[nysbirds-l] Four-letter Codes for Birds

When Rich posted yesterday, I was anxiously awaiting any news at all from him and read it immediately on the basis of the sender's name, regardless of the subject line. I and many others appreciated his efforts to re-find the Violent Green Swallow in the cold and wind. That said, the "RWSW" in t

[nysbirds-l] Burrowing Owl, Kings County

A Burrowing Owl was photographed in Brooklyn this morning, at the Lowe’s in Kings Plaza on Avenue U at Flatbush in Brooklyn. The photo shows the bird resting on a black metal fence alongside some shrink-wrapped containers. The person who found it is not a birder but sent the photo to Tom O'Donne

Re: [nysbirds-l] Global Big Day and Massive White-Winged Scoter Flight Broome Co. NY

Lisle Co. Park list is here https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S87472754 I totaled 103 species in Broome County which was decent. I wish I had more time. I hope many of you had an awesome day too! Good Birding to all! Best, Dave Nicosia ________ From: Shaibal Mitra Sent:

Re: [nysbirds-l] dark eyed white-eyed vireo in late May?

Anything is possible with pigementation characters, but White-eyed Vireo would be a vagrant in Arizona. The most obvious possibility is that it was a Bell's Vireo. Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: bounce-125667917-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-125667917-371

[nysbirds-l] First-summer Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach, Nassau County

A first-summer (= almost one year-old) Arctic Tern was observed this morning at Nickerson Beach, Nassau County. It was resting with Common Terns in a small beach-front loafing flock which was soon disturbed by passers-by, after which the Arctic Tern was not seen again. As is characteristic of t

[nysbirds-l] Captree June Count, 12 June 2021

The Captree June Count was conducted for the seventh consecutive year on Saturday 12 June 2021. A record total of 37 observers divided into 20 parties to cover the nine traditional territories of the Captree Christmas Bird Count circle, in southwestern Suffolk County, Long Island. This fine-grai

[nysbirds-l] Reflections on Tropical Storm Henri

The information/communications environment we now inhabit distorts our expectations. At least this is how it seems to some of us who began birding storms prior to the advent of the internet and mobile phones. Perhaps it could be argued that our expectations have simply been altered, not necessar

[nysbirds-l] NYS Young Birders Club--North Atlantic Right Whale++

The New York State Young Birders Club visited Nickerson Beach this morning, with Mary Normandia, Pat Lindsay, and me there to help out. This was 13 years after the group's very first field trip, to Jamaica Bay: http://nysyoungbirders.org/articles/tripreports/JamaicaBay2008_0816.htm This year's

[nysbirds-l] LI Storm Birding: 310 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

This morning's intense rain and strong easterly winds grounded large numbers of migrating Lesser Black-backed Gulls. At Robert Moses SP in southwestern Suffolk County, Doug Futuyma, Patricia Lindsay, and I counted multiple flocks containing 310 individuals, outnumbering all other gulls combined

RE:[nysbirds-l] LI Storm Birding: 310 Lesser Black-backed Gulls--Addendum

I meant to add: Today, for instance, there were just 5 LBBGs at Captree and 5 at Heckscher (per Pat). From: Shaibal Mitra Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2021 2:18 PM To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) Subject: LI Storm Birding: 310 Lesser Black-backed

[nysbirds-l] Southern Nassau County CBC, 2 January 2022--Preliminary Results

The Southern Nassau County CBC was conducted on Sunday, 2 Jan 2022. The weather preceding the count was highly unusual; in 40 years participating in CBCs in the Northeast, I cannot recall a November-December period so completely lacking in freezing conditions. The morning of the count was warm (

RE: [nysbirds-l] Are there more than one Golden Eagle overwintering at Storm King Mountain, Orange County?

