-RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Feb. 14, 2025
* NYNY2502.14
– Birds Mentioned
NORTHERN LAPWING+
SHORT-BILLED GULL+ (probable)
SMITH’S LONGSPUR+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
PINK-FOOTED GOOSE
KING EIDER
Common Eider
HARLEQUIN DUCK
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
DOVEKIE
THICK-BILLED MURRE
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Horned Lark
BOHEMIAN WAXWING
Lapland Longspur
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
LARK SPARROW
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, February
14, 2025 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are NORTHERN LAPWING, SMITH’S LONGSPUR,
BOHEMIAN WAXWING, probable SHORT-BILLED GULL, PINK-FOOTED and GREATER
WHITE FRONTED GEESE, BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN
DUCK, DOVEKIE and THICK-BILLED MURRE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, CLAY-COLORED
and LARK SPARROWS and more.
But first, we note with much sadness the recent passing of Helen Hays,
whose herculean efforts for well over 50 years working with volunteers
on the Great Gull Island Project have successfully provided a stable
habitat for a now thriving colony of Common and Roseate Terns. Thank
you, Helen – you will certainly be missed.
As to this week’s birds, the NORTHERN LAPWING continued its stay along
Mecox Road and Halsey Lane in Bridgehampton through Sunday but
revisited Sagg Pond Monday. It then was absent for a few days, only
to be re-found again today along Halsey Lane. Its movements likely
are weather dependent, but checking these areas could be worthwhile.
A female SMITH’S LONGSPUR spotted late Saturday at Smith Point County
Park in Shirley was seen again Sunday around the parking lot area
before flying off later in the morning.
At Jones Beach West End, the BOHEMIAN WAXWING found there Friday was
spotted briefly Sunday and again Monday but remained difficult to pin
down. Also at the West End, a decent number of LAPLAND LONGPURS
around the dunes included eight counted on Sunday.
At Brooklyn Bridge Park last Sunday what was believed to be a
SHORT-BILLED GULL was seen in fading light late in the day, but the
closely related Common Gull could not definitively be ruled out –
hopefully it will reappear somewhere in that area.
A PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was noted both on Eastport Lake north of Montauk
Highway and on sod fields north of there, east of Route 51 and north
of Route 111 to Tuesday, with another at the Huntington Country Club
last Saturday. GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE included two regularly on
private Tung Ting Pond in Centerport to Wednesday and one continuing
to visit Playland Lake in Rye.
A drake KING EIDER was still in the COMMON EIDER flock around
Shinnecock Inlet Sunday, 11 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were counted off Point
Lookout Saturday, and BARROW’S GOLDENEYES featured a drake off Crab
Meadow Beach Saturday, a young male on Great Pond in Southold
Thursday, and a female found on New Croton Reservoir in Westchester on
Wednesday and still present this morning along the east side of the
reservoir by an island a half mile southwest of the Taconic overpass.
DOVEKIES were seen off Sagg Pond to Monday and around Shinnecock Inlet
on Monday, while a THICK-BILLED MURRE has been present all week in
Gravesend Bay off Brooklyn, often seen from BJ’s Wholesale Club.
BLACK-HEADED GULLS continue around Point Lookout and in the Plumb
Beach area, with three also reported at Wainscott Pond Saturday.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was photographed on Randall’s Island Sunday,
and the lingering LARK SPARROW was noted near 851 Head of Pond Road in
Watermill to Sunday, while another was found at the Reeves Avenue
Buffalo Farm on the west side of Roanoke Avenue north of Riverhead on
Thursday. This Buffalo Farm has also recently produced a number of
HORNED LARKS with up to four LAPLAND LONGSPURS mixed in; a possible
but unconfirmed Chestnut-collared Longspur was also reported there
briefly on Wednesday and should be looked for.
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