-RBA * New York * New York City, Long Island, Westchester County * June 19, 2026 * NYNY2606.19
- Birds Mentioned: WILSON’S PHALAROPE Parasitic Jaeger Least Tern Gull-billed Tern Caspian Tern Black Tern Roseate Tern Common Tern ARCTIC TERN Forster’s Tern Royal Tern SANDWICH TERN Lesser Black-backed Gull Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Cory’s Shearwater Scopoli’s Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Great Shearwater Manx Shearwater BROWN PELICAN Acadian Flycatcher YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT Canada Warbler 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, June 19, 2026 at 11:00 pm. The highlights of today’s tape are SANDWICH and ARCTIC TERNS, BROWN PELICAN, WILSON’S PHALAROPE, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, BLUE GROSBEAK, an influx of SHEARWATERS, Summer Count results and more. Quite notable this week was the collection of TERNS present locally along the south shore of Long Island, topped by the adult SANDWICH TERN present on the flats today at Cupsogue Beach County Park, the second one seen there so far this year. An ARCTIC TERN was also seen at Cupsogue last Sunday, but most ARCTIC sightings this week have been at Democrat Point at the western end of Fire Island State Park, where 2 were noted last Saturday, followed by 3 spotted there the next day and then 1 or more to Wednesday, with 3 again reported there today. Also noted at Democrat Point during the week, along with the COMMON, FORSTER’S and LEAST TERNS, have been a few ROSEATES and ROYALS plus a couple of BLACK TERNS, a CASPIAN TERN last Saturday, and a GULL-BILLED TERN reported Friday, with 2 other GULL-BILLEDS at nearby Cedar Beach last Saturday. Democrat Point is a hike but can be quite worthwhile. Also along the ocean this Friday afternoon were sightings of 1 to 3 BROWN PELICANS between Gilgo and Fire Island Inlet at Robert Moses State Park east to Smith Point County Park and Moriches Bay. SHEARWATER activity has also recently increased nicely offshore, especially off Moses Park and east to Montauk Point, with decent numbers of CORY’S and SOOTY SHEARWATERS, fewer GREAT and small numbers of MANX SHEARWATERS, and also some WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS and PARASITIC JAEGERS. Also watch for possible SCOPOLI’S SHEARWATERS among the CORY’S, though definitive separation of the 2 species could be quite challenging, depending on the distance and viewing conditions. And also watch for LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, mostly non-adults, along the ocean beaches. A female WILSON’S PHALAROPE was at the south end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge today, with 2 PHALAROPES also noted there last Saturday, Lingering ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS, likely attempting to nest, have been encountered recently in Prospect Park, Gardiner County Park, Heckscher State Park, and Connetquot River State Park, among others. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT has been singing near the Graham Boulevard Bridge at the New Creek Watershed on Staten Island at least to Tuesday, and another was at the Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center last Sunday. BLUE GROSBEAKS continue at the Prestons Pond Complex and other sites in the Calverton area and also at the Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest. The Captree Summer Bird Count last Saturday recorded about 131 species, including 2 new species - BLACK TERN and CANADA WARBLER, plus other such highlights as ARCTIC, GULL-BILLED, ROSEATE, CASPIAN and ROYAL TERNS and ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 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 -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information Posting Address: [email protected] Archives: The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