Dear Ajit and all, I am among the many observers who recorded a Golden Eagle at Storm King this month with extreme negligence regarding critical detail. I was in the throes of an intense bout of twitching, riding the thrill of impending glory on the Hot 100, and lazy with my record-keeping! But

[nysbirds-l] Large Numbers of Laughing Gulls Rockaway Inlet, Brooklyn/Queens

At dawn this morning there was a spectacular fly-out of Laughing Gulls at Plum Beach, Kings, with hundreds of birds streaming east to west along the entire width of Rockaway Inlet, joined by hundreds more arriving from the the creeks to the north. By the time I left, the flight had stopped, but

[nysbirds-l] The NYSBirds List

Hi everyone, In theory there are two ways to reform the content of this listserv: (1) discourage posts that are less relevant; and (2) encourage posts that are more relevant. But given the very diverse sentiments expressed here in recent weeks, it's clear that people simply disagree about what

RE: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan Empidonax - Inwood Hill Park

Having asked for more posts to this list, I'll contribute one. My thought process on any late (after early October) Empidonax in the Northeast is roughly as follows: 1. Can we rule out Least? Least Flycatcher is an abundant species and more prone to late occurrence than other common eastern spe

FW: [nysbirds-l] New Empidonax identification tip

In a really nice example of how this list serves as institutional memory for our community, Dave Klauber just reminded me of this very relevant post from Joe DiCostanzo, from December 2014. It details the foundation of the wing pattern feature mentioned in the Whatbird discussions, and I would a

RE: [nysbirds-l] [NFBirds Report 2905] I Have Never Seen This Before !!

Benign explanations, such as hunger or calcium deficit, are certainly plausible, but I wouldn't rule out depravity. These little mammals are smart enough that they probably form some sort of conviction of right and wrong--along with the concomitant and irresistible urge to transgress. When I li

RE: [nysbirds-l] Additional photos of the Inwood empid

Hi all, Based on these new photos, I can definitely agree with Hugh's earlier points about the brownish flight feather tones (vs. blackish in Yellow-bellied) and the spacing of the primary tips (one large gap, vs. two roughly equal gaps). The pale edgings on the secondaries look much dingier he

RE: [nysbirds-l] Barred Owls

Hi Rob and all, There are definitely strong contrasts in Barred Owl habitat preference between the Southeast and the Northeast. The most striking one to me is their absence from coastal woodlands on Long Island (even long before suburbanization), in contrast to their abundance in similar settin

[nysbirds-l] Captree CBC, Preliminary Results

The Captree CBC was conducted on Sunday, 18 Dec 2016, for the 55th time. Fifty participants covered this circle in southwestern Suffolk County, Long Island, finding a provisional total of 113 species. The weather was better than we expected, coverage was excellent, and the compilation dinner at

RE: [nysbirds-l] Ross's Geese - RMSP, Suffolk Co

Patricia Lindsay reports that the Ross's Geese are present this morning on the grassy circle around the tower at Robert Moses SP. Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: bounce-121098737-11143...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-121098737-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf

RE: [nysbirds-l] Greater White Fronted Goose

It's been decades since people have debated the natural origins of Greater White-fronted Geese in New York State, and a huge body of records has accumulated, supporting the regular occurrence of Greenland-breeding flavirostris on Long Island, and of tundra-breeding North American birds upstate.

[nysbirds-l] Southern Nassau County CBC, Preliminary Results

The 77th Southern Nassau County CBC was conducted on Sunday, 1 January 2017, by 78 participants. The weather was quite good for a CBC, and the only weather-related frustration was that bright sun and a brisk westerly wind hampered ocean viewing during the morning. The fine weather on a New Year

RE: [nysbirds-l] Red-tailed Hawk subspecies and eBird reporting them

Hi Rich and all, This is a very interesting piece and definitely a helpful way to begin a broader conversation on this topic within the bird records community. As explained in this article, the question of how to report species and their subspecies is quite complex. I've thought about this a lo

RE: [nysbirds-l] Black-headed - Ring-billed Gull hybrid at Goat Island

Hi Willie and all, Wow--what a neat-looking bird! I can see the logic behind the identification: the combination of dark hood, white wing wedge, absence of white tips to the inner primaries and secondaries, and reddish bill and legs suggesting Black-headed Gull; and size, structure, extra dark

