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9 Oct Mostly Montezuma NWR - Thursday ["Robert Grosek" ] 9 Oct Staten Island: Orange-crowned Warbler, both Sharp-tailed Sparrows etc. [Joe T ] 9 Oct LeConte's Sparrow-No [] 9 Oct Linnaean Society Meeting October 14, 2008 ["John Cairns" ] 9 Oct LeConte Sparrow [] 08 Oct Re: Leconte's Sparrow Picture [Susan Herbst ] 8 Oct LeConte's Sparrow update [Shane Blodgett ] 8 Oct (Metro Birding Briefs) LeConte's Sparrow update [Shane Blodgett ] 8 Oct Le Conte's sparrow ["Steven Schellenger" ] 08 Oct Leconte's Sparrow Picture ["david speiser" ] 8 Oct Yonkers Surprise ["holycow AT juno.com" ] 8 Oct Brooklyn/13 Sparrow species including Nelson's and Lark [Shane Blodgett ] 07 Oct Smith's Point Birds Today, [L.I. Southshore], Oct. 7th [Carl Starace ] 7 Oct (not so shy in) Central Park, NYC [Tom Fiore ] 07 Oct Jones Beach - Cedar Beach [] 7 Oct Re: (Metro Birding Briefs) Conn Warbler Central park [Stephanie Seymour ] 7 Oct (Metro Birding Briefs) Conn Warbler Central park [David Klauber ] 7 Oct Conn Warbler Central park [David Klauber ] 07 Oct Summitville Hawk Watch- Sullivan County ["vanhaas AT citlink.net" ] 7 Oct Central Park, NYC 10/7 [Tom Fiore ] 7 Oct Re:(Metro Birding Briefs) CT WArbler [] 7 Oct Re: (Metro Birding Briefs) CT WArbler [] 6 Oct Follow up to Sedge wren in Kissena Park ["Joseph O'Sullivan" ] 06 Oct Smith's Point Birds,[L.I. Southshore], Oct. 6th [Carl Starace ] 6 Oct Syracuse RBA [Joseph Brin ] 6 Oct Clay-colored and Lark Sparrows - Jones Beach West End, 10/6/08 [Brendan Fogarty ] 6 Oct Sedge Wren in Kissena Park ["Joseph O'Sullivan" ] 6 Oct (Metro Birding Briefs) Clay-colored and Lark Sparrows - Jones Beach West End, 10/6/08 [Brendan Fogarty ] 06 Oct 10/06- Brooklyn, 11 species of Sparrow [] 06 Oct South Shore Barrier Beaches Today - Nassau/Suffolk Counties [Ken Feustel ] 06 Oct Atlas exhibit at State Museum [Kevin McGowan ] 06 Oct Jamaica Bay, Fort Tilden 10-5-08 [Arie Gilbert ] 6 Oct Central Park, NYC 10/5 & 10/6 [Tom Fiore ] 6 Oct Migrant care? ["Richard Guthrie" ] 5 Oct Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration (long) ["Cameron Rutt" ] 5 Oct Peregrine flight, Bald Eagle, Chats and Connecticut Warbler - Montauk, LI [Angus Wilson ] 5 Oct Brooklyn and Queens birds - sparrows, Dickcissel [David Klauber ] 5 Oct (Metro Birding Briefs) Brooklyn and Queens birds - sparrows, Dickcissel [David Klauber ] 05 Oct Peregrine push today at Fire Island hawk watch [John Gluth ] 5 Oct Blue Grosbeak at the south end of Roosevelt Island ["Andrew Farnsworth" ] 4 Oct Central Park, NYC 10/4 [Tom Fiore ] 04 Oct Smith's Point Birds Today Correction, Oct. 4th [Carl Starace ] 04 Oct Dickcissel, Red-headed Woodpecker and Yellow-breasted Chat at Robert Moses S.P. [John Gluth ] 04 Oct Smith's Point Birds Today, Oct. 4th, Suffolk County [Carl Starace ] 4 Oct Ft Tilden continued - Western Kingbird, Lark Sparrow, Chat [David Klauber ] 4 Oct (Metro Birding Briefs) Ft Tilden continued - Western Kingbird, Lark Sparrow, Chat [David Klauber ] 3 Oct NYC Area RBA: 3 October 2008 ["Ben Cacace" ] 04 Oct Thanks ["vanhaas AT citlink.net" ] 29 Sep 2008 NY ornithological awards [Andrew Mason ] 03 Oct Smith's Point Birds Today, Oct. 3rd, Suffolk County [Carl Starace ] 03 Oct Jones Beach and Fire Island [Sy Schiff ] 03 Oct Massapequa Preserve Today - Nassau Co. [Ken Feustel ] Subject: Mostly Montezuma NWR - Thursday From: "Robert Grosek" <bluewing AT stny.rr.com> Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 20:28:02 -0400 In the morning, Bill Howard and I spotted the Eurasian Wigeon in the Main Pool at Montezuma. The bird was in among the lily pads north of the observation tower. There were two Trumpeter Swans present and a Crackling Goose flew over the Main Pool in mid-afternoon. In all, we found 17 species of ducks . We did not see the following: birds - Nelson's Sharp-Tailed Sparrow at the Hog's Hole in Ithaca - Greater White-Fronted Goose at Montezuma - Ross' Goose - Snow Geese were present but too far away to tell if a Ross' was with them - A variety of shorebirds - we saw only 3 species (yellowlegs, Killdeer) over the course of the day - Sky-loads of bitterns that everyone else seems to see whenever they go to Montezuma :-) We never have much luck with these birds. Workmen are remodeling the back deck on the Headquarters Building and the accompanying noise kept birds away from the pool that borders the building. - Bob Grosek Binghamton, New York Everything in Nature tells a different story to all eyes that see and to all ears that hear. R.G. IngersollSubject: Staten Island: Orange-crowned Warbler, both Sharp-tailed Sparrows etc. From: Joe T <jbirds268 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 12:32:11 -0700 (PDT) Hi all,
It was a great morning on the south shore of Staten Island. Howie Fischer and I
were able to hit Conference House Park, Mt. Loretto Unique Area and Great Kills
Park and track down some really good birds. Overall, there was a good number of
birds around, especially sparrows, which were tallied 10 species of. Here are
the highlights:
Conference House:
- TENNESEE, BT Green, BT Blue, Myrtle Warblers; + Redstart and Yellowthroat
- Loads of Kinglets, both RC and GC
- Red-breasted Nuthatch [heard], Brown Creeper, YB Sapsucker
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
Mt. Loretto:
- ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER - halfway down the "Grasslands Trail"; flew into a
bush with a some sparrows
- White-crowned Sparrow - 3; 1 ad. 2 imm.
- Eastern Wood-Peewee - odd location and a little late
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- American Kestrel - 4 birds in view hunting in field at the same time!
Great Kills Park:
- SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW - 2 birds perched on marsh grass and showed
nicely
- NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW - 2 birds also showed nicely, farther down in
the marsh. It was great to see both species in such a short time for
comparison; this really eased the I.D. process.
