Category: Rare Bird Alerts

– RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Apr. 1, 2022
* NYNY2204.01

– Birds mentioned
LECONTE’S SPARROW+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

KING EIDER
SANDHILL CRANE (Rockland County)
STILT SANDPIPER
Pectoral Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Razorbill
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
American Bittern
CATTLE EGRET
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Pine Siskin
VESPER SPARROW
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Louisiana Waterthrush
Orange-crowned Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
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

This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, April 1st 2022 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are LECONTE’S SPARROW, WESTERN TANAGER, SANDHILL CRANE, KING EIDER, CATTLE EGRET, GLAUCOUS GULL, ICELAND GULL, STILT SANDPIPER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, VESPER SPARROW and more.

As more spring migrants begin appearing there’s no telling what the status is of the LECONTE’S SPARROW seen briefly on top of Croton Point landfill early Thursday morning. Was this the same individual that was also present in the same spot back in November and December? Whether yes or no it was looked for but not seen there this morning.

Manhattan’s WESTERN TANAGER visiting Carl Schurz Park was still present today, usually seen as it appears at the feeders located in the park off East End Avenue just south of East 86th Street.

A SANDHILL CRANE was watched as it circled over Piermont Pier in Rockland County last Sunday morning eventually moving off to the west.

A drake KING EIDER was still present yesterday around the sandflats at Great Kills Park on Staten Island and the drake at Shinnecock was seen again just east of the Ponquogue Bridge last Sunday.

An early CATTLE EGRET visited the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area yesterday.

At the same time an AMERICAN BITTERN was drawing lots of attention in Central Park’s north end.

Among the northbound shorebirds a STILT SANDPIPER was found yesterday off Dune Road near Ponquogue Bridge and single PECTORAL SANDPIPERS visited Governors Island last Saturday and Tanner Park in Copiague from Monday on. A few LESSER YELLOWLEGS are also beginning to show up.

Some RAZORBILLS, still being seen off Breezy Point, included 15 last Saturday.

A GLAUCOUS GULL continued near the Verrazzano Bridge viewing area just north of the bridge to last Sunday while an ICELAND GULL was still being seen today at Brooklyn’s Plumb Beach where a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was also present last Sunday.

The highlight among the few species of warblers so far reaching our area was a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER spotted today in Central Park’s Ramble. Also today LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES were found in at least 3 locations and some PALM WARBLERS are also returning now joining the scattered PINE WARBLER and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS already here. The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was still at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River this week.

Today VESPER SPARROWS were found in Captree State Park and near the Ponquogue Bridge and another again at Caumsett State Park Tuesday and a wintering LINCOLN’S SPARROW was still at Greeley Square Park in Manhattan today. This park is on the east side of 6th Avenue between West 32nd and West 33rd Streets. Among other passerines appearing this week have been BARN SWALLOW and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER and PINE SISKINS were reported at the feeders in Forest Park Queens on Wednesday.

Oh, and as an update … there have unfortunately been no further sightings of the STELLER’S SEA-EAGLE on Staten Island

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

 RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Mar. 25, 2022
* NYNY2203.25

– Birds mentioned
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
American Oystercatcher
Piping Plover
Least Sandpiper
American Woodcock
Wilson’s Snipe
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Laughing Gull
ICELAND GULL
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
American Bittern
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White-eyed Vireo
Purple Martin
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Purple Finch
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Chipping Sparrow
VESPER SPARROW
Swamp Sparrow
Orange-crowned Warbler

– Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at ttp://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, March 25th 2022 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are WESTERN TANAGER, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED, GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, VESPER SPARROW and more.

Since the March doldrums seem to be loosening up, so never as quickly as hoped for, new migrants are slowly appearing.

Locally though, Manhattan’s two WESTERN TANAGERS continue to garner top billing. The more reliable female at Carl Schurz Park, still present today, usually seen visiting feeders just inside the park off East End Avenue just south of East 86th Street. The west side TANAGER was spotted again last Saturday still around the private Clinton Community Garden off West 48th Street east of 10th Avenue.

Waterfowl are now moving north in good numbers while a decent variety continues locally these including the drake KING EIDER remaining at Great Kills Park on Staten Island and another drake KING spotted again Wednesday out near the Ponquogue Bridge at Shinnecock. Two drake HARLEQUIN DUCKS were also still out on the north fork at Southold on Thursday these seen off Horton Point at the end of Lighthouse Road.

