New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, June 26, 2015:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jun. 26, 2015
* NYNY1506.26

- Birds mentioned

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

CORY'S SHEARWATER
GREAT SHEARWATER
MANX SHEARWATER
Northern Gannet
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Willet (subspecies "Western Willet")
White-rumped Sandpiper
Roseate Tern
Royal Tern
Red-headed Woodpecker
Yellow-breasted Chat
SUMMER TANAGER
Grasshopper 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 nysarc44(at)nybirds{dot}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, June 26th 2015 at 6pm. The highlights of today's tape are WHITE-FACED IBIS, ARCTIC TERN, MANX SHEARWATER, GREAT SHEARWATER, CORY'S SHEARWATER and SUMMER TANAGER.

A nicely marked adult WHITE-FACED IBIS was still being seen today at Captree Island where it moves around with up to 20 or more Glossy Ibis eating in the marsh north of the roadway. The ibis are probably better seen towards high tide when they become more concentrated there. If you visit this site, located just west of the Robert Moses Causeway before the Jones Beach turnoff, please note that Captree Island is a private community so park off the roadway before the entrance to the community and obey the no parking signs.

ARCTIC TERNS continue to visit Cupsogue County Park in Westhampton Dunes though appearances have been sporadic recently. On Thursday on the late morning rising tide a first summer Arctic remained on the flats for quite awhile joined for a short time by a second summer Arctic. At least 4 ROSEATE TERNS also visited the flats along with some more expected terns and some lingering shorebirds including a "Western" WILLET. On Wednesday 2 ROYAL TERNS were reported in Moriches Inlet just west of the Cupsogue flats with another in Shinnecock Inlet Tuesday but no Royals were found Thursday. This species much more common along the south shore in later summer.

Small numbers of shearwaters continue to appear along Long Island's south shore. Last Saturday there were 6 or more CORY'S SHEARWATER and one GREAT SHEARWATER off Cupsogue while the late afternoon produced at least 8 GREAT plus a CORY'S off Shinnecock Inlet the Greats following returning trawlers up to the inlet mouth for some very nice views. On Sunday about 6 CORY'S were noted off Robert Moses State Park with 7 off Smith Point County Park in Shirley Tuesday and on Wednesday the only MANX SHEARWATER of the week was reported off Cupsogue. Shinnecock Inlet Thursday afternoon provided at least 2 each of CORY'S and GREAT SHEARWATERS, 2 NORTHERN GANNETS and ROSEATE TERN.

Two WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS were noted at Shirley Marina County Park last Tuesday and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen on a nest on Governors Island on Tuesday. The male SUMMER TANAGER was still singing at Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay on Sunday unfortunately apparently still unmated.

Some interesting birds in Westchester County recently have featured a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continuing at Muscoot Farm in Katonah, a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT at Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining Thursday and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, hopefully nesting, at Croton Point County Park.

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