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.