A BLACK-HEADED GULL was photographed last Saturday at Brooklyn’s Plumb Beach where an ICELAND GULL was also present and a BLACK-HEADED in decent plumage was spotted last Sunday at Old Field Point and Lighthouse Park north of Stony Brook where a GLAUCOUS GULL was also still hanging around. Other GLAUCOUS GULLS featured one still around the Brooklyn side of the Verrazzano Bridge Wednesday and one seen off Playland Park in Rye last Sunday morning while another ICELAND GULL was spotted Monday at the Dyckman Street Pier in northern Manhattan. Among the few LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were 2 at Floyd Bennett Field on Thursday and another at Jones Beach West End Monday.

Up to 4 RAZORBILLS were spotted off Breezy Point during the week one venturing in towards Brighton Beach Thursday.

A LEAST SANDPIPER was seen again at Great Kills Park Sunday and other shorebirds noted this week included some more PIPING PLOVERS as well as AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WILLET, WILSON’S SNIPE and lots of displaying AMERICAN WOODCOCKS.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was still around the JFK/Tobay Sanctuary Tuesday while other arriving non-passerines included LAUGHING GULL, SNOWY EGRET and YELLOW-CROWNED and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS plus numbers of vultures, hawks and falcons.

A breeding plumaged LAPLAND LONGSPUR was spotted Monday with Horned Larks along the runway at the old Grumman airport in Calverton and 2 VESPER SPARROWS were still at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center off Yaphank Avenue on Monday.

Earlier were single WHITE-EYED VIREOS found at Sands Point Tuesday and Ketcham’s Creek in Amityville Wednesday while other passerines on the move included PURPLE MARTIN, BROWN CREEPER, HOUSE and MARSH WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, PURPLE FINCH and CHIPPING and SWAMP SPARROWS.

Late week ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were noted at Randall’s Island and Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center in Brooklyn and the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River.

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

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Mar. 18, 2022
* NYNY2203.18

– Birds Mentioned

PACIFIC LOON+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

TRUMPETER SWAN
TUNDRA SWAN
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
Common Gallinule
Piping Plover
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Northern Gannet
Great Egret
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
American Pipit
VESPER SPARROW
Orange-crowned Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler

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:  Gail Benson

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings!  This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, March 18, 2022 at 11:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are WESTERN TANAGER, PACIFIC LOON, TUNDRA and TRUMPETER SWANS, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER, BLACK-HEADED and GLAUCOUS GULLS, VESPER SPARROW and more.

Manhattan’s two WESTERN TANAGERS were both seen this week as recently as yesterday – the Carl Schurz Park Tanager, more likely in the morning, often visits the feeders inside the Park off East End Avenue, just south of East 86th Street, while the West Side bird, much more elusive, was seen very briefly as it visited the private Clinton Community Garden off West 48th Street east of 10th Avenue.

A PACIFIC LOON was reported off Orient Point today, apparently still in winter plumage, and should be looked for around the breakwater area.

Seven TUNDRA SWANS were spotted Wednesday morning flying by Conference House Park on southern Staten Island, while what was reported on last week’s tape as a Tundra Swan on Lake Tappan in Rockland County on March 8th was corrected to a TRUMPETER SWAN based on analysis of photos, this not always an easy separation.

A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was seen again at Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4 last Tuesday, and the drake KING EIDER was still at Great Kills Park Wednesday.

Single BLACK-HEADED GULLS remained at least to Wednesday along the Brooklyn coast from Plumb Beach up to the Verrazano Bridge overlook just north of the bridge and out in East Setauket Harbor. A GLAUCOUS GULL also frequented the same stretch of Brooklyn coastline up to Wednesday, and an ICELAND GULL visited Plumb Beach to Wednesday and may be the same one spotted a few times up to today on Prospect Park Lake. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS  were seen at at least 6 locations, including 10 at Robert Moses State Park Saturday.

A COMMON GALLINULE continues at Mill Pond Park north of Merrick Road in Bellmore, and up to 6 PIPING PLOVERS continue to frequent the bar off the Coast Guard Station at Jones Beach West End.

Some RAZORBILLS continuing off Breezy Point included 12 on Tuesday, and 2 RAZORBILLS along with a NORTHERN GANNET were seen today on Long Island Sound off Playland Park in Rye.