- Belted Kingfisher, Spotted Sandpiper [2], Semipalmated Plover [5], Dunlin
Good birding,
JT
Subject: LeConte's Sparrow-NoFrom: JGIUNTA746 AT aol.com Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 14:09:22 EDT After spending over one hour with other birders we were unable to relocate the LeConte's Sparrow. Sorry, Joe Giunta **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000002)Subject: Linnaean Society Meeting October 14, 2008 From: "John Cairns" <jcairns AT nyc.rr.com> Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 11:26:42 -0400 THE LINNAEAN SOCIETY OF NEW YORK SPEAKERS PROGRAM
Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 7:30 PM
The American Museum of Natural History, Kaufman Auditorium
EVOLUTION SERIES
Speaker: Douglas Futuyma, SUNY at Stony Brook
Subject: Evolutionary Biology 150 Years After Origin of Species
Doug Futuyma has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fulbright Fellow, President of
the Society for the Study of Evolution, and President of the American Society
of Naturalists. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He has
written a number of books, including the textbooks Evolutionary Biology and
Evolution, and Science on Trial: The Case for Evolution. His work, besides
addressing evolution theory, has focused on the biology of herbivorous insects
and the evolution of their relationships with host plants. Also, Doug Futuyma
is an avid Long Island birder. To the dismay of SUNY at Stony Brook and fellow
birders, he became Chairman of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology at the University of Michigan in 2002; he returned to Stony Brook a
couple of years later.
Please join us to hear Professor Futuyma discuss evolutionary biology.
The meeting is open to the public, without charge. Enter the Museum at West
77th Street. If you would like to meet Professor Futuyma prior to the talk,
join us at Pappardella's Restaurant, 75th Street and Columbus Avenue, at 6 PM.
The reservation will be in the name of John.
John Cairns, Vice President
Subject: LeConte SparrowFrom: Claudedoc AT aol.com Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 09:19:57 EDT Has anyone reported that the LeC Sp was respoted on 10-9-08 in Brooklyn? **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001)Subject: Re: Leconte's Sparrow Picture From: Susan Herbst <susieq60 AT optonline.net> Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:36:57 -0400 I just want to thank all of you wonderful photographers on this list (and ebirds & btblue). In many cases I find this pictures more valuable than any of the birding guides! I'm a photographer & graphic designer and long be able to shoot like this - one day I'll get that fab lens! I've got some good shots, but nothing compared to some of you! What a gorgeous little bird! Thank You! Sue On Oct 8, 2008, at 8:48 PM, david speiser wrote: > > Thanks to all , especially Doug for getting the word out on this > great bird. > > Here is a link to a picture: > > http://www.lilibirds.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=1667 > > Good Birding, > > David Speiser > > > > > David Speiser > www.lilibirds.com > > > Susan Herbst graphic design/illustration/photography 516-633-7730 susieq60 AT optonline.netSubject: LeConte's Sparrow update From: Shane Blodgett <shaneblodgett AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 18:26:20 -0700 (PDT) The Leconte's Sparrow first found by Doug Gochfeld this morning was still present as of 6:15 this evening at the previously described location. Doug Futuyma, Ed Coyle and Steve Schellenger were also there and it was Ed's stellar vision that first spotted the bird skulking amongst the tufts of dune grass near the goldenrod stalk it has been favoring. It then came out into the open where we had great looks feeding mouse like along the ground, seemingly oblivious to our presence. A beautiful bird and thanks to Doug for getting the word out. BTW if anyone out looking tomorrow happens to find a 30gb iPOD encased in a black rubber armor case it's mine...guess I can't get on my 16-year old's case for losing her things... See you afield Shane B. BrooklynSubject: (Metro Birding Briefs) LeConte's Sparrow update From: Shane Blodgett <shaneblodgett AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 18:26:20 -0700 (PDT) The Leconte's Sparrow first found by Doug Gochfeld this morning was still present as of 6:15 this evening at the previously described location. Doug Futuyma, Ed Coyle and Steve Schellenger were also there and it was Ed's stellar vision that first spotted the bird skulking amongst the tufts of dune grass near the goldenrod stalk it has been favoring. It then came out into the open where we had great looks feeding mouse like along the ground, seemingly oblivious to our presence. A beautiful bird and thanks to Doug for getting the word out. BTW if anyone out looking tomorrow happens to find a 30gb iPOD encased in a black rubber armor case it's mine...guess I can't get on my 16-year old's case for losing her things... See you afield Shane B. Brooklyn [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Le Conte's sparrow From: "Steven Schellenger" <sws6752 AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 21:18:47 -0400 The Le Conte's sparrow was at the same spot as reported at Plum Beach in Brooklyn until dark. This bird is fearless coming within eight feet of Ed Coyle and myself as we both snapped pictures. Steve SchellengerSubject: Leconte's Sparrow Picture From: "david speiser" <david_speiser AT hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:48:58 -0400 Thanks to all , especially Doug for getting the word out on this great bird. Here is a link to a picture: http://www.lilibirds.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=1667 Good Birding, David Speiser David Speiser www.lilibirds.comSubject: Yonkers Surprise From: "holycow AT juno.com" <holycow@juno.com> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 20:42:26 GMT I awoke this morning to a strange sound. At first I thought it was a dog, then maybe a raccoon or opossum. When the blue jays started mobbing it I jumped up out of bed, fumbled with the blinds, and got them open just in time to see two ravens fly away. What a way to start the day. C. Klein ____________________________________________________________ Click here to find a massage therapy school near you. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/Ioyw6iieZBZY5AoxaddPBhrEWmZeSNvZ1LNeRtiLEzQ8JIYfd1bmf5/Subject: Brooklyn/13 Sparrow species including Nelson's and Lark From: Shane Blodgett <shaneblodgett AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 05:24:36 -0700 (PDT) Yesterday morning Doug Gochfeld and I spent about 3 hours (7-10 a.m.) in the morning at Plumb beach and Floyd Bennett. I also birded for about an hour in the late afternoon at Greenwood Cemetery where I met and birded with Marge Hanover. All of these locations are located in Brooklyn/Kings County. Birds were everywhere with sparrows, YR warbler's and kinglets leading the charge. Savannah numbers are lower than this past weekend, but White-throat, Song, Swamp, White-crowned, Chipping and juncos have all increased. For the day I personally totaled 13 sparrow species, equaling my all-time high. With reports of Vesper and Field in Kissena Park in Queens, Sunday's Clay-colored at both Tilden and Floyd, that makes at least 16 species seen in the Metro area in the past 3 days. Highlights at Plumb: 4 different Nelson's ST Sparrows (subvirgatus) 5-6 Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed 1 Imm. Seaside sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow (near parking lot) 1 White-crowned Sparrow ~45 Swamp sparrows 15-20 E. Phoebes 100+ Song Sparrow's 150+ YR Warbler's Floyd: 7 White-crowned Sparrows (inc. 2 adults) 15 Savannah 18 Swamp ~75 Song Doug had a Snipe and 6 Pipits on the cricket field after I left. Greenwood: 1 ad. Lark Sparrow 30+ E. Phoebe 50+ Palm warblers 1 Merlin 20+ Chipping Sparrow As I am sending this on Wednesday morning, I just got a text from Doug that he has 5 Nelson's and 7 Saltmarsh at Plumb. I would dare say that Plumb Beach maybe one of the best places possibly in NYState for Nelson's right now! See you afield, Shane Blodgett Brooklyn NYSubject: Smith's Point Birds Today, [L.I. Southshore], Oct. 7th From: Carl Starace <castarace AT optonline.net> Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:49:41 -0400 Hello All, Pretty good flight along the barrier island this morning with Yellowrumps leading the charge.Between 8 and 10 am - 9 American Kestral, 2 Merlin, 6 Northern Harrier, 3 Osprey, 20 Northern Flicker, 1 Yellowbellied Sapsucker, 3 Eastern Meadowlark, 4 Redbreasted Nuthatch, 5 White Throated Sparrow, and a Savannah Sparrow.Just offshore I had 12 Northern Gannet, 30 Brant and a flock of 75 Canada Geese.During my 4 to 6pm visit I found 1 Whitecrowned Sparrow, a Claycolored Sparrow, 2 Chipping Sparrow, 8 Northern Junco, 1 Eastern Meadowlark, 5 Eastern Phoebe, 2 American Kestral and a dozen Golden crowned Kinglets. Sally Swain had a Connecticut Warbler along the boardwalk just past the Ranger Station during this period.Earlier in the day Andy Baldelli got a Lincoln's Sparrow down by