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.
