-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May 3, 2024
* NYNY2405.03
– Birds Mentioned
THICK-BILLED MURRE+
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (extralimital)+
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Caspian Tern
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Red-headed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Swainson’s Thrush
Purple Finch
RED CROSSBILL
Pine Siskin
Grasshopper Sparrow
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Nelson’s Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Orange-crowned Warbler
KENTUCKY WARBLER
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Canada Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
SUMMER TANAGER
BLUE GROSBEAK
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, May 3, 2024 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, THICK-BILLED MURRE, RED CROSSBILL, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, PROTHONOTARY, YELLOW-THROATED and KENTUCKY WARBLERS, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK and more, including an extralimital NEOTROPIC CORMORANT. |
With spring migration starting to accelerate, among the expected arrivals there is often a surprise or two. Unfortunately, one of these, a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, was seen only very briefly in northern Westchester County, first appearing over Yorktown Heights late Tuesday afternoon and then again Wednesday morning moving east just south of Croton Falls.
Somewhat more accommodating has been an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN spotted Thursday in Upper New York Bay, where it was drifting and flying between Governors Island and the New Jersey side of the Bay; it continued visiting both States today. Taking a trip on the Staten Island ferry proved successful for some, as did scanning from The Battery in lower Manhattan or from appropriate Brooklyn sites providing views of the Bay. It was last seen heading into New Jersey waters this evening.
And on a slightly more extralimital note, a NEOTROPIC CORMORANT in breeding. plumage was spotted yesterday afternoon on the Hudson River up in Newburgh, Orange County. It was at the Ferry terminal, one of the sites this species has been visiting the last couple of years, but there were no reports today.
A THICK-BILLED MURRE, perhaps not an entirely happy individual, was present Tuesday and Wednesday off the Marina at Wantagh Park just west of the Wantagh Parkway, but it has not been reported since.
A CASPIAN TERN was spotted from Prospect Park Lake on Monday, and another first noted at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Yaphank last Saturday was still in that area yesterday. An AMERICAN BITTERN was also spotted from Prospect Park Lake Monday.
A PILEATED WOODPECKER on Governors Island last weekend was certainly unusual there, while RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue at Croton Point Park and along the Paumanok Trail near Jones Pond in Manorville, with another at Ridgewood Reservoir in Queens Sunday.
A RED CROSSBILL was also recorded flying over the Paumanok Trail on Thursday, and a few PINE SISKINS and PURPLE FINCHES continue to move through.|
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW has been present at Strawberry Fields in Central Park Thursday and today, and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was found in Green-Wood Cemetery today.
PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS were present in Central Park Monday and Tuesday, in Prospect Park Monday, and at Brooklyn Bridge Park Tuesday and Wednesday, and several YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS included singles during the week in Central, Prospect, Alley, Inwood Hill and Forest Parks, Oakland Lake and Green-Wood Cemetery, as well as continuing at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. KENTUCKY WARBLERS were reported from Tompkins Square Park Monday and at a Brooklyn Community Garden at East 4th Street Wednesday, while other arriving WARBLERS have included BAY-BREASTED, BLACKBURNIAN, BLACKPOLL, CANADA and WILSON’S, plus an ORANGE-CROWNED at Hempstead Lake State Park today.
SUMMER TANAGERS were reported again this week from Central and Prospect Parks, Green-Wood Cemetery and Jones Beach West End, while six reports of BLUE GROSBEAK included. birds at Fort Tryon, Owl’s Head and Fort Greene Parks, up in North Salem in Westchester and out in Calverton.
Among recent arrivals have been EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL, LEAST BITTERN, SWAINSON’S THRUSH and NELSON’S and LINCOLN SPARROWS.
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