Date: 2/17/26 4:37 pm From: marciaaabrahams at aol.com (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Do not miss Donna Schulman's "Back to Australia or Why Did the Cassowary Cross the Road?" Zoom Presentation for the Queens County Bird Club tomorrow night at 7:30 PM.
Do not miss the next Queens County Bird Club Zoom Meeting tomorrow evening, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 pm. Donna Schulman will present "Back to Australia or Why Did the Cassowary Cross the Road"
Donna believes that there is never enough Australian birding, so she returned to the land of kookaburras, cockatoos, and koalas in 2024 to bird Queensland, New South Wales, and a bit of Victoria. She saw the sky fill with flying foxes in Sydney, fed trail mix to Australian King-Parrots at O’Reilly’s Retreat, cooed over baby Brown Boobies on Michaelmas Cay (Great Barrier Reef), and watched a Southern Cassowary cross the road at Etty Bayright in front of her camera (too close!). Like her previous trip, this one combined a group tour, private guiding, and birding on her own. The presentation will include photographs, videos and comments on the pluses and minuses of each mode of birding travel when down under.
Donna learned how to bird with QCBC and has branched out to Central & South America, Africa, SE Asia, and Australia. A former labor educator and library director, she reviews books for 10,000 Birds, Birding magazine, and discusses birding books as part of the Birding Book Club on the American Birding Association Podcast. Donna’s photographs have been featured in Birding and Birdwatching Magazine; the publications, print and social media, of New Jersey Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology; the educational signage of Negri-Nepote Grasslands in N.J. and a tern colony somewhere in Germany; and just recently, the 2025 Town of Southampton Report on Threatened and Endangered Species Management and Protection Program. She is a past editor of QCBC’s News and Notes.
The Zoom opens at 7:00pm for chatting, but the meeting will start at 7:30pm.
Zoom Link:Â bit.ly/QCBCfeb2026Meeting ID: 872 7448 1074Passcode: 491827long form of Zoom Link: Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/87274481074...
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Marcia AbrahamsVP/Programs CoordinatorQueens County Bird Clubhttps://qcbirdclub.org/Email: <MarciaAAbrahams...>
Date: 2/17/26 11:28 am From: <russ...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Birds are Telling Us to Let the Nissequogue Run Free
Since Mother Nature breached the Stump Pond dam in a rainstorm in August 2024, 11 bird species have been recorded here for the first time in over 10 years. Previously, they likely flew past without stopping. See Note 1 for species. Another 35 species have reached historical high counts on eBird, drawn to the Nissequogue’s expansive new wetlands and thriving field habitats now emerging in Blydenburgh County Park. See Note 2. Birds are telling us that wildlife thrives without the dam. This exceptional ecological recovery and bird movements justify letting the river run free. But alarmingly, this transformation is under threat. Birds risk losing this free-flowing riparian wetland area forever if the dam is rebuilt. Join the growing coalition fighting for a healthy, natural river at FreeTheNissequogue.org. Of 190 total bird species reported at Blydenburgh, 38 are currently imperiled species. They require state, local and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) to partner to preserve and protect the winding stream, native plant and floodplain habitat that’s emerging to support many of these species populations in NY.
* State Protected: 11 species are listed as Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern under NYS Law (6 NYCRR Part 182). Note 3.
* High Priority: Another 12 are designated as High Priority (HPSGCN) to help DEC staff, local municipalities (counties, cities, towns) and NGO partners to direct their funding, time, and other resources toward conducting urgent research and management. Note 4.
* Conservation Need: 18 additional are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), facing further declines in NY if conservation actions are not taken within the next 10 years. Note 5.
Restoring the Nissequogue River protects more than just birds; it supports pollinators, native plants and broader wildlife biodiversity to come. What can you do to help birds on Long Island? Add your voice to the grassroots movement fighting for a healthy, natural Nissequogue at FreeTheNissequogue.org. Contact: Russ Comeau President, South Shore Audubon Society | Freeport, NY Director, NYS Ornithological Association Mobile: (928) 614-9186 (call/text) P.S. - Note 1 - Baird's Sandpiper, Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpiper, Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Stilt Sandpiper, Vesper Sparrow, White-rumped Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe, Worm-eating Warbler. Note 2 - Bald Eagle, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay, Brown Thrasher, Canada Goose, Cape May Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Common Nighthawk, Cooper's Hawk, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Warbling Vireo, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Indigo Bunting, Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Marsh Wren, Peregrine Falcon, Pine Warbler, Purple Martin, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Ruby-throat Hummingbird, Rusty Blackbird, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Snowy Egret, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Swamp Sparrow, Wild Turkey, Willow Flycatcher. Note 3 - Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Pied-billed Grebe, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk. 2x - Common Nighthawk*, Red-headed Woodpecker*, Vesper Sparrow*. Note 4 - Per NY State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) - Canada Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Rusty Blackbird. 2x - Common Nighthawk*, Red-headed Woodpecker*, Vesper Sparrow*. Per NYS Law - American Black Duck, Bay-breasted Warbler, Brown Thrasher, Cape May Warbler, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher. Note 5 - American Woodcock, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-billed Cuckoo, Black-crown Night Heron, Black-throat Blue Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Brant, Chimney Swift, Clapper Rail, Forster's Tern, Prairie Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Snowy Egret, Swainson's Thrush, Tennessee Warbler, Veery, Wood Thrush. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...> Archives: The Mail Archive: //www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html" class="hft-urls">https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
Date: 2/16/26 11:25 am From: Carena <warblette...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] COUNTY LISTING - CORRECTION
Hello again! I apologize for this added email, but it was brought to
my attention that there was an error in the one I sent you last night.
Regarding species categorized as "exotics" in eBird, you should NOT
count those that are marked as "provisional" in your eBird checklists.
Count only species classified as "native" or "naturalized" in eBird
for the location where you reported them.
I have made this correction in the email below.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation!
Carena
Hey Listers!
If you want to get your numbers into the 2025 report, don’t miss the
March 1 deadline -- TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY!
AS ALWAYS, keep in mind that species not yet on NYSOA’s official NYS
Checklist of the Birds of New York State for the year being reported
should not be included in your counts.
Also please don't count species categorized by eBird as “exotics."
Count only species classified as "native" or "naturalized" in eBird
for the location where you reported them.
Awaiting your list with bated breath…unless you've already sent it in,
in which case I thank you sincerely!
Carena Pooth / NYSOA
=================================
BACKGROUND & HOW-TO INFO
----------------------------------------------
NYSOA’s County and State Listing Project is a fun, friendly
competition. Started in 1992, it continues to attract new participants
every year. Some of our first county listers have not missed a single
year since the beginning (watch out, you might get hooked!).
NEW THIS YEAR is an updated SELF-FOUND RULES document written by Shai
Mitra in October 2025.
If at all possible, please enter your data into the ONLINE form (that
will save me the work of typing it all in, thank you!). In case it is
not possible for you to enter your data online, a printable form you
can mail in is available.
No reports submitted in previous years are automatically carried into
the next. If you want to be listed in the 2025 compilation, you must
submit your numbers, even if they haven’t changed since the last
report you sent in.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
HOW-TO: NYSOA COUNTY & STATE LISTING
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the close of each calendar year, participants send in as many of
the following as they wish to share:
- LIFE totals for all of NYS; the 10 Kingbird regions; the 62
counties; the PELAGIC ZONE (PZ)
- 2025 YEAR LIST total for the entire state
- 2025 NYS SELF-FOUND total - the number of species you found
without being alerted to them by others or by bird alert systems
You can send in just one number or as many as 76, or anywhere in
between – it’s your choice depending on where you’ve birded, what
records you’ve kept, and what you wish to share. A compilation is
produced annually and published in NYSOA’s newsletter and also on the
NYSOA website at https://nybirds.org/ProjCountyLists.html. Also
available on that page are links to:
- FORMS
- MAP of the ten Kingbird regions
- PELAGIC sighting guidelines
- SELF-FOUND RULES updated October 2025 by Shai Mitra
- TIPS FOR USING YOUR EBIRD DATA to put together your report
- ARCHIVE of past compilations
Join in on the fun and see where you stand – statewide, region by
region, county by county – in comparison with other birders all over
New York State (and even outside the state). To see what the annual
compilation looks like, check out the archive at
https://nybirds.org/ProjCountyLists.html.
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
AS ALWAYS, keep in mind that species not yet on NYSOA’s official NYS
Checklist of the Birds of New York State for the year being reported
should not be included in your counts.
Also please don't count species now categorized by eBird as “exotics."
Count only “native,” “naturalized,” and “provisional” species as now
defined in eBird.
Awaiting your list with bated breath…unless you've already sent it in,
in which case I thank you sincerely!
Carena Pooth / NYSOA
=================================
BACKGROUND & HOW-TO INFO
----------------------------------------------
NYSOA’s County and State Listing Project is a fun, friendly
competition. Started in 1992, it continues to attract new participants
every year. Some of our first county listers have not missed a single
year since the beginning (watch out, you might get hooked!).
NEW THIS YEAR is an updated SELF-FOUND RULES document written by Shai
Mitra in October 2025.
If at all possible, please enter your data into the ONLINE form (that
will save me the work of typing it all in, thank you!). In case it is
not possible for you to enter your data online, a printable form you
can mail in is available.
No reports submitted in previous years are automatically carried into
the next. If you want to be listed in the 2025 compilation, you must
submit your numbers, even if they haven’t changed since the last
report you sent in.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
HOW-TO: NYSOA COUNTY & STATE LISTING
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the close of each calendar year, participants send in as many of
the following as they wish to share:
- LIFE totals for all of NYS; the 10 Kingbird regions; the 62
counties; the PELAGIC ZONE (PZ)
- 2025 YEAR LIST total for the entire state
- 2025 NYS SELF-FOUND total - the number of species you found
without being alerted to them by others or by bird alert systems
You can send in just one number or as many as 76, or anywhere in
between – it’s your choice depending on where you’ve birded, what
records you’ve kept, and what you wish to share. A compilation is
produced annually and published in NYSOA’s newsletter and also on the
NYSOA website at https://nybirds.org/ProjCountyLists.html. Also
available on that page are links to:
- FORMS
- MAP of the ten Kingbird regions
- PELAGIC sighting guidelines
- SELF-FOUND RULES updated October 2025 by Shai Mitra
- TIPS FOR USING YOUR EBIRD DATA to put together your report
- ARCHIVE of past compilations
Join in on the fun and see where you stand – statewide, region by
region, county by county – in comparison with other birders all over
New York State (and even outside the state). To see what the annual
compilation looks like, check out the archive at
https://nybirds.org/ProjCountyLists.html.
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
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: Ben Cacace
BEGIN TAPE
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for *Friday, February 13th 2026* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are COMMON GULL, EURASIAN WIGEON, HARLEQUIN DUCK, DOVEKIE, GLAUCOUS GULL, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, LAPLAND LONGSPUR and more.
Today in Westchester a COMMON GULL was photographed along the shore of the Hudson River in Verplanck. The bird quickly disappeared and was searched for until dusk from Steamboat Landing in Verplanck up to a gull roost at Riverfront Park in Peekskill without success. Eyes will be on the river tomorrow during Eagle Fest so hopefully this bird, appearing to be a Kamchatka form, will be relocated.
The EURASIAN WIGEON male, in unusual transitional plumage was present this week on Agawam Lake located on the south side of Montauk Highway in Southampton. A female HARLEQUIN DUCK was found today on Staten Island off Cedar Grove Beach and a few continue in Jones Inlet either off the Jones Beach West End jetty or around the Point Lookout jetties.
A DOVEKIE and 8 RAZORBILLS were reported today off the Camp Hero bluffs out at Montauk Point and today gulls visiting the Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4 featured single GLAUCOUS and ICELAND with other ICELANDS this week including birds in Brooklyn from Bush Terminal Piers Park today around to Gravesend Bay, one at Great Kills Park Sunday, one continuing at Old Field Point and Lighthouse and singles at Bellport Bay and Lake Montauk today. A few LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS also continue in the region including one on Central Park Reservoir Tuesday and others along the Brooklyn shore.
Single RED-NECKED GREBES were noted this week off California Beach in Setauket Sunday and at Ditch Plains in Montauk yesterday.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen again at Floyd Bennett Field Tuesday and both light and dark morphs were noted Thursday out at Cedar Beach where at least one has been hanging around.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was present from Saturday at least to Monday out at Robert Moses State Park and a VESPER SPARROW was present all week at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center off Yaphank Avenue.
Some RUSTY BLACKBIRDS still hanging around in the region have included seven or so at Alley Pond Park lately.
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.
Date: 2/13/26 10:48 am From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Probable adult common gull
Just photographed an adult common gull I believe at steamboat dock park in verplanck in the parking lot but it is now on the ice on the beach. Still hear now. Slightly larger than ringbill with rounded head and no ring on bill and more streaking on head and darker streaking on head and darker mantle.
