ABA Blog

Rare Bird Alert: August 23, 2013

A short introduction this week, but sufficed to say that the streak is once again on the verge of being broken. Birders have seven more days to find a first record somewhere in the ABA area. Get to it!

In actual found bird news, the question "How many Blue-footed Boobies constitutes an irruption?" is an increasingly relevant one. Following New Mexico's second record last week, another Blue-footed Booby (ABA Code 4) was discovered in the southwest, this time at Patagonia Lake in Santa Cruz, Arizona. Rest assured that this individual is a more more robust representative of booby-dom than it's starving NM counterpart, and it's been seen on several occasions fishing successfully at the lake. 

photo by Andrew Core

Also in Arizona, and even also in Santa Cruz, a Yellow-green Vireo was also found this week. 

In California,a Curlew Sandpiper (3) was well-photographed in Monterey.

Other vagrant shorebirds include a Ruff (3) near Quesnel, British Columbia.

Another Ruff (3) in western Canada was seen near Langdon, Alberta.

Alaska is beginning to heat up again, most notably on St. Paul, where a Common House-Martin (4) was stooping at many of the guides there. Birders in Gambell are weighing in as well, with a Little Bunting (4) and a Dusky Warbler (4) seen there over the last couple weeks. Also, a Long-billed Murrelet (3) was spotted in Kachemek Bay and a surprisingly rare for Alaska American Goldfinch at a feeder near Pelican.

Swallow-tailed Kites are making their annual foray into the midwest, with reports from Cass, Michigan, Hancock, Ohio, and Dearborn, Indiana.

In Illinois, a Great-tailed Grackle is a good bird in Morgan.

A Brown Pelican was seen in Wheatley Harbour, Ontario, meaning the species has been seen on both sides of Lake Erie now. 

Another Swallow-tailed Kite flew over Capitale-Nationale, Quebec.

New England is becoming the region to find White-faced Storm Petrel (3), but one in Rhode Island's offshore waters was still notable.   

In New York, a sharp-looking Curlew Sandpiper (3) was seen by many in Suffolk.

Birders offshore in Maryland waters were somewhat surprised to see a Black-caped Petrel make an appearance.

That same boat had Band-rumped Storm-Petrel in Delaware waters, one of only a few for that state.

Several Herald "Trindade" Petrels (3) continue to linger in the Gulf Stream off of Dare, North Carolina, but this weekend a White-tailed Tropicbird (3) made an appearance too, with several more coming from an NOAA ship even farther offshore.

Good for Florida, a Willow Flycatcher was noted in Miami-Dade. 

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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.

 

Rare Bird Alert: August 16, 2013

Trying to predict a given state or province's next first record is a parlor game we all participate in from time to time. The unexpected and the exciting get most of the accolades, but there is a short list of species that we can see coming, and who's ultimate discovery feels almost like finding that missing puzzle piece under the sofa cushion. They may be a bit less exciting, but they're particularly satisfying. 

The two first records this week have long been expected, but finally nailing them down is oh-so-sweet. The first, a well-photographed Bermuda Petrel (ABA Code 4) seen from an NOAA ship in Virginia waters by none other than Birding magazine quizmaster Tom Johnson. We've known for some time, thanks to Cahows tagged with geolocators, that the species follows the Gulf Stream up the Atlantic coast all the way east to European waters, but it is so infrequently encountered that even sightings where they are more or less expected are met with great fanfare.

The other first comes from New York, where a long-expected Neotropic Cormorant was photographed among Double-cresteds along Lake Ontario in Monroe. The species has been showing up in late summer across the midwest in increasing numbers for several years, pushing eastward every year. Undoubtedly, other states/provinces in the east still lacking it should be on the look-out. 

New Mexico followed its Wood-Rail show with a pair of nice records, most notably a Blue-footed Booby (4), the state's 2nd, in Lea, but the Yellow-green Vireo in Eddy is great too. 

A Brown Booby (3) at Lake Havasu has been skirting back and forth between Arizona and California, where it is the 8th record for the former state and, remarkably, the second individual in as many weeks. 

A boat to the Fallarones, San Francisco, California, had an encounter with a Great Shearwater. A Chimney Swift was photographed in Los Angeles. 

Nice away from the center of the continent, a Franklin's Gull was seen near Newport, Oregon. 

In British Columbia, notable birds include an Indigo Bunting near Kamloops and a Ferruginous Hawk near Golden. 

In Colorado, a Glaucous-winged Gull was recorded in Kiowa. 

A Royal Tern turned up at Carlyle Lake in Clinton, Illinois. 