RE: [nysbirds-l] Black-headed - Ring-billed Gull hybrid at Goat Island

the underwing). From: bounce-121321967-11143...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-121321967-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Shaibal Mitra [shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu] Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2017 8:45 AM To: Willie D'Anna; 'Geneseebirds

[nysbirds-l] Survivor--Northern Waterthrush at Southards Pond, Suffolk, LI

Patricia Lindsay heard a waterthrush calling at Southards Pond this morning but never saw the bird. The date would be exceptionally early for a migrant Northern (tying the record-early date cited by the late Stephen Eaton in his species account in Bull's Birds of NYS); it would be in line for Lo

RE: [nysbirds-l] N Gannets

Hi Rick and all, Regarding recent Northern Gannet activity on Long Island, Pat and I witnessed an interesting spectacle on Friday 14 April, at Orient Harbor, a sheltered part of Peconic Bay inside the North Fork. >From the East Marion causeway, we counted 175 Northern Gannets to the south, >ov

RE: [nysbirds-l] Red breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch is an example of a species whose movements are particularly complex and difficult to understand. They breed over a vast area, and variable numbers of birds occupy essentially that entire area during the winter as well. But some birds move south, the proportion of which vari

[nysbirds-l] Hooded Warblers and the Slingshot

An unusual number of Hooded Warblers were found on Long Island and vicinity today, in conjunction with Blue Grosbeaks and Summer Tanagers--and also seasonally early examples of female Indigo Buntings and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. In contrast, the migrant species typically most abundant at this d

[nysbirds-l] Cattle Egret, Oak Beach, Suffolk, LI

A breeding-plumaged Cattle Egret fed along the Ocean Parkway at Oak Beach, Suffolk, LI, around noon today. NB: This is a busy highway where law enforcement is intolerant of people parking, walking, or even pulling over. We witnessed several uncomfortable episodes last spring when people couldn'

[nysbirds-l] Three Comments on Common Birds

As a break from rare and uncommon birds, here are some observations of Brant, Ring-billed Gull, and Blue Jay. There is currently a huge staging of Brant in southwestern LI--far in excess of the admittedly vast numbers present here during the winter. I estimated 9,000 in a single scan of the bay

RE: [nysbirds-l] Question about hybridization between Seaside Sparrow and Saltmarsh Sparrow.

Hi Juan and all, Check out these two photos of an exceptionally fresh and bright Seaside Sparrow from Moriches Inlet, Suffolk, LI, last Saturday. Our local seaside Sparrows vary a lot in terms of the degree of buffy color on the face and breast and in terms of the distinctness of their streakin

[nysbirds-l] Arctic & Gull-billed Terns Nickerson Beach, Nassau, LI

Highlights this morning 8:30-9:40 at Nickerson Beach were a first-summer Arctic Tern and an adult Gull-billed Tern: https://flic.kr/p/VPz5ZT Shai Mitra Bay Shore -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http:/

[nysbirds-l] Seabird Flight Robert Moses SP, Suffolk, LI

After weeks of very slow seawatches we were finally rewarded this morning at Robert Moses SP, Suffolk LI, near the western end of Fire Island. >From 07:10-09:55, John Gluth and I tallied 180 Cory's, 46 Great, and 7 Sooty >Shearwaters, 17 Wilson's Storm-Petrels, and 7 Northern Gannets, all moving

[nysbirds-l] Robert Moses SP Seawatching 6/18/17

As we were leaving, we saw Pete Morris arriving, and we couldn't resist joining Doug and him for some more effort. Compiling observations for the day yields the following remarkable numbers for Robert Moses SP yesterday: Great Shearwater 669 Cory's Shearwater 48 Manx Shearwater 8 Sooty Shearw

[nysbirds-l] Death on the Beach

I spent several hours at Democrat Pt today, carefully checking the entire wrack line, and found 14 dead Great Shearwaters and a dead Leatherback Turtle (the folks in Riverhead have been notified). http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37704445 I also just heard through Derek Rogers that dead

