New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, June 20, 2014:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
*June 20, 2014
* NYNY1406.20

- Birds Mentioned

WHITE-FACED IBIS+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

CORY’S SHEARWATER
GREAT SHEARWATER
Glossy Ibis
Greater Yellowlegs
White-rumped Sandpiper
GLAUCOUS GULL
Black-billed Cuckoo
Acadian Flycatcher
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER

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 nysarc44nybirdsorg

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, June 20 at 5:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are WHITE-FACED IBIS, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, GLAUCOUS GULL, GREAT and CORY’S SHEARWATERS and a pelagic trip announcement.

In a rather slow week for rarities, we can report that the WHITE-FACED IBIS was still visiting the marsh north of Captree Island just west of the Robert Moses Causeway last Saturday. It and two dozen GLOSSY IBIS plus 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were feeding in the marsh just north of the Captree Island information sign and small parking turnout on a rising tide. If there, please make every effort to not inconvenience the local residents.

Also on Saturday, a morning seawatch off Robert Moses State Park Field 2 produced 8 large SHEARWATERS, with 1 GREAT and all the rest appearing to be CORY’S, though distance in some cases precluded positive identification. Late Saturday afternoon, 4 GREAT SHEARWATERS spent some time feeding off Shinnecock Inlet, twice following trawlers and their gull entourage into the inlet mouth. Shorebirds from Cupsogue County Park and Pike’s Beach in Westhampton Dunes and east of there along Dune Road on Saturday were much reduced in numbers, but there was a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Tiana Beach.

Last Friday at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge an ACADIAN FLYCATCHER and a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO were found in the gardens, and a GLAUCOUS GULL was spotted at Terrapin Point, perhaps the same bird previously lingering around the Brooklyn waterfront. Terrapin Point now requires a long walk around the former West Pond, so when you are there, please express your displeasure over the condition of the West Pond, and demand that they stop stalling and restore it to a productive status by repairing the breach, the crucial first step.

You still can sign the petition, which is available on the internet at http://tinyurl.com/west-pond-petition Your involvement will help Jamaica Bay regain its well-deserved international recognition.

As this is now breeding season, please remember to keep even passive disturbance to a minimum, especially when visiting habitats for uncommon or threatened species—this period is very critical for their survival. With that in mind, 2 male YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS do continue on territory around the entrance at Connetquot River State Park.

An overnight pelagic trip has been scheduled by See Life Paulagics from Freeport, Long Island, departing 8 PM on Monday, August 11th and returning the following evening at 6 PM. The trip is aboard the Star Stream VIII of the Captain Lou Fleet and costs $255 per participant. The objective is to be out at the continental shelf at dawn, set up a sizeable chum slick, and then work back slowly, hopefully encountering an exciting selection of seabirds and mammals. For information and reservations call See Life Paulagics at 215-234-6805 or visit their website at www.paulagics.com

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