Two VESPER SPARROWS were still present Monday at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center off Yaphank Avenue.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River on Sunday, and lingering ORANGE-CROWNEDS also continued at Randall’s Island and Battery Park City.

Among the more recent migrants appearing locally have been GREAT EGRET, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, AMERICAN PIPIT and PINE and PALM WARBLERS.

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

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Mar. 11, 2022
* NYNY2203.11

– Birds Mentioned

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Greater White-fronted Goose
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
Red-necked Grebe
Common Gallinule
Piping Plover
Killdeer
American Woodcock
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Osprey
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
VESPER SPARROW
Orange-crowned Warbler
Pine Warbler

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:  Gail Benson

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings!  This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, March 11, 2022 at 11:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are WESTERN TANAGER, PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, BARROW’S GOLDENEYE and KING EIDER, BLACK-HEADED, GLAUCOUS and other GULLS, VESPER SPARROW and more.

As we await the lessening of the March doldrums, with currently most of our waterfowl and other wintering birds heading north and only a trickle of spring arrivals so far appearing, at least one of Manhattan’s WESTERN TANAGERS continues – the Carl Schurz Park female was still visiting feeders there this week, these located inside the park off East End Avenue just south of East 86th Street.

Among the waterfowl, a PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was spotted with CANADA GEESE last Saturday morning at Long Pond, now called Sayre Park, on the west side of Bridgehampton, while in Rockland County the immature GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still at Rockland Lake State Park today and a TUNDRA SWAN visited Lake Tappan on Tuesday.

Lingering EURASIAN WIGEON include a male on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge today and one at Bush Terminal Piers Park in Brooklyn at least to Tuesday.  A female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was off Wildwood State Park east of Wading River last Monday, and the drake KING EIDER was still at Great Kills Park today.

A RED-NECKED GREBE and a top count of 29 RAZORBILLS were seen off Breezy Point last Sunday.

Among the Gulls, an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen again last Sunday off Brooklyn’s Plumb Beach, along with an ICELAND GULL, and a Brooklyn GLAUCOUS GULL was spotted during the week from Gravesend Bay up to just north of the Verrazano Bridge.

Out at Old Field Point and Lighthouse Park north of Stony Brook, the very intriguing but as yet not positively identified as to species Herring-type gull with bright yellow legs and feet and a wing pattern strongly suggestive of a European HERRING GULL was still present at least to last Sunday; other gulls occurring there have featured GLAUCOUS, ICELAND and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED.  A few LESSER BLACK-BACKEDS elsewhere in the region included 7 at Robert Moses State Park last Sunday.

A COMMON GALLINULE remains at Mill Pond Park in Bellmore, and PIPING PLOVER numbers at Jones Beach West End increased to 6 as of today. Other earlier Spring arrivals this week have included good numbers of KILLDEER and displaying AMERICAN WOODCOCK, a few LAUGHING GULLS and OSPREY, some EASTERN PHOEBES and TREE SWALLOWS and a few PINE WARBLERS.

A VESPER SPARROW remains at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center off Yaphank Avenue, and single ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were noted continuing at Battery Park City in Manhattan and north of the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

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

– RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Mar. 4, 2022
* NYNY2203.04

– Birds mentioned
THICK-BILLED MURRE+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Wood Duck
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Common Gallinule
Piping Plover
Least Sandpiper
American Woodcock
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Rough-legged Hawk
Eastern Phoebe
NORTHERN SHRIKE
Horned Lark
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole

– 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, March 4th 2022 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are WESTERN TANAGER, NORTHERN SHRIKE, THICK-BILLED MURRE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED, GLAUCOUS GULL and other gulls, LAPLAND LONGSPUR and more.

Manhattan’s two WESTERN TANAGERS were still present this week. The more reliable one, especially in the morning, continues at Carl Schurz Park visiting the feeders located in the park off East End Avenue just south of East 86th Street while more elusive is the one moving around in the vicinity of private Clinton Community Garden off West 48th Street east of 10th Avenue.

The NORTHERN SHRIKE at North Fork Preserve out in Northville was seen as recently as Monday. The park is on the northside of Sound Avenue and the SHRIKE is usually found in fields west of the entrance road just beyond a small pond.

