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