Annual Report - 1982

REPORT OF THE NEW YORK STATE AVIAN RECORDS COMMITTEE (1982)

The New York State Avian Records Committee received 63 reports, representing 51 records, during 1982. Of these records, 33 were accepted, seven were filed without formal review, eight were not accepted, and three remain unresolved within the Committee. The seven reports filed without review would have been accepted if they dealt with species reviewed by the NYSARC.

Unfortunately, there has been little change in either the quality or format of reports since 1981, and reports difficult to read and reproduce continue to plague the NYSARC. We urge all potential contributors to carefully read the introduction to our 1981 report (Kingbird, 228-233, 1982).

Because there continues to be misunderstanding, and because of recent nomenclatural changes, the list of species reviewed by the NYSARC is included below.

The NYSARC will review reports for any of the following:

1) any species new to New York State

2) any addition to the list of species proven to nest within New York State

3) any of the following species, where (U) means upstate New York reports only and (D) means reports away from the Adirondacks only:
Arctic Loon; Yellow-billed Loon; Western Grebe; Yellow-nosed Albatross; Northern Fulmar (U); Black-capped Petrel; Mottled Petrel; Herald Petrel; Audubon's Shearwater; any other shearwater (U); Wilson's Storm-Petrel (U); White-faced Storm-Petrel; Leach's Storm-Petrel; White-tailed Tropicbird; Red-billed Tropicbird; Brown Booby; Northern Gannet (U); American White Pelican; Brown Pelican; Great Cormorant (U); Magnificent Frigatebird; Tricolored Heron (U); Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (U); White Ibis; White-faced Ibis; Wood Stork; Fulvous Whistling-Duck; "Black" Brant; Barnacle Goose; Cinnamon Teal; Tufted Duck (U); Common Eider (U); Smew; Black Vulture; American Swallowtailed Kite; Mississippi Kite; Swainson's Hawk; Gyrfalcon; Spruce Grouse (D); Yellow Rail; Black Rail (U); Corn Crake; Purple Gallinule; Sandhill Crane; Northern Lapwing; Wilson's Plover; Piping Plover (U); American Oystercatcher (U); Black-necked Stilt (U); American Avocet (U); Wood Sandpiper; Eskimo Curlew; Whimbrel (white-rumped races only); Eurasian Curlew; Long-billed Curlew; Bar-tailed Godwit; Marbled Godwit (U); Sharp-tailed Sandpiper; Curlew Sandpiper (U); Longtailed Jaeger; Great Skua; South Polar Skua; California Gull; Thayer's Gull; Ivory Gull; Gull-billed,rern (U); Royal Tern (U); Sandwich Tern (U); Roseate Tern (U); Arctic Tern; Bridled Tern; Sooty Tern; Black Skimmer (U); Common Murre; Atlantic Puffin; any other alcid (U); White-winged Dove; Northern Hawk-Owl; Burrowing Owl; Great Gray Owl; Boreal Owl; Chuck-will's-widow (U); Three-toed Woodpecker (D); Black-backed Woodpecker (D); Say's Phoebe; Ash-throated Flycatcher; Western Kingbird (U); Gray Kingbird; Scissor-tailed Flycatcher; Gray Jay (D); Black-billed Magpie; Brown-headed Nuthatch; Bewick's Wren; Northern Wheatear; Mountain Bluebird; Townsend's Solitaire; Fieldfare; Redwing; Sage Thrasher; Bell's Vireo; "Audubon's" Warbler; Black-throated Gray Warbler; Townsend's Warbler; Yellow-throated Warbler; Swainson's Warbler; Painted Redstart; Summer Tanager (U); Western Tanager; Black-headed Grosbeak; Blue Grosbeak (U); Painted Bunting; Green-tailed Towhee; "Spotted" Towhee; Bachman's Sparrow; Lark Sparrow (U); Lark Bunting; "Ipswich" Sparrow (U); Baird's Sparrow; Sharp-tailed Sparrow (U); LeConte's Sparrow; Harris' Sparrow; Smith's Longspur; Chestnut-collared Longspur; Brewer's Blackbird; Boat-tailed Grackle (U); "Bullock's" Oriole; Hoary Redpoll.

4) any birds found at least four weeks before typical early arrival dates or four weeks after typical late departure dates, as summarized in Bull (1974, 1976).