Andrew Block Yonkers new YorkÂ
Date: 2/12/26 9:39 am From: Shaibal Mitra <Shaibal.Mitra...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] "Iconic Birds" for eBird Hotspots
Just today I noticed the (presumably) new "Iconic Birds" feature, listing species reported especially often from each eBird hotspot. Species are listed in descending order by the degree to which they are reported more frequently at a hotspot relative a regional frequency (though the spatial scale for regional comparison is not clear, as the example to follow will show).
This is an interesting idea, presumably intended to assist visiting birders in planning efficient routes to find target species, and it strikes me as something of a new frontier in terms of how eBird will shape, and be shaped by, the sociology of birding. At the simplest level, it's no surprise that singular, long-staying rarities might leap to the top of a most iconic list; the Spotted Towhee at Baldwin Harbor Park in Nassau County was listed as number one for that hotspot earlier today, but has since vanished, presumably via a tweak to the algorithm to stave off that particular sort of bias. Another bias that will not be solved involves the traditions that tend to evolve among birders, seeking particular species at particular places, as opposed to various less targeted but equally appropriate sites. To the extent that birders tune into the Iconic Birds feature, I would expect that this particular form of non-independent birder effort will become further exaggerated.
But perusing the Iconic Birds of some hotspots I know well revealed something much more peculiar, which I didn't expect all—a species achieving iconic status apparently in error, via chronic mis-identification and mis-reporting!
Boat-tailed Grackle is a common species in the saltmarshes along the south shore of Long Island, venturing into other nearby habitats in various different ways that are difficult to generalize, but definitely expected in a relatively narrow range of contexts and quite unusual, even rare or absent, outside of these. Thus, I know from experience that it is frequently present at all seasons at sites along the Ocean Parkway adjacent to the marshes fringing Great South Bay, but that it is scarce at best, and absent for much of the year, just across the Fire Island Inlet, at Robert Moses SP. My routine coverage of this area is perfectly clear in this regard (detections/checklist):
RMSP 33/1885 = 0.0175
Captree SP 122/422 = 0.30
Captree Island 85/224 = 0.38
Oak Beach 21/223 = 0.09
Cedar Beach 39/227 = 0.17
Gilgo Beach 84/332 = 0.25
It is possible, I suppose that the actual frequency of ca. 0.0175 is sufficiently greater than the frequency calculated across all of Suffolk County, or some other unreasonably large reference region, to qualify as "iconic," but I doubt that this is what's happening. Visiting and otherwise unwary birders definitely tend to report Boat-tailed Grackle (and several other species) in error at RMSP, either because of misidentification, or by imprecision (birders often reach RMSP via a series of stops where the species is common, enabling it to "leak" onto the RMSP checklists as well).
I'm curious about how others feel about the Iconic Birds of the areas they know well, and those of areas they don't know but might visit. More particularly, I'm curious about the spatial scale used to calculate regional occurrence.
Date: 2/11/26 7:11 am From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to 2/10 - winter birds and notes -
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Governors, Randalls, and Roosevelt Islands, and the adjacent waters and skies above -
thru Tuesday, Feb. 10 -
Snow Bunting was a nice find for this county at Governors Island, where double-digit numbers of Horned Larks also continued as of Monday, Feb. 9th. Among the waterfowl variety off of Governors were some Long-tailed Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, and fair numbers of Scaup, mainly ongoing Greater Scaup. At least one Canvasback was seen from off Governors south side on Tuesday, a species that is scarce in many modern years in this county, unlike long-ago days when it was very regular and numerous in mid-winter. Scaup have been appearing in various waters, with a nice find of a single in a less-birded place, along the Harlem River off upper Manhattan near or opposite Highbridge Park. Long-tailed Ducks have been showing in fewer places, but one with some good views possible at times is along the East River off lower Manhattan, and also at times elsewhere. The most-numerous salt-water duck for the county is still Red-breasted Merganser, which might show almost anywhere in the salt waters, rarer in fresh but also possible such as on the Central Park reservoir once more opened up from the deep freeze.
From near Randalls Island, just east of the eastern parts, some Lesser Scaup were also found at least to Monday and likely remain, along with good numbers of Greater Scaup as well. Still showing at or off Randalls were at least 18 species of waterfowl, many likely having lingered in that area, showing some days and some hours to better advantage than at other times, with tidal and other effects there. A fairly impressive number, for Randalls, had been N. Shoveler of which more than 300 were noted for early Tues., with some also in-flight, and many sitting tight at the NE shore and Bronx Kill flats and edges. Numbers of those ducks were dropping as the day went on, at that area.
Purple Sandpiper was again seen on the rocks at Governors Island shore, thru Tuesday, and it is possible more may be lingering, or coming in there at times. Horned Grebe, seen and photographed off Randalls Island on Sunday. This latter species was occasional in that area a few times earlier this winter season. Some reports of a Surf Scoter came in this week, off Randalls Island. A variety of other waterfowl are ongoing in the county, with at least 22 species confirmed in the past week, likely one or two more might be added. Wood Ducks and Green-winged Teals are among the ducks ongoing at Central Park, and N. Pintails elsewhere - including at Randalls Island, which also was still hosting American Wigeon thru Tuesday.
Central Park saw at least 2 less-regular gull species showing at the reservoir there by last Friday, an Iceland Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Iceland Gulls were also reported again from some other locations in the past week. There have been some gull-gatherings at Central Parks reservoir at times of over 500 total gulls, occasionally even more, with timing varying for maximum or minimum numbers on any day. Other areas in the county have had some gull-feeding places and some lesser roosts of gulls, on both the Hudson and East River shores, but many of these can be quite transitory. As the coming week moves along, it is likely that recently-frozen waters will open up a bit more and some sites might attract gulls or waterbirds as they do re-open. Also very-grudgingly opening may be some areas of turf, where a variety of birds can start to feed again. Geese, all seeing to be Canada Geese but with enough to bring a chance of other species as well, were seen at Central Park by Tues., some hours having more than 1,000 in the park overall and various flocks in-flight. This may all shift somewhat as iced waters open up in coming days.
Raptors that were ongoing for the past week included Bald Eagles and Coopers Hawks, with some sightings here and there of Red-shouldered Hawk, which is certainly overwintering in low numbers. Red-tailed Hawk is of course a far more-numerous raptor seen often all around the county, and in all sorts of locations. Other birds of prey are also continuing, some very unobtrusive, some obvious enough to those looking. American Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon are both regulars in this county. Merlins have been detected in some locations including at Central Park this week. From Randalls Island in morning hours on Tues., it was possible to scan around and find up to six or more Bald Eagles on ice, in trees, and more also in-flight. Most of those were however not on Randalls itself but seen from various shore-side locations. Some Turkey Vultures were showing on many recent days, all in single or low number, while Black Vulture has been scarcely reported for some days.
Possibly a bit anomalous in the county lately, some flocks of American Robins have been moving about, and at least some were coming to old fruits such as certain crabapples that were not taken by any birds earlier in the season. Some or even all of these may be just local-movement. Very small numbers of Cedar Waxwings were noted, in general as had been in recent weeks around the county. The same is fairly likely of such species as Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles that are still in very-low to low numbers. A small number of Rusty Blackbirds continued as well, including at Central Park and at Fort Tryon Park. There seems to have been extremely scant numbers of winter finches lately with even American Goldfinch in lowered numbers. It is still possible that finch occurrences may increase here, over the remainder of winter and on into early spring.
One warbler was the only definite recent report for the county, a Myrtle-form Yellow-rumped staying fed by visiting a suet feeder around the part of Carl Schurz Park that is nearest the mayors residence, known as Gracie mansion. This is close to East 90th St. off East End Ave., Manhattan. On Randalls Island on Tues. morning, a potential Pine Warbler was barely seen, and heard giving chip calls, from just inside the NYFD training facility, which is NOT open to the public. That area has multiple pine trees, some slightly-visible from outside and many not. That area had a Pine Warbler this and previous winters, at least partially-overwintering. We have records for Pine Warbler in a few places over past decades of observation, in midwinter, including at Central Park - some coming to suet feeders, and some not. It is quite possible a few other warblers have survived and lingered in the county, and even that a very-few could be indoors, on parts of recent days and nights. A few other species have taken that route in Manhattan such as Gray Catbird and Brown Thrasher, as well as a few other passerines. Its not a new thing, but is not as often-noticed as one might expect for an always-alert city. In some of those indoor venues, the move to indoor-wintering has been seen with passerines on multiple occasions over multiple decades. This also is a possibility in such spaces as large warehouses, airport hangars and even terminals, etc. - many or most of which may not be accessible to the general public. Large parking garages are also sometimes such possible hiding-places, even if partially exposed to weather.
The overall number of wild, free-flying birds in the county is up to around 100 species by now, for this month thus far. With better weather possibly ahead, the next couple of weeks may show more birds to a greater number of observers - with various efforts increasing for longer days and some less-frigid weather ahead. The long-staying Wild Turkey at the Battery at Manhattans south end was back - or, never left there - as of this week.
Good birding, thanks to many hardy observers and photographers, for a wide variety of alerts and reports, many including eBird reports and Macaulay Library entries for media in both audio and more in visual formats.
Date: 2/9/26 4:19 pm From: marciaaabrahams at aol.com (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Fw: Added the Zoom Link for Donna Schulman's upcoming Zoom Presentation for QCBC on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM!
----- Forwarded Message ----- From: <marciaaabrahams...> <marciaaabrahams...>To: NYSBIRDS-L <nysbirds-l...>Sent: Monday, February 9, 2026 at 11:00:42 AM ESTSubject: Added the Zoom Link for Donna Schulman's upcoming Zoom Presentation for QCBC on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM!
The next Queens County Bird Club will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM via Zoom. Donna Schulman will present "Back to Australia or Why Did the Cassowary Cross the Road"
Donna believes that there is never enough Australian birding, so she returned to the land of kookaburras, cockatoos, and koalas in 2024 to bird Queensland, New South Wales, and a bit of Victoria. She saw the sky fill with flying foxes in Sydney, fed trail mix to Australian King-Parrots at O’Reilly’s Retreat, cooed over baby Brown Boobies on Michaelmas Cay (Great Barrier Reef), and watched a Southern Cassowary cross the road at Etty Bayright in front of her camera (too close!). Like her previous trip, this one combined a group tour, private guiding, and birding on her own. The presentation will include photographs, videos and comments on the pluses and minuses of each mode of birding travel when down under.
Â
BIO
Donna learned how to bird with QCBC and has branched out to Central & South America, Africa, SE Asia, and Australia. A former labor educator and library director, she reviews books for 10,000 Birds, Birding magazine, and discusses birding books as part of the Birding Book Club on the American Birding Association Podcast. Donna’s photographs have been featured in Birding and Birdwatching Magazine; the publications, print and social media, of New Jersey Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology; the educational signage of Negri-Nepote Grasslands in N.J. and a tern colony somewhere in Germany; and just recently, the 2025 Town of Southampton Report on Threatened and Endangered Species Management and Protection Program. She is a past editor of QCBC’s News and Notes.
Date: 2/9/26 7:50 am From: marciaaabrahams at aol.com (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Added the Zoom Registration Link for Donna Schulman's upcoming Zoom Presentation for QCBC on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM!
The next Queens County Bird Club will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM via Zoom. Donna Schulman will present "Back to Australia or Why Did the Cassowary Cross the Road"
Donna believes that there is never enough Australian birding, so she returned to the land of kookaburras, cockatoos, and koalas in 2024 to bird Queensland, New South Wales, and a bit of Victoria. She saw the sky fill with flying foxes in Sydney, fed trail mix to Australian King-Parrots at O’Reilly’s Retreat, cooed over baby Brown Boobies on Michaelmas Cay (Great Barrier Reef), and watched a Southern Cassowary cross the road at Etty Bayright in front of her camera (too close!). Like her previous trip, this one combined a group tour, private guiding, and birding on her own. The presentation will include photographs, videos and comments on the pluses and minuses of each mode of birding travel when down under.
Â
BIO
Donna learned how to bird with QCBC and has branched out to Central & South America, Africa, SE Asia, and Australia. A former labor educator and library director, she reviews books for 10,000 Birds, Birding magazine, and discusses birding books as part of the Birding Book Club on the American Birding Association Podcast. Donna’s photographs have been featured in Birding and Birdwatching Magazine; the publications, print and social media, of New Jersey Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology; the educational signage of Negri-Nepote Grasslands in N.J. and a tern colony somewhere in Germany; and just recently, the 2025 Town of Southampton Report on Threatened and Endangered Species Management and Protection Program. She is a past editor of QCBC’s News and Notes.
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
6, 2026 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are LECONTE’S SPARROW, TUFTED DUCK,
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, GLAUCOUS GULL, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, LAPLAND
LONGSPUR, NELSON’S and VESPER SPARROWS and more.
The LECONTE’S SPARROW found back on January 29th on the landfill at
Croton Point Park in Westchester was only seen there through last
Saturday, not unexpected for a reclusive bird.
