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, August 28th, 2026*, at 11 pm. The highlights of today's tape are SANDWICH TERN, EARED GREBE, WESTERN KINGBIRD, LONG-TAILED JAEGER and other pelagics, AMERICAN AVOCET, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, BUFF-BREASTED, UPLAND, and other sandpipers, SEDGE WREN, LARK SPARROW, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, and other warblers DICKCISSEL and more.
A non-breeding SANDWICH TERN was photographed during its brief visit to Plumb Beach Tuesday morning. Unfortunately not lingering as long as the EARED GREBE that was still on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge at least to Tuesday.
A WESTERN KINGBIRD showed up at Caumsett State Park Thursday and continued there through today. The first of hopefully several this Fall.
Seabird diversity offshore in the Atlantic continues while numbers are thinning out. The CRESLI whale watch trip out of Montauk last Monday produced an eye-popping, dark juvenile LONG-TAILED JAEGER along with a PARASITIC JAEGER, over 3,000 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, and modest shearwater totals including 19 CORY'S, 4 SCOPOLI'S, 44 GREAT, 8 SOOTY, and 10 MANX.
An exciting week for shorebirds was enhanced nicely thanks to the lowered water levels at Jerome Reservoir in the Bronx. Rarities following last week's 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS in the reservoir basin, with reports of 1 or 2 more this week, were an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER visiting there Monday and Tuesday and then 5 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS appearing Thursday increasing to 6 today. Other shorebirds among the over a dozen species visiting there featured WHITE-RUMPED, WESTERN, and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and WILSON'S SNIPE. The reservoir is viewed best from the fence line along Reservoir Avenue near the intersection with Claflin Avenue. Other shorebirds this week featured an AMERICAN AVOCET visiting the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area Saturday through Monday, an UPLAND SANDPIPER at Caumsett State Park Saturday, two MARBLED GODWITS lingering around field 10 at Jones Beach at least to Thursday, a WILSON'S PHALAROPE at Heckscher State Park Sunday followed by a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER and an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER at field 7 today, another BUFF-BREASTED at Jones Beach field 1 yesterday and 2 HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS out on Jamaica Bay last Saturday
Two CASPIAN TERNS visited Central Park Wednesday followed by a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Thursday, and among the variety of warblers now moving through Central and other parks have been MOURNING, HOODED, CAPE MAY, BAY-BREASTED, and WILSON'S but perhaps the most unexpected was the GOLDEN-WINGED photographed in Central Tuesday.
Among the flycatchers this week were a few OLIVE-SIDED, and YELLOW-BELLIED, and a SEDGE WREN was noted again today at the private parcel in Manhasset. A LARK SPARROW was spotted at Sherman Creek Park last Saturday and another continued at Cliffdale Farm in Westchester Sunday but the bonanza was up to 4 LARK SPARROWS at Jones Beach fields 1 and 2 starting on Wednesday with at least 2 still there today. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT stayed in Prospect Park to Saturday with singles also in Bryant Park Tuesday and Central Park Ramble Wednesday, and a DICKCISSEL visited Floyd Bennett Field Monday.
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.
