ABA Blog

#ABArare - Blue-footed Booby - New Mexico

New Mexico's second Blue-footed Booby (Code 4) was found at Chaparral Park in Lovington on Aug 11. Found by Ree Hoyl, it was on the only lake in the park.

photo by Ree Hoyl

Lovington is on the eastern plains of New Mexico. The state's first Blue-footed Booby was also on the eastern plains at Conchas Lake in August 2009. This species sporadically disperses in the Southwest from the Gulf of California. In the ABA Area, it's most frequently found at the Salton Sea in California. (I use the term "frequently" loosely. Years can go by without any records.) It's also been found inland in Arizona. For example, one was found at a small lake, similar to the one at Chaparral Park, near Phoenix in 1996. There are also some coastal records.

To get to Chaparral Park, located on the east side of Lovington, take South Commercial Street south from Highway 83. Go approximately 0.3 miles and then turn left (east) into Chaparral Park. The park road ends at a parking area next to the lake. The lake is small and it should be easy to find the booby if it's still present. (Map available here.)

Blue-footed Booby is a resident of the eastern Pacific Ocean where it breeds on islands of the Gulf of California south to Peruvian waters.  It has been a sporadic visitor to SoCal (Salton Sea) and even inland California, and as far north as Washington.  It has also shown up in southern Nevada and in southwestern Arizona, and one was at Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, TX,  from 2 June 1993 - 6 October 1994 (ABA Checklist, Seventh Edition, Pranty, et. al.).  This species makes periodic movements into the ABA Area, "with only one flight year (1990) since 1977". (ABA Checklist).

2013 Camp Colorado: The Experience of a Lifetime

By Sam Brunson

Sunday, July 21, 2013, I landed in Denver, arriving with a group of young birders from Georgia to attend the ABA's Camp Colorado 2013. The moment the plane's landing gear touched the runway, a seemingly 144+ hour birding marathon began. I had never birded in the western bastion for birds of Colorado, and couldn't wait to start seeing all the birds, going to all the amazing locations, and getting to know all the leaders and my fellow campers. 

I knew before going that the trip was going to be amazing; however, it turned it out to be more than just amazing. Camp Colorado was the experience of a lifetime.

Camp Colorado was the experience of a lifetime for a plethora of reasons, but three things will always shine bright in my memory: the birds I saw, the places I went, and most of all, the people I met. 

Black-billed Magpie (Photo by Caden Haines)

The Birds I Saw
We woke up relatively early every morning, with some days having earlier starts than others. For some, waking up at 4 a.m. might seem a bit tedious and exhausting, but the thought of seeing all the new birds and exploring new areas always helped everyone get up and at 'em in the wee hours of the morning.

Usually we ate breakfast at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, where we stayed for the duration of camp, but for the days when we had to get up early we dined on the go. Speaking of food, we had one of our best birds of camp while we were all stopped for a brief snack: the Black Swift. While most of us campers were snacking on granola bars and trail mix, Steve Howell, one of our fantastic leaders, called out a pair of Black Swifts circling high in the sky.

Right then I, along with my fellow campers, learned an important lesson: you are always birding. When you are in the field, you are birding. When you are taking a break, you are birding. When you are eating a snack, you are birding. If you lose you focus while birding, you might miss seeing an amazing bird, such as a Black Swift.

The Places I Went
One of my favorite birding spots of the week was high up in Rocky Mountain National Park at Medicine Bow Curve. After driving for a while through the park and making a few stops, we arrived at our destination to find one of the target birds of the day: the White-tailed Ptarmigan. 

We didn't have to wait long on our mini-hike along the tundra as we spotted the well-camouflaged birds lurking around a large hill. The ptarmigans were tough to see, but with our army of binoculars, spotting scopes, and birders, the entire group was able to get great looks at the elusive species.  

A group of us kept going in search of more ptarmigans, but only saw Mountain Bluebirds, American Robins, and a lone Horned Lark. As we headed back, we noticed that those in the group that had stayed behind were all looking intently around a wide-spread bush, and once we were within talking distance learned that an adult White-tailed Ptarmigan and her four chicks were walking around the bush. Everyone rushed as fast as they could (making sure to stay quiet and not disturb the birds), so that they could look at the birds.

