New York City Rare Bird Alert

Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Thursday, December 16 2021:

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Dec. 16, 2021
* NYNY2112.16


WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
SANDHILL CRANE
Long-billed Dowitcher
ICELAND GULL
GLAUCOUS GULL
CATTLE EGRET
RED CROSSBILL
Grasshopper Sparrow
LECONTE’S SPARROW
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Orange-crowned Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Wilson's Warbler
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 Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 10:00 pm.

The highlights of today's tape are WESTERN TANAGER, LECONTE’S SPARROW, SANDHILL CRANE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, CATTLE EGRET, GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS, RED CROSSBILL, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, DICKCISSEL and more.

The locations for WESTERN TANAGER in Manhattan increased by one today when one was found at Central Park's north end, north of the 97th Street Transverse. This joins a WESTERN TANAGER continuing today at Carl Schurz Park, often visiting the feeder area just off East End Avenue adjacent to about 86th Street. And earlier this week on Monday and Tuesday a WESTERN TANAGER was seen at Clinton Community Garden, a private park viewable from West 48th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues.

In Westchester a LECONTE’S SPARROW was still being seen at Croton Point Park Tuesday, with two noted on Monday, sightings recently only occurring rather early in the morning.

Also today in Westchester, a SANDHILL CRANE was reported by motorists on the ground near the intersection of the Taconic and Saw Mill River Parkways but was gone when they returned soon afterwards.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE continues to roost on the Rye Brook pond off Bowman Avenue in southern Westchester, with another still visiting Rockland Lake State Park today. Several CACKLING GOOSE reports included one still at Hendrickson Park in Valley Stream today and three at Caumsett State Park Sunday.

Lingering single drake EURASIAN WIGEON were noted on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to Tuesday and on Mill Pond in Oyster Bay to today.

The drake KING EIDER was still being seen on the flats at Great Kills Park today, and HARLEQUIN DUCKS continue around the Jones inlet jetties.

A CATTLE EGRET was an interesting find at Jones Beach West End last Saturday, and up to six LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS continued along Santapogue Creek in West Babylon early in the week.

A GLAUCOUS GULL was noted up to Tuesday at Randall's Island, with one also on Tuesday inside Shinnecock Inlet, and single ICELAND GULLS included one on Prospect Park Lake Sunday, one in Sheepshead Bay to Monday, and one continuing around Randall's Island through today.

A single RED CROSSBILL was a good find at Jones Beach West End last Sunday, as was a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW spotted at Randall's Island last Saturday. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was photographed on Governors Island Tuesday, while another continues along the Hudson River Greenway in Manhattan along West Street south of Watts Street.

Several ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS this week included birds at Inwood Hill Park and Union Square Park in Manhattan, at Brooklyn Bridge Park and at Brooklyn's Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center, while Prospect Park added AMERICAN REDSTART, NORTHERN PARULA and WILSON'S WARBLER.

At least one DICKCISSEL was still present Wednesday at the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area feeders.

We wish you good fortune on the upcoming Christmas Bird Counts.

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.