the beachclubs on Dune Road. Best to all, Carl StaraceSubject: (not so shy in) Central Park, NYC From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 20:29:24 -0400 As for that Connecticut Warbler it is true, the bird being seen at the Pinetum is not as shy as it's species' usual reputation would make it... although there also must be something about some (not all) young birds that land in Central - last year at this time a CT warbler came in, also at times almost "tame" in its disinterest in the numbers of birders & photographers often ogling & closely-focused on it. Much longer ago, I'd done my first 5 years of "serious" birding in the Ramble in Central Park not seeing any of the more-or- less annual - but generally very skulking - CT warblers of that time & finally, late one September, when not one but two individuals were reportedly walking about in the same smallish patch of not too dense tall grasses I spent day after day looking... (& frustrated myself no end with the fine views of immature Common Yellowthroats had there - of which a couple were also lingering in the same patch - but, with CT reports continuing, always when I wasn't there, I one day determined to be there from before first light 'til dark & thus have no report the bird[s] had eluded me again... & it was only then at last came my reward... & as an additional aside I could see immediately once spied that I'd finally found the desired species, and not just another young yellowthroat... since that year I've been able to see a CT warbler in Central Park much more than every other fall, most spotted first by other birders, and I'd add, most behaving properly as skulking as might be. But: birding in Central is sometimes so good precisely because there can be times when one is stunned as to how easily-seen some birds, including typically-shy species, may be to view & photograph - this is heard even more so from those birders visiting from other continents. The phenomenon isn't limited to Central, of course, & indeed, I've had my share of shockingly easy sightings 'round the world, too but many at home & afar are hard-earned! Good - or now-&-then, very good - birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan _________Subject: Jones Beach - Cedar Beach From: swalter15 AT verizon.net Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:12:18 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Re: (Metro Birding Briefs) Conn Warbler Central park From: Stephanie Seymour <stephanieseymour66 AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 15:49:41 -0700 (PDT) Yes, the bird walked within 5 feet of me two separate times. The second time it kept walking toward me from the grass up to the path, and I actually got decent pictures of it with my CELL phone!! How I wish I had my REAL camera with me! Stephanie Seymour Englewood --- On Tue, 10/7/08, David KlauberSubject: (Metro Birding Briefs) Conn Warbler Central park From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 17:53:48 -0400 There have been posts about the immature Connecticut Warbler in Central park, just north of the pinetum. What I haven't read is that this is by far the most accommodating Conn Warbler I have ever seen. It walks on the lawn, not skulking at all, even to the edge of the metal fencing, where at one point around 2PM I could almost touch it. Also interesting is that some gray could be seen on the base of a few feathers on the throat and the head when seen at close range _________________________________________________________________ Get more out of the Web. Learn 10 hidden secrets of Windows Live. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Conn Warbler Central park From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 17:53:48 -0400 There have been posts about the immature Connecticut Warbler in Central park, just north of the pinetum. What I haven't read is that this is by far the most accommodating Conn Warbler I have ever seen. It walks on the lawn, not skulking at all, even to the edge of the metal fencing, where at one point around 2PM I could almost touch it. Also interesting is that some gray could be seen on the base of a few feathers on the throat and the head when seen at close range _________________________________________________________________ Get more out of the Web. Learn 10 hidden secrets of Windows Live. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008Subject: Summitville Hawk Watch- Sullivan County From: "vanhaas AT citlink.net" <vanhaas@citlink.net> Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:45:33 +0000 It was a good day at the hawk watch on the Shawangunk Ridge today. We had our biggest flight of Turkey Vultures ever, 214. Also, our earliest record (on the watch) of a Light-phase Rough-legged Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawks are starting to pick up as well, though falcons didn't show. A total of 268 birds did not include two Black Vultures as well as several Red-tails not yet migrating. John HaasSubject: Central Park, NYC 10/7 From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 15:55:43 -0400 Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Tuesday, 7 October, 2008 Ongoing migration with more & more of an autumnal feel. The Connecticut Warbler that moved into the Pinetum circle area has stayed on, again that's a short distance (~ 50 yards) south of the SW corner of the reservoir & the closest park entrance is at West 85 Street & from there about a 5-10 minute walk to the Pinetum (which has pine trees). In the street trees of the upper west side of Manhattan adjacent to the park there were enough migrants, kinglets & blue jays especially, in the morning to suggest a fairly good migration movement again. The [Myrtle] Yellow-rumped Warblers & Palm Warblers seemed to dominate that group. At least one Rusty Blackbird arrived in the Loch. As for raptors & other diurnal fliers they've been moving thru too, and as well on Monday with Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, & Sharp-shinned Hawks predominating. Hummingbirds seem to have thinned out, & it's always good to check them carefully as we all know a "non-Ruby-throated" species might well be on the way in coming weeks of autumn. Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan _________Subject: Re:(Metro Birding Briefs) CT WArbler From: iwarshauer AT aol.com Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 12:35:10 +0000 CT warbkler continues in grass north of Pinetum circle. Iren Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: Brendan FogartySubject: Re: (Metro Birding Briefs) CT WArbler From: IWarshauer AT aol.com Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 12:35:10 +0000 CT warbkler continues in grass north of Pinetum circle. Iren Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: Brendan FogartySubject: Follow up to Sedge wren in Kissena Park From: "Joseph O'Sullivan" <josullivan58 AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 20:25:52 -0400 Kissena Park is in Queens in NYC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissena_ParkSubject: Smith's Point Birds,[L.I. Southshore], Oct. 6th From: Carl Starace <castarace AT optonline.net> Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:12:02 -0400 Hello All, There was zero movement here this morning although I did have a Coopers Hawk and Redbreasted Nuthatch.When I returned after 4 pm things had really turned round, I had 11 Kestrel, a juvenile Bald Eagle, 4 Northern Harrier[ including a Grey Ghost], a Brown Creeper, both Kinglets, and a flock of 20 Great Blue Heron in kettle mode.Go for the AM tomorrow.Good Birding, Carl StaraceSubject: Syracuse RBA From: Joseph Brin <brinjoseph AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 15:53:07 -0700 (PDT)
RBA
* New York
* Syracuse
* October 06, 2008
* NYSY 10.08.06
Hotline: Syracuse Rare bird Alert
Dates(s):September 29, 2008 - October 06, 2008
to report by e-mail: brinjoseph AT yahoo.com
covering upstate NY counties: Cayuga, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) (just outside Cayuga County),
Onondaga, Oswego, Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Herkimer, Madison & Cortland
compiled:October 06, 6:30p.m.. (EST)
compiler: Joseph Brin
Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org
#123 -Monday October 06, 2008
Greetings! This is the Syracuse Area Rare Bird Alert for the week of September
29, 2008
Highlights:
------------
SANDHILL CRANE
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER
STILT SANDPIPER
FORSTER˘S TERN
EURASIAN WIGEON
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
ROSS˘S GOOSE
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
PARASITIC JAEGER
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) and Montezuma Wetlands complex (MWC)
------------
10/5: An EURASIAN WIGEON, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and 2 ROSS˘S GEESE
were seen along the wildlife trail. 2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen from the
outlook on East road. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at Marten˘s Tract and
at the Audubon Center. 11 species of shorebirds including WHITE-RUMPED and
STILT SANDPIPER were seen from Towpath Road along with 4 SANDHILL CRANES.
