[nysbirds-l] Northern Gannets inside Jamaica Bay
I've actually seen Northern Gannet's foraging inside Jamaica Bay a number of times. There were 5 or 6 there today and a similar number were present on 27 Mar when I stopped by on the way home from the Freeport pelagic. On that day six Gannets were foraging all the way up to the Belt Parkway at the Mill Basin Bridge. Apparently good numbers have been in the Outer New Harbor as viewed from Coney Island and today a bunch were feeding close to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. How often do they enter the Inner Harbor and are they ever visible from Manhattan? Doug Gochfeld told me that both he and Shane Blodgett have seen Gannets in Jamaica bay on several occasions, mentioning 5 sitting on the water between Floyd Bennett Field and the Ruffle Bar on 8 April 2009. I'd have to dig through my notes (or old postings to this forum) to dredge up other dates. Gannets are regular in the outer Peconic Bay during the spring and fall and it is not at all unusual to see them between Gardiner's Island and the 'Springs/Accabonac' Peninsula, if not further west towards Shelter Island. During one storm, I watched numbers of Gannets were flying back and forth over Hick's Island or through the narrow channel between Hick's and Lazy Point to feed in Napeague Harbor itself, which is so shallow it seemed risky for a plunge diver. So I think Gannet's, unlike shearwaters, will comfortably forage in relatively confined channels and bays if the fishing is good. There were a bunch of charter boats fishing in the southern portion of Jamaica Bay today, around where the gannets were feeding and perhaps someone knows what they were after. Angus Wilson New York City/Springs This early-mid April period seems to be when Gannets are most likely to penetrate inshore waters, in our bays and sounds, where they are normally rare. John and Kirsten's observations at Jamaica Bay are really very unusual. My companions and i had some similar experiences yesterday--a Gannet north of Hicks Island, in Napeague Bay, and then 26 Gannets resting on the waters of Shinnecock Bay, north of the main sandbar there. I can't ever recall seeing so many in there. Today, Marc Brody mentioned seeing them inside Jones Inlet. This time of year seems to be when the Gannets push their boundaries-- https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/ThereYouAre#5375001706807305570 --and I wonder if they are tracking a migratory prey species, like one of the anadromous herrings. Shai Mitra Bay Shore < our most interesting sighting of the day however, was that of two adult n.gannet off the southwest side of the west pond. the birds were quite active. we eventually lost sight of them in the heat haze. > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
RE: [nysbirds-l] 38 Snowy Egret/Jamaica Bay WR
This early-mid April period seems to be when Gannets are most likely to penetrate inshore waters, in our bays and sounds, where they are normally rare. John and Kirsten's observations at Jamaica Bay are really very unusual. My companions and i had some similar experiences yesterday--a Gannet north of Hicks Island, in Napeague Bay, and then 26 Gannets resting on the waters of Shinnecock Bay, north of the main sandbar there. I can't ever recall seeing so many in there. Today, Marc Brody mentioned seeing them inside Jones Inlet. This time of year seems to be when the Gannets push their boundaries-- https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/ThereYouAre#5375001706807305570 --and I wonder if they are tracking a migratory prey species, like one of the anadromous herrings. Shai Mitra Bay Shore < our most interesting sighting of the day however, was that of two adult n.gannet off the southwest side of the west pond. the birds were quite active. we eventually lost sight of them in the heat haze. > Think green before you print this email. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Common Raven + Pileated Woodpecker pr in Saratoga Spring, NY 4/9/11
1 Common Raven, on the southwest end of Saratoga Spa grounds. A single bird on a wire close to the telephone pole. 2. Pileated Woodpecker, pair, working large trees, pealing big chunks of bark looking for food. On Four Winds property. 76 Common Loon, raft on Lake Saratoga. 26+ Scaup sp. On Lake Saratoga. We only had 10x42 Swarovski bins in perfect light. 2 species of swallows on Lake Saratoga. 16Northern rough-winged swallows. 2 Tree swallows Pam Musk + Dan Furbish Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
RE: [nysbirds-l] Central Park Boat Tailed Grackle?
Thank you, Jane, for posting this report--and for supporting it with photos! In New York, Boat-tailed Grackle is very rare away from the coast, and this is a very notable record. Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: bounce-16204433-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-16204433-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Jane Ross [janefr...@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2011 11:48 AM To: nysbirds-l@cornell.edu Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park Boat Tailed Grackle? Saw what I believe is a boat-tailed grackle at the west end of the Meer (flying from the little island) on Saturday afternoon. Agressive and chatty and larger than regular grackles. Photos here don't quite capture the width of the tail, but it was quite broad in flight. http://rossbirds.blogspot.com/ Jane F. Ross International Education Consultant 1112 Park Avenue New York, New York 10128 Think green before you print this email. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Brooklyn YTWA follow-up
Just to follow-up Rob Bate's early posting, the Yellow-throated Warbler seen in Prospect Park was feeding in the trees in an area nicknamed "Lamppost J249". It was associating with a pair of Pine Warblers. Here is a link to a Google Earth map: http://tinyurl.com/5wslj8h If you go, the closest entrance to Prospect Park to this spot is Prospect Park Southwest and Vanderbilt Avenue. Good birding, Rob The City Birder Weblog http://citybirder.blogspot.com -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Yellow-throated Warnler
Eddie Davis found a bright Yellow-throated Warbler by Lampost 249 along the north shore of the lake in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Many eyes are on it now. Thanks Eddie! Ron Bate Brooklyn -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] West End/Jones Beach Birds (Nassau Co.)