A THICK-BILLED MURRE was reported last Saturday off the Jones Beach West End jetty but most of the recent alcid activity is centered around RAZORBILLS with Breezy Point providing regular sightings including a peak of 11 offshore on Wednesday.

Waterfowl have begun moving north recently in good numbers and WOOD DUCKS for instance have increased noticeably but among the lingering rarities still noted this week were single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at Tung Ting Pond in Centerport and on Bowman Avenue Pond in Rye Brook. Single drake EURASIAN WIGEON at Bush Terminal Piers Park in Brooklyn and on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a drake KING EIDER at Great Kills Park on Staten Island and up to 5 HARLEQUIN DUCKS still at Jones Beach West End Saturday.

Two BLACK-HEADED GULLS were seen together at Brooklyn’s Plumb Beach last Saturday with one on Sunday and another visited the Old Field Point and Lighthouse Park site again on Saturday, this area north of Stony Brook. The Old Field Point site this week also featured a GLAUCOUS, 2 ICELAND and one or two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS but the main attraction remains a Herring type gull with bright yellow legs and feet and a wing pattern that strongly suggests a European form of HERRING GULL though a few other possibilities are still being considered as well. A GLAUCOUS GULL was also seen at Great Kills Park on Tuesday while an ICELAND GULL visited Plumb Beach last weekend. A few LAUGHING GULLS have also begun to appear.

Two PIPING PLOVERS were seen out on Dune Road today and a LEAST SANDPIPER seen last weekend at Great Kills Park may have been the one first seen there back on February 8th.

AMERICAN WOODCOCK are now displaying at most appropriate sites. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK visited the Short’s Pond area in Watermill last Saturday. Lingering birds include the COMMON GALLINULE at Mill Pond Park in Bellmore, EASTERN PHOEBE and BALTIMORE ORIOLE at Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn and the LINCOLN’S SPARROW at Greeley Square Park in Manhattan. A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was found at Jones Beach West End last Saturday and seen again Wednesday and another LAPLAND was with 90 Horned Larks at Nickerson Beach last Sunday.

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

– RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 25, 2022
* NYNY2202.25

– Birds mentioned
THICK-BILLED MURRE+
PACIFIC LOON+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
American Woodcock
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
Black-legged Kittiwake
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Herring Gull complex (unidentified to species)
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
American Bittern
NORTHERN SHRIKE
VESPER SPARROW
Orange-crowned 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, February 25th 2022 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are PACIFIC LOON, WESTERN TANAGER, NORTHERN SHRIKE, THICK-BILLED MURRE, DOVEKIE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, VESPER SPARROW and more.

Last Saturday afternoon a winter plumaged PACIFIC LOON was spotted and photographed in the Connetquot River off the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River but moving quickly downstream the LOON soon disappeared and has evaded subsequent relocation attempts.

Manhattan’s two WESTERN TANAGERS were both still present this week. The Carl Schurz Park bird was seen through Thursday around the feeders located in the park off East End Avenue just south of East 86th Street. This bird certainly most reliable in the morning while the west side bird can with patience often be spotted in the vicinity of the private Clinton Community Garden off West 48th Street east of 10th Avenue.

The NORTHERN SHRIKE wintering at the North Fork Preserve out in Northville was seen as recently as Tuesday in this park located on the north side of Sound Avenue. The bird often spotted in fields west of the entrance road just beyond a small pond.

Alcids this week featured a DOVEKIE spotted Sunday off Camp Hero at Montauk Point where a peak of 5 RAZORBILLS plus a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE and 2 female HARLEQUIN DUCKS were seen on Wednesday.

Last Sunday morning a THICK-BILLED MURRE was spotted in Brooklyn’s Gravesend Bay but moved south quickly last seen in the vicinity of Coney Island Creek. Up to 5 RAZORBILLS occurred off Breezy Point during the week.

Single lingering GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were still present mid-week at Tung Ting Pond in Centerport and the pond off Bowman Avenue in Rye Brook and also continuing were single EURASIAN WIGEONS at Bush Terminal Piers Park in Brooklyn and on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and the drake KING EIDER at Great Kills Park on Staten Island.

An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was present Sunday out on Old Field Point north of Stony Brook where other gulls also noted this week have included GLAUCOUS, 2 ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED plus an unusual gull in the greater HERRING GULL complex featuring bright yellow legs and feet and a somewhat darker mantle and remains unidentified as to species. Other ICELAND GULLS occurred around Sheepshead Bay and up in Peekskill.

