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, August 21,
2026 at 11:00 pm. The highlights of today’s tape are EARED GREBE,
LONG-TAILED JAEGER, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE and other pelagics, UPLAND,
BUFF-BREASTED and BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, MARBLED GODWIT, WILSON'S
PHALAROPE, SEDGE WREN, LARK SPARROW, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, SUMMER
TANAGER, DICKCISSEL and more.
The EARED GREBE continues on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife
Refuge, but recent rains have hampered any progress that had been made
to get the water level on the East Pond down to an appropriate level
for shorebirds and birders alike. The shorebird festival last Saturday
did find WILSON’S PHALAROPE and STILT, PECTORAL, WESTERN and WHITE
RUMPED SANDPIPERS among the many more regular species there, but even
then the pond was not traversable.
Shorebird highlights in the region have included a RED-NECKED
PHALAROPE on Westchester’s Kensico Reservoir last Saturday and another
joining 2 WILSON’S PHALAROPES Monday in ponds at Jones Beach West End
located in the dunes between Fields 1 and 2. Another WILSON'S was at
Sagg Pond Monday.
A private parcel in Manhasset, with no access allowed, did host an
UPLAND SANDPIPER as well as a SEDGE WREN last Tuesday, and a
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER dropped by Field 5 at Robert Moses State Park
last Monday. At least 2 BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS have been visiting lowered
Jerome Reservoir in the Bronx since Monday, with another reported from
Plumb Beach on Wednesday.
Up to 3 MARBLED GODWITS have been noted this week off Field 10 at
Jones Beach State Park, with singles at Piermont Pier Thursday and
Plumb Beach today, but the peak was the 8 at Old Inlet in Bellport Bay
last Sunday. Three HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS were out in Jamaica Bay last
Saturday, while also out at Old Inlet Sunday, besides loads of
shorebirds, were 1 CASPIAN, 4 ROSEATE, 15 ROYAL and 2 BLACK TERNS and
17 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS.
Boat trips around Montauk, especially CRESLI whale excursions, are
still also finding pelagic birds - last Friday and Sunday single
LONG-TAILED JAEGERS were reported, and Saturday and Sunday produced 1
or 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, while also continuing were numbers of
WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS and GREAT and CORY'S SHEARWATERS plus a few
SCOPOLI’S, SOOTY and MANX as well, and a PARASITIC JAEGER or two.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS are now coming through during suitable evenings, and
FLYCATCHERS migrating have included OLIVE-SIDED and various Empidonax
species.
An immature LARK SPARROW has been around the entrance parking lot to
Cliffdale Farm off Teatown Road in Westchester since Wednesday, and
single YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS were noted at Hither Hills State Park
Wednesday and in Prospect Park Thursday and today.
An increase in migrating WARBLERS this week included reports of
WORM-EATING, TENNESSEE, MOURNING, HOODED, CAPE MAY, BLACKBURNIAN,
BLACKPOLL, BLACK-THROATED BLUE and YELLOW RUMPED.
A female SUMMER TANAGER was reported today in McGolrick Park in
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and a few calling DICKCISSELS moving overhead in
the morning were noted this week in central Westchester and at Jerome
Reservoir and Coney Island Creek.
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.
