ABA Blog

Rare Bird Alert: May 17, 2013

A short intro this week, one that was defined generally by two phenomena. First, the wind out of the southwest has been pretty much constant for the last several days, the result being that there have been a ton of western birds turning up in the east, particularly around the Great Lakes. Second, the bird of the week may well be Ruff, as the invasion staged last fall is seeing a sequel, particularly mid-continent, as all those southbound Ruffs in the fall are heading north and stopping at many of the same places on the way back. Only this time, many of them are looking really sharp. 

We have another state first, finally making it full year since we've gone more than one week without a first state or provincial record somewhere in the ABA-Area, which is still ridiculously impressive and a testement to all the really focused bird-finding going on out there. 

That first record came from Alberta, where the province's first Purple Sandpiper was well-photographed near Calgary. the bird sadly didn't stick around more than a day and a half. 

Nearby in Idaho, an Orchard Oriole in Jefferson is that state's 2nd record. 

A White-faced Ibis was photographed near Cranbrook, British Columbia. 

Just in time for the Kachemek Bay Festival, a Eurasian Hobby (ABA Code 4) turned up near Homer. 

A couple Chimney Swifts were seen among Vaux's at a roost site in Douglas, Oregon. 

Good birds in California were offshore, 3 Brown Boobies (3) in San Diego and a Hawaiian Petrel (4) from a cruise ship in Humboldt waters. 

One of few records recently, a Yellow Grosbeak (4) briefly visited a feeder in Pima, Arizona. In the same county, a Baltimore Oriole, one of fewer than 20 records, was seen. 

In New Mexico, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak was in Albuquerque. 

A Green Violetear (3) was a very brief visitor to a feeder in Cameron, Texas, this week. 

Shocking enough for the locale, but even moreso in mid-May, was a Common Redpoll in Baldwin, Alabama. 

A pair of American Flamingos flew by Miami-Dade, Florida, and an absolutely gorgeous Western Spindalis (4) was photographed in Monroe. 

Semi-annual north of Florida, a Gray Kingbird wasd reported from near McClellonsville, South Carolina. 

A Swallow-tailed Kite had to be an exciting find in Cape May, New Jersey, and a Painted Bunting turned up in Monmouth. 

The first of many Ruff (3) this week was one in Cayuga, New York. Also in New York, a White-faced Ibis in Chautauqua and a Swallow-tailed Kite flew over Queens. 

In Rhode Island, a lingering King Eider was seen in Napatree and an overshooting Boat-tailed Grackle in Charlestown.

Massachusetts had a Ruff (3) in Essex. 

In New Brunswick, a Common Gallinule was in a marsh near St. George. 

Notable birds in Newfoundland include a Northern Wheatear and a "Eurasian" Whimbrel, both at Cape Spear. 

In Quebec, a Black-tailed Godwit (3) was at Marais salés de Longue-Rive, and a White-winged Dove at Sept-Îles. 

For Ontario, a Lark Bunting at Frontenac and a Swainson's Warbler at Point Pelee are both very good this week. 

A staggering 3 Kirtland's Warbler were seen this week in Ottawa, Ohio, and a Red Phalarope in Franklin. 

Indiana's 2nd ever Rock Wren was near Howe. 

A bit more northernly than expected, an Anhinga was seen in Muhlenberg, Kentucky. 

Missouri had a Black-headed Grosbeak in Webster, a pair of Ruff (3) in Platt, and a third at Squaw Creek NWR.

Arkansas had a Ruff (3) in Maryville. 

The cup bloweth up in Iowa, where a Rock Wren was seen in Boone, a Lewis's Woodpecker visted a feeder in Lime Springs, a Lazuli Bunting turned up in Cedar Rapids, a Western Tanager in Mason City, a Bullock's Oriole in Story, and a Painted Bunting near Shenandoah. Pshew!

Increasingly common in the north, a Great-tailed Grackle was reported from McLeod City, Minnesota. 

A couple good birds in North Dakota include a Barrow's Goldeneye near Gackle and a Hooded Warbler near Grand Forks. 

Great for Saskatchewan was a nice male Black-throated Blue Warbler photographed in Saskatoon. 

A bizarre records for Wyoming is an apparent Red-bellied Woodpecker visiting a feeder in Laramie. 

Both a Summer Tanager and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak were seen in the same location in Logan, Utah. 

--=====--

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: May 10, 2013

We may finally, at long last, be seeing something that looks sort of like spring arriving across the United States and Canada. I don't want to jinx it though, being as that the season has been incredibly volatile this year, so I'll change he subject to something much less prone to superstitious whimsy, that of our ongoing streak of first records. 

This week we must deal with a conundrum. Most firsts have been accompanied by nice photos and have more or less stuck around for multiple observers to corroborate, so the question of confirming a species' inclusion into the "official' record isn't a difficult one. This week's potential first isn't, though that's less a function of potential questions of the reporter and more of the species' ephemeral nature. 

From Durham, North Carolina, this week, comes a compelling report of a White-collared Swift (ABA Code 4). The bird was seen well, though not while the observer was birding, but briefly, though long enough to note the relevant field marks. As one might expect, it was not refound. Only time and the state's records committee will tell whether this one will make it into the official record or be relegated to that surprisingly long list of big-swifts-that-could-have-been. 

Elsewhere in the ABA-Area, good birds include a Plain-capped Starthroat (4) in Madera Canyon, Arizona, and a Varied Thrush in Cochise. 

In Texas, a Flame-colored Tanager (3), that state's 11th record, was photographed in Big Bend NP. 

Great for Florida is a Kirtland's Warbler in Alachua, and a Tropical Kingbird in Sarasota. 

White-faced Ibis are showing up in several places on the east coast, including Ocean, New Jersey, and Jamestown, Rhode Island. 

Better late than never, as Maine gets in on the Northern Lapwing (4) parade with one, their second of the year but the first twitchable report, near Poland. 

A Gull-billed Tern turned up on Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia. 

Quebec also gets a Northern Lapwing (4) in Gaspésie and a Tufted Duck (3) in Lac-Saint-Jean. 

In Ontario, a Laughing Gull was seen at the tip of Point Pelee, a Western Kingbird at Rondeau, and a pair of Black-necked Stilts in Essex. 

The Biggest Week in American Birding in Ottawa, Ohio, wasn't all about the warblers this year when a Ruff (3) turned up nearby. 

A Eurasian Wigeon was seen near Gary, Indiana. 

A pair of Red-necked Phalaropes and a pair of Red Phalaropes in Jefferson, Kentucky, were the farthest inland of several reports of these species in the southeast. 

In Missouri, a Lazuli Bunting was seen in Platte. 

Illinois had a Western Tanager in Lake and a Ruff (3) of their own in Whiteside. 

In Michigan, a Black-billed Magpie, one of fewer than 10 records for the state, was in Chippewa. 

Wisconsin also had a Western Tanager this week, a nice male in Ozaukee. 

Notable in Minnesota was a Painted Bunting in Atkin. 

Always a nice find in the middle of the continent, a Red-throated Loon was seen over the course of the week in Johnson, Iowa. 

Increasingly seen in the upper midwest, a Neotropic Cormorant was reported in Brule City, South Dakota. 

At the same spot near Ketchum, Idaho, birders found both an Indigo Bunting and a Golden-crowned Sparrow. 

Two Glossy Ibis in Cache, Utah, are that state's 11th and 12th records. Also in Utah, a Least Tern was well-photographed in Utah. 

Up in Alaska, a Mountain Bluebird in Fairbanks is one of very few records in the interior of the state.  

--=====--

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: May 3, 2013

The birds are back in a big way this week. Everything is back from coast to coast. Migrant movement has been heavy in the last seven days, particularly in the big middle of the continent, but those birds have seen rough going. Winter continues to have a stubborn hold on parts of North America that are seeing the normal progression of spring abruptly halted by a seemingly never ending supply of snow-bearing weather systems.  

In any case, it has been a remarkable period for firsts in nearly every corner of the ABA-Area. It's always a big deal when California, holder of the largest list in the US or Canada, picks up one new species, but this week sees the possibility of two species to add to that most massive list. 