With the icy conditions on New Croton Reservoir squeezing the
waterfowl seeking refuge there into increasingly smaller stretches of
open water, it at least became easier to track down TUFTED DUCKS
there. At least two drakes plus a female–plumaged bird have been found
there, the two males seen simultaneously last weekend, these all
joining large flocks of several hundred RING-NECKED DUCKS in open
water near the dam spillway or a short distance up the eastern shore
of the reservoir off Croton Lake Road. There is a parking area for the
dam spillway site off Route 129 just uphill from the Croton Gorge Park
entrance, but duck numbers may continue to drop as the freeze again
intensifies. Other birds present there have included two female
BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, at least seen to Wednesday with a flock of COMMON
GOLDENEYES, plus a few REDHEADS and a CANVASBACK and other expected
waterfowl, and several BALD EAGLES. Two TUFTED DUCKS seen Thursday
only over at Piermont Pier in Rockland County may have moved over
there from New Croton Reservoir.
On Long Island single drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYES were seen on Tuesday
off Shoreham Village Beach and back on Saturday at Crab Meadow Beach
in Fort Salonga, where other highlights featured an ICELAND GULL and a
NELSON'S SPARROW.
In Brooklyn a RAZORBILL was photographed off Manhattan Beach Park on
Tuesday, and a GLAUCOUS GULL visited Bush Army Terminal Pier 4 last
Sunday, while up to three ICELAND GULLS were seen around Gravesend Bay
during the week, with others noted at Randall's Island and Governors
Island Wednesday, in Westchester at the Ossining waterfront at Louis
Engle Park during the week, at Old Field Point Tuesday, and at the
Bellport Bay Yacht Club yesterday.
AMERICAN BITTERNS have been seen fairly regularly along Dune Road west
of Shinnecock inlet, and a few recent sightings of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK,
very often. coastal, have come from Staten Island, including Great
Kills Park Sunday, and from Floyd Bennett Field and Jones Beach to
Monday.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was spotted at Smith Point County Park on Tuesday,
and two VESPER SPARROWS have been present recently at the Suffolk
County Farm and Education Center off Yaphank Avenue.
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.
Date: 2/6/26 1:29 pm From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Sylvan Lake dead and sick birds and West Branch Reservoir Tufted Duck update and warning
No sign of the immature male Tufted Duck at the West Branch Reservoir in Carmel as of late this morning. I'm sure it was there somewhere, but hard to see and view and I couldn't find it. Also, I learned something new about the DEP reservoirs, even if you have a permit nobody is allowed to view from them or along them unless it says you're allowed to hike on them. I've had my permit since 1987 and didn't know that:-( They are giving out warnings if you do decide to try for the bird. Â
Also, the Sylvan Lake birds are wittled down to about 50 or so coots, a few Mute Swans, some sickly Hooded Mergansers, some sickly Canada Geese, and a few Mallards. there were four or five dead Hooded Mergansers, seven or so dead and dying Canada Geese, and a few dead coots. I assume there is an outbreak of bird flu there. One male Hooded was swimming in tight circles with a tilted head like it had brain worm or something. Sad.
AndrewÂ
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
Date: 2/5/26 2:26 am From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - 20+ waterfowl spp., Iceland Gulls, Purple SPs, H. Larks, raptors, etc. into early February
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
to February 3rd - including end-of-January sightings.
Scoters of all species are uncommon at best in this county, so any seen at all are notable here, and the tribe were moving a bit with sightings of Surf Scoter, seen and photod by many on Saturday, just off the n. edge of Randalls Island, while possible White-winged Scoters were noted elsewhere including into the first day of Feb., and some far-off scoter-species also were seen out in the w. parts of N.Y. Harbor, as well, which also applies to some sightings of Long-tailed Ducks and to Common Goldeneyes, Scaup, and at least some other waterfowl, and to 2 typical Loon species. Long-tailed Ducks have been around, but one in particular gave some nice views again, from, in part near Corlears Hook on Manhattans lower-east, by the East River, this a continuing individual, and others much more distant in the harbor and by-chance out in the Hudson River ice jams. Common Goldeneyes were present off Roosevelt Island to at least Monday, as were other waterfowl. American Wigeon was again out at Randalls Island to Wednesday. Greater Scaup have been increasing at times off both Randalls and Governors Islands, and at least here-and-there up the Hudson, including into the Spuyten Duyvil creek, Manhattans watery n. edge. Lesser Scaup also continued with some from near Governors Island, at least one at Stuyvesant Cove below E. 23rd St. on the East River, and likely at least a few elsewhere. Hardy Green-winged Teals have remained in-place at The Pool in Central Park for many months, still lingering-wintering there.
Purple Sandpipers were noted at Governors Island, on the rocks of part of the shore, a now-recognized annual location, but the first report from there for that species in a while, with a group of at least six noticed, and then smaller numbers still being seen, then down to possibly just one by Monday, although extensive searching and at varied times-tides could reveal more. The other shorebird spp. recently for the winter are American Woodcock and Killdeer, these all pretty much in sites where they are rather regular in the county each year. Some of the woodcock are, as can happen in winter, or at spring-fall migrations, in odd small places where any shelter or cover may be helping a bit, and some sightings are from well off plowed pathways.
It took until the very last day of January for the county to reveal a white-winged gull for a first-of-the-year find, and this was an Iceland Gull seen and photod. - A. Cunningham - at Randalls Island on Saturday morning. A different individual, winter-adult Iceland, was at Randall’s on Monday, Feb. 1st, but was moving from the NE edge across to -or towards- the Bronx Kill and seemed to go into Bronx Co., not re-found on the day, similarly to the Jan. 31 Iceland Gull at Randalls, not seen again later in that day. A putative Iceland was reported from the East River on Monday, not confirmed as such. Among the most-recent Iceland Gulls in the county were one at Governors Island and one just s. of Pier 35 on the East River, both on Wed., 2-4.
More Iceland Gulls should be very possible around the county, in coming months. A Lesser Black-backed Gull showed among 250-plus other gulls, mainly Ring-billed, on the Central Park reservoir on Monday morning. The reservoir at that park has had just one small patch of open water on its south side, which is likely to continue for some time. Two American Coots and extremely-diminished numbers of ducks have been ongoing there, these including at least 1 drake Wood Duck. Gulls in particular at that reservoir can cycle-in-and-off the water or ice from one hour or one minute to the next, and while some may linger, a lot of daily and hourly movement is normal with gulls at that site.
Also at Randalls but mainly for a January-sighting was an uncommon-for-the county Surf Scoter, one of at least 17 species of waterfowl collectively found on 1 day at that island, and just offshore there. The single Surf Scoter was not noted on Monday at all. N. Pintails have been turning up as singles in a number of locations around semi-open waters of the county. American Wigeons were still around Randalls Island, and at least 4 Redheads were noted there to Feb. 1st - as with other waterfowl and assorted waterbirds, moving or shuffling about in the local area, perhaps from just outside to within the county, and also the reverse. Both Lesser and more-so, Greater Scaup have been seen on into February. A lot of waterfowl was displaced in the arctic-air influx and subsequent further freezing of shallower waters, but even so, such species as Wood Duck, Gadwall, N. Shoveler and others have maintained presence here. A number of the waterfowl species had moved across from fresh waters to brackish in the harbor and along the rivers, including what is the East river-estuary complex that takes in the Harlem river as well as parts of the westernmost edges of Long Island Sounds waters, at the line from the south Bronx, n.w. Queens and New York County at its eastern fringes.
A Horned Lark was another of multiple finds at Randalls on the final day of January, however the Horned Lark numbers on Governors Island were well into double-digits, with at least ten present for one day, at that south-most site of the county, but some certainly staying on too. By Wed., 2-4 at least 19 Horned Larks were noted at Fort Jay on Governors Island. The singleton lark at Randalls was a more-observed individual with more birders headed out to that location on the weekend. Either of these islands, and -select- other sites, including within Manhattan may be worth watching should ice and snow start to melt off, possibly leaving patchy exposed turf or grassy stretches for any sorts of winter field-birds and of course for possible re-entry by waterfowl. This may or may-not start to occur in the coming weeks. A Rusty Blackbird, one of the longer-staying of those trying to winter, has remained at Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan.
Red-shouldered Hawk was again found in a few locations, with several photographed again. A very small number of Turkey Vultures have shown up, in flight at various locations lately. Multiple Bald Eagles continue to be seen, some riding along the ice floes at the Hudson, and at least one moving in that way out to the open NY Harbor. Many of our photographically-inclined birders have had a fine time with the birds-on-ice, these winter eagles of N.Y. County. We have had up to double-digit B. Eagles in view on the river ice at times, and good numbers all-around, in flight, or some perched-up as well. Coopers Hawks also continue their overwinter appearances in many locations of the county. We also have winter-lingering or resident American Kestrels and Peregrine Falcons, as well as the near-ubiquitous Red-tailed Hawks all around the town, with a multiplicity of other raptors of nocturnally active type.
Common Ravens were ongoing and there was also some potential shuffling-around of that species, some seen in small groups or in paired flights along the Hudson and multiple sightings from almost all around the county, with any number seen in and over Manhattan. A Wild Turkey was found on Ellis Island, well west across part of N.Y. Harbor from where the long-staying hen was regular at The Battery, at the s. Edge of Manhattan - it will be interesting should the Battery-turkey no longer be found there.
Some other species still around or typical for winter that were not noted above, are listed below, seen in recent days - Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern -Yellow-shafted- Flicker, Monk Parakeet, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet - in the multiple but not very many by now -, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, House Finch, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Field Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow - multiple sites, with at least several in parts of Central Park, ongoing, Red Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed -Slate-colored- Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Rusty Blackbird, Common Grackle - and probably at least a few additional species as well.
- -
With the frigid temperatures of the last week finally moderating briefly this week, some slight thawing began by Monday, and a small amount of movement was seen in the county but this looks to be all very local movement. Snow-cover in parks and other unplowed places is still substantial, with crusts of icy snow. Park paths have been shoveled in some locations, while some are only packed-down - and can be a bit icy in places.
Good February-birding, and thanks to many keen and often-hardy observers and photographers for alerts in Discord, and via many eBird alerts and reports, including the Macaulay Library for media, as well as by good old word-of-mouth.
Date: 2/4/26 12:59 pm From: Robert Lewis (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] That Time of Year Again! NYSOA State & County List Reports deadline 3/1/26
Hi,
 I don't live it NY but your form insisted I put in a county. So I put in the county I live in here in NC.
Bob Lewis
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 01:35:12 PM EST, Carena <warblette...> wrote:
Now is the time to get your 2025 lists in! ALL REPORTS MUST BE
RECEIVED BY 3/1/26.
NYSOA’s County and State Listing Project is a fun, friendly
competition. Started in 1992, it continues to attract new participants
every year. Some of our first county listers have not missed a single
year since the beginning (watch out, you might get hooked!).
NEW THIS YEAR is an updated SELF-FOUND RULES document written by Shai
Mitra in October 2025.
If at all possible, please enter your data into the ONLINE form (that
will save me the work of typing it all in, thank you!). In case it is
not possible for you to enter your data online, a printable form you
can mail in is available.
No reports submitted in previous years are automatically carried into
the next. If you want to be listed in the 2025 compilation, you must
submit your numbers, even if they haven’t changed since the last
report you sent in.
Maybe you're ready to jump in and submit your data without further
ado...then do! Or check out the info below, and then go for it!
Awaiting your list with bated breath…unless you've already sent it in,
in which case I thank you sincerely!
Carena / NYSOA
-------------------------------------------
NYSOA COUNTY & STATE LISTING
After the close of each calendar year, participants send in as many of
the following as they wish to share:
 - LIFE totals for all of NYS; the 10 Kingbird regions; the 62
counties; the PELAGIC ZONE (PZ)
 - 2025 YEAR LIST total for the entire state
 - 2025 NYS SELF-FOUND total - the number of species you found
without being alerted to them by others or by bird alert systems
You can send in just one number or as many as 76, or anywhere in
between – it’s your choice depending on where you’ve birded, what
records you’ve kept, and what you wish to share. A compilation is
produced annually and published in NYSOA’s newsletter and also on the
NYSOA website at https://nybirds.org/ProjCountyLists.html. Also
available on that page are links to:
 - FORMS
 - MAP of the ten Kingbird regions
 - PELAGIC sighting guidelines
 - SELF-FOUND RULES updated October 2025 by Shai Mitra
 - TIPS FOR USING YOUR EBIRD DATA to put together your report
 - ARCHIVE of past compilations
Join in on the fun and see where you stand – statewide, region by
region, county by county – in comparison with other birders all over
New York State (and even outside the state). To see what the annual
compilation looks like, check out the archive at NYSOA - NYS / County
Listing Project.
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
Date: 2/4/26 10:34 am From: Carena <warblette...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] That Time of Year Again! NYSOA State & County List Reports deadline 3/1/26
Now is the time to get your 2025 lists in! ALL REPORTS MUST BE
RECEIVED BY 3/1/26.