Reports to the NYSARC should be sent to:
Dr. John Confer, Secretary
New York State Avian Records Committee
c/o The Laboratory of Ornithology
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14850

As in past years, only contributors are acknowledged in the summary of reports below, regardless of the actual number of observers. The term "substantiated" means that material evidence accompanies the report. In summaries of species status, the NYSARC ignores reports made since 1978 (when the NYSARC became active) and not reviewed by this Committee.

1981 ACCEPTED RECORDS

NORTHERN GANNET (Sula bassanus). 1981-46-A-D immature-Dunkirk Harbor, Chautauqua Co., 5-19 Dec, photographs on file Buffalo Museum of Science (MJ, FML, W & MW). An upstate, inland report of a normally marine species.

IVORY GULL (Pagophila eburnea). 1981-43-A immature-Niagara River at Niagara Falls, Niagara Co., I Jan (RFA). This bird was seen on both sides of the international border; what is presumed to be the same bird was photographed 22 Dec 1981 on the Ontario side (slide in Buffalo Museum of Science). This is the 13th record for New York.

1982 ACCEPTED RECORDS

NORTHERN GANNET (Sula bassanus).1982-29-A immature-Lake Ontario at Oswego, Oswego Co., 28 Nov (DWC). 1982-44-A immature between Ithaca and Caroline, Tompkins Co., 30 Nov (KA-C). Similarly plumaged birds were reported without details in the Rochester area 13-14 Nov and at Derby Hill 26 Nov; all these reports possibly refer to a single individual attempting to return to the Atlantic Ocean from Lake Ontario; however, a dead immature was recovered at Oswego in March 1983.

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). 1982-23-A adult-El Dorado Beach Preserve, Jefferson Co., 1 Aug (SK). 1982-49A-C adult-Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, Seneca Co., 4 June to 11 Oct, photograph on file (SK, DWC, PDeB). Both records may refer to a single individual. There are now about 30 records of this species from New York.

SWAINSON'S HAWK (Buteo swainsonii). 1982-15-A,B adult light morph-Derby Hill, Oswego Co., 31 Mar (GAS, GS). This is the eighth record from New York and the fourth from Derby Hill.

TRICOLORED HERON (Egretta tricolor). 1982-27-A immature-on Hudson River at Cornwall Bay, Orange Co., 12 Sept (L & ED). An upstate record of a species normally confined to Long Island.

YELLOW RAIL (Coturnicops noveboracensis). 1982-28-A single-East Patchogue, Suffolk Co., 23 Oct (APC). This is the fourth record from New York since 1970; two are previously unpublished specimens (25 Sept 1975, 24 Sept 1982) in the Buffalo Museum of Science salvaged from TV tower kills in Erie County.

AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvirostra americana). 1982-40-A female Carlton, Orleans Co. 4 June (RGS). An upstate record of a species more regularly found on Long Island.

CURLEW SANDPIPER (Calidris ferruginea). 1982-17-A,B bird in basic plumage-Morehouse Fish Hatchery, Seneca Falls, Seneca Co., 16 May (DRG, JC). 1982-18-A bird in pre-alternate molt same locality as above, 18 May (WEB). These are the first records from upstate New York.

STILT SANDPIPER (Calidris himantopus). 1982-33-A,B adult-Fairport, Monroe Co., 23 May (BC). An upstate, spring record of a species regularly present during the fall migration period.

THAYER'S GULL (Larus thayeri). 1982-13-A-C immature-Fulton, Oswego Co., 4-7 Feb, photographs on file (DWC, PDeB, FGS). 1982 46-A immature-town of Colonie landfill, Albany Co., 13 Dec-4 Jan 1983 (KPA). 1982-47-A immature with above 23 Dec (KPA).

THICK-BILLED MURRE (Uria lomvia). 1982-30-A one in basic plumage-Derby Hill, Oswego Co., 21 Oct (FGS, JH). An upstate record of a typically marine species.

NORTHERN HAWK-OWL (Surnia ulula). 1982-2-A single bird-near Canton, St. Lawrence Co., 6 Jan-26 Feb, photograph on file (KC) 1982-14-A,B single bird-near Keene, Essex Co., 9 Feb-20 Mar, photograph on file (BRC, KPA). There were about three dozen reliable records from New York prior to 1970. Two additional, substantiated records were made between then and 1978: Vernon, Oneida Co., 15 Dec 1973-3 Mar 1974 (photograph in Am. Birds 28: 604, 1974) and North Gage, Oneida Co., 20 Dec 1974-late Feb 1975 (photograph on file). Since 1978 the NYSARC has accepted one record in addition to the two in this report.

