New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, November 29, 2019:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Nov. 29, 2019
* NYNY1911.29

- Birds mentioned
THAYER'S GULL+
BROWN PELICAN+
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Red-necked Grebe
BLACK GUILLEMOT
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
TUNDRA SWAN
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
WESTERN KINGBIRD
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Vesper Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
NORTHERN SHRIKE
White-eyed Vireo
Nashville Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Ovenbird
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Wilson's Warbler

Escaped: Emperor Goose

- 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

Compiler: Tom Burke
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County

Transcriber: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, November 29th 2019 at 9pm. The highlights of today's tape are GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, BLACK GUILLEMOT, BROWN PELICAN, WESTERN KINGBIRD, NORTHERN SHRIKE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, TUNDRA SWAN, ICELAND GULL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and more.

We've received no reports of the GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW visiting Brookside Park in Sayville since last Monday. This park is at 59 Brook Street across from Sayville High School and the feeders are behind the park building where the GOLDEN-CROWNED and accompanying White-throated Sparrows were seen most consistently. It still might be fruitful checking there for this bird.

Last Saturday morning a winter plumaged BLACK GUILLEMOT flew into Shinnecock Inlet and then floated back out again. Unfortunately the only time it was seen.

The immature BROWN PELICAN was still present Wednesday around the inlet to Montauk Harbor often sitting along the west side of the inlet or on sand beaches just inside the inlet.

Also in the Montauk area a NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen this morning at the Theodore Roosevelt County Park on the north side of Route 27 just west of the Deep Hollow Dude Ranch.

The WESTERN KINGBIRD at Jones Beach West End was last reported last Saturday near the Coast Guard Station.

Three TUNDRA SWANS, 2 adults and a young bird, were first spotted last Saturday on the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and were still present today around the mid point of the pond. An immature GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was found in a Canada Goose flock Tuesday in Dix Hills the flock frequenting a field at Half Hollow Hills High School West near the intersection of Wolf's Hill Road and Melrose Road. Vagrant geese, except for a few Cackling types have been scarce so far this fall. Though an escaped EMPEROR GOOSE in White Plains recently has raised hopes that more vagrants are on the way perhaps to be pushed down by the upcoming storm.

Last Saturday single ICELAND GULLS were at Playland Park in Rye and along the northeastern shore of Staten Island with 2 at Shinnecock Inlet Sunday when 7 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were also present along the Shinnecock beaches. Two LESSER BLACK-BACKEDS were also at Smith Point County Park Monday with another on with Central Park Reservoir Wednesday. A possible THAYER'S ICELAND GULL at Argyle Lake in Babylon last Saturday unfortunately got away before all salient field marks could be documented.

During the week COMMON GALLINULES were present at Mill Pond Park in Bellmore through today and on Lotus Lake in Sayville at least to Monday and a RED-NECKED GREBE was seen off Mount Loretto Unique Area on Staten Island Sunday.

An immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER found Saturday in Central Park's north end was still present yesterday and an adult was spotted at Pelham Bay Park's Hunter Island on Tuesday.

A group of 9 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were identified Wednesday as they flew around the Riverhead sod fields off Route 105 just below Sound Avenue.

The YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was present yesterday and today at Mill Pond in Bellmore and another continues at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye.

A VESPER SPARROW was still at the recently opened Shirley Chisholm State Park in Brooklyn last Saturday and other interesting late species have featured WHITE-EYED VIREO, LINCOLN'S SPARROW and various warblers including OVENBIRD, NASHVILLE, BLACK-THROATED GREEN and a WILSON'S lingering in Prospect Park.

To phone in reports 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