After spending a slow hour or two birding at Hempstead Lake State Park, I traveled over to West End 2 and took advantage of the light winds did a loop from the WE2 pavilion west to the WE jetty and then south along Jones Inlet and finally east on the fisherman's trail back to the WE2 parking lot. The birding list I put together in many aspects resembled a January list more than a mid-April list. On the ocean shoreline opposite the WE2 pavilion was a first winter Iceland Gull that flew east down the beach. Piping Plovers were on territory behind the newly erected string fencing, i observed twelve PP's from the WE2 pavilion to the WE jetty. East of the swale on the ocean was a large mixed flock of Sanderlings (approx. 1200) and Dunlin (500). A single Semipalmated Plover was bathing with the Sanderlings in a small overwash pond. On the ocean there were many D.C. Cormorants and Loons, including a Red-throated Loon in full breeding plumage. On the way down to the jetty five Forster's Terns flew east down the beach. Just east of the jetty I quickly noticed a small flock of about ten Common Eider. Present with the CE's was an adult male King Eider. On the jetty I noticed a flock of fifty Dunlin with two Purple Sandpipers mixed in. I enjoyed the "winter" birds but, bring on the warblers! Ken Feustel -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] NYC Area RBA: 8 April 2011
- RBA * New York * New York City, Long Island, Westchester County * Apr. 8, 2011 * NYNY1104.08 - Birds mentioned VARIED THRUSH+ (+ Details requested by NYSARC) Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal Common Eider HARLEQUIN DUCK Northern Gannet Little Blue Heron Glossy Ibis Greater Yellowlegs ICELAND GULL GLAUCOUS GULL Short-eared Owl RED-HEADED WOODPECKER Eastern Phoebe White-eyed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush Rusty Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Common Redpoll - Transcript 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 nysa...@nybirds.org. If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to: Jeanne Skelly - Secretary NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) 420 Chili-Scottsville Rd. Churchville, NY 14428 Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert Number: (212) 979-3070 To report sightings call: Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (weekdays, during the day) Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126 (Long Island) Compiler: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County Transcriber: Ben Cacace BEGIN TAPE Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, April 8th 2011 at 9pm. The highlights of today's tape are VARIED THRUSH, GLAUCOUS GULL, ICELAND GULL, HARLEQUIN DUCK, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and Spring migrants. A little burst of migrants this week indicates that Spring will come after all. In Central Park the lingering VARIED THRUSH was, as of last weekend, still moving about between the maintenance area just south of the 79th Street transverse and the south side of the Metropolitan Museum of Art closer to 5th Avenue. While the slowly changing RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was still south of the Sheep Meadow recently. The Rambles feeder last Sunday were 2 COMMON REDPOLLS presumably heading back north. Most emphasis now has centered around tracking down Spring arrivals. One of the better local sites in early Spring for this is Hempstead Lake State Park where an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER found last Sunday was still present at least to Wednesday. Other warblers there featured PINE WARBLER, PALM WARBLER with a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER Wednesday and a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER Thursday plus growing numbers of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. In addition a WHITE-EYED VIREO appeared Wednesday, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO Thursday along with a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. Swallows over the ponds there on Thursday included NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, BARN SWALLOW and CLIFF SWALLOW as well as TREE SWALLOW and the park has also featured other interesting birds including WOOD DUCK and RUSTY BLACKBIRD. Another arriving warbler was a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH in Brooklyn's Green-wood Cemetery Wednesday. EASTERN PHOEBES are now quite widespread and numbers of most of these migrants should increase quickly with others joining them. Different arrivals at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge joining the egrets there featured LITTLE BLUE HERON and GLOSSY IBIS as of Thursday along with BLUE-WINGED TEAL one of which was also in Alley Pond Park last Sunday. Out at Point Lookout last Saturday the immature ICELAND GULL and 8 HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued around the jetties and the barrier beach produced some expected migrants during the week. NORTHERN GANNETS continue on western Long Island Sound and 10 were counted Thursday in Little Neck Bay. Moving east on Dune Road west of Shinnecock Inlet a SHORT-EARED OWL was still present Thursday and a few COMMON EIDER and a decent number of NORTHERN GANNETS were around the inlet. The immature GLAUCOUS GULL was still frequenting the area around the Orient Point ferry terminal last Sunday. Interesting for Westchester County was a male BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE singing at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye last Saturday and a good flock of 30 GREATER YELLOWLEGS there today is an indication that shorebirds are also on there way north. To phone in reports on Long Island, call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126, or during the week except Sunday call Tom Burke at (212) 372-1483. 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: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/conten
Re: [nysbirds-l] 38 Snowy Egret/Jamaica Bay WR
yes, that is quite an impressive number, considering what was there just hours before. my wife kirsten and i were there at high tide from around 930am until 1pm. the cumulative sum total of herons was far less than shane's numbers, even when taking in what we saw throughout the refuge and not just the one spot shane refers to. i wonder what pulled shane's birds in since that was, as i recall, dead-low tide. we also saw one little blue and small numbers of great and snowy egrets, but no tri-colored. of course there was the usual collection of waterfowl on both ponds, as expected, which kept us entertained. our most interesting sighting of the day however, was that of two adult n.gannet off the southwest side of the west pond. the birds were quite active. we eventually lost sight of them in the heat haze. away from JBWR, the only other birds of note we might report was the continuing flock of 6 harlequin ducks at jones' inlet's west side, point lookout, as viewed from fireman's park. John Askildsen, Millbrook, New York On 04/09/11, Shane Blodgett wrote:On the the South end of the East Pond between 6:45 and 7:20 this evening, what started as a small flock of 8 Snowy Egrets grew into a sizable 38. I'm pretty sure that is my high count for this early date.There were also 4 Little Blue Herons , 9 Great Egrets, 2 Glossy Ibis and a Tri-colored Heron, and 3 Blue-winged Teal.Shane BlodgettBrooklyn NY