Onondaga County
------------
10/1: 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were still present at the marina on
Onondaga Lake in Liverpool.
10/4: A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen on Conners Road at Dead Creek west of
Baldwinsville. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found in the Three Rivers WMA
north of Baldwinsville. 29 species of birds were found in St. Mary˘s Cemetary
in Syracuse highlighted by WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.
Oswego County
------------
10/3: A PARASITIC JAEGER and a FORSTER˘S TERN were seen from the bluff at
Derby Hill.
10/5: A FORSTER˘S TERN was spotted at Sandy Pond from the Green Point Marina.
Herkimer County
------------
10/4: The season˘s first ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was spotted south of Mohawk.
--end transcript
--
Joseph Brin
Region 5
Baldwinsville, N.Y. 13027 U.S.A.
Subject: Clay-colored and Lark Sparrows - Jones Beach West End, 10/6/08From: Brendan Fogarty <birderbf AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 15:26:33 -0700 (PDT) In addition to the reported Lark Sparrow, continuing by the central West End
parking lot #2 exit, what I assumed to be the same Clay-colored Sparrow from
last week was associating with a sparrow flock by the Coast Guard Station
hedgerow. Also in the sparrow flock were 1 Lincoln's, 1 White-crowned, and an
Indigo Bunting. The CCSP was the only spizella species of the day.
Best,
Brendan Fogarty
Hempstead, NY
http://www.flickr.com/photos/birderbf/
Please think of the environment before you print this email.
Subject: Sedge Wren in Kissena ParkFrom: "Joseph O'Sullivan" <josullivan58 AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 18:36:28 -0400 1 sedge wren was spotted in Kissena Park along with 3+ house wrens, 2 winter wrens and 1 carolina wren. The meadows (mostly mugwort plants) along the east side of Kissena Blvd and west of the football/soccer field on the west side of Kissena Blvd were filled with birds in the morning. Many Sparrows, some warblers, a few house wrens and a sedge wren were present. The sedge wren was spotted ~70 yards west of the soccer/football field in the Kissena Corridor section of the park west of Kissena BlvdSubject: (Metro Birding Briefs) Clay-colored and Lark Sparrows - Jones Beach West End, 10/6/08 From: Brendan Fogarty <birderbf AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 15:26:33 -0700 (PDT) In addition to the reported Lark Sparrow, continuing by the central West End
parking lot #2 exit, what I assumed to be the same Clay-colored Sparrow from
last week was associating with a sparrow flock by the Coast Guard Station
hedgerow. Also in the sparrow flock were 1 Lincoln's, 1 White-crowned, and an
Indigo Bunting. The CCSP was the only spizella species of the day.
Best,
Brendan Fogarty
Hempstead, NY
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Subject: 10/06- Brooklyn, 11 species of SparrowFrom: fresha2411 AT aol.com Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:28:25 -0400 The South coast of Brooklyn was very active with birds this morning, especially with large numbers of the earlier arriving Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. -After almost 2 hours of searching at Plum Beach I was finally able to get a few great looks at a single NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW of the inland nelsoni race. Also at Plum were at least 5 Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows, 1 Seaside Sparrow, 1 each of Virginia (flushed from Marsh edge) and Clapper (heard calling a couple times) Rails, 2 flyover American Pipits, 26 American Oystercatchers, 2 Green-winged Teal (ocean side, with a flock of Brant) 1 Cooper's Hawk flyby, 10+ Swamp Sparrows, ~50 Savannah Sparrows, and at least 75 Yellow-rumped Warblers. The Brant are also back, having increased from 7 at the beginning of last week to 224 today. -At Floyd Bennett Field, among the hordes of Sparrows (mostly Song and Savannah with 15+ Swamps) were a single CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Community Garden), LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Camp Goldenrod, also a single flock of ~50 White-throated Sparrows here), and 2 juvenile WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS (along the Eastern edge of Cricket Field). There were also 3 Indigo Buntings, at least a dozen of each of the Kinglets, a high migrating Peregrine Falcon, and single Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, and Nashville Warblers. Good Birding -Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY.Subject: South Shore Barrier Beaches Today - Nassau/Suffolk Counties From: Ken Feustel <feustel AT optonline.net> Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:26:00 -0400 An early morning movement of birds along the south shore beaches produced good numbers of Flickers, Yellow-rumped Warblers and both kinglets. A highlight of the morning's birding was a Lark Sparrow at West End 2, feeding in the plantings just north of the West End 2 concession. An immature Red-headed Woodpecker was around the WE2 turnaround. The Golden Plover that has been hanging out at the WE2 boat basin was not found, despite the presence of over 100 Black-bellied Plover. Our first two Brant of the season seemed to be on schedule. Mosquito populations at WE2 are still annoying, but by spraying with some insect repellent and walking on the paved surfaces where possible, we were able to visit a good percentage of the productive habitats at WE2. The immature Red-headed Woodpecker observed over the weekend at Robert Moses State Park was reported as still present this morning - although we missed it. A flyover Water Pipit was our first of the fall. Ken & Sue FeustelSubject: Atlas exhibit at State Museum From: Kevin McGowan <kjm2 AT cornell.edu> Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:57:00 -0400 We are delighted to announce that a special exhibition on our Breeding Bird
Atlas opened on October 3 in the NYS Museum in Albany. The exhibit is
called "Mapping the Birds of New York" --The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds
in New York State.
(http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibits/special/BreedingBirdAtlas.cfm)
Kevin McGowan and Kimberley Corwin (the editors of the soon-to-be published
book) provided information, maps, artwork and guidance to the museum staff
as they designed the exhibit. It features original artwork from 15 artists,
and professionally prepared display panels describing the Atlas project and
showing a sampling of the results.
The description appearing on the Museum website follows:
"Of the more than 450 bird species that have been seen in New York,
about 245 nest here. The New York State Breeding Bird Atlas projects have
mapped where each of those species breeds in the state. The Blue Jay, for
example, nests all across New York, but the Gray Jay breeds only in the
Adirondacks. The second Breeding Bird Atlas project has just been
completed, and the new distribution maps reveal how our breeding birds have
fared in the 20 years since the first Atlas was printed. Is the
distribution of the Purple Martin shrinking? Is the distribution of the
Carolina Wren expanding? Learn the answers in this exhibition, which
highlights the forthcoming publication, The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds
in New York State. The exhibition includes original artwork from the book,
bird mounts, and stories of how the Atlas fieldwork was accomplished."
Museum hours are 9:30 am to 5 pm daily, and the exhibition will be shown
through May 1. Entrance to the museum and the exhibits is free.
In other news, Cornell University Press featured the upcoming publication
of the Atlas book on the cover of their Fall catalog. The book will be
available for purchase in December. Later this month a special mailing from
CUP offering a pre-publication discount will be sent to all who volunteered
for the Atlas project. We will also make it available through this list serve.
Kevin
Subject: Jamaica Bay, Fort Tilden 10-5-08From: Arie Gilbert <ariegilbert AT optonline.net> Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:34:06 -0400 Despite a rainy start, the Queens County Bird Club had a great variety of birds on its Sunday mini-trip Of the 70+ species... highlights at JB included Snow Goose, Shoveler, Brant White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo 12+ sp of Warbler Lincolns, White-crowned Sparrows highlights at Fort Tilden included 3+ YB Sapsuckers 2 Bobolink 2 Dicksissal Arie Gilbert No. Babylon, NY President: Queens County Bird Club Inc. http://www.qcbc.all.at/Subject: Central Park, NYC 10/5 & 10/6 From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 10:59:58 -0400 Sunday, 5 October 2008 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City Among the highlights (and a very rare sighting for Central) was a Western Kingbird reported for a rather short time & (apparently) not re-found later. There were also further sightings of Connecticut Warbler (perhaps, but not absolutely, the same individual seen Saturday) and at least 17 additional warbler species including the world's largest - Yellow-breasted Chat[s], of course. I had entered the park while early rain was still falling heavily & thought there just might be a big "fall-out" of birds, but it wasn't quite that dramatic... and a hawk flight didn't really get going either, with the weather clearing out so slowly. A good variety of species overall, certainly yet more of the typical October arrivals & more of a sense that some of September's migrants might soon be hard to find. Incidentally there was at least one birder (not someone whom I know) who said he'd seen the western kingbird & then described with reasonable accuracy a Great Crested Flycatcher (also seen today) but besides that mix-up his sighting was also from a different area than where others saw the actual kingbird... it's simply not that uncommon that when a rarity is reported & word goes around some folks get a bit over-eager. It seemed the areas south of the reservoir enjoyed good diversity, but with perhaps a tenth (or fewer) the number of birders in the northern parts of the park, who knows how many (Tropical-Couch's- Cassin's-etc.) kingbirds got away! There was a bit of "reverse migration" as well, with more-common species noted even later on, moving north over & thru the trees. The expected Blue Jay movement continued a while as well, and a few hummingbirds (all presumed Ruby- throated) were moving in addition to some stopping off to "re-fuel". In a few places it looked like a very birdy day, while there were also some spots that were not busy. Overall though it was likely at least among the several (few) biggest migration days yet of southbound land-birds this year, in looking at reports (as I've been watching Argentine birds over the past 2 weeks). The next week ought to tell how many more neotropical species have yet to get thru. - Monday [early a.m.], 6 October 2008 Thanks to Eve Levine of Manhattan, for confirming that 2 other birders were seeing a Connecticut Warbler (again) in the Pinetum area of Central Park this morning at 8:45 - the Pinetum (which contains many pine trees) can be found just northwest of the Great Lawn oval, with the closest park entrance at West 85 Street. It is almost immediately south of the southwest corner of the reservoir, by about 50+ yards. Entering Central early in the morning, it was very apparent that additional migration took place over Sunday night into Monday... with more sparrows featured in particular, both in numbers and perhaps diversity. In one patch of lawn at the northern outer perimeter of the North Meadow, 9 species with the common name sparrow were foraging, notable among them a single Vesper Sparrow, plus Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and adding the tenth member of the tribe, Dark-eyed [Slate- colored] Junco, plus Eastern Towhee as #11 in the round-up of related birds. Outnumbering all these combined were a pestiferous fuss of House Sparrows, among them not one bird remotely resembling anything more notable (such as Spiza americana, a.k.a. dickcissel)... for warblers at the north end - an Orange-crowned Warbler joined others in that tribe (such as numerous Palm, Common Yellowthroats, & the like) within the high grasses remaining at the nearby "wildflower meadow", the O.-c. being seen at about 9:15 a.m. in the western section of the meadow... Also appearing at the wildflower meadow but in the eastern edge early on, Yellow-breasted Chat, perhaps a different one from those reported at a Ramble location from Sunday. A search of potential places where a non-eastern kingbird might linger was unproductive (other than for Eastern Phoebe, easily found all 'round now) and if that western rarity of Sunday morning is not reported by sometime this Monday, I will assume it's gone on (as I rather did by late afternoon on Sunday), as did the C.P. 'Black- throated Gray' a few weeks past. A look at the sky suggests conditions could be improving for a fuller hawk flight (notwithstanding the peregrinations) for the area... & time will tell. Further reports later as warranted. Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan _________Subject: Migrant care? From: "Richard Guthrie" <gaeltic AT capital.net> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:36:30 -0400 I was standing on my porch a few minutes ago. Two Blackpoll Warblers flew into the grape vine in rapid succession. They were foraging in close proximity, when wow, one hopped over and fed the other! What's that?! It happened again. The second time, the feeding bird came from a distance to tend to the other. Could this be parent/young care during migration? They were both basic plumage, and my looks weren't good enough to determine the ages of them. Rich Guthrie New Baltimore,. The Greene County, New York gaeltic AT capital.net http://blogs.timesunion.com/birding/Subject: Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration (long) From: "Cameron Rutt" <cameronrutt AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 22:30:43 -0400 Tait Johansson and I have attempted to quantify the hummingbird
migration past Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch (Bedford, Westchester County) this
fall. With our likely last hummingbird being tallied this past week (10/1),
a brief synopsis seems worthwhile, especially considering that, aside from
hawk watches, few of us actually get to witness hummingbird migration,
beside the here today, gone tomorrow visits of hummingbirds to household
feeders. All in all, we recorded 284 hummingbirds (assumed to be all
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds) flying past the watch from August 22 – October
1. At least one hummingbird was noted on each day an official count was
conducted from August 22 – September 24 with the hour of passage noted for
all but the first two days of this span (n=265).
As with the raptor migration, most hummingbirds were seen traveling in
a direction between SW and W, presumably to avoid heading over Long Island
Sound if they flew directly south (and perhaps due to geographic aid further
down the line?). Migrating hummingbirds were usually picked up while
scanning for raptors, mainly through binoculars but occasionally through a
spotting scope as well! These hummingbirds ranged from those zipping just
over the treetops to some in flight fairly high overhead, however the
majority appeared to be ascending from the terrain below, as if they were
just taking flight. It is seemingly more likely, though, that individuals
migrating fairly low over the forest canopy are forced to gain altitude
caused by the approach of the N/S ridge which the Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch
is situated upon.
At Chestnut Ridge this fall, hummingbird migration peaked in late
August and the first half of September, where 86% of hummingbirds were
summed between August 24 and September 15. The highest single-day count
occurred on September 15 when a surprising 42 hummingbirds were recorded
(4.67 birds per hour). A coastal hawk watch, Lighthouse Point, in nearby
Connecticut had an astounding 270 hummingbirds on that same day, with 210
between the hours of 9 AM and 12 PM (all times are in DST), just their
second ever triple-digit day! The six best Chestnut Ridge hummingbird days
are outlined below, with a short note about the weather that day. The
weather conditions for these four days were somewhat varied, as can be seen,
but each day had at least light winds (1-5 km/h), if not periods of moderate
winds (6-19 km/h), and most days contained winds with a N or W component:
Date – # of hummingbirds (recorded wind speed/direction)
8/28 – 20 (Light winds shifted from ESE to S by day's end.)
9/1 – 22 (Light to moderate winds were from the N/NW for much of the day.)
9/2 – 16 (Light winds from the N.)
9/3 – 20 (Light winds were out of the N/NW, shifting to ESE in the late
afternoon.)
9/8 – 18 (Light winds were out of the WNW.)
