Summer is officially here and with it the beginning of hot, muggy, buggy, birding across much ot he ABA Area. And while June is hardly the most popular month for grabbing the bins and getting out in the heat, the excitement of fall migration is right around the corner. Even those who take the month off only have to wait a few short weeks more before the whole thing packs up and heads south again. And in fact, a couple of the vagrants this week show definite signs of southbound migration and post-breeding dispersal. It's all over so soon.
The most exciting report of the period comes from the Pribilofs with the remarkable discovery of an ABA Code 5 Lesser White-fronted Goose, the second ever in the ABA Area, on St. Paul Island. This species was on no one's list of expected vagrants given the species' precipitous population decline over the last several years. And more, it removes another species from the Attu-only list, those birds on the ABA checklist never recorded away from that farthest flung Aleutian Island.
Also on St. Paul, a Cuculus Cuckoo sp was photographed, but not identified to species.
Two first records were reported this week, but only one came from the past seven day period. In Pennsylvania, a Shiny Cowbird visited a feeder in Adams on the 6th of June for that state's first record, but was only widely disseminated this past week.
And in Colorado, a state first Great Kiskadee was a one-day wonder in a yard in Prowers.
Good birds in Oregon include an Ash-throated Flycatcher in Troutdale and an Indigo Bunting in Polk.
A Yellow-bellied Flycatcher earlier this month in Maricopa, is only Arizona's 4th record.
A bizarre report from Arkansas comes in the form of a Brown Booby (3) apparently photographed at close range in Ouachita. This is the state's second record, and the second in as many years.
Neotropic Cormorants are again making their way north, with a record this week in Putnam, Illinois, and another in Fulton, Kentucky.
A Brown Pelican in Cuyahoga, Ohio, was not only a great bird so far inland, but apparently became something of a local celebrity.
Unusual for the time of year as much as the location, a Black-headed Gull (3) turned up at Point Pelee, Ontario.
A Northern Mockingbird is a notable find as far north as Montreal, Quebec.
The Red-billed Tropicbird (3) has returned for yet another year at Seal Island, Maine. Also in the state, a Swallow-tailed Kite was seen at South Yarmouth.
Hot off the presses yesterday is the report of the first stint of the "fall", a Red-necked Stint (3) in Essex, Massachusetts. photo at left by Suzanne Sullivan.
A pair of Common Ground-Doves were discovered in Moore, North Carolina.
--=====--
Omissions and errors are not intended, but if you find any please message blog AT aba.org and I'll try to fix them as soon as possible. This post is meant to be an account of the most recently reported birds. Continuing birds not mentioned are likely included in previous editions listed here. Place names written in italics refer to counties/parishes.
Readers should note that none of these reports has yet been vetted by a records committee. All birders are urged to submit documentation of rare sightings to the appropriate state or provincial committees. For full analysis of these and other bird observations, subscribe to North American Birds <aba.org/nab>, the richly illustrated journal of ornithological record published by the ABA
Another red-necked stint at Cupsogue, NY, this morning, I'm told.
Posted by: Birding Book Reviews | 06/30/2013 at 10:51 AM