BLUE GROSBEAK (Guiraca caerulea). 1982-21-A pair nesting Latourette Park, Richmond Co., 17 June to 1 July (N & BS). Full details of this first state nesting record appear in - The Kingbird (32: 236-237, 1982).

HARRIS' SPARROW (Zonotrichia querula). 1982-11-A immature Gilgo Beach, Suffolk Co., 30 Jan to early Apr (ROP). This is about the 36th record from New York and about the seventh from Long Island.

CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR (Calcarius ornatus). 1982-24-A male-Bay County Park, East Rockaway, Nassau Co, 6-8 June (THD). Full details, including a photograph, of this fifth state record appear in The Kingbird (32: 226-227, 1982).

BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (Euphagus cyanocephalus). 1982-35-A,B two males-town of Hamlin, Monroe Co., 1-10 Apr (DS, MD). A small flock was observed at the same locality during the spring 1981! This is the tenth record from New York.

HOARY REDPOLL (Carduelis hornemanni). 1982-3-A to 1982-10-A at least eight individuals-Pompey Township, Onondaga Co., between 31 Jan and 4 Mar, five trapped and banded, several photographed (DWC). 1982-12-A male-town of Onondaga, Onondaga Co., 4 Feb (JH). 1982-37-A female-plumaged bird-Rochester, Monroe Co., 17 Jan (FD). 1982-38-A two-Irondequoit, Monroe Co., 4 Feb (NSM). Numerous other individuals were reported without details during the late winter 1981/82 in what appears to have been the largest incursion of this form into New York ever recorded. However, observers must be cautious in identifying Hoary Redpolls; DWC noted trapping three additional birds that appear intermediate between this form and the Common Redpoll (C. flammea).

1981 REPORT NOT ACCEPTED

TANAGER (Piranga sp.). 1981-44-A. Fredonia, Chautauqua Co. late Nov-19 Dec. Indistinct photographs submitted with this report depict a bird of the color, size and build appropriate for Summer Tanager (P. rubra) or Hepatic Tanager (P. flava).

1982 REPORTS NOT ACCEPTED

WHITE IBIS (Eudocimus albus). 1982-48-A Lake Champlain, Clinton Co. 12-15 Sept.

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (Buteo regalis). 1982-32-A Webster, Monroe Co., 12 Apr.

ARCTIC TERN (Sterna paradisea). 1982-19-A Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge 7 May.

CONNECTICUT WARBLER (Oporornis agilis). 1982-20-A DeWitt, Onondaga Co., 25 May.

GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER (Basileuterus culcivorus). 1982-41-A Hamlin Beach State Park, Monroe Co., 4 Sept.

CASSIN'S FINCH (Carpodacus cassinii). 1982-22-A Cleveland Township, Columbia Co., 1 June.

HOARY REDPOLL (Carduelis hornemanni). 1982-39-A Hamlin Monroe Co., 20 Feb.

In addition to these records, reports of Glossy Ibis (upstate), Eurasian Wigeon, Peregrine Falcon, Lesser Black-backed Gull (upstate), and Boreal Chickadee (outside Adirondacks) were received, but filed without formal review. Blue Grosbeak is the third species to be added to the list of state nesting birds as a result of the Breeding Bird Atlas project. The total state list remains unchanged at 423 species.

Respectfully submitted,

Paul DeBenedictis, Chairman
Kenneth P. Able
Robert F. Andrle
Thomas H. Davis
Robert O. Paxton

Contributors: Kenneth P. Able, Karen L. Allaben-Confer, Robert F. Andrle, Wavel and Maxine Barber, Walter E. Benning, B. R. Carmen, Jim Clinton Jr., Bill Colsman, William E. Cook, Arthur P. Cooley, John Confer, Kenneth Crowell, Dorothy W. Crumb, Mike Davids, Thomas H. Davis, Paul DeBenedictis, Frank Dobson, Lewis and Elizabeth Dumont, Susan E. Ells, Daniel R. Gray II, John Hanyak, Morgan Jones, Steve Kahl, Sandy B. Keonick, Warren L. Lloyd, Kenneth M. McDermott, Neil S. Moon, Robert O. Paxton, Gilbert S. Raynor, Francis M. Rew, Gene Sattler, F. G. Scheider, Norma and Bill Siebenheller, Gerald A. Smith, Robert G. Spahn, and David Strong.

REFERENCES

Bull, John. 1974. Birds of New York State. Doubleday Natural History Press, N.Y. -. 1976. Supplement to Birds of New York State. Special publication of the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc.