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Sunday, October 11, 2020

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, October 9, 2020:

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Oct. 9, 2020
* NYNY2010.09

- Birds mentioned
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
WILSON'S PHALAROPE
AMERICAN AVOCET
Long-billed Dowitcher
Stilt Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
Whimbrel
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
WESTERN KINGBIRD
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
Rusty Blackbird
PINE SISKIN
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
VESPER SPARROW
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
HENSLOW'S SPARROW
LARK SPARROW
White-crowned Sparrow
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Lincoln's Sparrow
BLUE GROSBEAK
DICKCISSEL
Philadelphia Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
CONNECTICUT WARBLER
Mourning Warbler
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
SEDGE WREN

- 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

(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, October 9th 2020 at 10pm. The highlights of today's tape are HENSLOW'S SPARROW, WESTERN KINGBIRD, SEDGE WREN, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, AMERICAN AVOCET, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, LARK SPARROW, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, BLUE GROSBEAK, DICKCISSEL, a PINE SISKIN invasion and more.

Last weekend's highlights began with a discovery Saturday of a HENSLOW'S SPARROW at Sparrow Rock in Central Park seen one day only and then on Sunday the finding of a WESTERN KINGBIRD on Governors Island, perhaps the bird from the week prior, this also present on Monday. The SEDGE WREN was seen again Sunday at Freshkills Park on Staten Island and the male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was also noted over the weekend still foraging along the east shore of Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park just south of the boathouse.

Excitement among the shorebirds included a report of the AMERICAN AVOCET in flight Tuesday over the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge while one or two WILSON'S PHALAROPES were seen both Wednesday and Thursday at the south end of the pond. Other shorebirds still using the pond, despite constant harassment by Peregrines, include some PECTORAL and STILT SANDPIPERS and a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. An immature AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER appeared today on Randall's Island. A WHIMBREL was out in Springs on the south fork last Sunday. A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER visited Smith Point County Park Monday and a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was at Gilgo Monday with one or more also still at Santapogue Creek in West Babylon this week. Forty LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were estimated at Smith Point County Park Monday and CASPIAN TERNS included one at Mecox Saturday and two at Captree Sunday with 2 at Sagg Pond yesterday.

A nice selection of sparrows this week featured the LARK SPARROW staying in Central Park's north end to Tuesday and single CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS in Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn Saturday and Governors Island Wednesday and at Read Sanctuary at Playland Park in Rye today. Also notable were single GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS at Brooklyn's Calvert Vaux Park Saturday, Planting Fields Arboretum Sunday and Kissena Park Monday and some VESPER SPARROWS included singles in Central Park and Floyd Bennett Field today. Good numbers of LINCOLN'S SPARROWS continue and more WHITE-CROWNEDS are arriving. Single LAPLAND LONGSPURS were noted today at Robert Moses State Park and at Sagg Pond while other continuing migrants have included some flycatchers including YELLOW-BELLIED, a few PHILADELPHIA VIREOS and some RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT visited Central Park Saturday.

Among the warblers a few CONNECTICUTS continue to be seen in what has been a productive fall for them and early ORANGE-CROWNEDS included one at Owl's Head Park Sunday and one in Green-wood Cemetery yesterday. Many other species of warblers continue to pass through most now in low numbers these including MOURNING, HOODED, CAPE MAY, BAY-BREASTED and WILSON'S.

A BLUE GROSBEAK stayed in Central Park's north end to Tuesday with one also at the Lido Beach Preserve Monday and another in Queens Tuesday.

DICKCISSELS this week started last Saturday with 2 at Fort Tilden and one at Calvert Vaux Park with a couple during the week ending with 2 at Moses Park and one at Read Sanctuary in Rye today and after teasing us a bit with some scattered flocks PINE SISKINS made a huge push today with over four thousand estimated moving by Moses Park this morning.

[Editor's note: A DICKCISSEL was photographed on Governors Island last Saturday at the Urban Farm. The image was found on iNaturalist < https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61617615 >.]

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
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Saturday, October 03, 2020

New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, October 2, 2020:

RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Oct. 2, 2020
* NYNY2010.02


- Birds Mentioned
SWAINSON’S HAWK+
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

EURASIAN WIGEON
AMERICAN AVOCET
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
Whimbrel
Stilt Sandpiper
BAIRD’S SANDPIPER
Pectoral Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Parasitic Jaeger
Caspian Tern
Red-headed Woodpecker
WESTERN KINGBIRD
Philadelphia Vireo
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Vesper Sparrow
LARK SPARROW
Grasshopper Sparrow
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Worm-eating Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
CONNECTICUT WARBLER
Mourning Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
BLUE GROSBEAK
DICKCISSEL

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, October 2, 2020 at 11 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are SWAINSON’S HAWK, AMERICAN AVOCET, WESTERN KINGBIRD, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, EURASIAN WIGEON, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and BAIRD’S SANDPIPER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, CONNECTICUT and other WARBLERS, BLUE GROSBEAK, DICKCISSEL and more.

In a quite good week for birds, easily the best was the immature SWAINSON’S HAWK spotted last Saturday on Governor’s Island. A couple of good photos were taken of this fairly dark juvenile before it moved off, not to be seen again despite some searching. However, combing the grounds on Governor’s Island that day did also produce a WESTERN KINGBIRD, which also did not linger.

An AMERICAN AVOCET was discovered at the north end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last Monday and was still being seen there Thursday, though not today. Conditions at the north end, especially, remain treacherous due to the high water, and the limited number of shorebirds there Tuesday did feature STILT and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. Waterfowl numbers on the East Pond are impressive and did include the EURASIAN WIGEON at the south end at least to Monday.

The male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at Flushing Meadow Corona Park, staying along Meadow Lake just south of the Boathouse, was last reported last Sunday.

Scattered reports of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER from last Saturday included two at Mecox and singles at Jones Beach West End, Floyd Bennett Field and Crab Meadow Beach, with another today at Robert Moses State Park. A BAIRD’S SANDPIPER visited Mecox Saturday, and a WHIMBREL was at Shinnecock Monday.

A PARASITIC JAEGER off Shinnecock last Saturday was followed by one in Long Island Sound off Rye Playland for a while on Sunday before moving east into Connecticut.

Recent CASPIAN TERNS were noted at Plumb Beach Thursday and at the Salt Marsh Nature Center and out at Mecox today, while single immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were spotted at Croton Point in Westchester yesterday and at Brooklyn’s Greenwood Cemetery today.

Still moving through were several PHILADELPHIA VIREOS this week, and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was spotted at Cupsogue County Park last Saturday.

With SPARROWS now increasing both in numbers and variety, highlights this week featured a LARK SPARROW still at the compost area in Central Park’s north end today, single CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS in Greenwood Cemetery and at Pelham Bay Park today, two VESPER SPARROWS in Kissena Park in Queens Wednesday, with one seen there Thursday, and another at Inwood Hill Park in northern Manhattan today, and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW at Robert Moses State Park today.

Single YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS were noted in Central Park’s Ramble Thursday and at the Hoyt Farm Town Park in Commack Tuesday.

A decent number of CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were reported this week from both city parks and several Long Island sites, though certainly not approaching the maximum mentioned in John Bull’s “Birds of New York” of 57 striking the Fire Island Lighthouse on September 23, 1883. Other WARBLERS this week included WORM-EATING, ORANGE-CROWNED, BAY-BREASTED, MOURNING, WILSON’S and HOODED.

A BLUE GROSBEAK was still in Central Park’s north end today, and a few DICKCISSELS included singles at Moses Park and Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers today.

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
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