Rare Bird Alert: September 28, 2012

The end of September means that it's the beginning of the big time rarity season across the continent, and the well-worn hotspots are really starting to show their worth. Few places own rare birds in fall like the state of California, and yesterday's #ABArare post about the offshore bounty had in the last week is only the beginning.  I certainly have my own east coast biases when it comes to birding - though I try not to let them show too often - but to be a birder in California in autumn much truly be a wonderful thing. 

The last week in the state was undoubtedly headlined by the California's second record of Wood Sandpiper, a sadly untwitchable bird on Camp Pendleton in San Diego, but San Diego birders can at least take comfort in the fact that it still puts them one step closer to catching Los Angeles County for top honors in the nation.  

Those aforementioned offshore goodies include a Hawaiian Petrel (ABA Code 4) in Sonoma waters (photo at left by Trevor Codlin), and a Red-footed Booby (3) and multiple Craveri's Murrelets out of San Diego, and Orange€  A Curlew Sandpiper (3) was at Bodega Bay in Sonoma, and a Connecticut Warbler turned up in Humboldt, while a White Ibis was spotted in Santa Barbara. 

Up the coast a Ruff (3) was seen in Clatsop, Oregon.

A Ruff (3) was also seen in Grays Harbor, Washington, as well as a Gray-cheeked Thrush in Walla Walla.

Good birds in Nevada are include a Painted Bunting, a Broad-winged Hawk and a Brown Thrasher all in Clark.

A Prothonotary Warbler in Utah, Utah, is the second this year. 

In Colorado, an Arctic Tern was reported from Jefferson and a Reddish Egret in Bent.

Texas' third record of Heerman's Gull was seen breifly in El Paso before it disappeared into Mexico.

The fourth Iowa record of Arctic Tern was seen in Saylorville, Polk.

A Say's Phoebe showed up near Lauder, Manitoba.

A Black-headed Grosbeak was coming to a feeder this week in Racine, Wisconsin.

Reported but apparently not followed up on was a Spotted Redshank (4) seen at Rouge Valley Beach, Ontario. UPDATE: the valifity of this report of questionable. 

A pair of vagrant flycatchers turned up in Quebec in the form of a Western Kingbird at Riviere-Ouelle and a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (3) at Abitibi-Ouest.

Newfoundland's 7th record of Golden-winged Warbler was reported near Renews this week.

In Nova Scotia, both a Western Kingbird at Pubnico and a Northern Wheatear near Brule were notable.

A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (3) was reported from the western part of New York, in Monroe. 

Good birds in New Jersey include an "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Swainson's Hawk in Cape May, a Wilson's Plover in Ocean, and a Say's Phoebe in Monmouth. 

Always good on the east coast, a Franklin's Gull was seen in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

In West Virginia, a Western Kingbird was seen in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson.

A pair of Sabine's Gulls were seen in North Carolina in well-inland Mecklenberg.

A Townsend's Warbler is an excellent find in Miami-Dade, Florida, and a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher was reported from Fort Pickens, in Escambia. 

In Alabama, a Say's Phoebe and an Inca Dove were at Ft Morgan, Baldwin.

A Groove-billed Ani report comes from Bayou Savauge, in Orleans, Louisiana. 

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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.  Place names written in italics refer to counties/parishes/districts.