– RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May. 22, 2020
* NYNY2005.22
– Birds mentioned
ARCTIC TERN+
BICKNELL’S THRUSH+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
ICELAND GULL
GULL-BILLED TERN
CASPIAN TERN
Roseate Tern
KING EIDER
LEAST BITTERN
CATTLE EGRET
Virginia Rail
Red Knot
Red-headed Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Grasshopper Sparrow
BLUE GROSBEAK
DICKCISSEL
SUMMER TANAGER
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER
Cape May Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
KENTUCKY WARBLER
Mourning Warbler
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Gray-cheeked Thrush
– Transcript
If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at https://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, May 22nd 2020 at 11pm. The highlights of today’s tape are ARCTIC TERN, GULL-BILLED TERN, CASPIAN TERN, LEAST BITTERN, CATTLE EGRET, KING EIDER, ICELAND GULL, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, KENTUCKY WARBLER, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and other warblers, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK and DICKCISSEL plus much more.
Odd weather continues and so does migration though not necessarily as hoped for.
The season’s first ARCTIC TERN sightings occurred this week both on eastern Long Island with one Tuesday on the Mecox flats and one Wednesday at Cupsogue County Park the latter now open only to Suffolk County residents. A GULL-BILLED TERN was reported off Robert Moses State Park last Saturday and a couple have been seen this week around the Common Tern and Black Skimmer colonies at Nickerson Beach which also provided a couple of ROSEATE TERNS today. A CASPIAN TERN visited the River Road marsh on Staten Island Saturday.
A LEAST BITTERN was a surprise visitor to the Upper Pool in Prospect Park Wednesday and Thursday and another was seen Thursday at the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where the bay itself is now hosting a nice gathering of shorebirds including many RED KNOTS.
A flyby CATTLE EGRET off Robert Moses State Park Saturday was followed by one at Miller Field on Staten Island Tuesday.
For a little winter flavor a female KING EIDER was seen last Saturday at Orient Point with single ICELAND GULLS reported at Riis Park Wednesday, Plumb Beach Thursday and at Shinnecock Inlet today.
A VIRGINIA RAIL appeared at the Upper Pool in Prospect Park today and a pair of RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS has been present along the Paumanok Trail off Schultz Road in Manorville..
A reasonable week for passerines included a few SUMMER TANAGERS with 3 in Central Park last weekend and one lingering today as well as singles in Riverside and Forest Parks and one in Battery Park today. Several BLUE GROSBEAKS continue around the very productive grasslands surrounding the former Grumman airport in Calverton this area worthy of protection just for its colony of GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS alone.
In an early morning flight of migrants moving over Brooklyn’s Coney Island Creek Park last Saturday were 2 DICKCISSELS identified by their unique call usually associated with the Bronx.
In Central Park a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT continuing in the Ramble to Thursday was joined by one in the north end Thursday and today with another on Randall’s Island Wednesday. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER visited Jamaica Bay Tuesday and Wednesday. A nice influx of KENTUCKY WARBLERS featured up to 3 in Central Park last weekend, one at Riverside Park Monday and one at Hunter’s Garden southwest of Riverhead late in the week. Other warbler highlights included a GOLDEN-WINGED in Central Park last Sunday, a few MOURNINGS and good numbers of CAPE MAY and BAY-BREASTED.
Other arrivals this week featured OLIVE-SIDED, ALDER, ACADIAN and YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, more GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES and a BICKNELL’S THRUSH singing in Prospect Park last Saturday.
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