Earlier in the week, we had an amazing experience seeing a Golden Eagle. We driving on the highway on the way to the Pawnee National Grassland in northeastern Colorado, and spotted a raptor sitting on a fence post 5-10 feet from the road. From far off we campers assumed that it was some type of hawk, but it turned out to be much more than just "some hawk." As we got closer and closer to the raptor, everyone realized at the same time that the bird wasn't a hawk, but an eagle. A Golden Eagle. A mad scramble for binoculars and cameras soon ensued as all the campers plunged to the right side of the vehicle trying to get closer looks at the amazing bird.

Golden Eagle at Pawnee National Grassland (Photo by Marky Mutchler)

The van was able to get parallel with the massive bird, who proceeded to allow photos for only a few seconds until it flew off in the opposite direction. Thankfully, it didn't go too far off so everyone was still able to get to see the beautiful bird.

The People I Met
Without a doubt the leaders were one of the highlights of Camp Colorado. Camp Directors Bill Stewart and Jennie Duberstein did an extraordinary job keeping the week running smoothly and organizing every day of camp. Joining Bill and Jennie on staff were Jeff and Liz Gordon, Jeff Bouton, David La Puma, and Steve Howell. We also were able to bird with Ted Floyd, the editor of Birding Magazine, and many other great birders during the week. 

Common Nighthawk at Crow Valley Campground (Photo by Sam Brunson)

All of the leaders did a fantastic job of teaching us about birding and without them, camp would not have been the same. The numerous talks, pieces of advice, lessons, and tips given by each leader helped shape every single camper into a better birder

Another highlight of the camp was having the opportunity to meet other birders my age. I made life-long friends at Camp Colorado and can't wait to bird with them in the future. 

Finishing Up
Camp Colorado wasn't just about seeing as many new birds as we could. Camp Colorado was much, much more than that. It was about learning to become a better all around birder: learning how to identify birds better than before, learning how to fully utilize a field guide, learning about bird behavior, learning about the amazing world of radar ornithology, learning how to lead a bird walk, learning about the importance of bird conservation, learning how to digiscope, and learning about what it means to be a birder. 

American Three-toed Woodpecker in Rocky Mountain National Park (Photo by Ben Thesing)

If you ever have the opportunity to go to Camp Colorado, go! You won't regret it, I can tell you that for sure. Another thing I can tell you for sure is that I will never forget Camp Colorado, because without a doubt, it was the experience of a lifetime.

About the author: Sam Brunson, 17, lives in Savannah, Georgia and has really gotten into birding in the past four years. He and his cousin run their blog, Two Birders and Binoculars, a website dedicated to helping others become better birders.

This post is cross-posted at The Eyrie. 

Related articles

Birding a Fourteener

2013 Camp Colorado Dispatch

More from 2013 Camp Colorado!

#ABArare - South Polar Skua - Oklahoma

This year has seen a slew of mind-blowing records in the ABA Area, from the unexpected Alaska Lesser White-fronted Goose to the ridiculous New Mexico Rufous-necked Wood-Rail. Add to that short list the ABA code 3 South Polar Skua found earlier this week on Lake Overholser by Tony and Jim Solorio in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, earlier this week. Pending acceptance, this is a first state record for Oklahoma.

 

photos by Joe Grzybowski, used with permission

 

The bird was initially found on 8/6 and ID'd as a jaeger species based on photos taken of the bird from an odd angle. Subsequent photos revealed the bird's true identity, helped no doubt by reports that it was attacking, drowning, and consuming the area's many Cattle Egrets.

Lake Overholser lies within the city limits of Oklahoma City, to the west of the city proper. The bird has primarily been seen from the boathouse and police station off of Overholser Drive on the east side of the lake, which offers an expansive view of the lake.

South Polar Skua is an uncommon, but regular, visitor to the waters of the ABA area and is almost exclusively seen well offshore. Records of this Antarctic breeder are far less common in the interior of the continent with a very small handful noted, most of which are associated with hurricanes or tropical storms. Those records include include two from the interior of North Carolina in 1984 (after Hurricane Diana) and 2006 (after Tropical Storm Ernesto), North Dakota (1989), Tennessee (2005, following Hurricane Katrina), and Georgia (2007).

An outlier is an odd record from Little Soda Lake, Nevada, from the 1980s of a recovered bird's leg with a band that returned as a South Polar Skua. So far as I can tell, that record was unpublished and the documentation lost (fide Christopher Wood, Oklahoma listserv).

In any case, observers of the uncontroversial record have seen the bird on every day since the initial report, assaulting and occasionally depredating the resident terns, gulls, and herons. Truly a remarkable record and bird.

