New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, March 17, 2017:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Mar. 17, 2017
* NYNY1703.17

- Birds Mentioned

TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE+

(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

EURASIAN WIGEON
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
EARED GREBE
SANDHILL CRANE
Wilson’s Snipe
American Woodcock
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
NORTHERN GOSHAWK
Great Horned Owl
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Horned Lark
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Orange-crowned 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
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, March 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are SANDHILL CRANE, TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE, EARED GREBE, BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, EURASIAN WIGEON, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.

In a week stymied by 2 snow storms, most unexpected was the appearance of 2 SANDHILL CRANES flying over the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area last Saturday; the Cranes were not subsequently relocated, and there were also no reports this week of the Wainscott Crane out on Eastern Long Island.

The TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE was noted as recently as yesterday on the North Fork, still in the vicinity of blue house #1625 North Sea Drive in Southold.

In Fire Island Inlet off Oak Beach last weekend the EARED GREBE was spotted again Saturday and the female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE on Sunday, though both have been difficult to locate recently.

Two drake EURASIAN WIGEONS, both still around Wednesday, continue at the Salt Marsh Nature Center in Marine Park, Brooklyn and on Fresh Pond in Fort Salonga.

The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK seen lately often near the feeders in Prospect Park was still present there today, and a 2nd immature was noted again at Massapequa Preserve last Saturday.

A GLAUCOUS GULL was still visiting Bellport Bay last Saturday, and on Wednesday single ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were sitting on the Home Depot parking lot off Route 58 in Riverhead.

One result of the heavy snow Tuesday was to displace and expose a large number of AMERICAN WOODCOCKS both in city parks and surrounding regions, birds often popping up in rather unexpected locations. They also become a preferred target of raptors such as the Prospect NORTHERN GOSHAWK and GREAT HORNED OWLS. A few WILSON’S SNIPE have also been noted during these grave circumstances, both species now moving regularly through our region.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS, now becoming more colorful, continue in Central Park just west of East 68th Street and at Hendrickson Park in Valley Stream.

A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was present again with HORNED LARKS on Wednesday at Robert Moses State Park on the oval in Parking Field 5.

An ORANGE–CROWNED WARBLER was in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn last Sunday.

To phone in reports call Tom Burke weekdays 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