New York City Rare Bird Alert

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

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Apr. 2, 2021
* NYNY2104.02


- Birds mentioned
Progne spp. (CUBAN/CARIBBEAN/SINALOA/GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN)+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Chimney Swift
DOVEKIE
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
American Bittern
Snowy Egret
Rough-legged Hawk
Purple Martin
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Purple Finch
Common Redpoll
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Chipping Sparrow
Louisiana Waterthrush
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
Northern Parula
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER

- 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, April 2nd 2021 at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are an as yet not specifically identified MARTIN at Prospect Park Lake, WESTERN TANAGER, DOVEKIE, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, ORANGE-CROWNED and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS, spring migrants and more.

Not an April Fool's joke but likely one of the year's highlights. Yesterday a MARTIN was spotted flying around Prospect Park Lake with Tree and other swallows. In close scrutiny then and today as the bird remained around the lake to sunset points to this being not a Purple Martin but either a GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN or one of the formerly Snowy Bellied complex now split into 3 species including CUBAN and CARIBBEAN MARTINS. Further analysis of photos and vocalizations will presumably provide the answer. The MARTIN was found this morning on the west side of the lake roosting in a tree with Tree Swallows and once it started feeding over the lake, usually at a low level, it did cover most of the lake but spent much of its time cruising the southwest corner of the lake. This area is just inside the park from Prospect Park Southwest where a prudent birder would begin a Saturday morning search.

A female WESTERN TANAGER in Manhattan's Carl Schurz Park was still present today as was the wintering ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. The TANAGER is usually seen at the feeders just inside the park on the east side of East End Avenue just below East 86th Street while the warbler remains at the north end of the park along the border with Gracie Mansion.

A storm related occurrence of a DOVEKIE last Saturday at the north end of Georgica Cove and East Hampton ended with the bird swimming away down the cove. A young male KING EIDER was spotted off Robert Moses State Park field 2 last Saturday and today a female KING was reported with Common Eider by the jetties off Point Lookout Town Park with HARLEQUIN DUCKS also continuing there.

An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was spotted at Coney Island Creek last Sunday and a GLAUCOUS GULL appeared again last Saturday at Flax Pond in Old Field north of Stony Brook. An ICELAND GULL was noted at Randall's Island Monday and Wednesday and on Central Park Reservoir Thursday and a few LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS included 3 at Jones Beach Tuesday.

An AMERICAN BITTERN continues along Dune Road and another was spotted in marshes at Oakwood Beach on Staten Island last Saturday.

A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was still around Captree Monday.

Lingering winter finches included a couple of COMMON REDPOLLS in Brooklyn's Green-wood Cemetery Wednesday. RED CROSSBILLS heard off Paumanok Trail by Jones Pond in Manorville last Saturday is a possible nesting area and some PINE SISKINS and PURPLE FINCHES currently moving through.

A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was found at Connetquot River State Park in Great River yesterday and among other returning species this week have been SNOWY EGRET last Saturday, CHIMNEY SWIFT Monday, PURPLE MARTIN and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER as of Saturday, CHIPPING SPARROW, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH Tuesday and a NORTHERN PARULA found in Central Park Wednesday and still present 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