New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, February 14, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 14, 2020
* NYNY2002.14

- Birds Mentioned

BARNACLE GOOSE+
THICK-BILLED MURRE+
TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE+
VARIED THRUSH+
PAINTED BUNTING+
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Greater White-fronted Goose
Canada Goose
TUNDRA SWAN
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Red-necked Grebe
American Woodcock
Razorbill
Black-legged Kittiwake
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Rough-legged Hawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
SEDGE WREN
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW


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, February 14, 2020 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE, VARIED THRUSH, PAINTED BUNTING, SEDGE wren and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, THICK-BILLED MURRE, BARNACLE and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, TUNDRA SWAN, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and more.


The list of unusual passerines in our area increased by one last Sunday when a TOWNSEND’S SOLItAIRE was spotted north of East Hampton. Found initially in the Northwest Harbor area along Three Mile Harbor Drive, this elusive bird was also seen on Monday and Wednesday, the latter along Three Mile Harbor Drive up near Old House Landing Road. Fortunately, the SOLITAIRE has been calling, which helps in locating it.

The Prospect Park VARIED THRUSH was seen as recently as yesterday in the Nethermead section of the park, often near the ravine.

The Brooklyn Painted Bunting also continues at Brooklyn Bridge Park, moving between Piers 3 to 5, noted yesterday at the Pier 5 uplands.

A SEDGE WREN at Arshamomaque Ponds Preserve out on the North Fork east of Southold has not been encountered recently, though is likely still present, and a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was reported again Saturday and Monday in a large blackbird flock along Sound Avenue in Calverton, this flock occasionally stopping by the Lewin Farm at 723 Sound Avenue.

Also lingering recently has been a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW seen again Sunday and Wednesday at Moravian Cemetery on Staten Island.

Last Sunday morning at Montauk Point a THICK-BILLED MURRE was spotted flying by the north side of Montauk Point, where one had also been present the previous Sunday. Also recorded at Montauk over last weekend were counts of up to 85 RAZORBILLS and 16 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES. Another 45 RAZORBILLS were counted off Breezy Point last Sunday.

A BARNACLE GOOSE out in the Riverhead area was seen Sunday with Canada Geese along Route 105 south of the Northville Turnpike.

Beside the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE continuing in the Rye area of southern Westchester, another was spotted again Saturday on Shorts Pond off Scuttlehole Road in Watermill. In that area as well were the two TUNDRA SWANS, seen Thursday east of Head of Pond Road in Watermill.

A drake EURASIAN WIGEON visited Lloyd Neck Beach in Lloyd Harbor last Sunday.

Two drake KING EIDERS were spotted off Culloden Point in Montauk last Sunday, and at least one was still there Wednesday. A female KING EIDER remains on the east side of Shinnecock Inlet.

The Brooklyn HARLEQUIN DUCK was still in Sheepshead Bay at least to Monday, and four were still off Orient Point Wednesday.

BLACK-HEADED GULLS were noted at Sheepshead Bay Monday and Brooklyn Bridge Park today, at West Meadow Wetlands Preserve in Stony Brook Monday, and at Georgica Cove Hollow Sunday.

Recent Central Park Reservoir visitors have included an ICELAND GULL through Thursday and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at least to Tuesday, with others of each continuing in the area.

A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK continues in the Tobay to Gilgo area, RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS remain in Central and Pelham Bay Parks, among others, three RED-NECKED GREBES were off Montauk Park Saturday, and wonderfully, AMERICAN WOODCOCK are now displaying.

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