NYSOA’s County and State Listing Project is a fun, friendly
competition. Started in 1992, it continues to attract new participants
every year. Some of our first county listers have not missed a single
year since the beginning (watch out, you might get hooked!).
NEW THIS YEAR is an updated SELF-FOUND RULES document written by Shai
Mitra in October 2025.
If at all possible, please enter your data into the ONLINE form (that
will save me the work of typing it all in, thank you!). In case it is
not possible for you to enter your data online, a printable form you
can mail in is available.
No reports submitted in previous years are automatically carried into
the next. If you want to be listed in the 2025 compilation, you must
submit your numbers, even if they haven’t changed since the last
report you sent in.
Maybe you're ready to jump in and submit your data without further
ado...then do! Or check out the info below, and then go for it!
Awaiting your list with bated breath…unless you've already sent it in,
in which case I thank you sincerely!
Carena / NYSOA
-------------------------------------------
NYSOA COUNTY & STATE LISTING
After the close of each calendar year, participants send in as many of
the following as they wish to share:
- LIFE totals for all of NYS; the 10 Kingbird regions; the 62
counties; the PELAGIC ZONE (PZ)
- 2025 YEAR LIST total for the entire state
- 2025 NYS SELF-FOUND total - the number of species you found
without being alerted to them by others or by bird alert systems
You can send in just one number or as many as 76, or anywhere in
between – it’s your choice depending on where you’ve birded, what
records you’ve kept, and what you wish to share. A compilation is
produced annually and published in NYSOA’s newsletter and also on the
NYSOA website at https://nybirds.org/ProjCountyLists.html. Also
available on that page are links to:
- FORMS
- MAP of the ten Kingbird regions
- PELAGIC sighting guidelines
- SELF-FOUND RULES updated October 2025 by Shai Mitra
- TIPS FOR USING YOUR EBIRD DATA to put together your report
- ARCHIVE of past compilations
Join in on the fun and see where you stand – statewide, region by
region, county by county – in comparison with other birders all over
New York State (and even outside the state). To see what the annual
compilation looks like, check out the archive at NYSOA - NYS / County
Listing Project.
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
Date: 2/2/26 12:07 pm From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Croton Gorge Park ducks
As of this late morning the Canvasback, both male Tufted Ducks, a few Redheads, plus the usual ducks were found in the immense flock of Ring-necked Ducks as seen from the dam. At least one of the Barrow's Goldeneye females was with another decent size flock of Ring-neckeds and Common Goldeneyes along Croton Lake Rd. by the small twin islands just before you get to the S-curve on the road before the homes on the left.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
Date: 2/1/26 1:19 pm From: marciaaabrahams at aol.com (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Do not miss the next QCBC Monthly Meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, February 18th at 7:30 PM. Donna Schulman will present "Back to Australia or Why Did the Cassowary Cross the Road".
The next Queens County Bird Club will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM via Zoom. Donna Schulman will present "Back to Australia or Why Did the Cassowary Cross the Road"
Donna believes that there is never enough Australian birding, so she returned to the land of kookaburras, cockatoos, and koalas in 2024 to bird Queensland, New South Wales, and a bit of Victoria. She saw the sky fill with flying foxes in Sydney, fed trail mix to Australian King-Parrots at O’Reilly’s Retreat, cooed over baby Brown Boobies on Michaelmas Cay (Great Barrier Reef), and watched a Southern Cassowary cross the road at Etty Bayright in front of her camera (too close!). Like her previous trip, this one combined a group tour, private guiding, and birding on her own. The presentation will include photographs, videos and comments on the pluses and minuses of each mode of birding travel when down under.
 BIO
Donna learned how to bird with QCBC and has branched out to Central & South America, Africa, SE Asia, and Australia. A former labor educator and library director, she reviews books for 10,000 Birds, Birding magazine, and discusses birding books as part of the Birding Book Club on the American Birding Association Podcast. Donna’s photographs have been featured in Birding and Birdwatching Magazine; the publications, print and social media, of New Jersey Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology; the educational signage of Negri-Nepote Grasslands in N.J. and a tern colony somewhere in Germany; and just recently, the 2025 Town of Southampton Report on Threatened and Endangered Species Management and Protection Program. She is a past editor of QCBC’s News and Notes.
Zoom Registration Link to follow. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Marcia AbrahamsVP/Programs CoordinatorQueens County Bird Clubhttps://qcbirdclub.org/Email: <MarciaAAbrahams...>Â
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, January30, 2026
at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are CASSIN'S and LECONTE’S SPARROWS, PAINTED
BUNTING, ROSS'S and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, TUFTED DUCK, BARROW’S
GOLDENEYE and KING EIDER, THICK-BILLED MURRE and DOVEKIE, GLAUCOUS and
ICELAND GULLS, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS and more.
As anticipated, this week's horrendous weather has definitely impacted
local birding. The CASSIN’S SPARROW at Montauk Point was reported Saturday
and then again on Tuesday, still around the perimeter roadway near the
lighthouse entrance and upper parking lot, so this tough little bird could
still be present, as unlikely as that seems.
On the other hand, as a note to this week's tape, the TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE on
Long Island was last noted in the Oyster Bay area back on Monday the 19th,
but also could possibly be lingering locally.
On Thursday a LECONTE’S SPARROW was found on the landfill at Croton Point
Park in Westchester and noted there again today. The bird has been in
company with other ground feeders around a plowed section at the top of the
landfill technically only for maintenance personnel, so please be mindful
of this if visiting there.
A female–type PAINTED BUNTING was photographed visiting a private feeder
last Saturday and Sunday in Hampton Bays but has since disappeared.
A ROSS’S GOOSE was noted again Saturday in the large flock that had been
feeding on a set of fields on the south side of Route 27 Montauk Highway,
just west of Town Line Road in Sagaponack, this also containing up to three
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.
Among various CACKLING GEESE were three still visiting the Great Lawn in
Central Park last Saturday.
A drake TUFTED DUCK was spotted on New Croton Reservoir in Westchester last
Saturday but has been difficult to relocate, as the ice there continues to
increase. The concentrations of DUCKS there, mostly RING-NECKEDS, does
still contain one or two female BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, a few REDHEADS and a
CANVASBACK, with a RED-NECKED GREBE also there to at least Thursday.
A female KING EIDER was spotted flying up Shinnecock Inlet with COMMON
EIDERS on Wednesday, heading into the bay, and three HARLEQUIN DUCKS were
still around the Inlet last Saturday. Other HARLEQUINS include a male
still around Southold Town Beach last Saturday and another drake off Ditch
Plains Wednesday.
A THICK-BILLED MURRE continued at least to Saturday off the southern tip of
Staten Island, seen from Conference House Park and farther up the coast in
Tottenville, while on Wednesday alcids seen off Montauk Point featured two
DOVEKIES and 9 RAZORBILLS.
A GLAUCOUS GULL visited Bush Terminal Piers Park last Saturday, and ICELAND
GULLS included three around Gravesend Bay Wednesday and one out at Old
Field Point Thursday.
A LARK SPARROW was photographed at Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn Monday,
while the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW lingering at Heckscher State Park Field 5
was last reported last Saturday.
A few ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS still continue in appropriate habitat.
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.
Date: 1/31/26 4:22 am From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC - waterbirds and winter-shuffling
Manhattan, N.Y. City - Friday, January 30th -
Some indications of further movement of waterbirds in the midst of the lingering Arctic freeze were at least 2 drake Redhead showing in the Central Park reservoir later in the day, and drake Ring-necked Duck, plus Greater Scaup among ducks next to Inwood Hill Park in n. Manhattan, plus at least modest movement and shuffling of waterfowl around the island in surrounding waters, some Common Mergansers moving along the rivers, Long-tailed Duck off lower-east Manhattan, and with more Red-throated and Common Loons appearing, there may well be more of similar movements in the coming days.
Several locations on Manhattan island still had American Tree Sparrows, including an individual coming in to feeders at the Ramble of Central Park. Sparrows of at least several species, with Dark-eyed Juncos, and assorted other birds at times, have been out on the snow in many areas, and at times digging for seed, also managing to feed on fallen sweet gum seed or other tree seeds, while also in some locations swarming where bird-seed has been distributed by humans, whether at a regular such site, or not.
Bald Eagles and Coopers Hawks were among raptors that occasionally stood out, the former species sometimes on ice-floes in the Hudson, and the latter around the town occasionally in rather unexpected street-situations such as in midtown, although that distribution, in the colder months especially, has been more-often seen in recent years than was noticed in past times.
Some native, and essentially-wild birds have taken the route preferred lately by many humans, an example being the Gray Catbirds moving inside from Bryant Park in mid-Manhattan going in the quite warm bar. At least a few other similar examples have been noted.
Good birding, stay safe in the very chilled conditions,
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, January30,
2026 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are CASSIN'S and LECONTE’S SPARROWS,
PAINTED BUNTING, ROSS'S and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, TUFTED DUCK,
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE and KING EIDER, THICK-BILLED MURRE and DOVEKIE,
GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS and more.
As anticipated, this week's horrendous weather has definitely impacted
local birding. The CASSIN’S SPARROW at Montauk Point was reported
Saturday and then again on Tuesday, still around the perimeter roadway
near the lighthouse entrance and upper parking lot, so this tough
little bird could still be present, as unlikely as that seems.
On the other hand, as a note to this week's tape, the TUNDRA
BEAN-GOOSE on Long Island was last noted in the Oyster Bay area back
on Monday the 19th, but also could possibly be lingering locally.
On Thursday a LECONTE’S SPARROW was found on the landfill at Croton
Point Park in Westchester and noted there again today. The bird has
been in company with other ground feeders around a plowed section at
the top of the landfill technically only for maintenance personnel, so
please be mindful of this if visiting there.
A female–type PAINTED BUNTING was photographed visiting a private
feeder last Saturday and Sunday in Hampton Bays but has since
disappeared.
A ROSS’S GOOSE was noted again Saturday in the large flock that had
been feeding on a set of fields on the south side of Route 27 Montauk
Highway, just west of Town Line Road in Sagaponack, this also
containing up to three GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.
Among various CACKLING GEESE were three still visiting the Great Lawn
in Central Park last Saturday.
A drake TUFTED DUCK was spotted on New Croton Reservoir in Westchester
last Saturday but has been difficult to relocate, as the ice there
continues to increase. The concentrations of DUCKS there, mostly
RING-NECKEDS, does still contain one or two female BARROW’S
GOLDENEYES, a few REDHEADS and a CANVASBACK, with a RED-NECKED GREBE
also there to at least Thursday.
A female KING EIDER was spotted flying up Shinnecock Inlet with COMMON
EIDERS on Wednesday, heading into the bay, and three HARLEQUIN DUCKS
were still around the Inlet last Saturday. Other HARLEQUINS include a
male still around Southold Town Beach last Saturday and another drake
off Ditch Plains Wednesday.
A THICK-BILLED MURRE continued at least to Saturday off the southern
tip of Staten Island, seen from Conference House Park and farther up
the coast in Tottenville, while on Wednesday alcids seen off Montauk
Point featured two DOVEKIES and 9 RAZORBILLS.
A GLAUCOUS GULL visited Bush Terminal Piers Park last Saturday, and
ICELAND GULLS included three around Gravesend Bay Wednesday and one
out at Old Field Point Thursday.
A LARK SPARROW was photographed at Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn
Monday, while the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW lingering at Heckscher State
Park Field 5 was last reported last Saturday.
A few ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS still continue in appropriate habitat.
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.
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, January30, 2026
at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are CASSIN'S and LECONTE’S SPARROWS, PAINTED
BUNTING, ROSS'S and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, TUFTED DUCK, BARROW’S
GOLDENEYE and KING EIDER, THICK-BILLED MURRE and DOVEKIE, GLAUCOUS and
ICELAND GULLS, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS and more.
As anticipated, this week's horrendous weather has definitely impacted
local birding. The CASSIN’S SPARROW at Montauk Point was reported Saturday
and then again on Tuesday, still around the perimeter roadway near the
lighthouse entrance and upper parking lot, so this tough little bird could
still be present, as unlikely as that seems.
On the other hand, as a note to this week's tape, the TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE on
Long Island was last noted in the Oyster Bay area back on Monday the 19th,
but also could possibly be lingering locally.
On Thursday a LECONTE’S SPARROW was found on the landfill at Croton Point
Park in Westchester and noted there again today. The bird has been in
company with other ground feeders around a plowed section at the top of the
landfill technically only for maintenance personnel, so please be mindful
of this if visiting there.
A female–type PAINTED BUNTING was photographed visiting a private feeder
last Saturday and Sunday in Hampton Bays but has since disappeared.
A ROSS’S GOOSE was noted again Saturday in the large flock that had been
feeding on a set of fields on the south side of Route 27 Montauk Highway,
just west of Town Line Road in Sagaponack, this also containing up to three
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.
Among various CACKLING GEESE were three still visiting the Great Lawn in
Central Park last Saturday.