California looks to have finally found that long-awaited Great Black-backed Gull, seemingly forever predicted as the "next one", with an adult bird well-photographed in Riverside.  Not yet confirmed but with a lot of potential is a report of a Short-tailed Hawk in Santa Barbara. A photograph, not yet public, is floating around out there and the word on the street is that it's looking pretty good. 

The most exciting state first from a continental perspective is the discoverey of Montana's first Baikal Teal (ABA Code 4), a stunning male bird, near Missoula. photo at left by Radd icenoggle

Ontario's second ever Violet-green Swallow became Quebec's first record as the bird flew over the Ottawa River to spend enough time on the Quebecois side, near Rapides Deschênes, for excited birders to see it. Quebec also picked up a second Garganey (4) of the spring, this one in Laurentides, and a PInk-footed Goose in Bas-Saint-Lauren. 

And down in the south, the fifth first of the week comes from Georgia, where a Short-tailed Hawk flew over a residence in Hinesville and remarkably stuck around for a couple days afterwards. 

Florida, particularly Miami-Dade, continues to produce great birds highlighted by a Black-faced Grassquit (4) and an offshore Black-capped Petrel. Elsewhere in the state a Bewick's Wren has been hanging out in Escambia, a Swainson's Hawk in Okaloosa, and a one-day wonder Fork-tailed Flycatcher (3), in Monroe, along with a Black-legged Kittiwake and the season's first report of Black Noddy (3).

In Texas, the now semi-annual Masked Duck (3) has returned to Sabel Palm in Cameron. Out west a Golden-crowned Sparrow was reported from El Paso, and a subspecific (and perhaps down the road a full species) first for Texas ia a "Eurasian" Whimbrel found at Bolivar Penninsula. 

A Whimbrel of the expected "Hudsonian" variety was in San Juan, New Mexico. 

A Painted Bunting, one of only a few records for Utah, was photographed in Davis. 

A Thick-billed Murre was reported from shore in Coos, Oregon. 

In British Columbia, a Blackburnian Warbler was seen in Kelowna . 

A tad late is the report of a Red-throated Loon, in Douglas, Nebraska; always a good bird that far inland.

In Kansas, an Ash-throated Flycatcher was reported from Quivira NWR in Stafford. 

Arriving in Minnesota from opposite directions were a Say's Phoebe in Polk and a Glossy Ibis in Olmsted. 

Wisconsin had a "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler in Iowa. 

Unusual outside of their tiny core range, a small flock of Eurasian Tree Sparrows turned up in Marquette, Michigan. The state also had a Black-throated Gray Warbler in Schoolcraft. 

The same (or maybe a different?) Spotted Redshank (4) has returned to Greene, Indiana, this time nearly completely decked out in its alternate plumage. A Brant was also seen in Elkhart. 

Good for Kentucky is a Western Tanager near Lexington. 

A pair of nice shorebirds in Ohio include a Ruff in Marion and a Piping Plover in Ottawa. 

Ontario has had a haul in recent days, with a Swallow-tailed Kite near Chatham, an "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler in Beachville, and a Northern Gannet reported from Presqu'ile Provincial Park. 

An unexpected White-breasted Nuthatch on the Eastport Peninsula in Newfoundland is the province's second record. 

A Glossy Ibis was far north of its range in Addison, Vermont. 

Massachusetts had a Mountain Bluebird in Berkshire and yet another (perhaps the last?) Northern Lapwing (4) in Worcester. 

In New York, good birds are in the southeast of the state, with a Smith's Longspur in Ulster and a Say's Phoebe in Kings. 

A dead Clapper Rail was found in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. 

In New Jersey, yet another Western Grebe has turned up in Cape May. 

And in North Carolina, a late report of Lazuli Bunting from Guilford earlier in the month is that state's second. Also notable is a California Gull in Wake. 

--=====--

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: April 26, 2013

The birds are moving, and for the first time this spring it appears that unusual birds are moving just as frequently as the expected ones. There have been loads of amazing birds reported in the ABA-Area this week, and our streak of first records continues in a couple truly remarkable ways. 