RE: [nysbirds-l] Pipit at Nickerson Beach Long Island

Documenting birds like this isn't just a chore, it can be very useful to our understanding of bird occurrence. The days around the solstice are an under-appreciated window for landbird vagrancy. The only American Pipit I've ever seen on Long Island during June was found at Robert Moses SP by To

[nysbirds-l] Sandwich Tern, Cupsogue, Suffolk, LI

A second calendar-year Sandwich Tern appeared around 11:30 today at Cupsogue and was still present when I left an hour later: https://flic.kr/p/V2Kkva Another highlight involved my first southbound Short-billed Dowitchers of the season, brightly plumaged adults at Pikes Beach and Cupsogue. Sha

RE: [nysbirds-l] Fwd: A Mystery of Seabirds, Blown Off Course and Starving - The New York Times

Hi Dick and all, I think it's fair to say that the multi-hundreds of Great Shearwaters observed from the Nassau County shoreline on 18 June were off course. The species is entirely absent from this area for years at a time (I'd never previously seen even one from shore in Nassau in over twenty

RE: [nysbirds-l] eBird.org: Recent Additions to County Checklists

I’m left wondering what it means to “delete” Mandarin Duck from a list of birds reported to eBird. I understand that Mandarin Duck is not established in viable wild populations anywhere in New York State and consequently is not included in the official list of such species maintained by the New

RE: [nysbirds-l] Migrants at Robert Moses SP, Suffolk Co.

Thank you, Patricia, for getting the word out on the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Fly-by birds are obviously difficult to re-find, but the one dimensional set up on the barrier rewards checking all the usual traps and gathering spots down-stream from the point where one is seen. It was an interest

[nysbirds-l] Fourth Annual Seatuck Long Island Birding Challenge

The fourth Seatuck Birding Challenge was conducted from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on 9 September 2017, under nearly perfect weather conditions. A flight overnight resulted in many nocturnal migrants arriving under calm morning conditions. A northwest breeze picked up later in the day, but overall i

[nysbirds-l] East End Report

With an eye on Jose, Patricia and I stayed near the ocean today. Given that on Long Island Jose will most likely impact overflying and offshore migrants, rather than really pelagic birds, we sought to record a baseline for potential storm species such as Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Tern, and

[nysbirds-l] Storm-birding Update

As Jose churns away far offshore, the south shore of LI has experienced persistent favorable winds for seawatching, from southeasterly on Sunday evening, to easterly on Monday evening, to northeasterly Tuesday morning, and, most recently, to north-northeasterly this morning. I've observed modes

[nysbirds-l] Calamospiza!

The Lark Bunting found by Brent Bomkamp this morning at the Robert Moses SP volleyball courts was still present when Patricia Lindsay and I visited from 07:45 to 08:45. When we arrived, the bird had moved out of sight. According to Brent, it had been associating loosely with several Song Sparro

RE: [nysbirds-l] Hudsonian Godwits at Heckscher State Park (Suffolk Co.)

All three Hudsonian Godwits were present at the Field 7 pools this afternoon (Friday ca. 2:00 pm), along with two American Golden-Plovers and a Long-billed Dowitcher. The godwit with the injured right leg is an adult, and it also has gruesome injuries on its right wing. The other two are juvs,

RE: [nysbirds-l] Corn Crake at Cedar Beach (Suffolk Co.)

For people unfamiliar with the Jones Beach strip, the following information might be useful. Parking (and even walking) on the Ocean Parkway is not permitted, although enforcement of these rules varies a great deal. I suggest parking at the Overlook Beach parking lot on the ocean side, then wa

RE: [nysbirds-l] Corn Crake question: field guide?