 

Rare Bird Alert: August 9, 2013

Backs against the wall once more, and the streak survives in fairly epic fashion this week. While there was no report of a state or provincial first record last week, this week sees two of them, pending record committee approval.

Beyond those new birds for the states of Oklahoma and Utah shorebird season continues apace into August, and Old World stints continue to be discovered a various places with most reports, as expected, coming from the Pacific coast. The shorebird show from Alaska to southern California is exciting, indeed.

South Polar Skua in OK, photo by Joe Grzybowski, used with permission

Headlining the week's rarities is undoubtedly Oklahoma first South Polar Skua (ABA Code 3) seen near Oklahoma City just yesterday. This is not only the first for the state, but only the fourth or fifth for the interior of the continent (depending on the veracity of an odd record from Nevada). In any case, the unexpectedness of the bird is matched by the bird's charisma, as it has reportedly been driving Cattle Egrets into the water where it drowns and consumes them. This is a bird who knows how to make an entrance. 

Another first record from the interior of the continent comes from Utah, where a Bar-tailed Godwit was seen at Willard Bay in Box Elder. This is the first record which is fully documented, apparently, as at least two prior reports of this species for Utah did not pass muster.

A possible Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (3) was reported in St. Louis, Missouri. The bird has not been confirmed, but a Tricolored Heron at the site was well-photographed.

Notable Asian strays in western Alaska this week include a Long-toed Stint (3) and a Common Snipe (3) on St. Paul Island. 

Repositioning ships off of British Columbia continue to provide a platform for excellent records, most recently a Great Shearwater, the province's 3rd, and a "Scripp's"-type Murrelet. A Red-necked Stint (3) was also found at Boundary Bay near Vancouver.

California's second Lesser Sand-Plover (3) in as many weeks was discovered in Santa Cruz, a Rufous-necked Stint (3) was seen in San Bernadino and a pelagic trip out of Monterey Bay had an encounter with a Hawaiian Petrel (4). 

4 Brant seen near the town of Fallon are good birds for Nevada.

A Sooty Shearwater, Arizona's 2nd record, was seen well inland on Mittry Lake in Yuma. Birders subsequently looking for it found Arizona's 10th Brown Booby (3).

A Short-tailed Hawk was observed at a hawkwatch in Hidalgo, Texas, and Tamaulipas Crows, few and far between in the ABA Area for the last several years, were reported this week from the Brownsville Dump in Cameron.

In Quebec, a Roseate Tern was seen at Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

A Brown Booby (3) was seen just offshore from White Head Island, New Brunswick.

Maine's third record of Mew Gull was seen near Thomaston. No word on whether the subspecies was the slightly more expected "Common" Gull of the Old World, or Maine's first record of the western "Small-billed" population.

In New Jersey, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen in Burlington.

And in Virginia, a Bar-tailed Godwit has been seen by several birders over the last few days at Chincoteague NWR in Accomack.

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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.

You Know You're a Birder When...

For the latter half or so of July I was incredibly fortunate and privileged to sail from western Iceland to Greenland aboard the National Geographic Explorer as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow.  The trip was so full of highlights that I'm still wrapping my head around it; I'm working on photos and movies, making plans for curriculum development and community outreach built around my experiences, and journaling about some science themes I found interesting on my PolarTREC page.

 

 I thought I'd share one experience that most readers of this blog can relate to.  On our last full day at sea we were heading up the western coast of Greenland towards our departure point of Kangerlussauq.  In the early afternoon the announcement went out over the ship's PA system that Blue Whales were spouting off the bow in the distance.  Pretty much all of the ship's guests turned out to see this most amazing creature, the largest animal to ever inhabit planet Earth.

 

THAR SHE BLOWS!!  Spouting Blue Whale, Sukkertoppen Bank, Southwest Greenland 27 July 2013.

A pair of the behemoths were feeding, following a pattern of short-interval blows at the surface for a few minutes before diving for 5 or so minutes.  While the whales were down it was pretty quiet aboard, with folks chimping over cameras or having conversations about other places they had seen whales, what pertinent field marks to observe, etc.  As their time down stretched most kept a keen eye peeled to see where the far & fast-ranging rorquals would surface next.  When the whales spouted there was a din of shutter clicks along with actual ooohs and ahhs (some coming from my own mouth, I'm sure.)  But in one of the lulls something caught my eye- amongst the ubiquitous Northern Fulmars and steady stream of Iceland Gulls there was first one and then two darker, more ominous-looking birds powering along in purposeful flight off the port side.  Jaegers!  (Er, maybe since we were in Greenlandic waters, Skuas??  Can I get a ruling...)  

