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, July 10th 2026* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are BRIDLED TERN, RUFF and CURLEW SANDPIPER, SABINE'S GULL, SOUTH POLAR SKUA and other pelagics, BROWN PELICAN, WHITE IBIS and WHITE-FACED IBIS, ARCTIC TERN, BLUE GROSBEAK and more.
A notably good week for unexpected birds began last Saturday when a dog-walker out on the beach by Mecox Inlet spotted an unusual bird that turned out to be an adult BRIDLED TERN which fortunately stayed around the inlet long enough to be enjoyed and photographed by a few lucky birders.
Two exceptional shorebirds appeared together today out at Jones Beach State Park West End, found in one of the dune pools a little west of field 1. First a RUFF in somewhat faded adult plumage was spotted followed soon after by an adult CURLEW SANDPIPER in vibrant plumage, both continuing for a while at least.
Other shorebirds reported on the move this week featured SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER and STILT, PECTORAL and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS plus 2 HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS along Dune Road Thursday.
A good opportunity recently to see a variety of pelagic birds has been to take a CRESLI whale watching boat trip out of Montauk Harbor. These half-day trips focus on cetaceans and their feeding activities do attract numbers of birds. Wednesday afternoon's trip produced a well photographed adult SABINE'S GULL and both Sunday and Wednesday had multiple encounters with SOUTH POLAR SKUAS. Each of these trips also provided good numbers of WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, and CORY'S, GREAT and SOOTY SHEARWATERS, small numbers of MANX SHEARWATERS and a few good candidates for SCOPOLI'S SHEARWATERS among the CORY'S group. Also reported Wednesday were a couple of PARASITIC JAEGERS and an ARCTIC TERN.
A BROWN PELICAN was spotted crossing Robert Moses State Park towards the ocean Wednesday evening, another moving west off Jones Beach field 6 this evening.
An adult WHITE IBIS was seen flying into the marsh south of the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last Sunday and the WHITE-FACED IBIS was still visiting the south end of the East Pond last Sunday.
A GLAUCOUS GULL was seen again at Breezy Point last Sunday. Single ARCTIC TERNS were reported during the week from Cupsogue Beach County Park, Mecox and Georgica Inlet with one also visiting Great Gull Island last Sunday. GULL-BILLED TERNS continue at Jamaica Bay and one was noted at Plumb Beach last Saturday and a BLACK TERN and some ROSEATES continue to be seen along the coast.
BLUE GROSBEAKS remain around the Preston's Pond Complex and other Calverton sites.
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.