A drake TUFTED DUCK was spotted on New Croton Reservoir in Westchester last
Saturday but has been difficult to relocate, as the ice there continues to
increase. The concentrations of DUCKS there, mostly RING-NECKEDS, does
still contain one or two female BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, a few REDHEADS and a
CANVASBACK, with a RED-NECKED GREBE also there to at least Thursday.
A female KING EIDER was spotted flying up Shinnecock Inlet with COMMON
EIDERS on Wednesday, heading into the bay, and three HARLEQUIN DUCKS were
still around the Inlet last Saturday. Other HARLEQUINS include a male
still around Southold Town Beach last Saturday and another drake off Ditch
Plains Wednesday.
A THICK-BILLED MURRE continued at least to Saturday off the southern tip of
Staten Island, seen from Conference House Park and farther up the coast in
Tottenville, while on Wednesday alcids seen off Montauk Point featured two
DOVEKIES and 9 RAZORBILLS.
A GLAUCOUS GULL visited Bush Terminal Piers Park last Saturday, and ICELAND
GULLS included three around Gravesend Bay Wednesday and one out at Old
Field Point Thursday.
A LARK SPARROW was photographed at Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn Monday,
while the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW lingering at Heckscher State Park Field 5
was last reported last Saturday.
A few ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS still continue in appropriate habitat.
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.
Date: 1/30/26 2:51 pm From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Croton Gorge Park ducks
At Croton Gorge Park as seen from the dam in the flock of several hundreds of Ring-necked Ducks there are the continuing two Barrow's Goldeneyes and one Common and one Canvasback male. No sign of the Tufted Ducks, but I didn't have a scope so couldn't see the farther part of the flock well enough to see if they were there. Will have to go back with a scope.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
Date: 1/30/26 2:46 pm From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Croton Pt. Park Le Conte's Sparrow
The Le Conte's Sparrow is still at the landfill at Croton Pt. Park. It's at the end of the plowed trail on the left on the top of the landfill coming from the parking lot at the camping area. It was with other sparrows and some Horneds Larks.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information
Posting Address: <NYSbirds-L...>
Archives:
The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/<nysbirds-l...>/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
Date: 1/29/26 10:52 am From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - thru 1/28 - waterbird movements, etc.
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Roosevelt, and Governors Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
thru Wednesday, Jan. 28th -
Small updates for Thursday, Jan. 29 include a couple of American Wigeons showing around Randalls Island, and at least one Lesser Scaup at Stuvesasant Cove off E. 23rd Street one the East River, continuing there again Thursday.
The 3 Cackling Geese with very large numbers of Canada Geese -well over 1,200 for the entire park- had been ongoing at Central Park, following a pattern just thru Saturday, ahead of the snowstorm, of going from overnighting on the Central Park reservoir with many of their Canada cousins, then moving to the nearby Great Lawn to feed during most of each recent day. Since that storm, it seemed the Cacklers were not seen, although with rougher conditions excepting for a slight warmup on Monday, recent days were not as conducive to great numbers of observers out and about, by comparison to milder periods of a good bit of the winter here thus far.
By Monday, in any event, a rather large movement of geese and perhaps other waterfowl was happening, in particular with geese moving south down along or near the Hudson River, multi-thousands in total for that one day, starting as early as daybreak and ongoing. A smaller number appeared to be visible moving south from parts of the county other than by the Hudson, but perhaps to lesser degree. And, some -smaller- geese, more than just 3 individuals, could be seen moving along in some of those southbound flocks. With a lot of those geese at varying altitudes, it was presumed some flocks were moving well-out of the county, perhaps out of NY state. By Monday, at Central Park the goose numbers seemed to be roughly halved from two days prior and of those looking, we were not seeing any Cacklers… however, that species may certainly show again in the county as the winter goes along.
Out on Randalls Island, some of us made forays on Saturday, and a good mix of water birds and varied others was seen by the collective observers, including those hardy enough to be out in single-digit to below-zero wind-chill periods of the morning. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was one of the less-common species for this county, found at Randalls, and a nice variety of waterfowl for one site in the county was also tallied in the collective. At least one Orange-crowned Warbler was hanging in thru Saturday, and further, at Randall’s Island, while it may be that still-more were surviving at least thru that day. One Orange-crowned Warbler was present again on Randalls in the area of the saltmarsh at Little Hell Gate, into Wed. and at least a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers were surviving as well, the latter around feeders where suet was still available, including at Carl Schurz Park, by Gracie mansion on Manhattans upper east side, with another at a little-watched feeder in a central-Harlem location.
The rather heavy snow, and much more-so, additional lengthy bouts of continually sub-freezing temperatures present a challenge to many birds in this more than week-long period. The icy and frigid conditions for some locations obviously keep a lot of birders less-likely to roam in some of those ice-covered areas. It is the first winter in a number of years with ice covering a vast majority of the Hudson River and the other waters of the county, with floes out into N.Y. Harbor as well. This looks to be ongoing, and also increasing, for a time into next month, and while the Hudson and nearby estuaries are highly-tidal here, that alone will not be eliminating all the ice very rapidly, only some prolonged thaws will get that process going.
For Common Goldeneyes, a pair of that species was seen and photographed just off Muscota Marsh next to the NE corner of Inwood Hill Park on Tues., and the pair were certainly some of closer-in of the species to show for N.Y. County birders, and also within county waters. The Hudson can be good for that species off Manhattan, although often requiring a scope or keen scanning with smaller optics. Other species of diving ducks, and of course other waterbirds are always a possibility in winter season and those ice floes may not be enough to prevent such waterbirds being present. At least 4 Common Mergansers were also seen off Muscota Marsh area on Tuesday. A Rusty Blackbird was ongoing at Fort Tryon Park, present there all of this month. Along the Hudson in particular, ice floes showed off multiple Bald Eagles, occasionally even to double-digits in view, at times. Bald Eagles were also showing over or in multiple areas of the county, as still more seem to be arriving. Other raptors also were continuing, some active after-dark. At least several American Woodcock were trying to make it in the snow and ice-wracked conditions, in some locations on Manhattan island. There are multiple sites in this county where the possibility exists for birds locating mini-habitat with what could be seen as milder microclimates, in part where heated buildings or vent-pipes both prevent sub-sub-freezing temperature, or may even allow some minuscule insect and arthropod activity besides or in addition to that which is typically possible in winter season.
Some of the birds still being seen in and after the big snow - Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Wood Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, American Black Duck, Mallard x American Black Duck hybrid, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Wild Turkey - one at its regular location at The Battery -, feral Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, American Coot still on the C.P. Reservoir into Monday, Killdeer, American Woodcock, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Great Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Coopers Hawk, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Owls, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern -Yellow-shafted- Flicker, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Monk Parakeet, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, House Finch, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow - off Riverside Drive near W. 150 St. -, Field Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Red Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed -Slate-colored- Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Rusty Blackbird, Common Grackle, Northern Cardinal, and perhaps some of the hardiest or luckiest survivors among warblers, such as Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped, as well as other -possible- birds still around or even lately-arriving from still-colder realms.
Some of the species noted were in small plazas, gardens, and varied locations on Manhattan, while a number of waterfowl were off the shores around Manhattan or to the east, or south, near the three other sizable islands of the county. While many birds also have flocked to feeding areas prepared by humans, there are still many birds, such as native sparrows and finches and Mourning Doves and such, along with the ever-present House Sparrow in large numbers, which are foraging by and under natural sources of food, in many locations, on top of snow or by digging in where it was possible to, as well as coming to places where seed and other food is being thrown or otherwise offered or left to the snowy ground.
Many many locations all around the county had snow-covered scenes with various hardier birds more out in the open, that is, feeding in any way that they could and in many parks or smaller greenspaces, gardens, plazas, and churchyards, as well as many building courtyards or smaller plantings and up on terrace or roof gardens, much more obviously-so if any feeding of birds were taking place, a fair variety of species, county-wide, could be found, particularly on Manhattan island in the snow. Birds which seemed a bit harder to find in any numbers included fruit-eating species such as waxwings or even American Robins, the latter rather numerous into early January but dwindling in relative numbers as the month had moved along, and even where such winter-fruits as certain crabapples were still abundant in a few locations, the birds were not yet finding all the available fruit, or were simply less-interested. Modest movements were noted of American Robins mainly moving south or southwest in recent days.
Good winter birding, stay safe in the extreme cold,
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: Ben Cacace
BEGIN TAPE
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for *Friday, January 23rd 2026* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE, CASSIN'S SPARROW, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, PACIFIC LOON, pelagic trip results including RED PHALAROPE and DOVEKIE, THICK-BILLED MURRE, ROSS'S GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON and BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, BLACK-HEADED and GLAUCOUS GULLS, RED CROSSBILL, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and more.
Though everything may change in a day or two the TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE was still present at least through Monday in the Oyster Bay area seen that day roosting on Dosoris Pond as viewed from Pryibil Beach at the end of East Beach Drive.
The CASSIN'S SPARROW was reported through today at Montauk Point still lingering in the short grass along the entrance road near the lighthouse and the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE in East Islip was again spotted last Saturday in trees off the parking lot at St. Mary's School which with school open is not available on weekdays.
A PACIFIC LOON spotted Wednesday near the Coast Guard Station at Jones Beach West End was reported there again Thursday morning.
A 12-hour pelagic trip last Sunday aboard the American Princess out of Sheepshead Bay recorded a very unexpected RED PHALAROPE plus 185 RAZORBILLS and 284 DOVEKIES, 2 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, an ICELAND GULL and 87 NORTHERN GANNETS. On Monday a DOVEKIE was seen in Jones Inlet and then on Thursday another was found injured at Brooklyn Bridge Park and taken to a rehabilitator. A THICK-BILLED MURRE was still visiting the waters off southern Staten Island and was seen again today at Conference House Park eventually moving off towards the New Jersey side.
A ROSS'S GOOSE has been feeding with Canada Geese recently in Sagaponack on a set of fields on the south side of Montauk Highway, Route 27 just west of Townline Road. Multiple GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE have also been seen associating with this flock while single WHITE-FRONTEDS have been noted at Tung Ting Pond in Centerport and on Playland Lake in Rye recently. Scattered CACKLING GEESE have recently included 3 reported from the Great Lawn in Central Park. The drake EURASIAN WIGEON has been on Mill Pond in Sayville at least since Wednesday. Drake BARROW'S GOLDENEYES were seen on Monday at Sammy's Beach in East Hampton and on Thursday near the north ferry dock on Shelter Island and another identified as a young male continues off Sunken Meadow State Park with 2 female types still on New Croton Reservoir in Westchester to today. Three HARLEQUIN DUCKS were in Shinnecock Inlet Wednesday to today and another visited Southold Town Beach at least Monday to Thursday.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL was at Brooklyn Bridge Park Wednesday, another at Plumb Beach Thursday while single GLAUCOUS GULLS were noted at Bush Terminal Piers Park Sunday and at the Bellport Bay Yacht Club Monday while up to 3 or more ICELAND GULLS have been frequenting waters between Gravesend Bay and Floyd Bennett Field.
An AMERICAN GOSHAWK has been reported a few times in the Jones Beach West End area since last Saturday and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was present at Shirley Chisholm State Park Wednesday and Thursday.
Four RED-NECKED GREBES were reported off Breezy Point Saturday, 2 on Monday.
Two RED CROSSBILLS were heard moving over Wave Hill in the Bronx Wednesday morning.
A lingering LARK SPARROW was seen again on Sunday at Plumb Beach, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was still at Heckscher State Park field 5 on Friday and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was noted in Lynbrook Sunday.
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.
Date: 1/23/26 3:52 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC - 1/22 - Cackling Geese, L.B.-b. Gulls, etc.
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Thursday, January 22nd -
In addition to three Cackling Geese continuing, mainly on the Great Lawn, which is just south of the reservoir at Central Park. Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were discovered on Thursday, with good numbers of the more-regular gulls showing in some parts of all recent days, one of the 2 Lesser Black-backs in bold adult plumage, and that individual also seen by many after reporting by D.J. Ringer. The Cacklers were seen by yet more observers mostly at the Great Lawn, although those geese as well as the accompanying hordes of Canada Geese had seemed to overnight, at least, on the nearby reservoir, and then moved early in the day to the Great Lawn, with feeding commencing.
With some further scrutiny of gulls coming in at Central Park, and elsewhere all around this county, we may find that additional uncommon or rarer gulls could be showing up. A good variety of other birds were noted thru Thursday at Central Park, by many observers in the collective, with the mild weather on the day, and more than 50 native bird species were noted, particularly thanks to fairly good waterfowl diversity, still including Common and Hooded Mergansers, Green-winged Teals, Wood Ducks, and the other assorted duckage.
Plenty of ice or snow had melted off for now, and some waterbodies were a bit more open, the last of them to lose much ice being the small Pond at the SE corner of the park, with such shadowing effects by very high buildings located on and near Central Park South.
Good birding and thanks to many for alerts, updates, and reports.
