NYC Area Rare Bird Alert, 3/22/24

– RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Mar. 22, 2024
* NYNY2403.22

– Birds mentioned
WESTERN GREBE+
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD+
PAINTED BUNTING+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

GREEN-WINGED TEAL (Eurasian form “Common Teal”)
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Red-necked Grebe
Common Gallinule
Long-billed Dowitcher
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Northern Gannet
Snowy Egret
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Marsh 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

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, March 22nd, 2024 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, PAINTED BUNTING, WESTERN GREBE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, Eurasian form of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, HARLEQUIN DUCK, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and more.

As we proceed slowly through the March doldrums awaiting a fresh burst of Spring migrants many of our current highlights are lingering rarities.

The RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD staying in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park continues in its same location along the path on the Prospect Park lakeside of Breeze Hill where it visits the hummingbird feeder and nearby flowering honeysuckle plants often roosting within the bushes themselves.

A female-type PAINTED BUNTING was still present at least to Wednesday at Hempstead Lake State Park where it continues to visit the grassy downslope below Lake Drive at the south end of Hempstead Lake. Park at field 3 across from the southwest corner of Hempstead Lake and take the path below the downslope checking the heavy grasses along the slope as far as McDonald’s Pond. Patience is often required.

The WESTERN GREBE was still visiting the waters off Conference House Park at the south end of Staten Island at least to Monday often viewed from the park’s pavilion. It had also previously been drifting north up to the Tottenville train station off the end of Bentley Street.

An immature BLACK-HEADED GULL seen last Sunday at Gilgo Beach was followed by an adult spotted today at Brooklyn’s Plumb Beach. A few ICELAND GULLS noted during the week included one at Point Lookout Saturday, one moving down the East River Sunday, 2 at Great Kills Park Monday, and one visiting Prospect Park Lake today.

A Eurasian form of GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen again Sunday on Short’s Pond off Scuttlehole Road in Manorville and 3 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were still out at Orient Point State Park on Monday. A RED-NECKED GREBE was off Dead Horse Point west of Floyd Bennett Field on Sunday and a few lingering RAZORBILLS featured 3 off Breezy Point Sunday and one off Plumb Beach Tuesday.

A major incursion of NORTHERN GANNETS into western Long Island Sound took place Wednesday when over 520 were counted streaming west past Playland Park in Rye in the late morning to early afternoon. As the strong winds died many of the birds reversed course and headed back east.

COMMON GALLINULE continues at the Mill Pond Preserve on the north side of Merrick Road in Wantagh and 3 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were still around the south end of the West Pond of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge today.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue in Westchester at Croton Point Park and at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye as well as out in Manorville along the Paumanok Trail off Schultz Road near Jones Pond.

Among the few new Spring arrivals recently have been reports of SNOWY EGRET and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON as well as BARN SWALLOW, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER and MARSH WREN.

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