Anyway, both were of a good size and had the chesty look and double-flash in the underwing to be confident calling Pomarine.  The fact that one sported nicely maintained tail spoons didn't hurt, either.  So there I was, my attention turned perpendicular to everyone else's, firing my camera like a madman at 5fps until my buffer filled while about everyone else waited for the Blues to reappear, probably wondering what the heck was so special about the "sea gulls" I was so intently photographing.  The birder in a group always eventually outs him or herself, right??

"So I was watching Blue Whales off the coast of Greenland and then this happened..."  Admittedly, something I never thought I'd say prior to this summer.  Sukkertoppen Bank, Southwest Greenland 27 July 2013.

Ever curious, this adult Pomarine Yaeger took a victory lap around the ship.  I'm not sure how many guests took serious notice but I sure appreciated it!  Sukkertoppen Bank, Southwest Greenland 27 July 2013.

Anyway, I'm not too tunnel-visioned to ignore something as awe-inspiring as a Blue Whale and got some images I'll be pleased to share alongside the jaeger pics!  More importantly, it was such a cherry on top of the whole trip to be in the presence of magnificence, both avian and cetacean.

Diving Blue Whale, Sukkertoppen Bank, Southwest Greenland 27 July 2013.

Blue Whale scat & Northern Fulmar, Sukkertoppen Bank, Southwest Greenland 27 July 2013.

I also had a fantastic time working with the 8 young explorers on board, a nice warm up for Camp Avocet next week!  Also, I would be remiss if I didn't thank National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions for offering me and 13 other educators the chance to visit the Arctic this summer.  Our students, colleagues, and communities will benefit incredibly from the experiences we've had!

Here I am with fellow Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Joe Super and 8 awesome young explorers.  Bonus birder points for Wesley sporting the puffin hat!  Photo © Ralph Lee Hopkins.

Stand by for posts from Delaware and watch out for awesomeness from the young birders and other leaders I'll get to rub elbows with!!  

p.s.  If you are still with me thanks for reading.  Here are a few other bird photo highlights from the trip- enjoy!

Atlantic Puffin, Flatey Island, Iceland, 20 July 2013.

Common Eiders & Ice, Skjoldungensund, Greenland, 22 July 2013.

Common Ravens, Nanortalik, Greenland, 23 July 2013.

Immature Greenlandic Common Redpoll, Hvalsey, Greenland, 24 July 2013.

Male Greenlandic Common Redpoll, Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, 28 July 2013.

Eurasian Oystercatcher, Flatey Island, Iceland, 20 July 2013.

Northern Fulmar portrait, Flatey Island, Iceland, 20 July 2013.

Iceland Gull, Skjoldungensund, Greenland, 22 July 2013.

Iceland Gull feather & tundra, Nanortalik, Greenland, 23 July 2013.

Iceland Gull, offshore of Skjoldungensund, Greenland, 22 July 2013.

Northern Fulmar, Atlantic Puffins, and Common Murres, Flatey Island, Iceland, 20 July 2013.  Oh, and some finny thing.

Just kidding- I love whales as much as seabirds.  Mother Orca (inverted, underwater) with youngster, Latrabjarg, Iceland, 20 July 2013.

Orcas, Latrabjarg, Iceland, 20 July 2013.

 

 

The Stars at Night, a Wood-Rail in verse

The Rufous-necked Wood-Rail of New Mexico, sadly having most likely moved on now, has inspired no shortage of excitement among birders in the ABA area and beyond. Even those of us stuck on the wrong side of the continent - like yours truly - have really enjoyed watching so many birders so excited about a single sighting and the carnival-like atmosphere that resulted.

photo by Jeff Gordon

 

Perhaps the most creative response to the wood-rail was sent to me by poet Tom Crawford. I share it with you now.

 

THE STARS AT NIGHT

Tom Crawford

I wanted to be a more serious poet,

grind my teeth in the dark,

get existential with my emotional fatigue

but with one good bourbon on ice

I was always in bed by 9:00.

And in the morning, couldn’t help it,

the early light dazzled me

and like clock work, here come the birds

again, right through my window.

Of course, by then I’m lost

to any feelings of hopelessness

which also meant I had no chance

with East coast magazines where celebration

tends to raise a stink. My up beat,

excitable poems, well—you can blame it

on the birds, their variety, colors, habits, long

evolution—I’ve been unable to resist.