Good for the Atlantic provinces, a Little Blue Heron was seen at Point Leamington, Newfoundland. 

in New Hampshire, a Yellow-throated Warbler was photographed in Rockingham. 

Right on time for rare shorebirds, a Curlew Sandpiper (3) was found in Essex, Massachusetts. 

A Swallow-tailed Kite dispersed north into Washington, Maryland, this week. 

It's been a great month for Herald "Trindade" Petrels (3) in the Gulf Stream out of Dare, North Carolina, with multiple individuals recorded. 

A Ruff (3) was seen in Georgetown, South Carolina. 

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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.

 

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.

Rare Bird Alert: August 2, 2013

We've been over a year since we've gone more than one full week without a report of a state or provincial first record, and with our backs to the wall we've done it again. As with so many times during this remarkable streak it was the birders of Colorado, home of the ABA, who came through once again.

That potential first is a Mottled Duck, found and photographed in Morgan, Colorado. The species has actually been reported in the distant past at least two times previously, but this one looks to be the first with supporting documentation, which gives it a significant leg up on those historical records. So congrats, Colorado, which seems to be adding to its state list by leaps and bounds this year.

Also in the state, Colorado's fifth record of White Ibis comes from Alamosa.

In British Columbia, a Crested Auklet  was seen offshore near Tofino over the course of a few days.

A repositioning ship traveling between California and Alaska had a Hawaiian Petrel (ABA Code 4) offshore in Oregon, just north of the California line.

A Little Stint (3) was unfortunately on private property in Kings, California, where it was seen by very few. Other notable birds in that state include a Glossy Ibis in Yolo and a Crested Caracara in San Luis Obispo.

Berylline Hummingbird, photo by Laurens Halsey

Rare hummingbird season in Arizona kicks off with a Berylline Hummingbird (3) in Madera Canyon, Santa Cruz.

A pair of Neotropic Cormorants were seen in a marsh in Greene, Indiana.

A Curlew Sandpiper (3) in Allegan, Michigan, was that state's 15th record or thereabouts. A Long-tailed Jaeger also turned up in Delta.

A very cold Gray Catbird was photographed near Rankin, Nunavut, last week.

Great for Newfoundland, a Prothonotary Warbler showed up on a research vessel working the Grand Banks.

Both a Sabine's Gull and a Sandwich Tern were seen at Barnstable, Massachusetts.

New York's second Ruff (3) in as many weeks turned up at Jamaica Bay NWR in Queens.

An astonishing 15 Herald 'Trindade' Petrels (3) and a Fea's Petrel (3) were seen on a research vessel in Maryland waters.

That same boat in Virginia territory had a White-tailed Tropicbird (3) offshore.

And a Red-billed Tropicbird (3) was seen off of Dare, North Carolina.

In Georgia, a Cave Swallow was seen in Bartow.

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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.

Rare Bird Alert: July 26, 2013

There were no reports of potential firsts this week in the ABA Area, putting our streak in jeopardy for the first time in several months, but the trickle of southbound migrants turning up in unexpected places has turned into something more like a stream. That's not unsusprising for the end of July, as those 24 hour days that drive the breeding season in the far north are beginning to wane (Barrow, Alaska, has only 23 hours of daylight these days...)

Not unsurprisingly, southern California continues to be the place for vagrant shorebirds. Not content to let Los Angeles county get all the attention, birders in San Diego turned up some nice shorebirds of their own, most notably a first San Diego county record Lesser Sand-Plover (ABA Code 3). 

Also in the same area a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (3) was reported as well.  Elsewhere in California a remarkable 11 Hawaiian Petrels (4) were seen from a cruise ship passing through the waters of several northern California counties. 

Though they breed just across the border, a California Thrasher is a good bird on the Oregon side of the line, and one turned up in Jackson. 

Stint season continues with another Red-necked Stint (3), this time in Grays Harbor, Washington. 

Arizona's second Slate-throated Redstart (4) of the year was found on Fort Huachuca in Cochise. 

In New Mexico, a Blue-throated Hummingbird was seen in Grant. 

A young Rose-throated Becard (3) was found and photographed at Santa Ana NWR in Hidalgo, Texas. 

It's been a pretty good year for inland Brown Pelicans, as another turned up at Quivira NWR, Stafford, Kansas.

In Michigan, a Glossy Ibis was notable in Monroe. 

Always nice on the coasts, a Franklin's Gull was found near St Vincent, Newfoundland.

Massachusetts's second Pacific Golden-Plover was photographed in Plymouth.

Jamaica Bay NWR in Queens, New York, continues to produce with a Ruffs (3). 