Hi Brian and all, Corn Crake is in fact depicted in that book, but on page 110-111, with Quail and Button-quail, confusingly a few pages prior to the Rallids. It is also depicted in the National Geo Guide, and, interestingly, in the old Peterson guide (and very nicely at that). Its presence in

[nysbirds-l] Astonishing High Count for Common Raven, Suffolk Co., LI

Watching a Prothonotary Warbler flying around me in low, repeated zig-zags over open ground on 1 December wasn't the most unusual thing I saw this morning at the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank, Suffolk County, Long Island. Pat had seen a couple of Common Ravens before I arrived and wanted me to

[nysbirds-l] NYC/Long Island Rarity Roundup This Weekend

Sean's report of his and Doug's efforts in Brooklyn yesterday reminded me of the "Long Island Rarity Roundup" Doug proposed six years ago, which proved to be a lot of fun. His original conception of it was described like this: > Hey all, In case you're not familiar with a rarity roundu

RE: [nysbirds-l] [NFBirds Report 3221] Snowy Owl, No

As everyone so far has contributed in good faith, and given that this listserv is devoted to NYS birds of all kinds, not just rare, why not discuss? My perception is that waterfowl are thriving above and beyond all other ecological guilds. The explosion in Canada Goose numbers is not attributabl

RE: [nysbirds-l] Western Tanager in Queens

A Western Tanager continued at Crocheron Park this morning. I had not until today looked at any photos of the bird(s) present recently at the Alley Pond Environmental Center/Restoration Area (ca. 1.5 miles away), but Corey Finger's photos from 25 Nov clearly show a bird with uniformly juvenal g

[nysbirds-l] Captree CBC, Sunday 17 Dec 2017

Participants on this years Captree CBC (southwestern Suffolk County, LI) enjoyed beautiful weather, with temperatures of 30-35 F, very light winds and overcast skies—all contributing to ease of bird detection. Our total of 125 species was well above average and included one new addition to the c

RE: [nysbirds-l] Mountain Bluebird Robert Moses SP Suffolk Co

The Mountain Bluebird at Democrat Point continued to be very cooperative today, through at least the middle of the day. The bird very consistently favors perches atop a variety of different trees along the southern edge of the second, westernmost, flat sand clearing to the west of the Robert M

RE: [nysbirds-l] Governors Island: European Goldfinch Flock (18-Dec)

I agree strongly with John and Angus. The consequences for the eBird Hot 100 are at most not very important and at least potentially amusing. I thought everybody knew they were supposed to keep track of their own lists, rather than to trust in the algorithms of strangers! More specifically, reg

RE: [nysbirds-l] OCWA or MGWA

Hi Cesar and all, Very cool-looking bird! I think its overall shape (and particularly its very finely pointed bill) and manners suggest Orange-crowned Warbler. I also think that a MacGillivray's Warbler would show a thicker, blacker loral stripe. Finally, the whitish edges to the tips of the p

RE: [nysbirds-l] Governors Island: European Goldfinch Flock (18-Dec)

Hi Kevin and all, This is true, but it doesn't solve the problem. eBird central might mean well, but they could be wrong in any given instance--and they are bound to be from time to time, just like NYSARC was wrong to "officially" declare that Monk Parakeets were gone in 1982. We could go on a

RE: [nysbirds-l] OCWA or MGWA

s the degree to which Orange-crowned can appear eye-ringed and bright yellow below. Best, Shai From: Robert Paxton [r...@columbia.edu] Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2017 6:11 AM To: NYSBIRDS-L; Shaibal Mitra Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] OCWA or MGWA Hi Shai et

RE: [nysbirds-l] Alley Pond Cackling Goose, Lesser Yellowlegs

Hi Steve, Of course we get points for these things! But just as the birds in question were not made visible to us, the points we accrue in this way must never be visible to others. We may relish them privately, sometimes for years, perhaps sharing the pain from time to time with those who also

[nysbirds-l] Robert Moses SP Mountain Bluebird--Yes, but now in Field 2

Patricia Lindsay just re-found what is presumably her continuing Robert Moses SP Mountain Bluebird, now in parking Field 2. She is attempting to get photos and critical views to confirm it is the same individual present recently at Democrat Point, about a mile to the west. As PAB is fond of quo

[nysbirds-l] Southern Nassau County CBC--Preliminary Results

The Southern Nassau County CBC was conducted yesterday, 30 Dec 2017, by 89 participants, for the 78th time since 1932. Conditions were challenging, with cold temperatures (18-26 F) and snow on count day, and sustained sub-freezing temperatures prior to the count. On the plus side, there was lit