AMERICAN BITTERN continues in the Tobay area and AMERICAN WOODCOCK are now displaying in appropriate areas where the weather is right.

A VESPER SPARROW was still at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center off Yaphank Avenue on Monday and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS continue at Randall’s Island and at Battery Park City.

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

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 18, 2022
* NYNY2202.18

– Birds Mentioned

SLATY-BACKED GULL+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
Common Goldeneye
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
Common Gallinule
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
Black-legged Kittiwake
LITTLE GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
American Bittern
Bald Eagle
Snowy Owl
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
VESPER SPARROW
Baltimore Oriole
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 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: Gail Benson

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings! This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, February 18, 2022 at 11:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are SLATY-BACKED GULL, WESTERN TANAGER, LITTLE GULL, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER and BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, DOVEKIE, GLAUCOUS GULL, VESPER SPARROW, DICKCISSEL and more.

The sub-adult SLATY-BACKED GULL, building up the suspense last Saturday in Central Park, finally appeared on the reservoir about noon time and provided satisfying views for the gathered crowd until soon thereafter flushed off along with a few hundred other Gulls by a passing BALD EAGLE. We are unaware of any confirmed visits since then, though ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS have continued to visit the reservoir on subsequent days.

Manhattan’s two WESTERN TANAGERS feature a more reliable one best seen in the morning at Carl Schurz Park around the feeders located off East End Avenue just south of East 86th Street, and an elusive one circulating around the neighborhood near Clinton Community Garden off West 48th Street east of 10th Avenue.

Another interesting Manhattan visitor was a SNOWY OWL perched on an Upper West Side building, being harassed by PEREGRINE FALCONS last Saturday.

Late Thursday afternoon an adult LITTLE GULL paid a surprise visit to Piermont Pier in Rockland County, the bird photographed as it very quickly continued its journey down the Hudson River.

Single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE this week included repeat sightings yesterday at Rockland Lake State Park and on Tung Ting Pond in Centerport, while the lower Westchester bird was today back on its now partially open pond off Bowman Avenue in Rye Brook.

Last Sunday EURASIAN WIGEON were again seen at Bush Terminal Piers Park and on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, and the drake KING EIDER was still around Great Kills Park on Staten Island on Wednesday. A female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was spotted Tuesday and also present Wednesday with COMMON GOLDENEYES off Culloden Point in Montauk.

Also in Montauk, a highlight Wednesday morning were three DOVEKIES flying in off the Point but quickly disappearing once landing in the choppy sea. Featured too at the Point were 42 RAZORBILLS counted Tuesday, with 34 on Wednesday, and counts of 4 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES Tuesday, 6 more on Wednesday.

ICELAND GULLS this week were spotted at Inwood Hill Park, Plumb Beach to Wednesday, and at Playland Park in Rye today, with a peak of three spotted Tuesday around Montauk Harbor Inlet, where a GLAUCOUS GULL was reported Saturday. Another GLAUCOUS appeared in the Bronx yesterday, 

A COMMON GALLINULE continues at Mill Pond Park in Bellmore, and AMERICAN BITTERNS were noted this week at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Tobay Sanctuary and out at Napeague.

EASTERN PHOEBE and BALTIMORE ORIOLE were both still surviving at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn this week, and VESPER SPARROWS were still at Caumsett State Park and the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center on Thursday.

A DICKCISSEL was spotted Sunday at feeders at the Trap House just east of Wolfe’s Pond Park on Staten Island.

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

-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 11, 2022
* NYNY2202.11

– Birds Mentioned

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+
THICK-BILLED MURRE+
SLATY-BACKED GULL+
WESTERN TANAGER+
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
“Black” form of Brant
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Least Sandpiper
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
Bald Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
COMMON REDPOLL
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Vesper Sparrow
Orange-crowned 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 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:  Gail Benson

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings! This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, February 11, 2022 at 11:00 pm.

The highlights of today’s tape are SLATY-BACKED GULL, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, WESTERN TANAGER, DOVEKIE and THICK-BILLED MURRE, PINK-FOOTED and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED and GLAUCOUS GULLS, COMMON REDPOLL, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, DICKCISSEL and more.

