Check out City Birder Tours, and Green-Wood sponsored tours on their calendar pages here.
Celebrate your inner nerd with my new t-shirt design! Available on my Spreadshirt shop in multiple colors and products.

Sunday, May 31, 2020

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 29th 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 29, 2020
* NYNY2005.29

- Birds mentioned
ARCTIC TERN+
BROWN BOOBY+
SWAINSON'S WARBLER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

PARASITIC JAEGER
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
CORY'S SHEARWATER
Sooty Shearwater
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Northern Gannet
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
MARBLED GODWIT
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
BLUE GROSBEAK
SUMMER TANAGER
PHILADELPHIA VIREO
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Mourning Warbler
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT

- 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, May 29th 2020 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are SWAINSON'S WARBLER, BROWN BOOBY, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, MARBLED GODWIT, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, ICELAND GULL, ARCTIC TERN, CORY'S SHEARWATER, PARASITIC JAEGER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK and much more.

Some exciting birds at the end of a mixed period of migration included a SWAINSON'S WARBLER seen briefly but well at Muttontown Preserve in Nassau's East Norwich on Tuesday. The bird was seen from the trail north of the equestrian area parking lot off Route 106 but could not be relocated subsequently.

On Thursday a BROWN BOOBY was identified moving east off Robert Moses State Park during a seawatch. It should be noted that good numbers of NORTHERN GANNETS are now also moving by including about 300 estimated off Triton Lane along Dune Road last Monday with virtually all the GANNETS now immatures. The Triton Lane watch Monday also provided the season's first shearwaters with 23 SOOTY and even 2 early CORY'S as well as 28 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS and 4 PARASITIC JAEGERS. On Thursday SOOTY SHEARWATERS included 56 off Moses Park and fewer numbers off Dune Road sites while 4 PARASITIC JAEGERS cruised by Pike's Beach east of Cupsogue County Park and 2 were noted from Moses. Interesting along Dune Road as well were the 24 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS gathered at Tiana Beach and 9 more at Pike's Beach.

Last Sunday an ARCTIC TERN was found at Democrat Point at the western tip of Fire Island with a CASPIAN TERN at Mecox the same day. Single ICELAND GULLS were spotted Sunday at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Wednesday at Brooklyn's Plumb Beach.

Shorebirds are now gathering in good numbers along south shore estuaries including at Cupsogue County Park and east along Dune Road. Highlights so far included a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE photographed Tuesday at Plumb Beach and a MARBLED GODWIT spotted today at Cupsogue.

Most unusual among the passerines was a young male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD photographed today during its brief stay at Point O'Woods in central Fire Island.

Among the various but decreasing numbers of warblers this week were a PROTHONOTARY seen again Monday at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in the North Garden and a YELLOW-THROATED still singing at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River last Saturday. Among the latest to move through several MOURNING WARBLERS were noted this week. The YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT continued in Central Park’s Ramble through last weekend and a few SUMMER TANAGERS remained in Central Park and elsewhere.

Some BLUE GROSBEAKS remain around the Calverton Grasslands but unfortunately they apparently have been aggressively pursued by various people some using tapes to extreme excess and this practice, especially with very sensitive nesting species, cannot be condoned. Enjoy these birds peacefully but do not harass them.

Among the later migrants are some ALDER and ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS and at least 3 PHILADELPHIA VIREOS this week and NELSON'S SPARROWS were noted as of Wednesday at Plumb Beach.

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
...Read more

Saturday, May 02, 2020

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, May 1, 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 1, 2020
* NYNY2005.01

- Birds mentioned
BROWN BOOBY+
WHITE-FACED IBIS+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Parasitic Jaeger
Black-legged Kittiwake
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Caspian Tern
Least Tern
MANX SHEARWATER
Northern Gannet
HARLEQUIN DUCK
KING EIDER
Cattle Egret
SANDHILL CRANE
White-rumped Sandpiper
WHIMBREL
Red-headed Woodpecker
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Great Crested Flycatcher
Seaside Sparrow
BLUE GROSBEAK
SUMMER TANAGER
Bank Swallow
Warbling Vireo
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Worm-eating Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Wood Thrush
Veery

- 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, May 1st 2020 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are BROWN BOOBY, SANDHILL CRANE, WHITE-FACED IBIS, MANX SHEARWATER, BLACK-HEADED GULL, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, WHIMBREL, BLUE GROSBEAK, SUMMER TANAGER, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER and much more.

Despite the virus and generally adverse weather patterns migration continues to happen and probably the biggest surprise was an adult BROWN BOOBY found late this afternoon sitting on a fence post in the median of Ocean Parkway at Gilgo. At dusk the BOOBY was still roosting in the median on the west side of Gilgo.

Another surprise was a SANDHILL CRANE photographed Wednesday as it flew over the north end of Central Park.

A WHITE-FACED IBIS was photographed with Glossy Ibis at Captree Island last Tuesday and one was also seen again on Thursday at the Timber Point Golf Course in Great River.

During Thursday's storm single MANX SHEARWATERS were reported from Robert Moses State Park in the morning and then off Hook Pond in East Hampton in the afternoon. Other highlights from these seawatches included a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, 1,259 NORTHERN GANNETS, 1 ICELAND and 12 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS at Moses and 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS going by together off Hook Pond. A BLACK-HEADED GULL continuing at Timber Point to Sunday was followed by a full adult visiting Knapp's Lake at Brockwood Hall Park in East Islip yesterday.

At Orient Point 3 KING EIDER last Sunday were down to 1 female today and the 4 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were last noted Monday.

A WHIMBREL at Timber Point Saturday was followed by 6 Tuesday at Smith Point County Park in Shirley and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER stayed at Captree Island to Saturday.

On Thursday an ICELAND GULL was seen again in Sheepshead Bay and 11 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were counted at Riis Park. A few reports of CASPIAN TERN included one at Prospect Park Lake Wednesday and 3 at Hempstead Lake State Park today.

A CATTLE EGRET was still around the Down's Creek area in Cutchogue at least to Wednesday. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continues at Central Park's north end with another found at Connetquot River State Park Tuesday. A BLUE GROSBEAK found Monday at Fort Tryon Park on Manhattan was still present today and the season's first SUMMER TANAGER appeared at Hempstead Lake State Park Wednesday. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER lingered at Hempstead Lake to Tuesday with others found Wednesday in Prospect Park and at Fuch's Pond Preserve in Fort Salonga while a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continues at Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River with another reported from Central Park's north end Wednesday.

With a decent influx of migrants during the week some arrivals have included LEAST TERN, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, both GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER and EASTERN KINGBIRD, WARBLING VIREO, BANK SWALLOW, VEERY and WOOD THRUSH, GRAY CATBIRD and BROWN THRASHER and SEASIDE SPARROW.

In addition numerous species of warblers in varying numbers have featured first reports of HOODED, AMERICAN REDSTART, CERULEAN, MAGNOLIA and BLACK-THROATED BLUE and increasing numbers of WORM-EATING, BLUE-WINGED, NASHVILLE, NORTHERN PARULA, PRAIRIE WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN and the like.

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
...Read more