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, August 14,
2026 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, EARED
GREBE, BROWN PELICAN, UPLAND, BUFF BREASTED and BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS,
WILSON'S PHALAROPE, MARBLED GODWIT, GLAUCOUS GULL, various pelagics,
OLIVE SIDED, YELLOW-BELLIED and other FLYCATCHERS, PROTHONOTARY and
other WARBLERS, DICKCISSEL and more.
A single BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK recently visiting Jones Beach
State Park was first spotted near the theater Monday, then around the
traffic circle Tuesday, but its elusive wanderings kept it mostly
hidden; on Thursday it was finally relocated on a small pond just west
of the bandshell and administration building. There were no follow-up
sightings today, though it may still be around there somewhere.
An EARED GREBE initially spotted Tuesday on the West Pond at Jamaica
Bay Wildlife Refuge has continued there through today; still retaining
most of its breeding plumage, the GREBE has often been frequenting
the northern end of the pond and can be tricky to locate.
BROWN PELICAN sightings this week featured two moving around the
Breezy Point area last Saturday and three flying west off Long Beach
today.
An UPLAND SANDPIPER’S distinctive flight call was heard early Friday
morning as the bird flew southeast over Cinder Island in Middle Bay,
headed unseen towards Point Lookout.
The first BUFF-BREASTED SANDPAPER of the season was photographed
Sunday at Field 7 in Heckscher State Park, and a BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was
nicely documented at Piermont Pier on Wednesday. A WILSON’S PHALAROPE
visiting the dune pools between Fields 1 and 2 at Jones Beach West End
since last Friday was joined by a second one today, and another was
seen today at the Raunt on the East Pond at Jamaica Bay, where water
levels remain challenging at best.
A MARBLED GODWIT at Plumb Beach last weekend and two at Great Kills
Park Sunday were followed by two Tuesday on the bar at Jones Beach
West End, these moving east to Field 10 on Wednesday and continuing
there today.
A GLAUCOUS GULL was still around Coney Island today, 2 GULL-BILLED
TERNS were noted at Plumb Beach irregularly through today, CASPIAN
TERNS were spotted at seven different locations during the week, and
increasing ROYAL TERNS reached 15 at Plumb Beach Monday.
Birders going out on the CRESLI Whale-watching trips Saturday, Sunday
and Wednesday recorded PARASITIC JAEGER, good numbers of WILSON’S
STORM-PETRELS, and decent numbers of GREAT and CORY'S plus a few
SCOPOLI’s, SOOTY, and MANX SHEARWATERS.
Among this week's migrant FLYCATCHERS were OLIVE-SIDED plus
YELLOW-BELLIED, ACADIAN and other Empidonax species, while the
WARBLERS were highlighted by a PROTHONOTARY in Prospect Park
Wednesday, CERULEAN in Central Park last weekend, and others including
WORM-EATING, BLUE-WINGED, TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE, a MOURNING in Prospect
Park today, HOODED in Central Park, CAPE MAY, NORTHERN PARULA and
BAY-BREASTED. And a DICKCISSEL was encountered at Dyker Beach in
Brooklyn Wednesday.
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.