Not confirmed on Central Park Reservoir since February 2nd, the subadult SLATY-BACKED GULL was spotted back on the Reservoir Thursday morning, staying for an undetermined amount of time, and then spent most of Friday morning on the Reservoir until the Gulls were flushed off by an overflying BALD EAGLE. Hopefully Saturday will bring a repeat performance.

Last Monday morning a colorful winter male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK paid a visit to a private feeder in Northern Westchester, where nicely photographed before quickly moving on.

More accommodating have been Manhattan’s two WESTERN TANAGERS, the more reliable Carl Schurz Park bird seen through today, usually near the feeder area off East End Avenue around East 86th Street. The other TANAGER is often near private Clinton Community Gardens along West 48th Street east of 10th Avenue.

Sightings of Alcids this week featured a DOVEKIE and ten RAZORBILLS Sunday off Montauk Point, a THICK-BILLED MURRE lingering in the harbor at Great Kills Park on Staten Island through Sunday, and four RAZORBILLS off Breezy Point Monday.

A PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was identified last Monday in a flock of CANADA GEESE at the mouth of Reeves Creek out in Aquabogue, the Westchester GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was roosting on Playland Lake in Rye today, and a “BLACK” BRANT was spotted in the BRANT flock south of the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last Sunday.

A EURASIAN WIGEON continues at Bush Terminal Piers Park in Brooklyn, and another was identified at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last Saturday. A drake KING EIDER remains at Great Kills Park, and a HARLEQUIN DUCK was spotted yesterday off Crescent Beach Town Park in Huntington, with others presumably still at Point Lookout.

A very early LEAST SANDPIPER was a good find at Great Kills Park on Tuesday.

Reports of adult BLACK-HEADED GULLS this week came from Randall’s Island last weekend, Bush Terminal Piers Park Sunday and Plumb Beach today. Other GULLS reported from Central Park Reservoir include a GLAUCOUS early today plus ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED, and Prospect Park also produced ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED, with an ICELAND visiting Jerome Reservoir in the Bronx Wednesday.

Sparse this winter, a ROUGH- LEGGED HAWK has been seen in the Calverton grasslands area recently.

Very interesting, as there have been very few reports in lower New York this winter, was a calling COMMON REDPOLL flying over Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last Saturday.

A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen again at the Calverton grasslands last Sunday, and a VESPER SPARROW was photographed Wednesday and Thursday at Caumsett State Park. 

ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was noted this week at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and at the New York Botanical Garden, and a DICKCISSEL was photographed Tuesday in Prospect Park.

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

– RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 4, 2022
* NYNY2202.04

– Birds mentioned
THICK-BILLED MURRE+
SLATY-BACKED GULL+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Common Gallinule
PIPING PLOVER
Red Knot
Short-billed Dowitcher
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
American Bittern
Eastern Phoebe
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Vesper Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Orange-crowned 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, February 4th 2022 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are SLATY-BACKED GULL, WESTERN TANAGER, THICK-BILLED MURRE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, PIPING PLOVER, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and more.

Certainly this week’s highlight was the SLATY-BACKED GULL on Central Park’s Reservoir that was identified from photos taken there on Tuesday. Once this tricky identification was sorted out involving separation from several similar blackish backed gulls including Lesser Black-backed a good number of observers got to view the SLATY-BACKED during the period it was on the reservoir early Wednesday morning and again in mid-afternoon. Unfortunately the gull was not spotted either Thursday or today but incoming colder conditions could again bring the gull back to the reservoir or it might be visiting other local gull roosting sites such as Randall’s Island or along the Brooklyn shoreline. Central Park’s Reservoir has been attracting a good variety of other gulls including an adult BLACK-HEADED on Wednesday and Thursday as well as GLAUCOUS, ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS.

Also on Manhattan are the 2 lingering WESTERN TANAGERS one still at Carl Schurz Park along East End Avenue at the feeders adjacent to East 86th Street and the other more elusive bird near private Clinton Community Garden around West 47th and 48th Streets east of 10th Avenue.

Besides a few coastal RAZORBILLS this week a THICK-BILLED MURRE was found today at Great Kills Park on Staten Island in the harbor on the north side as viewed from the harbor parking lot. Another THICK-BILLED was reported again Wednesday off Tiana Beach along Dune Road.

