-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Jan. 22, 2021
* NYNY2101.22
– Birds Mentioned
FERRUGINOUS HAWK+
SPOTTED TOWHEE+
WESTERN TANAGER+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
EURASIAN WIGEON
KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
DOVEKIE
Razorbill
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
BROWN PELICAN
Common Redpoll
HOARY REDPOLL
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Orange-crowned Warbler
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: Gail Benson
[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]
Greetings! This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, January 22, 2021 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are extralimital FERRUGINOUS HAWK, SPOTTED TOWHEE, BROWN PELICAN, HOARY REDPOLL, WESTERN TANAGER, DOVEKIE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED GULL, winter finches and more.
But first, we unfortunately note the recent passing of Sy Schiff, a wonderful gentleman and ardent birder. It was always a treat to run into Sy, often around his favored Jones Beach haunts, and his knowledge, friendliness and good humor will be warmly remembered and sadly missed.
Slightly to our north in Orange County, an immature FERRUGINOUS HAWK has since last Saturday been leading birders on a merry chase around the black dirt region a little north of Pine Island. Hunting over a large complex of farm fields, the hawk has consistently been using fields bordered on the west by Lynch Avenue, Pierce Circle Road and Onion Avenue, and on the north by Maple Avenue and Cross Road over to Pulaski Highway. Please respect the private roads in the area and don’t disturb the farming activities.
The SPOTTED TOWHEE at Baldwin Harbor Park was still being noted at least to Wednesday in the very large tangle east of the entry road Grand Avenue across from the main parking lot. Look especially along the paved path bisecting the thicket or along the edge of the adjoining soccer field.
Very unexpected last Saturday morning was a young BROWN PELICAN flying along the Hudson River in Yonkers. After a brief stop, it continued up past Irvington but then, perhaps intimidated by the Cuomo Tappan Zee bridge, flew back down river past Yonkers and was photographed off Inwood Hill Park before disappearing.
Then on Thursday morning at Croton Point Park in Westchester a HOARY REDPOLL paid a brief visit to the landfill, was nicely photographed and then disappeared, not to be seen again.
The more cooperative WESTERN TANAGER at Carl Schurz Park at East End Avenue and East 86th Street was still present Thursday though moving about a bit. The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was also still there at least to Monday.
A few coastal DOVEKIE sightings included 9 flying out Jones Inlet last Saturday and singles at Shinnecock and Mecox on Monday, the last day reported. Some RAZORBILLS are also still around.
The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE visiting Central Park through today is most frequently seen on the reservoir.
Drake EURASIAN WIGEON were noted on Mill Pond in Oyster Bay through today and on Fresh Pond in Fort Salonga up to Tuesday.
A BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was at Goldsmith’s Inlet in Southold Monday, and the drake presumably remains at Crab Meadow Beach.
Shinnecock Inlet has recently been hosting a young male KING EIDER and a female HARLEQUIN DUCK, and look for HARLEQUINS also around Jones Inlet.
An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was off Coney Island Creek Tuesday, and an immature continues in the vicinity of Bush Terminal Piers Park in Brooklyn.
GLAUCOUS GULLS were reported from Shinnecock Inlet Saturday, Jones Beach West End Wednesday, and in Red Hook Brooklyn to today, and a few ICELAND GULLS are around.
Notable were 80 COMMON REDPOLLS at Caumsett State Park Monday, 30 RED CROSSBILLS at Smith Point County Park Tuesday, and a WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL again in Brooklyn yesterday.
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