9/15 – 42 (Light to moderate W winds throughout the day.)
A paper examining the daily timing of fall migration for hummingbirds
in the northeast (Willimont et al.) provides a nice comparison for our
figures. In that study, based on smaller sample sizes, peak passage was
found to be between 11 AM – 3 PM, significantly differing from the 4 hours
before and after. It was reasoned that this temporal difference is due to
the birds' need to refuel after a nighttime fast before beginning any
lengthy migratory flight. If we divide our data similarly (9 – 11 AM, 11 AM
– 3 PM, and 3 – 6 PM) the same conclusion cannot be drawn. Our "mornings"
contained 1.49 birds per hour, the "midday" 1.24, and the "afternoon" 0.93.
Perhaps then the answer is somewhere between morning and midday (somewhat
arbitrary divisions anyhow) as our site might suggest, say between 9 AM and
12 PM. This, however, is difficult to conclude from our data as we didn't
typically count prior to 9 AM. It appears as though hummingbird migration
does not cease late in the day either, something that I might have initially
suspected. I was surprised that we had 3 hummingbirds whiz by in the 5 to 6
PM hour with the latest hummingbird seen at 5:56 PM on 9/15. The respective
birds per hour for our watch are listed below (9 = 9:00 – 9:59 AM, etc.):
Hours: 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 1 / 2 / 3 /
4 / 5
Birds/hour: 1.24 ; 1.71 ; 1.21 ; 1.68 ; 0.99 ; 1.08 ; 1.00 ; 0.94 ;
0.55
Willimont, L. A., S. E. Senner and L. J. Goodrich. 1988. Fall migration of
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the northeastern United States. Wilson Bull.
100: 482–488.
Good Birding,
Cameron Rutt
Katonah,
Westchester County
Subject: Peregrine flight, Bald Eagle, Chats and Connecticut Warbler - Montauk, LIFrom: Angus Wilson <gadflypetrel AT hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 21:47:33 -0400 In line with John Guth's observations from Fire Island, PEREGRINE FALCONS were also much in evidence on the eastern tip of Long Island's South Fork. I noted 11 today, at various spots between Hither Hills State Park and Montauk Point. Most in groups of 2 or 3 birds and generally drifting slowly west. An immature BALD EAGLE was soaring over the dunes south of Promised Land Road (Napeague) drifting towards the village of Amagansett. Osprey, American Kestrel and Merlin also seemed to be on the move with three of each. Andy Baldelli found a CONNECTICUT WARBLER near the restaurant at Montauk Point State Park. It was on the short trail that leads down from the map to the beach in front of the restaurant, specifically on the grass around the swing seat. Andy saw it out in the open three times until it vanished as foot traffic increased. Karen Rubinstein, Barbara Rubinstein, Vicki Bustamante and I joined him at the spot and waited in the torrential rain for a while until giving up empty handed. A juv. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, several WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and 2 PINE WARBLERS were in the same area. The most evident migrant passerines today were SAVANNAH SPARROW and EASTERN PHOEBE. In addition to several NASHVILLE WARBLERS, Vickie and the Rubinsteins found 2 YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, first one at Montauk Point and later another at Third House CP. Offshore, Laughing Gulls (800-1000) were feeding over the maelstrom of Striped Bass and Bluefish and were joined in the afternoon by 2 COMMON TERNS and a PARASITIC JAEGER. Andy had also seen a jaeger, likely a Parasitic, in the morning. Small flocks of SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and 2 WOOD DUCK rounded the Point in the heavy rain. Also noted were 3 GREAT CORMORANT, my first of the season. Angus Wilson New York City & The Springs, NY _________________________________________________________________ Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows Live. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093185mrt/direct/01/Subject: Brooklyn and Queens birds - sparrows, Dickcissel From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 19:59:07 -0400 This morning Shane Blodgett found a great collection of Sharp-tailed Sparrows at Plum Beach. There were Saltmarsh, and both types of Nelson's - subvirgatus and inland races. There were at least two different inland Nelson's - one with more distinct stripes on its sides and the other more blurry, both with orange breasts that showed a sharp demarcation between the breast and the belly, one a bit duller. A Clapper Rail flew over the marsh and Shane and Seth saw a Virginia Rail before we arrived. At Fort Tilden the immature Lark Sparrow was still present in early afternoon in the army property west / northwest of the community gardens. The immature Dickcissel and a very bright Bobolink were in the gardens, and Doug Futuyma told me he had seen the Yellow-Throated Warbler in the morning in the same brushy area north and a bit west of the gardens - we could not find it in the early afternoon. The southern end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay had as much water as I've ever seen. You could not walk out even a little without rubber boots _________________________________________________________________ Get more out of the Web. Learn 10 hidden secrets of Windows Live. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008Subject: (Metro Birding Briefs) Brooklyn and Queens birds - sparrows, Dickcissel From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 19:59:07 -0400 This morning Shane Blodgett found a great collection of Sharp-tailed Sparrows at Plum Beach. There were Saltmarsh, and both types of Nelson's - subvirgatus and inland races. There were at least two different inland Nelson's - one with more distinct stripes on its sides and the other more blurry, both with orange breasts that showed a sharp demarcation between the breast and the belly, one a bit duller. A Clapper Rail flew over the marsh and Shane and Seth saw a Virginia Rail before we arrived. At Fort Tilden the immature Lark Sparrow was still present in early afternoon in the army property west / northwest of the community gardens. The immature Dickcissel and a very bright Bobolink were in the gardens, and Doug Futuyma told me he had seen the Yellow-Throated Warbler in the morning in the same brushy area north and a bit west of the gardens - we could not find it in the early afternoon. The southern end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay had as much water as I've ever seen. You could not walk out even a little without rubber boots _________________________________________________________________ Get more out of the Web. Learn 10 hidden secrets of Windows Live. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: Peregrine push today at Fire Island hawk watch From: John Gluth <jgluth AT optonline.net> Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:07:36 -0400 Prior to being driven off the hawk watch platform by torrential rain a bit after 9:00 this morning, I had tallied only 4 raptors over 1.5 hrs (also seen: 1 Caspian Tern, 1 Wilson's Snipe). After I returned around 11:30 (following a change into dry clothes) the day really turned around. With the capable help of watch regulars Bob Kurtz, Ted Levinus, and Tony Tierno (also Shai Mitra and several other visitors for short stretches) a total of 90 raptors were tallied by 5:00 when the flight petered out. Of that total an impressive 38 were Peregrine Falcons. We had 3 consecutive hours with at least ten PGs and had as many as 7 birds visible at once including a kettle of 5! The weather was quite variable with wind speed ranging from 0-15 kts, wind direction from all compass points without a westerly component, and cloud cover varying from 20-100 percent. The bulk of the Peregrines came through during a stretch with essentially no wind at all, which challenges conventional wisdom regarding the best conditions for a good flight, at least at Fire Island. I guess with Peregrines when they want to move, they move.Subject: Blue Grosbeak at the south end of Roosevelt Island From: "Andrew Farnsworth" <andrew.farnsworth AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 13:56:05 -0400 Good afternoon all, There is a female Blue Grosbeak on the south end of Roosevelt Island (last seen as of about 1:15PM). The bird has been frequenting the brushy field just south of the road at the southern tip of the island. Also present in the area this is an assortment of the more common early October migrants, including several W. Palm Warblers, a White-crowned Sparrow, and a Lincoln's Sparrow. Earlier this morning, the morning flight in the vicinity included a small flock (23) of Brant, 5 Great Blue Herons, and a steady trickle of Northern Flickers, American Robins, and Cedar Waxwings. Good birding, Andrew Farnsworth ----------------------- 420 E 54th St NY NY 10022Subject: Central Park, NYC 10/4 From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 22:10:43 -0400 Saturday, 4 October 2008 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City A Connecticut Warbler was among the highlights of migration, this seen around the "Sparrow Rocks" section which is just east of the West Drive roadway of the park at about the "latitude" of West 82-83 Streets. The Connecticut was found in the morning by Jack Meyer & others with him, & was apparently not in view for a while until again later on. At least a dozen additional warbler species were also present thru thru the park and certainly some mid-autumn birds are beginning to arrive such as more migrant sparrows, Hermit Thrushes, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker etc. A decent hawk flight took place especially later in the day - & it looks likely to continue on Sunday. Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan _________Subject: Smith's Point Birds Today Correction, Oct. 4th From: Carl Starace <castarace AT optonline.net> Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:24:53 -0400 Hello All, A correction to my last post.No Redheaded W's, 15 Redbellied W's.Later in the day we had 25 Black Scoter, an Eastern Kingbird and 3 Goldencrowned Kinglets.Best to all, Carl StaraceSubject: Dickcissel, Red-headed Woodpecker and Yellow-breasted Chat at Robert Moses S.P. From: John Gluth <jgluth AT optonline.net> Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:04:20 -0400 At Robert Moses State Park (Suffolk Co.) late this morning, in a span of just a half-hour (11:00-11:30), I came across a first-fall DICKCISSEL, a juvenile RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. The Dickcissel was found at the north edge of Parking Field 3 and last seen flying to and landing in a pine on the north side of the nearby bath house. I spotted the woodpecker while driving, when it flew across the park road near the entrance to Parking Field 2 and landed in a small tree in the median. The Chat offered brief but clear looks in the Autumn Olives adjacent to the closed exit at the northwest corner of Field 2. In addition to those highlights, there was a steady stream of Flickers moving west along the barrier beach as well as a modest raptor flight including Merlin, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks, and N. Harrier. The passerine flight was relatively meager. I had started the morning with 2 hours (7:30-9:30) at Belmont Lake S.P., where I came across a few mixed-species flocks which contained most of the 10 warbler species I saw, as well as later fall migrants such as Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper and Winter Wren. The warblers were Nashville (1), Black-throated Blue (3-4), Yellow-rumped (a few), B-t Green (5-6), Palm Warbler (4), Blackpoll (2), Black & White (3), Redstart (1), Ovenbird (1), and Common Yellowthroat (5). A brief visit to Cedar Beach Marina after Belmont and before Robert Moses yielded little of note beyond another two B-t Green Warblers and a few more Eastern Phoebes, which were present in fair numbers at all three locations.Subject: Smith's Point Birds Today, Oct. 4th, Suffolk County From: Carl Starace <castarace AT optonline.net> Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:41:16 -0400 Hello All, There was little movement of raptor species today at this end of the barrier island.I had a single Kestral in the early afternoon , 1 Peregrine, 2 Merlin, no Sharpies, 1 Northern Harrier and 7 Osprey all morning.There were increases in these species - 46 Northern Flicker, 15 Redheaded Woodpecker, 30+ Yellowrumped Warbler and 6 Eastern Phoebe.Other birds seen were 1 Rubycrowned Kinglet,[Mike Cooper], 1 Swamp Sparrow, 5 Brown Thrasher, 3 Palm Warbler, 4 Common Yellowthroat, 1 Pine Warbler, and hundreds of Tree Swallows.Best to all, Carl StaraceSubject: Ft Tilden continued - Western Kingbird, Lark Sparrow, Chat From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 15:27:12 -0400 In addition to the Yellow-throated Warbler, which was relocated a bit west and north of the community gardens, and the Dickcissel and Bobolink in the community gardens, a Western Kingbird made a brief appearance around 10 AM, north of the gardens, and a YB Chat was found by others in the same area. I heard a Lark Sparrow was found in the fenced area a bit west and north of the gardens and ballfield south of the main road outside Ft. Tilden in the early afternoon. A Lincoln's Sparrow was in the community gardens at Floyd Bennett, which otherwise held few birds of note. Not bad for one day in one area _________________________________________________________________ Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows Live. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093185mrt/direct/01/Subject: (Metro Birding Briefs) Ft Tilden continued - Western Kingbird, Lark Sparrow, Chat From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 15:27:12 -0400 In addition to the Yellow-throated Warbler, which was relocated a bit west and north of the community gardens, and the Dickcissel and Bobolink in the community gardens, a Western Kingbird made a brief appearance around 10 AM, north of the gardens, and a YB Chat was found by others in the same area. I heard a Lark Sparrow was found in the fenced area a bit west and north of the gardens and ballfield south of the main road outside Ft. Tilden in the early afternoon. A Lincoln's Sparrow was in the community gardens at Floyd Bennett, which otherwise held few birds of note. Not bad for one day in one area _________________________________________________________________ Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows Live. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093185mrt/direct/01/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]Subject: NYC Area RBA: 3 October 2008 From: "Ben Cacace" <bcacace AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 23:10:11 -0400 - RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Oct. 3, 2008
* NYNY0810.03
- Birds mentioned
Cory's Shearwater
Northern Gannet
Least Bittern
Osprey
Northern Goshawk
Peregrine Falcon
American Golden-Plover
Piping Plover
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Parasitic Jaeger
Red-headed Woodpecker
Gray-cheeked Thrush
American Pipit
Yellow-breasted Chat
Clay-colored Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Blue Grosbeak
Dickcissel
- Transcript
If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically
and use the NYSARC online submission form found at
http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm
You can also send reports and digital image files via email to
nysarc3 AT nybirds.org.
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or
sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Jeanne Skelly - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
420 Chili-Scottsville Rd.
Churchville, NY 14428
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Number: (212) 979-3070
To report sightings call:
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (weekdays, during the day)
Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126 (Long Island)
Compiler: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
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 3rd 2008
at 8pm. The highlights of today's tape are CORY'S SHEARWATER, LEAST BITTERN,
PARASITIC JAEGER, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, DICKCISSEL and BLUE GROSBEAK.
What has seemed to many as a fairly lackluster Fall with numbers of migrants
unexpectedly low this remained so through the past week but some seasonal
specialties have been appearing. The consistently high water levels on
Jamaica Bay refuge's East Pond does not help the situation and nothing of
note has been reported there lately.
In the city parks, Prospect Park in Brooklyn provided a nice surprise last
Sunday with a LEAST BITTERN appearing for a short while on Three Sister's
Island at Prospect Lake. Thursday in Prospect added an immature RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER near lamppost 249 plus 12 species of warblers, GRAY-CHEEKED
THRUSH and LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was reported from Central Park in mid-week and a
NORTHERN GOSHAWK was spotted Monday in Riverside Park in northern Manhattan.
Other recent CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS included 1 at the Floyd Bennett Field
community garden on Sunday with another in the community garden at Fort
Tilden the same day. A DICKCISSEL also visited Riis Park Sunday in the field
bordering the golf course at the end of the road by the firehouse on the
western end of the park.
On Wednesday a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was found at Floyd Bennett and 4 ROYAL
TERNS were at Riis Park.