There are lots of people, I’ve discovered,

not all that comfortable with happiness.

Now I’m resigned to a small circle of friends

who have also turned to birds.

That’s right, they put out suet and seed.

And they won’t live where they can’t see

the stars at night. The other day someone spotted

a South American Rufous-necked Wood-Rail

in the Bosque del Apache in New Mexico of all places.

The news went viral. Birders came in by car and plane

from all over America just to glimpse this darling.

Everybody was happy.

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Tom Crawford is a teacher and the author of 7 books of poetry, the most recent, The Names of Birds which is available through his web page: tomcrawfordpoetry.com. His love, besides birding and writing about birds, is presenting at bird venues. Most recently, Mono Lake's Bird Chautauqua in Lee Vining,  California.

Open Mic: Wader Quest in the USA

At the Mic: Rick Simpson

Rick Simpson of Newport Pagnell, UK, is a bird guide, illustrator, author of Confessions of a Bird Guide, and a Birdlife Species Champion. 

He previously wrote about Wader Quest at the ABA Blog here,  to Thailand here, and the UAE here. 

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North America has some of the most interesting waders and our quest would not be complete without at least one visit there. We touched down in Miami, Florida late at night with 55 on our Wader Quest list having added Red Phalarope and Green Sandpiper in the UK and a lucky Eurasian Woodcock over the car on the way to the airport. After a bit of stressful searching we managed to find somewhere to rest our weary heads for what remained of the night and hit the sack.

In the morning we awoke to the dreaded sound of torrential rain beating down on our motel roof, undaunted (well, to be honest a little daunted) we headed out and across town to Key Biscayne. We had an appointment with Rangel Diaz, ranger at Crandon Park so loafing in bed was not an option, however appealing it may have seemed.

We were early, the gates were shut and a strong wind was coming in off the Atlantic, but at least it had stopped raining by the time we got there. Soon enough the gates were opened and after pottering around enjoying the early morning birds (this was Elis’ first trip to Florida), we went and met our host Rangel. With him we found Jim King, erstwhile Crandon Park manager, who had come down especially to meet us and together we all jumped in the buggy and set off for the beach.

The wind was still whistling in from the sea when we alighted from our vehicle, we were finding it hard to stand, bracing ourselves against this natural force. Yet somehow, the large gathering of lightweight waders a little further along the beach from where we were, seemed to be standing, each on one leg, with little difficulty. Scanning through them it was apparent that the bulk were Black-bellied Plovers with a smaller number of Short-billed Dowitchers.

We edged closer and saw some smaller birds, Calidrids, mainly Dunlins and Sanderlings, then we noticed the plovers. A small group of them were sheltering behind a lifeguard hut. This hut made a good vantage point for us to check them out. It was immediately obvious that we had a mixed flock of Semipalmated and Piping Plovers in about equal numbers.

Piping Plover was one of our big targets for the trip and we were pleased to see them so early in the day. In among the plovers a few peeps started to get noticed, both Least and Western were also Wader Quest ticks. Turning my attention again to the plovers one bird caught my eye, it looked bigger and heavier in the bill, surely this was another of our targets, Wilson’s Plover, and happily, so it proved, one of two, another being found nearby.

As we watched the birds we were joined by Daphne Rodriguez another ranger at the park, Robin Diaz a local bander who told us a delightful story about one of the colour-ringed Piping Plovers called Rocky (read Rocky’s story here) and Charlotte Miller from the local newspaper who was covering our visit. There we stayed, sheltering from the wind, enjoying the close proximity of some of our favourite birds and chatting at length about birds and waders in particular.

After a short dash to tick off a Western Spindalis nearby (couldn’t resist it), and a further chat at the centre, we said our goodbyes, thanked Rangel and the gang for their hospitality then we were off, heading for The Everglades National Park.

Our brief visit to the Everglades was not altogether successful, arriving as we did with little time to spare and at high tide, therefore no waders. We quickly left and headed back towards Miami. After an overnight in a hotel we headed west along the Everglades Parkway heading for Bunche Beach near Fort Meyers. Guess what? When we arrived it was high tide and what was visible of Bunche Beach was about three foot across! We saw one or two waders such as a Western Willet that was a new species for us and then headed for the Ding Darling Sanctuary where we added Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer and Greater Yellowlegs.

