2021 Notable Sightings January through October

By Anthony Macchariola

This section of the newsletter will highlight some of the rare, uncommon, or otherwise notable bird sightings in and around Putnam County. Typically, we will focus on sightings that occur between the previous newsletter and the current one, but since this is our first installment we are going to highlight the many interesting birds that have occurred in Putnam County in 2021 so far.

All of the sightings listed here were compiled using eBird.org. For those unfamiliar with EBIRD, it is an impressively comprehensive website that allows to you to find birds and places to go birding (both locally and while travelling somewhere new), as well as a way to keep track of your bird lists and photos. All of the data you input into EBIRD contributes to science and to the conservation of birds and their habitat. We encourage everyone to join EBIRD (it is free, you just need to create an account),  and record all of your bird sightings there. And remember, EBIRD is not just for notable sightings! Recording your backyard observations of chickadees, woodpeckers, and nuthatches is actually more valuable data in most cases than reporting a rare vagrant! Please visit ebird.org/about to learn more and to sign up. And visit https://ebird.org/region/US-NY-079?yr=all to see Putnam County’s eBird page.

If you are not registered on EBIRD yet and you have a notable bird sighting in Putnam County, we would love to hear about it! As feeder season approaches, many birds start to frequent our backyards and it is a great time for a rare bird to show up. Please let us know about your sightings, and include any documentation (such as photos, which are strongly encouraged to confirm a rare bird sighting) by emailing us at: PHASbirds@gmail.com

 1/2021-2/2021 Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins (Winter Finch Irruption)

4/29 Glossy Ibis: Putnam Valley Town Park, Putnam Valley

5/2021 Evening Grosbeaks: multiple sightings as they were returning back to their breeding grounds (Winter Finch Irruption)

5/9 Summer Tanager: Private Home, Putnam Valley

5/25 Alder Flycatcher: Bog Brook Unique Area, Brewster

5/28 Kentucky Warbler: Garrison Institute, Garrison

7/21 Snowy Egret: Lake Carmel, Carmel

8/23 Caspian Terns: Incredible high count of 17 birds, Hudson River, Cold Spring

8/26 Baird’s Sandpiper: Glynwood Farm, Cold Spring

8-27 then 10/7-10/24 Grasshopper Sparrow: Glynwood Farm, Cold Spring

9/13 American Bittern: West Point Foundry Preserve, Cold Spring

9/25 Common Gallinule (2):- Maybrook Trailway, Patterson

9/26 Connecticut Warbler: Glynwood Farm, Cold Spring

9/26 - 10/3 Dickcissel: Glynwood Farm, Cold Spring

10/3 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Glynwood Farm, Cold Spring

10/9 Varied Thrush: Watchtower, Patterson

10/9 Gray cheeked Thrush: Constitution Marsh Audubon Sanctuary, Philipstown

10/24 Northern Pintail (Male/Female Pair): Barrett Pond, Philipstown

10/27 Surf Scoter: Hudson River, Cold Spring