New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 24, 2019:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 24, 2019
* NYNY1905.24

- Birds mentioned
WHITE-FACED IBIS+
WILSON'S PLOVER+
MISSISSIPPI KITE+
BURROWING OWL+ (from last week)
SAGE THRASHER+
BICKNELL'S THRUSH+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Roseate Tern
Black Tern
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK
Glossy Ibis
Cattle Egret
Red-headed Woodpecker
CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW
BLUE GROSBEAK
SUMMER TANAGER
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Worm-eating Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
KENTUCKY WARBLER
Mourning Warbler
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Gray-cheeked Thrush

- 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

Compilers: Tom Burke and 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, May 24th 2019 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are SAGE THRASHER, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, MISSISSIPPI KITE, WILSON'S PLOVER, WHITE-FACED IBIS, CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, KENTUCKY WARBLER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK and much more.

Another excellent week for rarities locally starting with the SAGE THRASHER found last Friday afternoon that stayed around the gardens at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge through Saturday but could not be relocated there Sunday. For John Bull's Birds of New York State and NYSARC records this was New York's fifth record of SAGE THRASHER and the first since 1973. As a note too, the BURROWING OWL near the Refuge on Thursday the 16th would be New York's 7th record.

Out at Cupsogue County Park in West Hampton Dunes a WILSON'S PLOVER, found on the 15th, was still being seen at least through Tuesday usually along the outer beach from the parking area west and occasionally on the bay side at low tide.

Also continuing from the prior week WHITE-FACED IBIS were still being seen among the gathering of Glossy Ibis around the grassy pools at field 6 at Heckscher State Park at least to Monday with 2 different individuals spotted there Sunday.

Also on Monday a MISSISSIPPI KITE was photographed as it flew over Ceasar's Bay Bazaar in Brooklyn and thanks to a quick phone call was also spotted shortly thereafter as it passed by Green-wood Cemetery. Over 60 MISSISSIPPI KITES down in Cape May on Tuesday means we could reasonably expect a few more to head our way.

And then on Tuesday 4 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS were discovered at Cow Meadow Park in Freeport where they spent the day on the lawns adjacent to the pond but not seen Wednesday it could be worth checking the report of 8 at the Jones Beach cloverleaf presumably at the Meadowbrook Parkway juncture from today.

A CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW was a nice find last Saturday in the Ramble in Central Park.

As the warbler migration approaches its end highlights do continue. A PROTHONOTARY was found last Saturday at Strack Pond at the western end of Forest Park and another was still in Prospect Park today. A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER in Central Park last Saturday was followed by singles in Prospect Park Monday and at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Tuesday. A KENTUCKY WARBLER was at the Rye Nature Center Tuesday and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT visited Central Park last Saturday. A few MOURNING WARBLERS began appearing from Saturday on and also continuing were such favorites as WORM-EATING, TENNESSEE, BAY-BREASTED, CAPE MAY and more.

Among the thrushes a BICKNELL'S was heard singing in Forest Park Wednesday and others are certainly occurring among the GRAY-CHEEKEDS now moving through.

Last Sunday BLUE GROSBEAKS were noted in both Central and Prospect Parks and during the week at least 7 SUMMER TANAGERS were reported including from Central, Prospect, Forest, Kissena and Inwood Hill Parks, Jamaica Bay and out in East Hampton. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was still on territory at Connetquot River State Park today.

At Nickerson Beach on Tuesday there were a ROSEATE and 4 GULL-BILLED TERNS around the Common Tern and Black Skimmer colonies and a BLACK TERN was there yesterday and today.

An ICELAND GULL at Cupsogue Saturday was followed by one Sunday at Oak Beach and some LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS included 11 at Cupsogue and 9 at Heckscher on Sunday and a CASPIAN TERN visited Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn Wednesday and a CATTLE EGRET was noted in Bellport Sunday.

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

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

- End transcript