In the morning we headed back to Bunche Beach which was much more visible this time, the tide being out and all, timing is everything with intertidal birding. We wandered around the sand and mud and enjoyed close encounters with some more Piping Plovers, noting their colour rings so that we could find out more about them later (results here) and many assorted peeps and larger waders. The only new addition to the list however was a distant view of a couple of Marbled Godwits but there was no sign of the hoped for Long-billed Curlew. As we were leaving the beach we had a close encounter with Bald Eagle, these birds are impressive and always a joy to see, but this bird flew so close we could see its thoughts reflected in its eyes.

This pretty much concluded our stay in Florida, after an overnight in Miami we took a flight to Los Angeles and just had time to bird the LA River adding a much anticipated American Avocet there before the next morning heading north to Seattle, Washington.

Blog Birding #146

It's an issue that many traveling birders wrestle with; what can we do about the carbon emissions produced when we travel for birds. Laura Kammermeier at Nature Travel Network shares a solution:

Organizers just announced how funds from the 2013 project will be spent. The COBP habitat-building project will restore portions of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Boss Unit (on Benton-Carroll Road, just south of Rt. 2) to sedge meadow and warm-season grasses.  This should restore quality habitat–a full 15 acres–for shorebirds and grassland birds.

Much has been made about the similarities between Common and Hoary Redpolls and whether they are, in fact, separate species. Nathan Pieplow at the always amazing Earbirding blog takes a look at their vocalizations:

During the course of these discussions, a couple people argued that Common and Hoary Redpolls have been shown to differ in vocalizations.  To verify this claim, I set out to track down the relevant peer-reviewed literature, including a paper in Swedish, two key publications in Russian, and a book in German.  It took some six months, but thanks to the help of a terrific interlibrary loan crew (and some assistance from Albert Lastukhin in Russia), I finally managed to get copies of all the sources.  My dusty old fluency in Russian came in handy, as did my one year of college German.  (Oh, and Google Translate.)

Ted Parker, the late great field ornithologist, died 20 years ago this month. At Cornell's new All About Birds blog, they're celebrating his legacy:

Ted was an amazing person right from the start. Even as a child, he knew he wanted to be a naturalist and spent countless hours exploring the woods and fields around his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was an avid birder since childhood and in 1971–during his last semester of high school and first semester of college–he did a big year, tallying 627 species in a single year, smashing the existing big-year record of 598 species.

Birding puts us in out of the way places, which aren't always the safest places to be. Dick Mansfield of Vermont Birder elaborates:

Just as I returned to the boulder-strewn area, disaster struck.  Somehow, I slipped a bit and landed hard on my right foot.  My right leg crumpled and I took a hard fall with excruciating pain.  I yelled and of course, the dog came back to see what was up — I just laid there, unable to move.  After a bit, I attempted to right myself but could put no weight on my right leg.  So, here we are, about a mile in, no cell coverage at all, and no one around.  It was still early, only about 10 AM and I had a water bottle and some food so I figured, if worse came to worse, I could just stay there until help came. 

Don Frieday at the Frieday Bird blog gets to the heart of late summer birding, shorebirds and molt.

I set out around the South Cape May Meadows, NJ this morning without my scope, because I'm lazy, mainly. And I later wished I had brought the scope, because the Nature Conservancy, which owns and operates the meadows, has the easternmost pool drawn down nicely and it was kind of full of shorebirds, mainly ones beyond reasonable identification distance with binoculars alone. I muddled through, detecting for example White-rumped Sandpiper by call from a group of peep flying by.

#ABArare - Berylline Hummingbird - Arizona

Ed Dunn discovered a Berylline Hummingbird (Code 3) visiting the feeders at the Madera Kubo Bed and Breakfast in Madera Canyon on July 21. Since it was first found, it’s been reported on July 22, 28, 29, and 31. This species usually occurs in Southeast Arizona in very small numbers, but there were apparently none reported in 2012, making this sighting a little more noteworthy.

photo by Laurens Halsey

The Berylline mostly has been using the top right feeder on the front balcony.  Observe the feeders from the road. Except for guests of the Madera Kubo, parking is NOT available here. The closest parking area is at the amphitheater.

A White-eared Hummingbird was reported from this spot on July 20 and 22, but I’m unaware of any subsequent sightings. Elsewhere in Madera Canyon, a Lucifer Hummingbird is visiting the feeders at Santa Rita Lodge. It has been coming to the lone feeder that’s close to the bench in the bird viewing area. A Violet-crowned Hummingbird is also being seen here.