[nysbirds-l] Little Gull+ Montauk

An adult Little Gull was present off Montauk Point, Suffolk County, Friday afternoon and again this morning. When visible, this bird has been in loose association with about 30 Bonaparte's Gulls, milling over a spectacular aggregation of scoters and eiders, directly off of the concession buildin

RE:[nysbirds-l] Little Gull+ Montauk

56650-11143...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122256650-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Shaibal Mitra [shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu] Sent: Saturday, February 3, 2018 2:51 PM To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) Subject: [nysbirds-l] Little Gull+ Montauk An adult Little Gull was present off Mo

RE:[nysbirds-l] Another Long Island Purple Gallinule (not chaseable)

Wow, this is really amazing. The tight date range really looks like a discrete flight of some sort. If these were Summer Tanagers hitting those sites in mid April, we'd call it a slingshot. Is there any reason to think that southern populations of Purple Gallinule are undertaking long distance f

RE: [nysbirds-l] Dark-bellied Brant (B.b.bernicla) in Brooklyn

Hi Doug and all, I think this bird looks very good for bernicla. The flank pattern (not boldly and broadly white), the dark upperparts, and the smoky tone to the gray-brown parts of the plumage are all appropriate for bernicla, and the first and last of these three characters differ from the co

RE: [nysbirds-l] Wood Sandpiper Timber Point Golf Course now Suffolk Co

The Wood Sandpiper continued in the rain pools just east of the Timber Point entrance road (and just south of the spur road to the East Marina) until it was too dark to see. The discovery and identification of this mega rarity was a team effort. I was seawatching at Robert Moses SP when Patrici

RE: [nysbirds-l] Wood Sandpiper/NO

Hi Curt and all, Pat visited Timber Point a short time ago and reported no Tringas in the puddles and miserable conditions overall. I plan to check myself in a little while. Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: bounce-122483584-11143...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-1

RE: [nysbirds-l] Red-headed Woodpeckers at Jones Beach

Hi Steve and all, At Robert Moses SP, to the east of Jones beach, I didn't see any Red-headed Woodpeckers this morning, but I did see 14 Red-bellied Woodpeckers--all migrating east to west. Those familiar with the barrier beaches, and the usual absence of most forest "resident" species there, w

[nysbirds-l] Sooty Shearwaters+, Robert Moses SP, Suffolk County

Seawatching has been slow during the past two weeks. Seaducks have been diminishing in numbers, and the loon migration has been unimpressive in terms of numbers and diversity (= no Pacific Loon--yet). Thus, it was satisfying to find a movement of Sooty Shearwaters this morning (I counted 19 betw

[nysbirds-l] Pacific Loon and Black(-ish) Brant, Nassau County, LI

Ken & Sue Feustel and Doug Futuyma found a likely Pacific Loon in partial breeding plumage at Nickerson Beach this morning, and Pat and I were able to re-find it and observe a definitive combination of features: size and structure in direct comparison to Red-throated Loon, and combination of gra

RE: [nysbirds-l] Strong Sooty Shearwater flight, Cupsogue, Suffolk

We counted 33 Sooty Shearwaters at Cupsogue from 8:15-9:15, then two more at Shinnecock Inlet over 24 minutes, and three more plus two Manx Shearwaters from Triton Lane, on Dune Road, over 36 minutes ending 11:47. The flight rate diminished after about 8:45 and visibility deteriorated as the cl

[nysbirds-l] Arctic Terns on the south shore of Long Island.

rctic Tern search for us, but the brutal 25 mph easterly winds readily discouraged that approach in favor of seawatching. Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: Robert Lewis [rfer...@yahoo.com] Sent: Saturday, June 2, 2018 2:12 PM To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu); Sha

RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

__ From: bounce-37742728-11143...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-37742728-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Shaibal Mitra [shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu] Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 11:43 AM To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) Subject: [nysbirds-l] Possible Siberian Common Tern

