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, September 4th 2026* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are pelagic trip results including WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD, SABINE'S GULL, LONG-TAILED JAEGER, BAND-RUMPED and LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS, and more plus BROWN BOOBY, SANDWICH TERN, EARED GREBE, BROWN PELICAN, WESTERN KINGBIRD, AMERICAN AVOCET, and other shorebirds and even more.
A 24-hour pelagic trip left Sheepshead Bay Sunday evening aboard the American Princess and by dawn, Monday morning, it reached the continental shelf. Among the first birds seen were a couple each of BAND-RUMPED and LEACH'S, along with many WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS plus numbers of CORY'S and GREAT SHEARWATERS and a SCOPOLI'S or two along with a few SARGASSO SHEARWATERS and quite exceptional was a superb show provided by an adult WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD followed later by an immature TROPICBIRD as well as several LONG-TAILED JAEGERS. Also excellent while heading back to Brooklyn was an exquisite immature SABINE'S GULL seen very nicely thanks to Captain Franks maneuvering and very high on the list of trip highlights were 2 WHALE SHARKS, the world's largest fish, and a huge LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE, the world's largest turtle. All in all an exceptional trip.
Amazingly, there were 2 other sightings of SABINE'S GULL locally this week, one during the Long Island north shore mini-pelagic off Northport last Saturday, this also recording 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, and CORY'S, GREAT and SOOTY SHEARWATERS, and a second SABINE'S seen today off Sunken Meadow State Park noted off field 2 and later a little farther east. Sunken Meadow also earlier today produced a SANDWICH TERN sitting on the jetty there.
An immature BROWN BOOBY appeared on the Hudson River Tuesday spending most of the day moving between Piermont Pier and the Cuomo Bridge occasionally moving over to the Westchester side as well.
The EARED GREBE was still on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last Sunday and the East Pond, at the north end, hosted 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS plus some LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and WESTERN SANDPIPERS plus 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES to Wednesday.
Other shorebirds this week have featured an AMERICAN AVOCET continuing to visit the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area to today, WILSON'S PHALAROPE at Heckscher State Park last weekend and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at Jerome Reservoir last weekend, Smith Point County Park Monday, and Sagg Pond Tuesday, and on the Yaphank Avenue sod fields from Tuesday. Thursday there were 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS on County Route 51 sod farms and another at Heckscher field 7, and BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS were noted at Heckscher Monday, and Sunken Meadow today. Good numbers of shorebirds have been gathering at Old Inlet in Bellport Bay about 2 miles west of Smith Point County Park and more unusual including up to 11 MARBLED GODWITS, 1 HUDSONIAN GODWIT, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, and a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER recently.
A BROWN PELICAN moving east off Jones Beach Saturday was followed by 4 off Montauk Monday. A WESTERN KINGBIRD stayed at Caumsett State Park at least to Saturday and other notable passerines featured 2 LARK SPARROWS at Jones Beach to Saturday, single YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS in Bryant Park Thursday and at Rockefeller State Park Preserve today, BLUE GROSBEAK singles in Central Park Sunday, and on Governors Island today, and a few scattered DICKCISSELS.
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.