Berylline Hummingbird is species whose range extends from Honduras north into northern Mexico. In Mexico, it is found in oak-dominated foothills, but it is also found in temperate forests in parts of its range.  In the U.S., it has been found in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, where it has shown preference for mountain canyons. Berylline Hummingbird has been documented breeding in Arizona, and is known to hybridize with other hummingbird species.

A map of all locations mentioned above is available here.

2013 AOU Check-List Changes

The July issue of The Auk has just been published by the American Ornithologists’ Union, and like every year, it contains a supplement to the AOU Check-List. The ABA Checklist automatically adopts changes in taxonomy adopted by the AOU, so these changes are in effect immediately with regard to the ABA Checklist.

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CHANGES THAT AFFECT CANADA AND THE U.S.

The biggest news for ABA Area birders this year is that Sage Sparrow has been split into Sagebrush Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) and Bell’s Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli). The latter species includes the intermediate-looking, interior-California-breeding subspecies called canescens. It is hinted that this population may yet be split from Bell’s Sparrow and become a species of its own. Most if not all vagrant records of “Sage Sparrow” in the central and eastern parts of North America pertain to Sagebrush Sparrow.

The newly split Bell's Sparrow, this one from Baja California, Mexico, photo by Jorge Montejo via flickr

The “Little Shearwater” which occurs off eastern North America is now called Barolo Shearwater (Puffinis baroli). A record of “Little Shearwater” from California is no longer considered to have been identified unequivocally.

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That’s it for species splits. Now onto the scientific name and checklist sequence changes.

The following species are now placed within Calidris, and their former monotypic genera disappear.

• Surfbird (Aphriza virgata => Calidris virgata)
• Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus => Calidris pygmea)
• Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola falcinellus => Calidris falcinellus)
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis => Calidris subruficollis)
• Ruff (Philomachus pugnax => Calidris pugnax)

 The sequence of species within the genus Calidris changes to the following, keeping in mind the genus’s new members outlined above.

• Great Knot
• Red Knot
• Surfbird
• Ruff
• Broad-billed Sandpiper
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Curlew Sandpiper
• Temminck’s Stint
• Long-toed Stint
• Spoon-billed Sandpiper
• Red-necked Stint
• Sanderling
• Dunlin
• Rock Sandpiper
• Purple Sandpiper
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Little Stint
• Least Sandpiper
• White-rumped Sandpiper
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Western Sandpiper

Furthermore, the order Charadriiformes is reorganized, as follows

 Suborder Charadrii

• Family Burhinidae (thick-knees)
• Family Recurvirostridae (avocets and stilts)
• Family Haematopodidae (oystercatchers)
• Family Charadriidae (plovers)

Suborder Scolopaci

• Family Jacanidae (jaçanas)
• Family Scolopacidae (sandpipers)

Suborder Lari

• Family Glareolidae (pratincoles and coursers)
• Family Stercorariidae (skuas and jaegers)
• Family Alcidae (alcids)
• Family Laridae (gulls, terns, and skimmers)

The name for the sandgrouse order was changed from Pteroclidiformes to Pterocliformes.

Flammulated Owl is moved from the genus Otus (that of the Old World scops-owls) and placed in a new, monotypic genus. Its scientific name is now Psiloscops flammeolus.

The scientific names of some of the silky-flycatchers change. Genus Ptilogonys (including Gray Silky-flycatcher) changes to Ptiliogonys. The family, of which Phainopepla is also a member, changes from Ptilogonatidae to Ptiliogonatidae.

The sequence of species in the mimid family changes as follows. Species not currently on the ABA Checklist are marked with an asterisk.

• Blue Mockingbird
• Blue-and-white Mockingbird*
• Black Catbird*
• Gray Catbird
• White-breasted Thrasher*
• Scaly-breasted Thrasher*
• Pearly-eyed Thrasher*
• Brown Trembler*
• Gray Trembler*
• Curve-billed Thrasher
• Ocellated Thrasher*
• Brown Thrasher
• Long-billed Thrasher
• Cozumel Thrasher*
• Bendire’s Thrasher
• Gray Thrasher*
• California Thrasher
• Le Conte’s Thrasher
• Crissal Thrasher
• Sage Thrasher
• Bahama Mockingbird
• Socorro Mockingbird*
• Tropical Mockingbird*
• Northern Mockingbird

The sequence of the three Haemorhous (formerly Carpodacus) finches has changed to the following.