RE: [nysbirds-l] Breezy Point Queens

Tripper and all, This is indeed a first-summer Arctic Tern, a long-anticipated first for Breezy Point. This record illustrates three things that need emphasis: the variability of this species and the relative importance of the many subtle characters; the difficulty of identifying this species c

RE: [nysbirds-l] Breezy Point Queens

Tripper and all, This is indeed a first-summer Arctic Tern, a long-anticipated first for Breezy Point. This record illustrates three things that need emphasis: the variability of this species and the relative importance of the many subtle characters; the difficulty of identifying this species c

RE: [nysbirds-l] Dark billed, dark legged Common Terns on Long Island

As I mentioned in my earlier note to the list on this subject (8 Jun 18, copied at the very end of the present note), the jury is certainly still out on the status of longipennis Common Terns on the east coast. Joe's highly informed contributions are a very welcome addition to the process and un

RE: [nysbirds-l] Dark billed, dark legged Common Terns on Long Island

or Siberian Tern and got nothing. Joe DiCostanzo Sent from my iPad On Jun 15, 2018, at 11:44 AM, Robert Lewis mailto:rfer...@yahoo.com>> wrote: Perhaps I missed it, but there seems to be an obvious question here: have bids like this been reported from neighboring states? Bob Lewis S

RE: [nysbirds-l] Dark billed, dark legged Common Terns on Long Island

is the NAB photo, but I've put in the call to an observer of that bird (which was definitely well photographed) to pin it down, too. Shai ________ From: Shaibal Mitra Sent: Friday, June 15, 2018 2:23 PM To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) Subject: RE: [n

RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others

Hi Tim and all, There are a number of parallel systems for denoting age. The worst for birders is the plumage cycle system, because at this time of year a flock of 30 manky looking Lesser Black-backed Gulls of exactly the same age 350-370 days since hatching might include both first and second

RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others

Tim, There's an error here. Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: Juvenile = HY = hatching-year First-summer = SY = Second calendar year Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look like adults, and som

RE: [nysbirds-l] Is this an Arctic Tern? Nickerson today

Yes! Delayed second-summer type, very similar to and possibly the same as a bird from 16 Jun: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46594261 From: bounce-122648744-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122648744-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Adelia Honeyw

[nysbirds-l] Summer 2018 Tern Update

The 2018 summer tern season on Long Island has been great so far and is going to set records for Arctic Tern in several ways: total records, total observers contributing independently documented records, and records from sites apart from Moriches Inlet, such as Rockaway Inlet, Jones Inlet, and O

RE: [nysbirds-l] Roseate Tern Banding and Aging Follow Up

As we've been discussing with regard to Arctic and other species of scarce terns, at least some of the uptick in reports this season is due to increased and more highly focused effort at appropriate sites and dates. But even allowing for this, I think the numbers of Roseates are slightly better

Re: [nysbirds-l] East Pond ( & Breezy Point Queens Co...

As Jose notes, Bank Swallows are pretty versatile breeders and will take advantage of vertical scarps along the ocean beaches, when these form from time to time (they nested in such a setting at Cupsogue back in 2007). But apart from these occasional occurrences, they tend to be completely absen

[nysbirds-l] NYC Area RBA: 20 July 2018

NYC Area-RBA * New York * New York City, Long Island, Westchester County * July 20, 2018 * LINY 1807.20 - BIRDS Mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK+ WHITE-FACED IBIS+ (+ Details requested by NYSARC) Cory's Shearwater Great Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Wilson's Storm-Petrel LEACH'S STORM-PETREL

[nysbirds-l] NYC Area RBA: 27 July 2018

NYC Area-RBA * New York * New York City, Long Island, Westchester County * July 27, 2018 * LINY 1807.27 - BIRDS Mentioned ANHINGA+ [extralimital] ROSEATE SPOONBILL+ [extralimital] WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL+ LEACH’S STORM-PETREL+ RUFF+ SOUTH POLAR SKUA+ BRIDLED TERN+ (+ Details requested by NYSARC

