New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, July 31, 2020:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* July 31, 2020
* NYNY2007.31

BROWN PELICAN
Semipalmated Plover
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
WHIMBREL
Ruddy Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
CASPIAN TERN
Royal Tern
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
Bank Swallow
Purple Martin
Cliff Swallow
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
BLUE GROSBEAK

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, July 31, 2020 at 9:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are BROWN PELICAN, WHIMBREL and other shorebirds, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and CASPIAN TERN, ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, BLUE GROSBEAK and more.

Going through a seemingly relatively slow period recently, last Saturday at least did provide BROWN PELICAN reports, with two off the Avalon Avenue beach on Staten Island and another seen again on the ocean off mid-Fire Island. Seabirding, though, has generally been unproductive this week.

Shorebirds do continue to move through, and today in Brooklyn four WHIMBREL were spotted as they flew over Floyd Bennett Field, this followed a short time later by five moving by Plumb Beach.

Among other more unusual shorebirds were a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Plumb Beach Monday, that day also providing a PECTORAL SANDPIPER at Mecox, with three PECTORALS at Heckscher State Park today. Other shorebirds also moving through now include SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.

Unfortunately, the region’s premier shorebirding site, the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, continues to be unsuitable for both shorebirds and birders, despite efforts to get the outflow working properly and the water level down. Stay tuned for word on hopeful improvements here.

Four LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were at Mecox Monday, with others scattered along the coast, and some ROYAL TERNS at various coastal sites were supplemented by reports of single CASPIAN TERNS at Robert Moses State Park Sunday and on Staten Island today.

A family group of ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS, including two recently fledged young, has been a highlight in Prospect Park recently, and BLUE GROSBEAKS with young remain around the very productive grasslands in Calverton.

Among a very modest movement of early landbird migrants recently have been a few LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES plus a WORM-EATING WARBLER spotted Tuesday in Brooklyn. Various SWALLOWS, including CLIFF, BANK and PURPLE MARTIN, have also been gathering in certain areas.

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