-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Oct. 23, 2020
* NYNY2010.23
– Birds Mentioned
LONG-TAILED JAEGER+
FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER+
PAINTED REDSTART+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
Common Eider
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
Long-billed Dowitcher
Parasitic Jaeger
Caspian Tern
BLACK TERN
Royal Tern
Cory’s Shearwater
Great Shearwater
MANX SHEARWATER
Northern Gannet
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
American Bittern
WESTERN KINGBIRD
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
EVENING GROSBEAK
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Vesper Sparrow
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
CONNECTICUT WARBLER
Hooded Warbler
Cape May 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 athttp://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, October
23, 2020 at 8 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are PAINTED REDSTART, FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, LONG-TAILED JAEGER, MANX SHEARWATER, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, BLACK TERN, WESTERN KINGBIRD, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, EVENING GROSBEAK, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, CLAY-COLORED and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, BLUE GROSBEAK, DICKCISSEL and more.
Exceptional was New York’s second PAINTED REDSTART, found last Sunday at Floyd Bennett Field, word getting out slowly but soon enough for many to see this very attractive Warbler before darkness set in. Extensive searching Monday was unsuccessful.
Also extraordinary and slightly extralimital for our area was a very nicely plumaged adult FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER found mid-day Saturday along the shore of Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County; this bird stayed overnight but flew out west shortly after 9 am Sunday morning.
An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN present last Saturday and Sunday at Terrell River State Park in East Moriches may have been the same one visiting the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge from Monday at least to Thursday.
Decent conditions for a sea watch last Sunday morning produced some nice results off Robert Moses State Park – counted were 1 MANX, 7 GREAT and 21 CORY’S SHEARWATERS, with another 44 unidentified large Shearwaters, along with 4 PARASITIC JAEGERS, 270 NORTHERN GANNETS, and various sea ducks including some COMMON EIDER. More surprising, though, off Moses Park this morning, besides another PARASITIC JAEGER, was a bird identified as a dark juvenile LONG-TAILED JAEGER, nicely seen as it motored by heading west.
Notable among this week’s decreasing number of shorebirds was an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER both days last weekend at Floyd Bennett Field and likely the same individual at Plumb Beach today. Two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were unusual at Short’s Pond off Scuttlehole Road in Watermill last Sunday, with one there Tuesday; another also flew by Plumb Beach today.
A BLACK TERN was spotted at Terrell River State Park Tuesday and Wednesday, 2 CASPIAN TERNS were still at Jamaica Bay on Sunday, and a peak count of ROYAL TERNS roosting at Terrell River reached an estimated 180 on Tuesday.
Single AMERICAN BITTERNS were noted at Randall’s Island Saturday and, on Thursday, at Pelham Bay Park and Tobay.
A WESTERN KINGBIRD was a nice find at Fort Tilden last Saturday , when 3 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were again spotted at Smith Point County Park in Shirley.
Two EVENING GROSBEAKS seen Thursday in Yorktown Heights, Westchester County, indicate that this species is currently on the move south, like the many PINE SISKINS and PURPLE FINCHES for the last few weeks and a few RED CROSSBILLS, including one spotted last Sunday at Jones Beach West End. Could be good this winter!
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT out in Orient last Saturday was followed by one at Brooklyn’s Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center yesterday.
Much reduced Warbler numbers recently have featured a CONNECTICUT last Saturday at Tobay, a male HOODED still in Central Park Wednesday, and such species as CAPE MAY, WILSON’S and others.
Among the SPARROWS, still increasing locally, were single CLAY-COLOREDS at Fort Tilden Saturday, Croton Point Park Monday, and Floyd Bennett Field Tuesday, with a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW at Plumb Beach today. VESPER SPARROWS were noted at 3 Brooklyn sites this week and on Governor’s Island today.
A BLUE GROSBEAK at Fort Tilden Saturday was followed by one at Sunken Meadow State Park Tuesday through today, and a DICKCISSEL was at Plumb Beach 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