Re:[nysbirds-l] on the subject of Barn Swallows

Dear Orhan and all, Yes, Barn Swallows are migrating now. Under the right conditions (northwest winds following a cold front), one can see thousands of them streaming westward along Long Island's outer beaches at this time of year. The weather lately, however, has been quite odd, with no northw

Re:[nysbirds-l] Jamaica Bay Black Swan

Hi Jim and all, I have three records of Black Swan at Jamaica Bay: 13 Aug 2000 29 Aug 2009 2 Oct 2009 If this is the same individual reappearing on the East Pond in late summer at nine-year intervals, one must wonder where such a large, conspicuous bird could be hiding in between. In any case,

RE: [nysbirds-l] Lesser Black-backed Gull update Heckscjer SP Suffolk - NO

Rare birds become common and vice versa. Counting Lesser Black-backed Gulls is still my raison d'etre, even now that they are common. Many birds are common. And Pat's observation of a fresh juv Ring-billed Gull at Heckscher today gripped me off pretty badly, as I have not yet seen a juv on Long

RE: [nysbirds-l] I beleive this is a good day for birding

Yes! Driving home from Staten Island yesterday afternoon, I managed to stay directly underneath the heaviest rainbands all the way. But immediately afterwards, around 6:30 pm, the skies began to clear. To my old-fashioned, low-tech mind, this is the key predictor: the front cleared locally befo

RE: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC 9/22

Hi Tom and all, Thanks for the information and your interpretive notes regarding the more unusual records. The thing that stood out most to me was the Hermit Thrush, which seems very early in my experience. I've never recorded the species during September in Suffolk County, despite a lot of re

[nysbirds-l] Barrier Beach Seabirds

This morning's heavy rains and strong southeasterly winds predictably grounded a large number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Robert Moses SP, Suffolk County. The total from Fields 2, 3, and 5 was at least 60, including at least five beautiful juveniles: https://flic.kr/p/2ajRUpS Two fresh juv

[nysbirds-l] Some Thoughts on Recent Bird Movements

Hi all, Bob Lewis's report of about seven Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Robert Moses SP yesterday would have caused a sensation just 20 years ago. I vividly recall Pat's and my excitement at finding four LBBGs in one day, including one of the first juveniles ever reliably recorded from Long Isla

[nysbirds-l] Migration This Weekend

After successive nights with northwesterly winds (unusual on Long Island in recent years), the barrier beach was predictably active both mornings this weekend. Although the light precip on Saturday morning apparently deterred a lot of my friends, it did not discourage the large group of intrepid

RE: [nysbirds-l] Scissor-tail Flycatcher, Montauk, Suffolk Co.

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher remained in the fields south of Montauk Highway for several hours, where it was admired by several shifts of birders. It was generally quite cooperative, feeding actively and perching on the fencelines, but occasionally it would retreat into the trees along the east

RE: [nysbirds-l] Big flight Robert Moses SP (Suffolk)

By the time I joined Doug Futuyma and Michael Harvey at 8:15, they reported that the volume of the flight had already diminished considerably. Even so, the number of birds passing during the next two hours was overwhelming. Without delving into my hastily scribbled tallies or consulting Doug and

[nysbirds-l] Long Island Storm Birding

A productive seawatch from Robert Moses SP, Suffolk, LI, yesterday afternoon stirred lots of anticipation for this morning's storm. Under good viewing conditions yesterday I had jaegers in view at all times, a good study of a rare-from-land Pomarine attacking a Parasitic, 8 juvenile Black-legged

[nysbirds-l] Astonishing Purple Finch Irruption Continues

Favorable northwest winds produced another huge flight this morning at Robert Moses SP, Suffolk County. Species diversity is dropping as Neotropical migrant species drop out of the mix, but the most numerous medium-distance migrants are at high abundance: 10,000 Myrtle Warblers, 2,690 Pine Siski

[nysbirds-l] Staten Island Shorebirds

During the first hour of light, I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of shorebird activity at Goethals Bridge Pond, northwestern Staten Island. Highly unusual in my experience was a flock of 16 Semipalmated Sandpipers, a species I very rarely see around here after mid October and have seen

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