• House Finch
• Purple Finch
• Cassin’s Finch

The subfamily Drepanidinae (Hawaiian honeycreepers) disappears, as it is subsumed into the subfamily Carduelinae. The Hawaiian honeycreepers really just are, it seems, highly-diverged members of the goldfinch clan. Their position in the list changes, now coming immediately after Eurasian Bullfinch, but their internal sequence is unchanged.

Hawaiian Creeper, one of those aforementioned honeycreepers, gets a change of scientific name. It was formerly a member of a monotypic genus: Oreomystis. It is now Loxops mana. It shares this genus with ‘Akeke’e and ‘Ākepa, and it now precedes the former in the checklist sequence.

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IN MIDDLE AMERICA AND THE WEST INDES

The Cuban endemic Bare-legged Owl has its monotypic genus changed. It is now Margarobyas lawrencii. Formerly known as Cuban Screech-Owl.

Green-crowned and Violet-crowned woodnymphs are lumped into Crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica), based on apparent interbreeding in Colombia. In Pamama, however, the two are not known to come into contact.

Western Slaty-Antshrike has its common name changed to Black-crowned Antshrike. Genetic evidence shows it is not related to the South American slaty-antshrikes (sensu stricto).

Zeledon’s Antbird (Myrmeciza zeledoni), found from Costa Rica to Ecuador, is split from Immaculate Antbird (M. immaculata) of Colombia and Venezuela.

Rufous-rumped Antwren has a change of genus. It is now Euchrepomis callinota.

Thrush-like Schiffornis split into four species, among them two are found in North America: the dull, olivaceous Northern Schiffornis (Schiffornis veraepacis) and the more reddish Russet-winged Schiffornis (Schiffornis stenorhyncha). Northern Schiffornis is found from Mexico south into Peru. Russet-winged Schiffornis is found from central Panama to northern Venezuela. Where the two species are in close proximity, Northern is often found at higher elevations (with Cerro Pirre being a notable exception). The two species are visually and vocally distinct.

The genus Chloropipo is dissolved into Xenopipo. This impacts Green Manakin, now Xenopipo holochlora.

Golden-headed and Red-capped manakins are moved to a new genus. Red-capped Manakin changes from Pipra mentalis to Ceratopipra mentalis. and Golden-headed from Pipra erythrocephala to Ceratopipra erythrocephala.

The checklist sequence of the manakins also changes, as follows.

• White-ruffed Manakin
• Lance-tailed Manakin
• Long-tailed Manakin
• Green Manakin
• White-crowned Manakin
• Red-capped Manakin
• Golden-headed Manakin
• White-collared Manakin
• Orange-collared Manakin
• Golden-collared Manakin
• Blue-crowned Manakin

The scientific name of the (almost certainly paraphyletic but not-yet-split) Common Bush-Tanager changes from Chlorospingus ophthalmicus to Chlorospingus. flavopectus.

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REJECTED PROPOSALS

A change in genus name for Yellow-crowned Night-Heron from Nyctanassa to Nyctherodius.

Split of American Thalasseus acuflavidus (Cabot’s Tern) from Sandwich Tern.

Split of Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium cobanense) from Northern Pygmy-Owl.

Split of Velasquez’s Woodpecker (Melanerpes santacruzi) from Golden-fronted Woodpecker.

Split of Myiarchus flavidior (Ridgway’s Flycatcher) from Nutting’s Flycatcher. Ridgway's lives on the Soconusco Plain, on the Pacific slope of Chiapas, Mexico's southermost state. Its range may be similar to that of Giant Wren. 

Further splitting of Canada Goose.

Split of White-breasted Nuthatch.

Lump of the three American-breeding rosy-finches into American Rosy-Finch (L. tephrocotis).

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“OLD NEWS”

As a general policy, the AOU accepts as additions to the checklist, any species the ABA CLC (American Birding Association Checklist Committee) adds to its list which are not already on the AOU’s list. So these actions affect their checklist, not the ABA's. This year, those species include:

Providence Petrel, on the basis on multiple birds photographed off Attu in 2011. Also known as Solander’s Petrel.

Fea’s Petrel

Common Moorhen (sensu stricto), based on 2010 Shemya I. record.

Rosy-faced Lovebird, based on the established population in the Phoenix, AZ area. Also known as Peach-faced Lovebird.

Nanday Parakeet, based on the established population in Florida. Also known as Black-hooded Parakeet.

Asian Rosy-Finch, based on the 2011 Adak record.