Date: 1/22/26 2:44 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to 1/21 - 22 spp. of native waterfowl thus far in January, & other birds
New York County - in N.Y. City - including Manhattan, Randalls, Roosevelt , and Governors Islands, and the adjacent waters and skies above -
thru Wednesday, Jan. 21 -
Another brief deep-freeze shot of arctic air came thru for the region, whereas more of similar air masses could be coming right down again out of Canada in the coming week. This might yet get some additional waterfowl or other water birds to be moving further, but we shall see if all that much can be detected in this county.
Thanks to the finder, Adam Burnett, for the initial spotting of 3 Cackling Geese, long-expected - and also previously as very likely with a mix of sightings over the years at Central Park, many of those in the mid to late winter weeks, and some of those, over the years, also potentially referable to small Canadas. The 3 rarer geese on Wed. were observed thru the day, thanks to all the regular updates, including such alerts via Discord and then also in eBird, for much of the goose flock having come to the Great Lawn, a large turf-grass field just south of the reservoir in Central. The majority of many observers and photographers had seen these geese on the reservoir. Thanks to the many who updated in real-time on the status of those rarer geese.
As has been so for all of this month, birders in not-for-profit-affiliated small and some larger groups, as well as fully-independent birders and photographers, reporting via non-X birding apps, have found all of the species newly discovered and reported for the county. The three Cackling Geese from Central Park reservoir were just some of the latest of those finds. 8 Redheads, a quite-uncommon species in this county in the past 40 years, but much more regular in older times in the county, were seen by rather-few birders coming to the Central Park reservoir late in the day thru sunset, on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The various other duckage there had continued on for many days, including 4 or more drake Wood Ducks, several long-staying Common Mergansers, and other more-commonly seen ducks. Green-winged Teal have been ongoing thus far in Central Park, with at least a bit of movements at times for the lingering teals. The reservoir at Central Park being by far the deepest and larger body of water in that park, it has as is typical held open water to a greater extent than other watery locations in that park. That may not keep the waters there fully open after the predicted arctic cold to come along soon. The sightings of several Canvasbacks were so far only noted out in the Hudson, actually in N.J. waters but potentially scopeable, with a few vantage points north of W. 125th Street.
At Randalls Island last Sunday, among other waterfowl very near the island was a first-of-year drake American Wigeon, and at least ten Lesser Scaup were also seen, as well as some Greater Scaup, although of the latter species, more sightings are noted regularly out in N.Y. Harbor areas, including as seen from Governors Island. Other duck species have been showing off Randalls Island, with the rather expected and often-distant Common Goldeneyes, and on some days, numbers of N. Shovelers much closer, and varied additional waterfowl, as usual including many Brant. Off Inwood Hill Park, a drake N. Pintail has lingered in the area, joining other more-regular waterfowl.
Interestingly even with passages of Bald Eagles in various plumages, and fairly regular showings of some of the regular diurnal raptors of the county, at Central Parks reservoir, the waterfowl have mostly not evacuated just due to these occasional showings of raptors, although when the eagles have passed over, it is common that many gulls will react rapidly. Gull numbers have fluctuated a lot, as is somewhat typical there, with from near zero gulls at early-hours to up to 700-plus at certain times, just recently. Some gulls also have been roosting around places on the East River, east of Manhattan, and in certain locations there are many roosting gulls which are only rather-rarely scrutinized. In any event, the majority of gulls so far this month in this county are of the most-typical species of all, which here, at this season, is Ring-billed Gull. Once again, with a chance of a longer period of arctic air moving in, if that does in fact occur for some days, we could start to see some gull incursions, and a chance for additional species beyond the most-regular 3 winter gull species.
A Horned Lark was seen at Governors Island on Wed., a species that may be a bit more regular than is thought, and with more observers and efforts, could perhaps be found to be a regular, if scant migrant across the county, in appropriate seasons. Showing in mid-winter, it is not yet clear if the species can be seen as at all regular as a longer-term visitant, although habitat that could support some of the species is scattered around at least some patches in the county.
Sparrow diversity in this county has been about average, and then there is still at least one wintering Lincolns Sparrow, re-found again on 1-21 at Roosevelt Island, where seen over this month. A photo-documented Chipping Sparrow was found recently along the Hudson River greenway n. of W. 145th St. and to the south of the G.Washington bridge, which is a stretch of habitat with some potential in any season, yet relatively less-birded over the years. That stretch has, at least rarely, provided past winter Chipping Sparrow, and also occasional American Tree Sparrow. The county has had at least ten native sparrow species in this month, plus Dark-eyed Juncos and also modest numbers of E. Towhees scattered around various locations.
Some warblers that were still hanging in for the county past last weekend included Orange-crowned in multiple places, as well as Myrtle-form Yellow-rumped Warblers. Here and there in the county, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets were ongoing, and there just may be a few additional warbler species ranging thru areas that have any food plus shelter-enough available. The possibility for a looming larger winter storm will of course affect any birds that are not extremely hardy in full-on winter weather.
Below are a majority of the species seen so far this month in New York County - a minimum of 110 species, including some very-sensitive-to-disturbances species that are around. As many as 75 or more of these species have occurred at or over Central Park in this month. For the county overall, some of the ducks have been in waters of adjacent counties, but are seen with efforts from land within this county.
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Mallard x American Black Duck hybrid
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
feral Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Monk Parakeet
American Coot
Killdeer
American Woodcock
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Owl species, multiple.
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern -Yellow-shafted- Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Horned Lark
American Pipit
House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Red Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed -Slate-colored- Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincolns Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped -Myrtle- Warbler
Western Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Thanks to the many birders and photographers affiliated with and some working for and with not-for-profit organizations and institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History, the NYC Bird Alliance, and the Linnaean Society of New York as well as additional organizations which will hold not-for-profit guided walks, and all being in the field and in furthering real science, conservation, education, and natural diversity, with reports in the Discord app and as-ever, through eBird with the Macaulay Library for media. And also from reports by good old word-of-mouth while in the field.
Date: 1/21/26 11:28 am From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Cackling Geese, Central Park NYC
Three Cackling Geese were found on the Central Park Reservoir this morning while birders were looking for the Redheads reported by David Barrett late in the day on Tuesday.
The Cackling Geese have flown from the Reservoir to the Great Lawn to feed on the grass with some Canada Geese at least twice.
In any case it's great to see the species in NY County and Central Park.
Date: 1/20/26 4:44 pm From: marciaaabrahams at aol.com (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Don't miss the Queens County Bird Club meeting tomorrow evening featuring Joe Schiavone "Oaxaca, Mexico".
QUEENS COUNTY BIRD CLUB - MONTHLY MEETING
Date:Â Wednesday, January 21, 2026Time:Â 7:30 PMPlace:Â Alley Pond Environmental Center, 229-10 Northern Blvd, Douglaston, NYÂ 11362
Joe Schiavone presents "Oaxaca, Mexico"
Joe Schiavone has had a lifelong appreciation of nature and has obsessively pursued birding since 2021. He visited the ecologically diverse state of Oaxaca, Mexico in the fall of 2025 and will present on some of the animals and plants seen there, many of which are endemic to the region.
Date: 1/18/26 12:43 pm From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC, Sun. Jan. 18, 2026: Common Merganser, Cooper's Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Central Park NYC
Sunday, January 18, 2026
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
Highlights: This morning's walk started with temperatures just above freezing and precipitation in the form of wet snow that changed gradually to very light drizzle. Birds: Common Merganser, Cooper's Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Canada Goose - around 500
Northern Shoveler - 15
Mallard - around 75
American Black Duck - 2 Reservoir (Deb - early)
Bufflehead - 5
Hooded Merganser - 6
Common Merganser - 2 females continued at the Reservoir (Deb - early)
Mourning Dove - 25-30
Ring-billed Gull - around 400
Herring Gull - around 100
Great Black-backed Gull - 5
Cooper's Hawk - 1 adult female Pinetum
Red-tailed Hawk - 1 flyover
Barn Owl - present in the park again this week
Long-eared Owl - 1 reported on the evening of the 17th (Saturday)
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 2 (male Shakespeare Garden, female Pinetum)
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Northern Flicker - 1 flyover Shakespeare Garden
Blue Jay - 6-8
American Crow - 1 flyover Reservoir (Deb - early)
Tufted Titmouse - 12-15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 top of the Point (Sandra Critelli)
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1 Evodia Field (Karen Evans, Sandra Critelli, Dan Stevenson) Saturday
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Pinetum (Alexandra Wang)
Brown Creeper - 1 Ramble (Karen Evans, Sandra Critelli, Dan Stevenson) Saturday
Carolina Wren - 1 singing male Evodia Field
American Robin - 4-6
Fox Sparrow - 1 Ramble (Karen Evans, Sandra Critelli, Dan Stevenson) Saturday
Dark-eyed Junco - 5-10
White-throated Sparrow - 50-75
Northern Cardinal - 5 or 6
Date: 1/16/26 2:05 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - past week
N.Y. County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Roosevelt, and Governors Islands, and the adjacent surrounding waters and skies above
- thru Jan. 15th -
With several female-plumaged Common Mergansers still lingering at the Central Park reservoir, at least one observer on Wednesday was happy to also see and photograph 6 brightly plumaged males of that species fly directly past. This winter has produced a few days when Common Mergansers showed in numbers at various sites, including more than a dozen on the Central Park reservoir, those mostly not lingering. Red-breasted Mergansers continue as the most-numerous of the 3 merganser species of the county, with most of the latter in the salt and brackish waters. Hooded Mergansers are primarily lingering on the waterbodies of Central Park. We shall see if more waterfowl and other waterbirds start to turn up with the incoming multi-day deep-freeze set to affect all areas north of the NYC region soon.
An Indigo Bunting at Randalls Island last Saturday is a very uncommon, but not unprecedented wintering example of the species for this county. This species has overwintered in Central Park and in one of those instances, was not known to be a male until the bird of that past-times winter gained the brighter plumage as spring arrived, and then went into full bright breeding plumage by mid-spring.
Lincolns Sparrow appears to be an overwintering bird, one reliably refound on Tuesday, at Pier 26, just as in the late weeks of last year in lower-west Manhattan at the Hudson River greenway edge. A different Lincolns Sparrow was found this past week -and photographed- likely wintering on Roosevelt Island, still, to this year a very uncommonly found overwintering species in this county. This bird was seen again there on Saturday, Jan. 10th.
Warblers still lingering in the county in this past week included at least several species in Manhattan, with Nashville, Orange-crowned, Common Yellowthroat, and Ovenbird all in several locations this past week, and Myrtle-form Yellow-rumped enjoying some time up-slope at Highbridge Park, perhaps having moved up from the Harlem river parks. Some or perhaps all of the various warblers were in areas where seen weeks or many weeks prior as well. Others might still be lurking as well. Orange-crowned Warblers were apparently the most numerous lingerers of the warblers, not surprisingly, and two or possibly three of this species were still around Randalls Island. Other insectivores that were hanging on in the county included Golden-crowned Kinglets and at least some Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
One of the more recent sightings of Monk Parakeet took place off West 72nd St., well south of the areas with much more regular sightings of that uncommon but breeding-resident species of Manhattan, a species more regularly seen in counties outside this one. There have been at least some scattered sightings of these in a variety of locations around Manhattan, and more-scarcely also in other sites in the county in recent years.
At The Battery at Manhattans south end, a Wild Turkey continues her very long-lingering residence. It was a bit of a struggle for this county to reach around 100-plus species for January, so far. At least three locations in the county were going thru mid-January with species-lists per-locations of over 60 native bird spp., including Inwood Hill Park and Central Park, with Randalls Island nearly at same level of species to the 15th. Some species considered more sensitive to disturbance are not yet added in to the tallies.
A lack of any rarer gulls, or of very uncommon waterfowl or other rarer waterbirds in the county has been part of that. There have been more than 2,500 Canada Geese on multiple days in the county, and thus a chance that some other goose species are mixed in with such numbers.
Date: 1/15/26 7:39 am From: marciaaabrahams at aol.com (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Don't miss the Queens County Bird Club meeting next Wednesday, January 21st featuring Joe Schiavone "Oaxaca, Mexico"
QUEENS COUNTY BIRD CLUB - MONTHLY MEETING
Date:Â Wednesday, January 21, 2026Time:Â 7:30 PMPlace:Â Alley Pond Environmental Center, 229-10 Northern Blvd, Douglaston, NYÂ 11362
Joe Schiavone presents "Oaxaca, Mexico"
Joe Schiavone has had a lifelong appreciation of nature and has obsessively pursued birding since 2021. He visited the ecologically diverse state of Oaxaca, Mexico in the fall of 2025 and will present on some of the animals and plants seen there, many of which are endemic to the region.
Date: 1/11/26 1:16 pm From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC, Sun. Jan. 11, 2026: Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, American Kestrel, Winter Wren
Central Park NYC
Sunday, January 11, 2026
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
Highlights: Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Great Blue Heron, Cooper's Hawk, American Kestrel, CArolina Wren, Winter Wren.
Canada Goose - around 1000
Wood Duck - 2 males Reservoir
Northern Shoveler - 25-30
Mallard - around 50
Hooded Merganser - 7
Common Merganser - 3 females
Red-breasted Merganser - 1 male Reservoir
Ruddy Duck - 35-40
Mourning Dove -75-85
American Coot - 1 Reservoir (Sandra Critelli)
Ring-billed and Herring Gulls - around 400, mostly Ring-billed
Great Black-backed Gull - 7
Great Blue Heron - 1 Bow Bridge island on Saturday (Bob)
Cooper's Hawk - 1 immature at the Oven
Barn Owl - a pair has been reported visiting for the last several months
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 first-winter male Great Lawn
Downy Woodpecker - 3 or 4
American Kestrel - 1 male Strawberry Fields Saturday (Bob & Deb)
Blue Jay - 5 or 6
American Crow - flock of 40-50
Tufted Titmouse - 8-10
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Ramble
Carolina Wren - 1 Evodia Field (feeder area)
Winter Wren - reported at Laupot Bridge by @mbalerter on X
Hermit Thrush - 1 Shakespeare Garden Saturday (Deb)
American Robin - 30-40
Fox Sparrow - 2 Ramble
Dark-eyed Junco - 5-7
White-throated Sparrow - 50-60
Common Grackle - 1 Great Lawn
Northern Cardinal - 6-8
Other taxa: A pair of coyotes was seen at around 8am this morning interacting with an off-leash dog in the Ramble (Bob).
Date: 1/10/26 2:06 pm From: Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes <cth4...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] ADMIN: PLEASE READ — eList Changes
Hi Everyone,
This is a friendly reminder that the NYSbirds-L eList has migrated to a new server.
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For the benefit of readers viewing messages at the Mail Archive, the address to post messages is NYSbirds-L at LISTS dot Cornell dot edu.
Everyone who was a prior subscriber of NYSbirds-L should have been automatically added to the new eList server at the time of migration, so no further action is required.
However, please note that subscribers who were previously set to receive NO MAIL are now receiving mail, and subscribers who were previously set to receive mail in DIGEST MODE are also now receiving mail as messages are sent—there is no digest mode option with the new server.
If you wish to change your settings or unsubscribe please visit the eList portal at https://lists.cornell.edu/. If your email address changed and you can no longer access your old email to make these changes, please email me directly at <cth4...><mailto:<cth4...> (cth4 at cornell dot edu) and I’ll see what I can do for you.
More information about the NYSbirds-L eList can be found by visiting the updated links at http://www.northeastbirding.com, or the hyper-links in my signature below.
An apparent Taiga Bean-Goose was photographed today at Swartz Farm in South Schodack by Jim de Waal Malefyt. It looks very similar to the bird that spent much of early 2025 between Saratoga and Washington counties (and which itself had a short sojourn into Northern Rensselaer county.) most recently seen at
Date: 1/10/26 11:19 am From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Red-necked Grebe at Steam Boat Dock Park Verplanck
I don't remember if I sent this already. I had a red-necked Grebe swim south past the parking lot at Steam Boat Dock Park in Verplanck last Thursday. Sorry for the late post.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
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, January 9, 2026
at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE, CASSIN’S SPARROW,
BULLOCK’S ORIOLE, ROSS’S and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, TUFTED DUCK,
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, DOVEKIE, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, LARK and GRASSHOPPER
SPARROWS and much more.
The TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE continues in the Oyster Bay area, this week visiting
three of its favored locations – last weekend it was seen Saturday and
Sunday at Nassau Country Club off Nassau Road, then Tuesday it was back on
Dosoris Pond as viewed from the Pryibil Beach parking lot, while today it
had returned to Beaver Lake, an original roosting spot; this latter area is
best viewed from the causeway portion of Cleft Road, which crosses the
middle of Beaver Lake - look south for the goose flock but be careful along
the roadway. Parking is available at nearby Shu Swamp.
Out at Montauk Point the CASSIN’S SPARROW continues its residency, seen
through today usually in the short grass area between the entry road at the
Point and the upper parking lot, including along the path down to the road
and towards the Lighthouse. Also look for the lingering GRASSHOPPER
SPARROW there. Seawatching offshore there also pays dividends, a watch
last Saturday recording 5 DOVEKIES, over 400 RAZORBILLS, 13 BLACK-LEGGED
KITTIWAKES and a RED-NECKED GREBE.
The BULLOCK’S ORIOLE was still in East Islip last weekend, moving from
private property occasionally to trees around the parking lot at the
adjoining St. Mary’s School, but with the school now open again, this area
is not available during weekdays.
A ROSS’S GOOSE was seen Thursday in a goose-covered field at the Wolffer
Estate along the south side of the Montauk Highway Route 27 in Sagaponack,
while GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were well scattered in the region, with 2
in Van Cortland Park Sunday down to 1 Tuesday, 1 in Roslyn Pond Town Park
Tuesday to Thursday, 2 at Tung Ting Pond in Centerport and another at
Stehli Beach in Lattingtown Sunday, 1 off Quogue-Riverhead Road in Quogue
today, and 1 back on Playland Lake in Rye as of Wednesday. A Black form of
Brant was nicely photographed at the Floyd Bennett Field boat launch last
weekend, and several CACKLING GEESE have been reported lately.
A Eurasian form of GREEN-WINGED TEAL was found for the Southern Nassau
Christmas Count Saturday on Smith Pond in Roosevelt. An immature TUFTED
DUCK has been present for the last 2 days on New Croton Reservoir in
Westchester, where a female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE has also been noted
recently; other regional BARROW’S include 1 at Shelter Island for the
Orient Count last Saturday and another lingering off Sunken Meadow State
Park. HARLEQUIN DUCKS include 3 off Ditch Plains in Montauk Monday, and 1
at Iron Pier off Pier Avenue in Northville Wednesday.
Eight DOVEKIES were feeding in Shinnecock Inlet today, part of a recent
small regional incursion, this unfortunately not all good news, as 1
yesterday at Jones Beach West End was dispatched by a group of gulls.
A GLAUCOUS GULL was at the Ponquogue Bridge in Shinnecock Wednesday, and
several ICELAND GULLS have been noted this week.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was at Robert Moses State Park Field 5 yesterday, a LARK
SPARROW has continued at Plumb Beach to Wednesday, and several
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS are still around.
The Southern Nassau Christmas Count last Saturday tallied 132 species,
including 16 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, 5 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 11 BALD EAGLES, and 7
LAPLAND LONGSPURS.
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
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Date: 1/8/26 12:23 pm From: Ken Gale <nuffsaid...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] kids and birds
Hi, folks,    I was wondering if anyone here is with a group or organization that takes kids out birding. I'd love to talk to you about that on the radio next Wednesday morning at 10AM via zoom and for a short chat before that.
I don't know if The NYC Birding Alliance continues the program Chris Cooper started many years ago. I left a message with them.
Happy bird-day, Ken www.ecoradio.org
When the air or water are clean, thank an environmentalist. If not, become one. 'Nuff Said!
Date: 1/8/26 12:08 pm From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Sylvan Lake birds including goodies
1/8/26 - Sylvan Lake, Hopewell Jct., Dutchess Co., NY
300+ Canada Geese (+ one dead one floating in the water like it was asleep)15+ Mute Swans1 TRUMPETER SWANÂ (adult unbanded bird calling alot)6 Mallards2 Northern Pintails1 Green-winged Teal50+ Ring-necked Ducks1 TUFTED DUCK (female)3 Greater Scaupsseveral Buffleheads1 Common Goldeneye (female)several Hooded Mergansers10+ Common Mergansersseveral Ruddy Ducksmany Ring-billed Gulls5 American Herring Gulls1 Bald Eagle (immature)1 Merlin
There was supposed to be a Cackling Goose too, but couldn't find it. On the way home we stopped at New Croton Reservoir in Croton and had a female Northern Pintail in the puddles below the dam. Â
AndrewÂ
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
Date: 1/7/26 7:33 pm From: Andrew Block (via NYSBIRDS-L list) <NYSBIRDS-L...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Red-necked Grebe at Steamboat Dock Park Verplanck
Had a Red-necked Grebe swimm south by the parking lot at Steamboat Dock Park in Verplanck today.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
December 27, 2025 marked the 71st Central Suffolk Christmas Bird Count.
Extending from Smith Point and Cupsogue County Parks north to Lake
Panamoka, and from Gabreski Airport in Westhampton to the Suffolk County
Farm in Yaphank, this count includes ocean, bay, marshland, pond, farm
field, wooded area, and a massive residential habitat.
The second snowstorm of the season dumped 6 inches of snow across the
circle, beginning the evening before and ending mid morning on count day.
Plowed in driveways and messy roads made it impossible or too dangerous for
many participants to venture out into the field, but many were able to stay
indoors and conduct feeder watches instead. Those that were able to drive
were greatly rewarded by many species!
Notable highlights of the day in the field included Iceland Gull, Virginia
Rail, Baltimore Oriole, Rusty Blackbird, Common Yellowthroat, Saltmarsh
Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, Northern Saw-whet and Long-eared Owl.
All together tallied were 115 species on count day, with an additional 3
species noted during count week of Cackling Goose, Redhead, and Pine
Warbler, bringing the total to 118.
Our compilation dinner was held in Eastport and hosted with many thanks to
the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society who has sponsored the count since
1967. Participants warmed up with hot drinks and delicious food catered by
Mary’s in Speonk and shared their stories from the day.
Thank you so much to all of our participants that made this year a great
success despite the snow. They are truly as hardy as the birds that
overwinter on Long Island! Next year’s count is planned for Sunday,
December 27, 2026 and we hope you can join us! Email me if you’d like to
be included on our mailing list.
Good Birding and Happy New Year,
Katie Kleinpeter
Central Suffolk CBC Compiler
<katiekleinpeter...>
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December 27, 2025 marked the 71st Central Suffolk Christmas Bird Count.
Extending from Smith Point and Cupsogue County Parks north to Lake
Panamoka, and from Gabreski Airport in Westhampton to the Suffolk County
Farm in Yaphank, this count includes ocean, bay, marshland, pond, farm
field, wooded area, and a massive residential habitat.
The second snowstorm of the season dumped 6 inches of snow across the
circle, beginning the evening before and ending mid morning on count day.
Plowed in driveways and messy roads made it impossible or too dangerous for
many participants to venture out into the field, but many were able to stay
indoors and conduct feeder watches instead. Those that were able to drive
were greatly rewarded by many species!
Notable highlights of the day in the field included Iceland Gull, Virginia
Rail, Baltimore Oriole, Rusty Blackbird, Common Yellowthroat, Saltmarsh
Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, Northern Saw-whet and Long-eared Owl.
All together tallied were 115 species on count day, with an additional 3
species noted during count week of Cackling Goose, Redhead, and Pine
Warbler, bringing the total to 118.
Our compilation dinner was held in Eastport and hosted with many thanks to
the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society who has sponsored the count since
1967. Participants warmed up with hot drinks and delicious food catered by
Mary’s in Speonk and shared their stories from the day.
Thank you so much to all of our participants that made this year a great
success despite the snow. They are truly as hardy as the birds that
overwinter on Long Island! Next year’s count is planned for Sunday,
December 27, 2026 and we hope you can join us! Email me if you’d like to
be included on our mailing list.
Date: 1/5/26 5:29 pm From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to Jan. 5th -
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
thru Monday, January 5th -
The recent cold and small-snowy spells of weather have perhaps pushed some very-late lingering birds out recently, if they did survive the recent sub-freezing days and nights, and at the same time may have encouraged some water birds, especially waterfowl, to move in.
A couple of Horned Grebes have shown in county waters, neither a typically-common species here in modern times, nor very rare. At least one of the grebes may be lingering off Randalls Island, while another had been on the Hudson River off northern Manhattan but not seen again on a subsequent look, or later days. A somewhat-rare duck species in this county, Black Scoter has been noted off Randalls Island - as have a modest assortment of other dockage including some Lesser Scaup, 4 of the latter present again off Randalls Island thru Monday. Also in late-day on Mon., more than fifty Red-breasted Mergansers were in waters which surround Randalls, a noticeable increase for the area.
Many duck sightings otherwise from that island may be distant, and a scope is likely to be required for a chance of spotting, much less attempting definitive ID. A flock of Common Goldeneyes are typically far out off Randalls northeastern point, and can be mixed up with some other ducks at times - these birds are not actually in N.Y. County waters much of time in their midwinter stays, but may be viewed - barely - from land at the farthest edge of the county. As is fairly typical in winters where it wont completely freeze, the single most-productive site for waterfowl-diversity in the county is the Central Park reservoir, and with the additional waterbodies in that park providing some chances for more species. Gull numbers were again fairly high in mid-morning at that reservoir, but an ice shelf the gulls have used will likely melt, leaving the narrow berm dividing the reservoir basin in two for a roost when the water itself is not used.
