New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, July 28, 2017:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* July 28, 2017
* NYNY1707.28

- Birds Mentioned

SOUTH POLAR SKUA+
AUDUBON’S SHEARWATER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Snow Goose
WHIMBREL
Stilt Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Pomarine Jaeger
CASPIAN TERN
Cory’s Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
BROWN PELICAN
LEAST BITTERN
Cliff Swallow
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
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

Compilers: Tom Burke and 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, July 28, 2017 at 8:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are SOUTH POLAR SKUA, AUDUBON’S SHEARWATER, BROWN PELICAN, LEAST BITTERN, WHIMBREL, CASPIAN TERN and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER.

After several weeks of quite exciting birds, this past week calmed down somewhat, hopefully just a brief hiatus until the next wave of rarities arrives.

This week’s best were some pelagic birds spotted last Saturday from a private fishing boat well south of Montauk. SHEARWATERS included a small number of GREAT and CORY’S and a single AUDUBON’S, plus about 150 WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS, a nicely photographed SOUTH POLAR SKUA and a POMARINE JAEGER.

A boat Sunday closer to Montauk noted 33 CORY’S SHEARWATERS, including 3 identified as of the Mediterranean race, single GREAT and SOOTY SHEARWATERS and 7 WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS.

After the mid-month arrival of several BROWN PELICANS, the only one reported this week was off Orient Point today.

A LEAST BITTERN was still being seen Thursday around Prospect Park Lake and is hopefully half of a pair that might be nesting there.

Some breeding success for the YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS at Bayard Cutting Arboretum was noted last Saturday when an adult and accompanying fledgling were seen together there.

Many regional birders view this period as shorebird season, and the main focus point becomes the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, though, this year so far the water level on the pond has been way above desired levels, having a negative impact on both the shorebird numbers and the ability to access the pond effectively. Birders attempting to visit the pond should be prepared for deep water and, especially at the north end, some treacherous conditions, especially if you are not familiar with the lay of the land up there. The south end is better, but there is a chain link fence that you need to walk around. The water level is being addressed, but the recent rains haven’t helped the situation either. Last Sunday before this week’s rain, a decent gathering of shorebirds did feature 15 STILT SANDPIPERS and around 250 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was there Tuesday.

On Staten Island Sunday 3 WHIMBRELS were present on the flats at Great Kills Park, and among the other birds reported there was a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, unexpected at that site.

A CASPIAN TERN was spotted at Bayshore Marina on Sunday.

There was a peak count of 14 CLIFF SWALLOWS at the nesting colony at Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park last Saturday.

Among some lingering waterfall have been a single SNOW GOOSE at Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area and out at Deep Hole Creek in Mattituck.

A few southbound migrants WARBLERS during the week included both LOUISIANA and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES, MAGNOLIA and BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS and a WORM-EATING WARBLER in Central Park Sunday.

To phone in reports, on Long Island call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126 or call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922 and leave a message.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript