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, October 2nd 2026* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are such storm related birds as SOUTH POLAR SKUA, NORTHERN FULMAR, LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, LONG-TAILED JAEGER and BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE among others plus BROWN PELICAN, EARED GREBE, AMERICAN AVOCET, MARBLED and HUDSONIAN GODWITS, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS, SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, DICKCISSEL and more.
A nor'easter, hammering our shores since Wednesday, September 23rd, finally lessened its grip on Monday but in the interim it provided us with some coastal excitement topped by the SOUTH POLAR SKUA nicely photographed off Montauk Point last Saturday. Then on Sunday at the Point a NORTHERN FULMAR was glimpsed cruising through the waves where other pelagics included a few PARASITIC JAEGERS plus CORY'S, SCOPOLI'S, GREAT, SOOTY and MANX SHEARWATERS and NORTHERN GANNETS in varying numbers.
Meanwhile in western Long Island Sound over the weekend an uncertain number of LEACH'S and WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS along with some PARASITIC JAEGERS gathered in the waters east of the Throgs Neck Bridge between Fort Totten in Queens and Belden Point on City Island. Despite generally poor viewing conditions a LONG-TAILED JAEGER was also identified off Fort Totten and City Island on Saturday and a juvenile BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen and photographed off City Island over the weekend.
A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was also found Saturday at Prospect Point on Long Island's north shore at Sam's Point. A BROWN PELICAN appeared Thursday on the ocean as viewed from the Fire Island hawkwatch site at Robert Moses State Park and the EARED GREBE at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge was still on the West Pond today.
Various shorebirds featured the AMERICAN AVOCET still at the north end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay last Monday. An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER at Floyd Bennett Field Saturday to Monday was followed by 3 off Hulse Landing Road in Calverton Wednesday and 4 at Plumb Beach today. An UPLAND SANDPIPER was heard over Hulse Landing Road Wednesday. An HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL visited Jones Beach field 6 Monday. An HUDSONIAN GODWIT at Belden Point on City Island Saturday was followed by 2 at Timber Point Golf Course Tuesday and possibly today and 3 MARBLED GODWITS were on Goose Island off Massapequa Wednesday.
Single RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were noted in Green-wood Cemetery Tuesday, at Robert Moses State Park Thursday and at Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan today.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR at Lake Montauk Sunday was followed by one at Robert Moses State Park today. A LARK SPARROW was seen at Floyd Bennett Field Monday and Wednesday and single CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS were spotted Monday in Central Park, Fort Totten and on Governors Island with another in Prospect Park today.
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was seen on Governors Island Monday and Tuesday with another at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx Wednesday. Single SUMMER TANAGERS were reported from Central Park Tuesday and Wednesday, at Robert Moses State Park Tuesday and at the South Fork Natural History Museum Wednesday. Eight BLUE GROSBEAK reports included individuals at Floyd Bennett Field, Robert Moses State Park, Sunken Meadow State Park, Planting Fields Arboretum and the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center while DICKCISSELS included one at Piermont Pier Thursday, one on Green-wood Cemetery Thursday and Friday and one at Kensico Reservoir in Westchester Thursday along with a BLUE GROSBEAK.
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.