Two female Ruffs (3) were also in Atlantic, New Jersey, and a Brown Booby (3) was seen in Ocean but may well be that same bird that has been seen occasionally in Monmouth over the last couple weeks. 

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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

 

Rare Bird Alert: July 19, 2013

This past week saw exceptional temperatures across most of the continent, with only the Pacific coast experiencing anything approaching comfortable. That didn't stop birders though, and the slow patch we saw in June seems to be ebbing. Despite the heat there was an increase in the number and quality of vagrants seen across the ABA Area.

First things first, the potential ABA first Rufous-necked Wood Rail, first reported last week in New Mexico, has been continuing through the period. The bird continues in much the same area as before, though it has been less regular of late, no doubt inducing a great deal of consternation in the birders still coming to see it.

We got another potential first record this week, yet another for the state of Colorado (the third in the last two months!) with the report of a subadult Cave Swallow in Washington county. The cup runneth over in the Rocky Mountain State this summer.

A repositioning cruise passing offshore of British Columbia near Vancouver Island had a Hawaiian Petrel (ABA Code 4), of which there are fewer than 5 records for Canada.

In Washington, a Horned Puffin was seen over the course of several days near Lopez Island, San Juan, and a Brown Booby (3) was spotted on a pelagic off Westport.

Birders in Los Angeles, California, had a near-breeding plumage Red-necked Stint (3), and subsequent observers also found a Ruff (3) in the vicinity. A Blue-footed Booby (3) was seen offshore in Orange waters.

The first reports from the increasingly near-annual post-breeding dispersal of Neotropic Cormorants north of their normal range comes from Cache, Utah.

Another Neotropic Cormorant report comes from Douglas, Nebraska.

One of only a few records for Texas, a Western Gull was found near Austin.

A Fork-tailed Flycatcher turned up at Lake Apopka, in Florida, for what appears to be the third consecutive summer. A Brown Booby (3), hardly notable this year it seems, was reported from Pinellas.

In Virginia, a Black-bellied Whistling Duck was in Frederick.

Increasingly regular up the Atlantic coast but still notable in New England, a White-winged Dove was photographed in Stratford, Connecticut. 

In Maine, a Brown Booby (3) was seen at Eastern Egg Rock.

Very good in Quebec was a Roseate Tern found at Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was found in Alger, Michigan.

In Wisconsin, a White Ibis flew over an observer in Brown and was apparently not redisovered. 

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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

 

Rare Bird Alert: July 12, 2013

The streak of near weekly first state/provincial records that has been ongoing for over a year continued in a huge way this past week. It's not often that we're faced with a potential first ABA Area record, and even less frequently that the record is chaseable. If you haven't yet heard about the incredible circumstances surrounding the discovery of New Mexico's and the ABA Area's first Rufous-necked Wood Rail, seen much of this week at Bosque Del Apache NWR in Socorro, New Mexico, you need to remedy that immediately. 

 

photo by Jeff Gordon

 

Beyond the rail, the rare bird scene was slower, which is not particularly unusual in the middle of July. Shorebird season is around the corner, however, and getting closer every day.

In California, a Veery was heard singing in Sierra, one of only a very few reported from the state in recent years.

A Summer Tanager was discovered in Prince George, British Columbia.

No state firsts for Colorado this time, but a late report of a Brown-crested Flycatcher in Alamosa is notable.

Always a nice find inland, a Laughing Gull was lakeside in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Nova Scotia's second Crested Caracara in as many years was seen near Canso.

A Brown Booby (3) turned up on a whale-watching boat offshore in Massachusetts, and rode the boat all the way in to Boston where it lingered.

A Royal Tern was spotted in Milford, Connecticut.

Good for the upper Atlantic is a Purple Gallinule in Burlington, New Jersey.

In Maryland, a Painted Bunting was photographed in Prince George's.

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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

Rare Bird Alert: July 5, 2013

The extra holidays in both Canada and the United States this past week may have meant more time for birding for some of us, at least those birders who were able to pull away from barbeques and family time to get out in the field. I'm away from home this week, so the introduction will be short this time around, but our increasingly ridiculous streak of first records continues once again this week with a pair of extralimital terns doing the honors. 

In the ABA homeland of Colorado, a Sandwich Tern, most likely of the North American "Cabot's" population, was discovered in Teller for a second first state record in as many weeks for the Rocky Mountain State. 

Over on the Atlantic coast, birders who took an especially close look at an apparent Royal Tern in Suffolk, New York, were rewarded with the bird looked to be more like a state's first  Elegant Tern, remarkably in roughly the same location as a Red-necked Stint (ABA Code 3) had been found not more than a few days prior. 