The lower Westchester GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was last seen on now frozen Playland Lake in Rye last Sunday the same day one was seen again on Tung Ting Pond in Centerport. A female type EURASIAN WIGEON continues along the Brooklyn shoreline near Bush Terminal Piers Park and a drake KING EIDER was still around Shinnecock Inlet Monday. A female HARLEQUIN DUCK was reported off north fork Sunday and a few HARLEQUINS should still be around the Point Lookout jetties.

Seasonally unusual shorebirds featured 3 PIPING PLOVERS seen in Fire Island Inlet along with 3 RED KNOTS on Wednesday when a SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER was also reported from Nickerson Beach.

AMERICAN BITTERNS continue along Dune Road and at Tobay and a COMMON GALLINULE remains at Mill Pond Park in Bellmore.

Also unusual at this season was a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW Tuesday and 2 or 3 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS early in the week at the Calverton Grasslands on the Epcal complex. These grasslands are definitely worthy of preservation. A VESPER SPARROW was spotted at Caumsett State Park Wednesday.

An EASTERN PHOEBE and a BALTIMORE ORIOLE were still present in Brooklyn’s Green-wood Cemetery before the storm and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found in Shirley Chisholm State Park Sunday.

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

– RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jan. 28, 2022
* NYNY2201.28
– Birds mentioned

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+
THICK-BILLED MURRE+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Blue-winged Teal
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Red-necked Grebe
Common Gallinule
PIPING PLOVER
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
Razorbill
Black-legged Kittiwake
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
GLAUCOUS GULL
American Bittern
Eastern Phoebe
NORTHERN SHRIKE
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Vesper Sparrow
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Baltimore Oriole

– 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, January 28th 2022 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are WESTERN TANAGER, THICK-BILLED MURRE, NORTHERN SHRIKE, PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, PIPING PLOVER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and more.

There are two WESTERN TANAGERS in Manhattan, the one wintering around Carl Schurz Park continues to visit the feeder area there with some regularity this site located along East End Avenue near East 86th Street. The TANAGER near the private Clinton Community Garden noted last Saturday should be looked for between West 47th & 48th Street east of 10th Avenue.

Following last week’s two occurrences, sightings this week of THICK-BILLED MURRE commenced last Saturday with one in Shinnecock Inlet where perhaps the same bird was photographed today floating into the bay around midday. Another THICK-BILLED was photographed last Monday moving slowly westward off Fort Tilden. More expected RAZORBILLS were also present off Montauk Point with a good count of 51 on Tuesday with a few others along Long Island’s south shore. In addition a small number of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES were seen offshore out east where other species of alcids can also occur though sufficient documentation to substantiate such findings can be difficult to obtain.

NORTHERN SHRIKE was still present Monday at the North Fork Preserve in Northville where it is usually noted along fields west of the entrance road located on the north side of Sound Avenue.

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE continues at Stony Brook University on a pond near the Charles B. Wang Center. Today 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were spotted at Sunken Meadow State Park west of the entrance bridge and another was today again roosting on the lake at Playland Park in Rye. Continuing single female type EURASIAN WIGEON were seen as recently as today both at Bush Terminal Piers Park in Brooklyn and on Patchogue Lake the north end of which contains a good variety of water birds including a drake BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Single drake KING EIDER were still today at both Great Kills Park on Staten Island and at Shinnecock Inlet and 5 HARLEQUIN DUCKS can be found along the Point Lookout jetties. A PIPING PLOVER was also present at Point Lookout yesterday.

An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL continues to frequent the waters around the Coast Guard Station at Jones Beach West End where a single LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was seen again Tuesday that bay also producing a LAPLAND LONGSPUR there. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS also remain along Santapogue Creek in West Babylon. GLAUCOUS GULLS were seen today at Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4 and at Bellport Bay Yacht Club while several ICELAND GULLS include birds on Central Park’s Reservoir and at Randall’s Island plus a few sites in Brooklyn and out at Shinnecock Inlet.

Other notable non-passerines include a RED-NECKED GREBE continuing at Culloden Point in Montauk, a COMMON GALLINULE still at Mill Pond in Bellmore and a couple of AMERICAN BITTERN along Dune Road and another at Tobay.

Out in Montauk 2 YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS were seen today, one around the parking lot at the point and the another at Theodore Roosevelt County Park. Up to 3 VESPER SPARROWS still reside at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center off Yaphank Avenue and an EASTERN PHOEBE plus a BALTIMORE ORIOLE both remain in Brooklyn’s Green-wood Cemetery.

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