riverhead PINK-FOOTED GOOSE has been seen several days this week to today in fields along Roanoke Avenue north of Riverhead, especially in the vicinity of the Reeves Avenue Buffalo farm up to Sound Avenue, but also once or twice in fields closer to Riverhead near Joyce Drive. Watch too for CACKLING GEESE there.

The pair of BARROW'S GOLDENEYE continues around the south end of Lake Montauk, best viewed from South Lake Drive. Two KING EIDER were spotted off Orient Point Sunday, the two TUNDRA SWANS have been seen regularly on Hook Pond in East Hampton this week, and six HARLEQUIN DUCKS were around the jetties at Point Lookout last Saturday.

A drake EURASIAN WIGEON plus five REDHEADS were spotted at Caumsett State Park last Sunday; the recent freezing conditions have prompted the appearance of certain ducks such as REDHEAD at some rather unexpected locations.

The NORTHERN SHRIKE at Jones Beach West End was seen last Friday--we have no subsequent reports, but it probably continues there. Last Sunday ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen at Jones Beach along the Meadowbrook Parkway and out east at Terrell River County Park.

A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was at Floyd Bennet Field from Sunday to at least Wednesday, and three BALD EAGLES were still at Hempstead Lake State Park Thursday, along with an AMERICAN WOODCOCK. Another Woodcock was in Central Park Sunday, and they normally would be displaying now in our region, but thanks to the weather we'll have to wait a bit longer. Also in Central Park have been up to five WOOD DUCKS, a PINE WARBLER refound mid-week in the Ramble, and the continuing two BALTIMORE ORIOLES.

SNOWY OWLS remain at various locations including Breezy Point, Floyd Bennet Field and Jones Beach, while among the Gulls, a GLAUCOUS continues at Shinnecock, where four ICELAND GULLS were around some dredging activity Thursday, and other Icelands included one at Montauk Point Tuesday and one remaining at Iron Pier Beach in Northville. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS Sunday featured two at Montauk Point and one at Shinnecock, and presumably one continues at Napeague at the end of Lazy Point Road.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were still present this week at Kissena Park in Queens, Pelham Bay Park and Croton Point, and RED-NECKED GREBES were noted at numerous sites, including odd locations like Alley Pond Park, and Oakland Lake in Queens.

Among the arriving species, some perhaps wondering why, have been a few AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, especially around Jones Inlet and Breezy Point, and some TREE SWALLOWS and CEDAR WAXWINGS.

To phone in reports on Long Island, call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126, or days except Sunday 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