At Jones Beach West End a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was present Wednesday to
Friday around the hedgerow at the Coast Guard Station this following a LARK
SPARROW reported Tuesday by the exit to West End Field 2. An AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER has been hanging around the West End recently and reports from
the grassy swale in front of the field 2 bath house have included a BAIRD'S
SANDPIPER Tuesday and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Friday.
At Robert Moses State Park on Monday a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER and 4
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS plus AMERICAN PIPIT were at Democrat Point and 2 BLUE
GROSBEAKS were found by the volleyball courts on the eastern edge of parking
field 2.
At the hawkwatch that day just west of the lighthouse recorded excellent
totals of 68 PEREGRINE FALCONS and 90 OSPREY among the good flight that day.
Moving east at Pike's Beach in Westhampton Dunes Sunday birds gathered there
featured an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, 52 ROYAL TERNS and 86 BLACK SKIMMERS and
4 ROYAL TERNS were at Shinnecock Inlet.
At Mecox Bay, now almost full again, birds there Saturday included 2 PIPING
PLOVER and 2 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 3 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and 8
ROYAL TERNS with a CASPIAN TERN reported again there on Sunday.
The Napeague LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was still at Lazy Point Sunday and
will likely remain there again all Winter.
In the Montauk area a DICKCISSEL, but no YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, was at
Deep Hollow Ranch on Sunday.
A PARASITIC JAEGER was spotted at the Montauk Harbor Inlet.
A seawatch off Hither Hills Sunday produced 4 CORY'S SHEARWATERS, 11
NORTHERN GANNETS and 2 ROYAL TERNS.
To phone in reports on Long Island, call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126, or
weekdays call Tom Burke, during the day, at (212) 372-1483. This service is
sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon
Society. Thank you for calling.
- End transcript
Subject: ThanksFrom: "vanhaas AT citlink.net" <vanhaas@citlink.net> Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:56:31 +0000 I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andy Mason and NYSOA for recognizing me for my efforts in Sullivan County. I would also like to congratulate the other recipients, a fine group of people in our birding community. I would especially like to congratulate Valerie Freer, an outstanding role model for all of us here in Sullivan County and throughout the state. Congratulations to all and thank you again, John HaasSubject: 2008 NY ornithological awards From: Andrew Mason <AndyMason AT earthling.net> Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:53:31 -0400 At the recent annual meeting of the NY State Ornithological Assoc. in
Rochester, a number of awards were presented to New Yorkers:
* The Gordon M. Meade Distinguished Service Award, NYSOA's
highest honor, was presented to Valerie Freer for her outstanding
leadership, commitment and effort in guiding the Atlas 2000 Project
to further documenting the ornithology of New York State; and to
Brenda Best for her outstanding service to NYSOA as Recording
Secretary and Circulation Manager, and for her contributions to the
purposes of the organization and to the birds and birders of New York State.
* The Lillian Stoner Award, presented to high school or college
students, to cover expenses in attending the NYSOA meeting, went to:
Shawn Billerman, Cornell University, nominated by the Cayuga Bird
Club; to Tom Johnson; Cornell University, nominated by the Cayuga
Bird Club; and to Jeb McConnell, SUNY Cobleskill, nominated by Prof.
Kevin Berner.
* The John J. Elliott Award, selected by the editorial staff of
The Kingbird for the best article of the year, went to Alex Wilson
for "Western Reef-Heron (Egretta gularis gularis) at Calvert Vaux
Park, Brooklyn"; The Kingbird, Vol. 57, No. 4, December 2007.
* In addition, certificates of appreciation were presented to the
"hosts" of rare birds in the state for their cooperation,
hospitality, and able assistance to visiting birders. These went
to: Deep Hollow Ranch for hosting a Pink-footed Goose and a Barnacle
Goose in Montauk; to Bill and Loretta Groell for hosting a Rufous
Hummingbird in West Walworth, Wayne Co.; to Curt McDermott for
hosting a Hoary Redpoll in Montgomery, Orange Co.; and to Larry
Wilson for hosting Rufous Hummingbirds in Houghton, Allegany Co.
* Certificates of appreciation were also give to John Haas for
his efforts in locating and publicizing gulls, winter finches and
other avian rarities in Sullivan Co., NY, and for his assistance to
visiting birders; and to Brian Wheeler of American Printing &
Typesetting Co., Cortland, NY, for his long and exemplary service to
NYSOA in production and printing of the organization's publications.
Suggestions of worthy individuals, particularly for certificates to
hosts of rare birds, are always appreciated.
Andrew Mason
NYSOA Awards Committee Chair
Andrew Mason
1039 Peck St.
Jefferson, NY 12093
(607) 652-2162
AndyMason AT earthling.net
Subject: Smith's Point Birds Today, Oct. 3rd, Suffolk CountyFrom: Carl Starace <castarace AT optonline.net> Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:09:38 -0400 Hello All, Even with those very strong southwesterlies today there were some nice birds around this early morning - 1 Peregrine Falcon, 3 Merlin, a Sharpshinned Hawk, 4 Osprey, 3 Greenwinged Teal, 7 Northern Flicker, 35 Tree Swallow, 2 Yellowrumped Warbler and 3 Palm Warbler kept me busy between 8 and 9:30.I saw Sy's mention of 0 Kestrals at Jones Beach/Robert Moses and had the same result today.Have a Great Weekend everyone, Carl StaraceSubject: Jones Beach and Fire Island From: Sy Schiff <icterus AT optonline.net> Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:09:13 -0400 Jones Beach West End and Fire Island 3 Oct. Joe Giunta, Sam Jannazzo and I (Sy Schiff) started at the Coast Guard Station, birding the hedge row. There was a strong west wind all morning and this kept the few birds we saw well under cover. We did manage to find the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW plus the resident House Sparrows. We proceeded across the lawn to check the island shore. Holding the scopes steady in the wind was a chore, but fortunately, the GOLDEN PLOVER chose to stay in the front of the shorebirds and was an easy find. The large AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER flock continues along with DUNLIN and SANDERLINGS. Driving to West End #2, we found a WINTER WREN in the shrubbery as we walked out of the parking lot and picked out a Towhee and a pair of Baltimore Orioles along with a few warblers. Basically the area was dead because of the wind. There was an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL in the flooded swale among a large group of resting mixed species flock of gulls. Although sleeping with its head tucked in on its back, it was the only dark backed gull with a streaked head, hence easy to find. Sam left us but not before we found a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER along the road as we drove toward the Nature Center. Joe and I proceeded to Robert Moses SP, stopping at Field #2 there and then to the Hawkwatch. The wind was stronger at Robert Moses and land birding was virtually nil. The sparse but steady stream of raptors seen at the West End and then at the Hawkwatch appeared to be almost exclusively falcons with the overall majority MERLINS (no Kestrels). My take is that accipiters don't like wind this heavy. Maybe tomorrow? SySubject: Massapequa Preserve Today - Nassau Co. From: Ken Feustel <feustel AT optonline.net> Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:08:51 -0400 A slow (and windy) day on the barrier beach sent us to Massapequa Preserve to look for shorebirds. At the Pittsburgh Ave. pond we found twenty Greater Yellowlegs, three Lesser Yellowlegs, eight Short-billed Dowitchers, and two Long-billed Dowitchers. Both Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal were feeding on the pond. At West End, Jones Beach the American Golden Plover continues on the sandbar, while there were over a hundred Forster's Terns in Jones Inlet. There were approximately 150 Boat-tailed Grackles in the Cedar Beach and Gilgo Marinas earlier this morning. Ken Feustel |