New York State summary of Hurricane Irene birds

"Subject: NYC Area RBA: 2 September 2011
From: Karen Fung <easternbluebird AT gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 22:29:57 -0400
- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Sep 2, 2011
* NYNY1109.02

- Birds Mentioned:

BLACK-CAPPED PETREL+
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
LEACH'S STORM-PETREL+
BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL+
WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD+
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN+
Brown Pelican
MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD+
WHITE IBIS+
American Golden-Plover
BLACK-NECKED STILT+
American Avocet
Whimbrel
Hudsonian Godwit
Marbled Godwit
Baird's Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
SOOTY TERN+
BRIDLED TERN+
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Black Tern
Royal Tern
SANDWICH TERN+
SOUTH POLAR SKUA+
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
LONG-TAILED JAEGER+
Yellow-throated Warbler
Lark Sparrow

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
nysarc1 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

~ Transcript ~

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Weekly Recording: (212) 979-3070

To report sightings call:
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483
Tony Lauro (631) 734-4126

Compilers: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Karen Fung

[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]

Greetings!  This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, September
2nd, at 7:00pm.  The highlights of today's tape are numerous, thanks
to Hurricane Irene.

Though the storm produced an unfortunate amount of inconvenience and
destruction for many, from a birding standpoint one can only say
"WOW!!".  It was unprecedented in the number and variety of displaced
birds that were concentrated in the New York area, these occurring
almost entirely during the storm's passage on Sunday and almost all
gone by Monday.

Top prize probably goes to WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD, with at least five
or six in New York.  What may have been the same adult was seen over
the Hudson River from W.70th Street in Manhattan, and then
photographed off W.23rd Street.  An immature was also reported moving
south from W.180th Street where it was first spotted.  Another adult
was nicely photographed moving west over Point Lookout in the
direction of where one was found deceased on Rockaway Beach.  Another
dead Tropicbird on the North Fork in East Marion is on its way to the
American Museum of Natural History for positive identification.  Most
unexpected among these sightings was a White-tailed found way up the
Hudson River in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, this bird
unfortunately passing away at a rehabilitator's.

Also up the Hudson River was the storm's only MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD,
a female-type seen in the town of Hudson, Columbia County, on Sunday.

Another superlative bird was a BLACK-CAPPED PETREL, spotted and
photographed Sunday afternoon as it soared back and forth over Mecox
Bay.  Though it seemed to settle in on the Bay, it was not seen Monday
morning.

Unlike the above, both BRIDLED TERNS and SOOTY TERNS were quite
widespread along coastal areas, providing good opportunities for
birders venturing out and able to find shore vantage points to see and
appreciate the identification pitfalls in separating these two
species.  An incomplete tally shows about 56 BRIDLED and 25 SOOTY
TERNS ranging from the Hudson River up to the Tappan Zee Bridge, along
the Brooklyn shoreline, into western Long Island Sound, and around
Long Island inlets from Jones out to Montauk -- an unprecedented
showing for these two species.

SANDWICH TERNS were also quite widespread, with many remaining Monday,
and a few later, in tern and gull gatherings.  While the Sootys had
pulled out altogether by Monday, only two Bridleds were seen early
Monday off Brooklyn.

BLACK TERNS were abundant, as were ROYAL TERNS, and some GULL-BILLED
TERNS and CASPIAN TERNS were also present.

Storm-Petrels were also noted, with WILSON'S STORM-PETREL the most
common, and at least 19 LEACH'S STORM-PETREL also present, from the
Hudson River in Brooklyn to Jones Beach and way out to Montauk.  Also
reported were three BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS from Jones Beach West
End, the Hudson River, and Long Island Sound, this a difficult
identification separation from Leach's Storm-Petrel under the given
viewing conditions.

Four SOUTH POLAR SKUAS were seen: one sitting in the Jones Beach West
End #2 parking lot; one rescued on a Sea Cliff Beach and released the
next morning; and two flying together over Hook Pond in East Hampton.

Jaegers featured an immature LONG-TAILED JAEGER at Playland Park in
Rye, a POMARINE JAEGER in Hook Pond, and at least 11 PARASITIC
JAEGERS.

Shearwater numbers were unexpectedly low, given the above, but over
200 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were reported during the storm, moving by
various points, usually in flocks.

Other Sunday oddities featured a BLACK-NECKED STILT in Sleepy Hollow,
Westchester County; an AMERICAN AVOCET at Jones Beach West End, and a
BROWN PELICAN on Lake Montauk.  Speaking of pelicans, two Browns were
still at Lake Montauk on the east jetty today, and other singles
during the week were at Patchogue Monday, at Nickerson Beach and at
Southampton Tuesday, at Jones Beach West End and at Tiana Beach (Dune
Road, Westhampton) Wednesday, and at Great Gull Island Monday and
today, while an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was reported in East Hampton
Thursday.

This morning an immature WHITE IBIS was found at Sagaponack on a field
south of Bridge Lane on the east side of the bridge.  It was still
there in the late afternoon, but had vanished by early evening.

Among the shorebirds, up to 14 MARBLED GODWITS have been at Cupsogue,
with others about, and the peak for HUDSONIAN GODWIT was ten at Floyd
Bennett Field in Brooklyn on Sunday.  Some WHIMBREL continue, and
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, and AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
are currently being found at appropriate locations.

The only passerines we have time to mention are a YELLOW-THROATED
WARBLER found Monday at the Roosevelt Third House County Park in
Montauk, and a LARK SPARROW at Robert Moses State Park, East End, on
Monday.

To phone in reports on Long Island, call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126,
or weekdays call Tom Burke 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 TAPE~]

~ End Transcript ~

--

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