The bird of the week (and a strong contender for bird of the year thus far) has to be the mind-blowing report of a Bahama Woodstar (ABA Code 5), the first such report in the ABA-Area since 1981. Even weirder, the bird wasn't discovered in Florida where all prior records of this species have come from, but in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, of all places. (photo at left by Chris Bortz)

Originally reported as a possible first state record Broad-tailed Hummingbird, the bird was banded and its true identity revealed. As of the writing of this post, it hasn't been seen since Wednesday afternoon, but not for lack of trying. Birders from all over have flooded in in hopes of a glimpse and updates both positive and negative can be found on the PA-Birds listserv. 

The woodstar in PA is undoubtedly exciting, but Missouri would take the crown if concentration of great birds is considered. Not only was the Show-Me State's first Golden-cheeked Warbler, one of only a bare handful outside of Texas, discovered near St Louis, but a stunning male Garganey (4), the state's second, turned up at Swan Lake NWR in Chariton earlier in the week. Lost in shuffle was a Say's Phoebe at Squaw Creek NWR, one of fewer than 10 records for the state. 

Illinois also had a Say's Phoebe this week, seen by many in Lake. 

Across the border in Wisconsin, a White-winged Dove turned up in Racine and a Varied Thrush in Florence. 

White-faced Ibis continue to turn up east of their normal range and one was found this week in Bay, Michigan. 

In Ontario, good birds include the province's second ever Violet-Green Swallow near Ottawa, as well as a Black-throated Gray Warbler in Port Glasgow and a Say's Phoebe in the Toronto area. 

Quebec had a Garganey (4) in Le Bic and a pair of Trumpeter Swans near Val-d'Or. 

Somewhat lost in all the news of other incredible rarities this week, a Little Egret (4) was well-photographed in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia. 

Good birds in New York include a Western Tanager in Irving and a Swallow-tailed Kite seen flying over Bronx. 

A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen in Bartow, Georgia. 

Increasing in Florida but still notable, a Neotropic Cormorant was reported in Brevard. 

Good for Louisiana is a "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler in Cameron. 

The Rufous-capped Warblers (3) have returned to their reliable spot in Uvalde, Texas. 

Glossy Ibis is a great bird for New Mexico, and one was reported in Socorro. 

Incredible news from Arizona as the long-staying Nutting's Flycatchers (5) at Bill Williams NWR have been confirmed to be breeding, actually fledging chicks this week. An additional Nutting's Flycatcher was recently reported near Nogales. Great birds continue to come in twos with two Cresent-chested Warblers (4) in Cochise, one at Cave Creek Canyon and another in Miller Canyon. 

In Hawaii, a Wilson's Phalarope was found on Maui.

A rare Swamp Sparrow turned up in Kenai, Alaska. 

Good birds in British Columbia include a Dickcissel near Ladner, a Black Phoebe (one of fewer than 10 records for Canada) at Pacific Rim National Park, and a reported Winter Wren near Victoria. 

A California Thrasher was reported this week in Klamath, Oregon. 

In Nevada, a Common Black-Hawk was discovered in Clark. 

Always excellent inland, a Red-throated Loon was found in Salt Lake, Utah. 

In Colorado, a Hudsonian Godwit in Arapahoe is a great bird. 

Good away from the immediate coast, a Eurasian Wigeon is in Boise, Idaho. 

A Black-necked Stilt is exciting birders in Regina, Saskatchewan. 

And the latest state with a Ruff (3) is Minnesota, where one was seen in Dakota. 

--=====--

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: April 19, 2013

 

With the middle of the continent seeing, once more, a massive snow-filled weather system it can feel as though spring will never arrive. But a quick look around the listservs quickly puts that worry to rest. Birders across the ABA Area are jumping at the arrival of neotropic migrants back to their nesting grounds. It's been a long, and particularly cold, winter across much of North America. It'll be nice to see it finally pass, though in the southeast we've had a particularly nice run of weather lately so I can't really complain...

