-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Apr. 04, 2025
* NYNY2504.04
– Birds Mentioned
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE+
GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
TUNDRA SWAN
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Least Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
RED PHALAROPE
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
ATLANTIC PUFFIN
HERRING-TYPE GULL (yellow-legged)
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Caspian Tern
Tricolored Heron
Green Heron
WESTERN CATTLE-EGRET
Glossy Ibis
WHITE-FACED IBIS
Red-headed Woodpecker
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Brown Thrasher
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
VESPER SPARROW
Louisiana Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Prairie 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, April 4,
2025 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, GRAY-BREASTED
MARTIN, WHITE-FACED IBIS, a pelagic trip featuring RED PHALAROPE,
DOVEKIE and ATLANTIC PUFFIN, TUNDRA SWAN, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN
DUCK, the enigmatic HERRING-TYPE GULL, WESTERN CATTLE EGRET,
CLAY-COLORED and VESPER SPARROWS, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER and other
spring migrants and more.
One of the best signs that spring is finally happening – the
appearance of a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE soaring gracefully overhead. It’s
usually a quick occurrence, but always memorable, today’s KITE moving
just above tree level over Governors Island a little before 3 pm this
afternoon. This was quite likely the same individual seen late this
morning passing by Sandy Hook, New Jersey – where will it be spotted
next?
The apparent GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN was still present today on Staten
Island, continuing around the New Creek Watershed and adjoining
neighborhood. Scanning the marsh from Olympia Boulevard or cruising
the surrounding streets, checking birds sitting on the telephone
wires, should hopefully prove successful.
Today at Robert Moses State Park an arriving flock of GLOSSY IBIS
contained an adult WHITE-FACED IBIS, seen well as the birds approached
and photographed as the flock continued on its way.
A pelagic vessel on Wednesday well out in the Atlantic north of Hudson
Canyon encountered 3 flocks of RED PHALAROPES, containing 34 birds,
along with 2 DOVEKIES and 6 ATLANTIC PUFFINS. A RAZORBILL was unusual
off Randalls Island Monday.
Likely the TUNDRA SWAN lingering on Eastern Long Island recently was
the one seen Sunday to Tuesday on Lower Lake off Yaphank Avenue in
Yaphank. A male KING EIDER was noted Sunday off Montauk Point, and a
HARLEQUIN DUCK was present Saturday off the Breezy Point tip.
A young GLAUCOUS GULL was present Monday and Wednesday at Bush
Terminal Piers Park and on Prospect Park Lake today, and an ICELAND
GULL was around the Lake Montauk inlet Sunday. Also, the
yellow-legged HERRING GULL still awaits resolution as to its specific
ID as it lingers around the Old Field Point and Lighthouse, still
present there Tuesday.
A WESTERN CATTLE-EGRET visited Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery from
Sunday to Tuesday, a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER also continuing there as
well as at Sunken Meadow State Park at least to Monday.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was still in Far Rockaway as of Sunday, seen
around Beach 24th and 25th Steets, while a few VESPER SPARROWS
included singles today at Prospect Park, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,
and out at Robert Moses State Park.
An early YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER appeared Saturday at Blue Heron Park
on Staten Island, and a nice selection of other arriving spring
migrants this week included LEAST SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER,
SOLITARY SANDPIPER and WILLET, CASPIAN TERN, TRICOLORED and GREEN
HERONS, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, BROWN THRASHER,
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, and BLACK-AND-WHITE and PRAIRIE 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