Staying in the Mid-Atlantic, a Brown Booby (3) has been seen on and off over the past few days in Monmouth, New Jersey. 

in Virginia, a Ruff (3) was photographed at Chincoteague NWR, in Accomack. 

Rare for North Carolina, but increasingly showing up all over the midwest and east, a small flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were present briefly in Tyrrell. 

Always good in the east, a White-faced Ibis was in Hernando, Florida. 

A Gray Kingbird turned up on Dauphin Island, Alabama, last week. 

In Arkansas, a Cassin's Sparrow was singing as if on territory in Little River, notably at the same site a pair bred during the invasion year of 2011. 

Good birds this week in Texas include a Gray Kingbird in Palacios, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher near San Antonio, and a possible, but as yet not refound, Curlew Sandpiper (3) near Corpus Christie. 

In Washington, a Hooded Warbler was reported in Skamania. 

Birders on St Paul Island, Alaska, had an impressive flight of Mottled Petrels (3) this week. 

In Illinois, a Reddish Egret was reported at Crab Orchard NWR in Williamson. 

A Royal Tern turned up at Point Pelee in Ontario. 

Notable for Quebec was a Little Blue Heron near Quebec City. 

And a Sandwich Tern in Renews, Newfoundland, was especially interesting because it showed some characteristics of being of the Old World nominate subspecies, not yet confirmed in the ABA-Area and a potential split pending the decision of the AOU Check-list Committee. 

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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

 

Rare Bird Alert: June 28, 2013

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. 

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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

 

Rare Bird Alert: June 21, 2013

Worried about the summer doldrums potentially putting an end to our increasingly ridiculous 12 month + streak of first state/provincial records? No need, as this third week of June saw an additional 2 firsts, both from the Mid-Atlantic, discovered just in the nick of time. 

The first came in the wake of Tropical Storm Andrea's passage through the eastern United States when a White-crowned Pigeon was well-photographed at Chincoteague NWR in Accomack, Virginia. It's unclear, and perhaps impossible to determine, whether or not it was the storm that acted as the mechanism to drive this bird northward, but pigeons are powerful flyers and capable of dispersing long distances. That said this is still the farthest north record of this species by a considerable margin, previously never having been recorded north of the central Florida coast. 

The second first record remains pending as of the time of writing. A yellow-belled kingbird, either a Tropical or a Couch's Kingbird, was discovered in a city park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Consensus, based on morphology and a report of vocalizations, is building towards Tropical, but either would be a state first for Pennsylvania. 

Arguably the most exciting bird in the ABA-Area is the first mainland record of Dark-sided Flycatcher (ABA Code 4) from Barrow, Alaska. All other records of this Asian Muscicapid flycatcher have come from the Bering Sea islands. (photo at left by Luke DeCicco). From the other direction comes an Eastern Phoebe in Yakutat. 

Down in British Columbia, a Brown Thrasher on Calvert Island is a good bird. 

Oregon has had a Glossy Ibis at Malheur NWR for most of the week. 

A Masked/Nazca Booby (3/not recorded) was reported from a seawatch in San Diego.  Also in the state, a White-rumped Sandpiper was in Los Angeles. 

A Brant in Henderson, Nevada, is only that state's 5th record. 

In Utah, a Glossy Ibis near Benson would be one of fewer than a dozen for the state. 

Notable away form the immediate coast, a Laughing Gull turned up in San Juan, New Mexico. 

Colorado had a pair of Pomarine Jaegers in the state, one at the border of Kiowa/Bent, and another in Park. A Tricolored Heron was also found in Fremont. 

A Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in the Christmas Mountains of west Texas is a review species for that state. 

A nice bird north of its core range, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher drew a few crowds in Fremont, Iowa. 

A Long-tailed Jaeger in Roseau, Minnesota, is one of fewer than a dozen records for that state. 

In Wisconsin, a Tricolored Heron attracted quite a following in Jefferson. 

A Purple Gallinule was reported from Arenac, Michigan. 

In Quebec, a Tufted Duck (3) is somewhat regular in winter, but one in June, as is this bird in Sept-Îles, is far more unusual. 

Newfoundland had a Tricolored Heron in  Renews, and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher showed up in Nova Scotia.

The Maine vagrant factory at Scarborough Marsh struck again, this time with a Black-necked Stilt this week. 

A report, not yet confirmed, of Gray Kingbird comes from Barnstable, Massachusetts. 

A pair of  Wilson's Phalaropes showed up in Anne Arundel, Maryland. 

A booby seen offshore in Dare, North Carolina, was determined to likely be a subadult Masked Booby (3). 

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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