In recent days the numbers of Canada Geese have increased to where multi-thousands are present in the county, and with that kind of numbers, one presumes the chances grow for other goose species. Many Brant are still massing in the county, including modest numbers here and there just off parts of Manhattan, while most Brant are seen around or on the other islands of the county. Just off Inwood Hill Park on northern Manhattan, Northern Pintail was again seen,
Very diminished numbers or species of warblers were being found since the multiple small snowfalls, with just a couple of sightings, some seen for the first day of 2026, including Nashville Warbler. Others that were still present in the new month included Orange-crowned, Ovenbird, and Myrtle-form Yellow-rumped, although it is possible some others are lurking and surviving in some places. A Pine Warbler at Randalls Island is one example of such a possible lingerer, if it has perhaps stayed around a location with potential heat-sources for night roosting. Ongoing small numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in slightly greater number were still being seen, however those 2 small insectivores are regular thru many winters, often continuing even thru weather that warblers may not make it thru in winter. As is fairly typical, Gray Catbirds may congregate in some Manhattan sites, particularly where a variety of tossed-out and dropped human foodstuffs make for a bit of supplementary -or more- additions to dietary need. The -probably- best-known of these various places in Manhattan is the mid-town Bryant Park. At that park, there had been a lingering -first-fall-plumaged- White-crowned and other native sparrows, and any of those could well be lingering. At Randalls Island thru Monday, Field Sparrows were persisting, and there also were some American Tree Sparrows, the latter showing in a few locations.
A number of Red-shouldered Hawks have continued into the month of January, in Manhattan and possibly on the other islands, possibly a bit of a trend for that species, increasingly seen in winter in this county. Coopers Hawks in numbers, and small numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks also are being found, while Merlin has been but not in a lot of locations lately. A variety of other raptors are also around into this month, and among those, the occasional Bald Eagle which moves across areas with a lot of gulls feeding or roosting may cause quite a flurry.
Gulls of uncommon or rarer species have not been in evidence for the first days of the year in this county, but by the coming weekend, it looks plausible there may be some opportunities to peruse gull flocks, perhaps in the wake of rains or other wintry weather. We have had some days where, at least briefly some very high numbers of gulls were showing but these often were short-lived larger flocking or feeding events. It also appears that not that much of close watching has been done, just lately for gulls out in the N.Y. Harbor, where a fair chance continues for a variety of gulls, and waterbirds. One of multiple sites to possibly seek less-common gulls, and other unexpected birds, might be on and from Roosevelt Island.
Of very modest note in terms of numbers, some Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, and in a few locations, American Pipits were being noted. Some of these might be lingering, rather than recent-passage migrators. At least a few Rusty Blackbirds have been around, including at Central Park and less-commonly, also at Fort Tryon Park in n. Manhattan. A long-long-lingering Wild Turkey is by now a near-resident at Battery Park, continuing there for months on end.
Manhattan continued to have some fair-sized flocks of American Robins and generally-few Cedar Waxwings, and in any flocks of frugivorous birds it may be worth a close look, on the slim chance of any very-unexpected species being in or near such winter flocks. It also could be productive to, if in the vicinity of any wintering Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, notice and check around for the chance of other species in the same areas. In some winters, there have been rarer birds lingering where sapsuckers - the latter being regulars in Manhattan, especially in most winters in scattered locations including on street trees - are, and sometimes, those rarer birds having a close feeding arrangement to some active sapsucker-workings.
Good January birding to all.
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Date: 1/5/26 12:52 pm From: Shaibal Mitra <Shaibal.Mitra...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Southern Nassau County CBC, 3 January 2026--Revised
Note--several corrections to the count summary were omitted from the version sent a few minutes ago.
The Southern Nassau County CBC was conducted for the 86th time on 3 January 2026, by 85 dedicated and talented participants in nine territories. In contrast to the recent trend on Long Island toward warmer and less frozen early winters, this year’s count was conducted under conditions in which patches of snow were present and most freshwater, including slowly moving streams, was frozen. The weather was generally favorable, or at least tolerable: the west-northwest wind was worst in the morning (about 12 mph) when temperatures were lowest (26 F), but the afternoon was actually pleasantly calm, with a bright overcast sky and the temperature rising to 32 F.
Four trends were evident this year. First, the frozen landscape caused an understandable reduction in ice-sensitive species. Second, the benign conditions on count day resulted in many high counts for species for which high winds and precipitation tend to constrain effort and hinder detection. Third, only four expected species were missed: Snow Goose, American Woodcock, Red Knot, and Great Horned Owl; and among the less expected (but still not truly unusual species), no fewer than eight were found in more than one territory: Wood Duck, Clapper Rail, Semipalmated Plover, Iceland Gull, Red-shouldered Hawk, Marsh Wren, Purple Finch, and Palm Warbler. Finally, genuinely rare species, which have historically been a conspicuous feature of this CBC, were completely absent. The most unusual birds were a Eurasian Green-winged Teal at Smith Pond in Roosevelt, Rough-legged Hawk and Short-eared Owl in Five Towns, and an Eastern Bluebird in Baldwin. To put these in perspective for birders unfamiliar with the idiosyncrasies of western Long Island ornithology, the teal is oddly regular on this count (Pat and I have seen it in our Baldwin territory six times in the past quarter century); the hawk and the owl were formerly much more numerous here in winter but still occur often enough that their presence on the count is not surprising (each has occurred on about 30% of recent counts); and the Eastern Bluebird was the undoubted rarest bird of the day, the first recorded on this count since 2012. Similarly, unseasonal species were unusually scarce—a lingering Marbled Godwit moved on, we recorded just three species of warblers, etc.
Thus, the freezing conditions prior to the count and the absence of rarities and half-hardies lowered the ceiling on what was present in the circle, but the favorable conditions and highly experienced personnel maximized detection of the birds that were there, resulting in a very respectable total of 132 species on count day, just four below our average of 136 over the past ten years.
Low counts were recorded for just 12 species, half or more of which are sensitive to freezing conditions. Great Horned Owl was missed for the first time since 2012, and this is concerning because conditions for owling were not bad, and this species has recently been thought to be suffering more than most from avian influenza.
High counts were recorded for a very large and diverse set of species—32, not including the “unusual species” mentioned above. Although such a large number of unusual counts defies a singular explanation, many of the species involved have been trending upward in recent years, have counts that are sensitive to effort and detection variables, or both. Great Cormorant and American Kestrel are exceptional among these, as species that have been trending downward in recent years.
For the second year, we finished our CBC season with a festive compilation at Fabio’s on the Water in Merrick. We extend our gratitude to all our participants for their dedication and skill, to our territory leaders for their patience and attention to detail, and to the New York State Parks for facilitating access and granting permits in support of the Christmas Bird Counts. Our target date for next year’s count (subject to revision) is Saturday, 2 January 2027.
Patricia J. Lindsay and Shaibal S. Mitra
Bay Shore, NY
Low Counts recorded on the Southern Nassau County CBC, 3 January 2026.
Bold font denotes 10-year low count or first miss in 10 or more years.
Species
Total 1/3/26
10-yr Avg
86-yr Avg
Snow Goose
0
3
5
American Coot
15
29
71
American Woodcock
0
3
1
Red Knot
0
7
18
Great Black-backed Gull
123
363
648
Northern Gannet
13
340
140
Black-crowned Night-Heron
62
83
70
Great Egret
3
9
4
Red-tailed Hawk
14
25
11
Great Horned Owl
0
3
1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
7
13
4
Winter Wren
18
27
7
Ten-year High Counts recorded on the Southern Nassau County CBC, 3 January 2026.
Bold font denotes all-time high count.
Date: 1/5/26 12:44 pm From: Shaibal Mitra <Shaibal.Mitra...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Southern Nassau County CBC, 3 January 2026
The Southern Nassau County CBC was conducted for the 86th time on 3 January 2026, by 85 dedicated and talented participants in nine territories. In contrast to the recent trend on Long Island toward warmer and less frozen early winters, this year’s count was conducted under conditions in which patches of snow were present and most freshwater, including slowly moving streams, was frozen. The weather was generally favorable, or at least tolerable: the west-northwest wind was worst in the morning (about 12 mph) when temperatures were lowest (26 F), but the afternoon was actually pleasantly calm, with a bright overcast sky and the temperature rising to 32 F.
Four overall trends were evident this year. First, the frozen landscape caused an understandable reduction in ice-sensitive species. Second, the benign conditions on count day resulted in many high counts for species for which high winds and precipitation tend to constrain effort and hinder detection. Third, only four expected species were missed: Snow Goose, American Woodcock, Red Knot, and Great Horned Owl; and among the less expected (but still not truly unusual species), no fewer than seven were found in more than one territory: Wood Duck, Clapper Rail, Semipalmated Plover, Iceland Gull, Red-shouldered Hawk, Purple Finch, and Palm Warbler. Finally, genuinely rare species, which have historically been a conspicuous feature of this CBC, were completely absent. The most unusual birds were a Eurasian Green-winged Teal at Smith Pond in Roosevelt, Rough-legged Hawk and Short-eared Owl in Five Towns, and an Eastern Bluebird in Baldwin. To put these in perspective for birders unfamiliar with the idiosyncrasies of western Long Island ornithology, the teal is oddly regular on this count (Pat and I have seen it in our Baldwin territory six times in the past quarter century); the hawk and the owl were formerly much more numerous here in winter but still occur often enough that their presence on the count is not surprising (each has occurred on about 30% of recent counts); and the Eastern Bluebird was the undoubted rarest bird of the day, the first recorded on this count since 2012. Similarly, unseasonal species were unusually scarce—a lingering Marbled Godwit moved on, we recorded just three species of warblers, etc.
Thus, the freezing conditions prior to the count and the absence of rarities and half-hardies lowered the ceiling on what was present in the circle, but the favorable conditions and highly experienced personnel maximized detection of the birds that were there, resulting in a very respectable total of 132 species on count day, just four below our average of 136 over the past ten years.
Low counts were recorded for just 12 species, half or more of which are sensitive to freezing conditions. Great Horned Owl was missed for the first time since 2012, and this is concerning because conditions for owling were not bad, and this species is thought to be suffering more than most in recent years from avian influenza.
High counts were recorded for a very large and diverse set of species—32, not including the “unusual species” mentioned above. Although such a large number of unusual counts defies a singular explanation, many of the species involved have been trending upward in recent years, have counts that are sensitive to effort and detection variables, or both. Great Cormorant and American Kestrel are exceptional among these, as species that have been trending downward in recent years.
For the second year, we finished our CBC season with a festive compilation at Fabio’s on the Water in Merrick. We extend our gratitude to all our participants for their dedication and skill, to our territory leaders for their patience and attention to detail, and to the New York State Parks for facilitating access and granting permits in support of the Christmas Bird Counts. Our target date for next year’s count (subject to revision) is Saturday, 2 January 2027.
Patricia J. Lindsay and Shaibal S. Mitra
Bay Shore, NY
Low Counts recorded on the Southern Nassau County CBC, 3 January 2026.
Bold font denotes 10-year low count or first miss in 10 or more years.
Species
Total 1/3/26
10-yr Avg
86-yr Avg
Snow Goose
0
3
5
American Coot
15
29
71
American Woodcock
0
3
1
Red Knot
0
7
18
Great Black-backed Gull
123
363
648
Northern Gannet
13
340
140
Black-crowned Night-Heron
62
83
70
Great Egret
3
9
4
Red-tailed Hawk
14
25
11
Great Horned Owl
0
3
1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
7
13
4
Winter Wren
18
27
7
Ten-year High Counts recorded on the Southern Nassau County CBC, 3 January 2026.
Bold font denotes all-time high count.
Date: 1/5/26 6:32 am From: Chris Tessaglia-Hymes <cth4...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] ADMIN: PLEASE READ — eList Migration
Greetings fellow birders and Happy New Year! Cornell University eList List Manager is making major changes to their eList platform. This eList and all Cornell University eLists will migrate away from Lyris List Manager to a new platform called Simplelists. This eList (NYSbirds-L) will migrate to Simplelists on or about January 6, 2026. Once this action takes place, any new email messages you wish to send out for distribution to current subscribers will need to be sent to the new email address below:
<NYSbirds-L...>
(Please note that the word “LISTS” is plural with the additional S. The email address is not case-sensitive) Simplelists has minimal settings that can be changed by a Subscriber or an Admin. Settings for Subscribers are currently restricted to Subscribing (Joining) or Unsubscribing (Leaving), and those both happen through this website:
You can also query which Simplelists eLists you are currently subscribed to by entering your email address in the “My Lists” section at the https://lists.cornell.edu/ website. After following the link provided in the resulting email message that you receive, you will be able to Pause Delivery and Unsubscribe from an eList. Digest does not appear to be a function that is supported in Simplelists. Many have noted a marked reduction in email chatter on this and other birding eLists. Much of the email-based birding reporting across New York State migrated away from email and other localized chat groups to the New York Birding Discord Server in January of 2024. On the new Discord Server for New York Birding, there are various regional channels for reporting and discussing bird sightings, sharing photos, links, etc. Details on joining the New York Birding Discord Server are at this link:
