[nysbirds-l] NYC Area RBA: 29 March 2013

[Karen Fung]

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* March 29, 2013
* NYNY1303.29

- Birds Mentioned:

BARNACLE GOOSE+
VARIED THRUSH+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Cackling Goose
Wood Duck
EURASIAN WIGEON
Blue-winged Teal
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (Eurasian form "Common Teal")
TUFTED DUCK
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Black Vulture
Osprey
Clapper Rail
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Laughing Gull
Iceland Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Pine Warbler
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Rusty Blackbird
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin

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:

Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
486 High Street
Victor, NY 14564

~ Transcript ~

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Weekly Recording: (212) 979-3070

To report sightings call:
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (during the day except Sunday)
Tony Lauro (631) 734-4126 (Long Island)

Compilers: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Karen Fung

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings.  This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, March 29nd, at
7:00pm.  The highlights of today's tape are VARIED THRUSH, BARNACLE GOOSE,
TUFTED DUCK, EURASIAN WIGEON, Eurasian form of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, LAPLAND
LONGSPUR, and Spring Migrants.

A nicely plumaged male VARIED THRUSH remained a findable highlight in
Brooklyn's Prospect Park through today.  For well over a week now, the
thrush has been found feeding on the southern slope of Quaker Hill, just
east of Quaker Cemetery and west of the Nethermead Bridge.  This area is
best viewable from a bridle path running along the north side of Center
Drive.  Watch for the thrush kicking up the underbrush as it feeds.  Some
winter finches also continue in Prospect, including WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS, PINE SISKINS, and fewer COMMON REDPOLLS.

The drake TUFTED DUCK was still on the pond at Heckscher Park, off Route
25A in Huntington, today.

The Westchester County BARNACLE GOOSE was back on Larchmont Reservoir with
a CACKLING GOOSE and some Canadas on Sunday.  Also known as Sheldrake Lake,
this site is off Weaver Street, south of the Hutchinson River Parkway, in
Larchmont.  The BARNACLE had also recently been at Twin Lakes Park in
Eastchester.

Two EURASIAN WIGEON, along with an apparent hybrid wigeon, were still at
Massapequa Preserve Wednesday, and farther out on Long Island, at Terrell
River County Park  in Center Moriches, a nice collection of Eurasian
GREEN-WINGED TEAL was still present with dozens of American GREEN-WINGED
TEAL last Sunday.  Of the four or more birds exhibiting the horizontal
white wing stripe of the Eurasian form, a couple maybe have been hybrids,
though none showed a notable vertical white stripe.  These birds were along
the Terrell River, south of the parking lot off Montauk Highway, Route 27A,
on a rising tide.

A hybrid-type Eurasian and American GREEN-WINGED TEAL was also at Hempstead
Lake State Park on Sunday.  Could this have been the same bird wintering
just south of there on Smith Pond in Rockville Centre?  Hempstead Lake
State Park, a good site for early migrants, on Sunday also featured WOOD
DUCK OSPREY, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, a few EASTERN PHOEBES, TREE
SWALLOWS, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, PINE WARBLER, and some RUSTY BLACKBIRDS.
 BLUE-WINGED TEAL appeared there today, the first actually a male on the
narrow river in Orient last Saturday, and many have appeared since.

A CACKLING GOOSE was present at Inwood Hill Park in northern Manhattan
Sunday to Wednesday, and two were also picked out in flight among some
Canada flocks, moving over Randall's Island last Sunday morning.  When
watching Canada flocks though, remember that Canadas do come in various
sizes, and small size alone may not indicate a Cackling Goose.

A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was still around Jones Beach West End Monday, usually
seen on the Coast Guard parking lot lawn by the gazebo.

Some lingering winter finches have included a nice flock of COMMON REDPOLLS
for several days along Route 25A in Calverton, with WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS
still in a few locations such as at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye, and
occasional RED CROSSBILLS on eastern Long Island.  Birders should remember
to look for nesting activity, a possibility with both crossbills locally.

Four BLACK VULTURES were noted over the Bronx Zoo on Wednesday, and some
new, recent arriving migrants have included BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON and
GREATER YELLOWLEGS, with a LAUGHING GULL in Brooklyn Monday, and the
Oceanside Marine Nature Study 

Fw: [nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson

[hkbock]

Nancy was kind enough to respond to my inquiry but it didn't go to the whole  
list, see below, not as exciting as a Gyr, but pretty stunning nonetheless!  
And yes by meadowgreens and the Columbia Co airport.
Thanks!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Droid

-Original message-
From: Nancy Jane Kern 
To: Heidi Bock 
Sent: Sat, Mar 30, 2013 02:26:33 GMT+00:00
Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson

Hi Heidi-

That is a leucistic (mostly white, not an albino) Red-tailed Hawk. It has  
been there around the airport/golf course for a number of years. I observed  
it mating with a regular Red-tail one year, and it is a female.

Nancy Kern
Alan Devoe Bird Club
Chatham, NY



  
 

Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:08:12 -0700
From: hkb...@yahoo.com
Subject: [nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson
To: NYSbirds-L@cornell.edu

Hi!
Driving on 9H in Columbia County today I spotted an all white hawk sized  
bird sitting on a fence near a golf course. A friend saw it earlier this  
week and initially thought it might be a Gyrfalcon. In doing some research  
it seems unlikely given their range and we are nearly positive it was not a  
snowy owl, when it took off the head looked too small and the wing tips too  
pointy. Has anyone else seen this bird and have any insight as to what it  
is? Of course I had left my camera at home today!
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
 
 
Heidi Bock
 
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Re: [nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson

[Peter Colen]

Meadowgreens?
On Mar 29, 2013 10:21 PM, "Elizabeth D Poole"  wrote:

> Location? I examined the aerial photos of Columbia County from one end of
> Route 9H to the other and couldn't find a golf course. Which golf course?
> Specific address? What kind of fence?
>
>
>
>  -Original Message-
> From: Heidi Bock 
> To: NYSbirds-L 
> Sent: Fri, Mar 29, 2013 10:08 pm
> Subject: [nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson
>
>  Hi!
> Driving on 9H in Columbia County today I spotted an all white hawk sized
> bird sitting on a fence near a golf course. A friend saw it earlier this
> week and initially thought it might be a Gyrfalcon. In doing some research
> it seems unlikely given their range and we are nearly positive it was not
> a snowy owl, when it took off the head looked too small and the wing tips
> too pointy. Has anyone else seen this bird and have any insight as to what
> it is? Of course I had left my camera at home today!
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
>
>
> Heidi Bock
>
>  --
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Re: [nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson

[Elizabeth D Poole]

Location? I examined the aerial photos of Columbia County from one end of Route 
9H to the other and couldn't find a golf course. Which golf course? Specific 
address? What kind of fence?
 

 

 

-Original Message-
From: Heidi Bock 
To: NYSbirds-L 
Sent: Fri, Mar 29, 2013 10:08 pm
Subject: [nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson



Hi!
Driving on 9H in Columbia County today I spotted an all white hawk sized bird 
sitting on a fence near a golf course. A friend saw it earlier this week and 
initially thought it might be a Gyrfalcon. In doing some research it seems 
unlikely given their range and we are nearly positive it was not a snowy owl, 
when it took off the head looked too small and the wing tips too pointy. Has 
anyone else seen this bird and have any insight as to what it is? Of course I 
had left my camera at home today!
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
 
 
Heidi Bock
 

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[nysbirds-l] White or Albino Hawk near Hudson

[Heidi Bock]

Hi!
Driving on 9H in Columbia County today I spotted an all white hawk sized bird 
sitting on a fence near a golf course. A friend saw it earlier this week and 
initially thought it might be a Gyrfalcon. In doing some research it seems 
unlikely given their range and we are nearly positive it was not a snowy owl, 
when it took off the head looked too small and the wing tips too pointy. Has 
anyone else seen this bird and have any insight as to what it is? Of course I 
had left my camera at home today!
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
 
 
Heidi Bock
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Re: [nysbirds-l] Ravens nesting?

[Mike]

Following up on Dan Heglund's sightings of Common Ravens on the Shoreham power 
plant in Wading RIver (Suffolk Co.)- Today I observed 2 Ravens grooming each 
other for several minutes before flying around the southwest side of the 
building.

Earlier I had a female Red Crossbill at the Longwood (Smith) Estate in Middle 
Island.  The bird called loudly and frequently from the tops of bare decidiuous 
trees before heading into the hemlocks near the cemetary.  An adult Cooper's 
Hawk also remained quitely perched near the top of a tall evergreen next to the 
main house.  Derek Rogers has been finding Red Crossbills in the Calverton 
Ponds property- I'd expect that this would be a great year to find crossbills 
nesting in Suffolk County.

Mike Cooper
Ridge, LI, NY
  - Original Message - 
  From: dan...@aol.com 
  To: & [NYSBIRDS] 
  Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 8:09 PM
  Subject: [nysbirds-l] Ravens nesting?


  This morning I observed 2 ravens grooming each other then mating on the 
shoreham power plant...shoreham ny suffolk county...iv seen these birds several 
times over the last 2 monthsare they. Nesting?...they always disapear to 
the west side of the plant out of site...if an6one has acces to the plant ma6be 
they can confirm if there nesting there..dan heglundrocky point. Li

  Sent from my Verizon Wireless Droid
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[nysbirds-l] Hempstead Lake - Blue-winged Teal, Tree Swallows, Rusty Blackbirds

[John Gluth]

I birded Hempstead Lake State Park for three hours (10-1) today. Highlights 
were a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEALS, 6 TREE SWALLOWS (over McDonald Pond), and 5 
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS.
Some other early Spring migrants seen included Fox Sparrow (2), Brown Creeper 
(2), Osprey (1, with trout), and Yellow-rumped Warblers (4). Other notables 
were Green-winged Teal (3),
singing Winter Wrens (3), and a singing Dark-eyed Junco. Full eBird species 
list with photos of the B-w Teal are at 
http://ebird.org/ebird/ny/view/checklist?subID=S13559248

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[nysbirds-l] Blue winged teal Wading river Suffolk Co

[Peter Priolo]

Currently one foraging among 18 mallards in standing water in farm field west 
of wading river road s of lie.
Peter 
Ctr Mo
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[nysbirds-l] Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside

[syschiff]

Marine Nature Study Area, 29 March

Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff ) went looking for early shorebirds this morning, 
but only found the pair of AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS that had been present for a 
while. Waders today included GREAT EGRET, GREAT BLUE HERON, BLACK-CROWNED 
NIGHT-HERON and a fos GLOSSY IBIS. The OSPREY pair are at the nest and a 
RED-TAIL HAWK was seen flying over the golf course.

The path at the SE corner of the pond produced the first SEASIDE SPARROW seen 
since before "Sandy" and a bit father north a CLAPPER RAIL ran across the path 
and into the marsh on our right and another called from the pond edge on our 
left. Sparrows included SONG, SAVANNAH and WHITE-THROAT. A NORTHERN FLICKER in 
the dunes was also a new migrant. Singing Red-wing Blackbirds were a nice touch 
to an early spring day.

Sy

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[nysbirds-l] re: [nysbirds-l] Woodcock - Yorktown Heights‏

[Adam Zorn]

Hi Thomas,
Its possible that the woodcock could be taking up residence in or near your 
backyard, but they'll also fly in from surrounding areas to perform on the 
"dance floor" as well.  If your backyard is the dance floor, then you could be 
seeing birds in either circumstance.
We led a Woodcock Walk on our nature preserve at Westmoreland Sanctuary on the 
evening of March 24, and before it was too dark to see, we observed one 
woodcock fly in from a nearby wetland (20-30 yds away), but also had other 
woodcocks flying in from surrounding areas (further away based on their 
trajectory and the topography of hills and trees) also landing in the same 
meadow.  At least two of the newcomers were competing males who also began to 
display, but 2 others were likely females who came to watch the show.
You should watch what happens at sundown and see if you can figure out if there 
are others in the area.  That woodcock may not be so lonely afterall!
Good birding,Adam

-
Adam Zorn
Naturalist - Westmoreland Sanctuary
Board Member - Bedford Audubon Society
From:bounce-77535451-14226...@list.cornell.edu on behalf of Thomas Rhindress 
(trhindre...@gmail.com) Your junk email filter is set to exclusive.Sent:Fri 
3/29/13 10:44 AMTo:nysbirds-L@cornell.eduThis message is here because your junk 
email filter is set to exclusive.Wait, it's safe!A new backyard bird sighting. 
Curious as to environmental conditions needed for woodcock.  Our backyard is 
one acre, square shape, probably the only chemical-free lawn in the area and is 
surrounded by a perimeter of ~50 ft hardwood and underbrush before acres of 
suburban development sprawl.  I have heard this woodcock in flight for the past 
three nights while out walking the dogs and finally got a good extended looks 
at it this morning.
Is this one that just settled on its way north? Or a male destined for 
membership in the lonely hearts club? Our backyard has some wet areas in the 
spring and has a VERY healthy worm population. There are some undeveloped wet, 
wooded areas about 1/2 mile away.
Any ideas as to why this bird has settled here and whether it may stay the 
season?
Thanks in advance
Thomas Rhindress

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[nysbirds-l] Woodcock - Yorktown Heights

[Thomas Rhindress]

A new backyard bird sighting. Curious as to environmental conditions needed
for woodcock.  Our backyard is one acre, square shape, probably the only
chemical-free lawn in the area and is surrounded by a perimeter of ~50 ft
hardwood and underbrush before acres of suburban development sprawl.  I
have heard this woodcock in flight for the past three nights while out
walking the dogs and finally got a good extended looks at it this morning.

Is this one that just settled on its way north? Or a male destined for
membership in the lonely hearts club? Our backyard has some wet areas in
the spring and has a VERY healthy worm population. There are some
undeveloped wet, wooded areas about 1/2 mile away.

Any ideas as to why this bird has settled here and whether it may stay the
season?

Thanks in advance

Thomas Rhindress


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