Biggest news of the week is undoubtedly the repreive we received from the end of the streak. It was touch and go there for a while, but birders in Alabama kept us alive for at least another two weeks with the report of the state's first Band-tailed Pigeon visiting a feeder near Huntsville. Photos have been hard to come up. The link on the bird's name should lead to some but as of the writing of this post it's working erratically (UPDATE: the link has been replaced with a better one). In any case, the thanks of nervous streak watchers continent wide can go to Alabama, which incidentally also hosted its third ever (and third for the season) Razorbill, an emaciated individual off of Dauphin Island that made it safely to a rehab facility. 

Florida continues to host some interesting birds, including strays from the north, like a Common Eider in Brevard, and those from the Caribbean like another La Sagra's Flycatcher (ABA Code 4) in Manatee and a Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Miami-Dade (photograph at left by Larry Manfredi)

Georgia still has at least one Evening Grosbeak visiting a feeder in Fannin. 

A sickly, but still flighted, Brown Booby (3) was seen onshore in Brunswick, North Carolina. 

Pennsylvania had a Say's Phoebe in Erie and an overshooting Swallow-tailed Kite in Mercer. 

Good birds in New York include a Black-throated Gray Warbler in Oswego and three (!) Ruffs (3), two on Long Island, Suffolk, and a third upstate in Genesee.

Good anywhere on the east coast, but increasingly annual in New England, White-faced Ibises (Ibii?) were found both in Essex, Massachusetts, and near Scarborough, Maine. 

A pair of Trumpeter Swans near Abitibi, were an excellent bird for Quebec. 

In Ontario, an Eared Grebe was on the lakeshore in Toronto. 

Down in Ohio, a single Black-necked Stilt was reported from Sandusky. 

Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a good bird for Illinois, and a small flock was seen in Mason. 

Down in Mississippi, a Western Grebe was found in Oktibbeha. 

Louisiana had a pair of nice tyrant flycatchers on Grande Isle, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (3) and a Gray Kingbird. 

Dusky-capped Flycatcher is a review species in Texas, and one was found this week in Big Bend National Park. 

Not quite annual in Kansas, a Tricolored Heron was well-photographed in Sedgwick. 

Colorado birders found a Lucy's Warbler in Montezuma and an Eastern Meadowlark in Weld this week. 

A very nice bird inland, a Eurasian Wigeon (3) was photographed near Saratoga Springs, Utah, Utah. 

An incredible record, and a bird practically impossible to reach, was a Gray Heron (5) on Umnauk Island, Alaska. Good thing the Newfoundland bird is still hanging around. 

Two Brown Boobies (3) were seen well on a pelagic out of San Diego, California. 

--=====--

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: April 12, 2013

It was bound to happen eventually. We've finally reached a week, the first in some time, with no first state/provincial/territorial records to mention. We've still got another week before the streak is in danger, but be on the look out for those first state records while you're enjoying the return of spring migrants (or digging out from under snow, depending on where you are on the continent), as if you won't be looking anyway. 

The entire week was a slow one in the way of rarities, though neotrops are hitting our shores in big numbers. In North Carolina, I had my first Ovenbird of the year, a sure sign of spring if there ever was one. 

The only new ABA-Area vagrant of note this week was a Ruff (ABA Code 3) near Leamington, Ontario, which was apparently remarkably similar to a bird seen the week before across the lake in northern Ohio.  

Georgia continues its run of fantastic birds with a wrecked Dovekie that turned up on Tybee Island and a Long-eared Owl, the first in the state in several years, near Athens. 

Increasingly common in Florida, a Groove-billed Ani was found near Gainsville, and a Western Spindalis (4), the second of the season, was discovered in Palm Beach. 

Over in Texas, a Purple Finch in Cameron was the first for the Lower Valley, and another Ruff (3) in the ABA-Area was found at Anhuac NWR in Chambers. 

Good birds for Wisconsin include a Varied Thrush in Green Bay and a Great Black-backed Gull in La Cross. 

In Minnesota, a Cinnamon Teal was found in Olmstead

A small flock of Mountain Plovers were well-photographed by many at Antelope Island State Park in Davis, Utah. 

A couple of nice southwestern raptors were discovered in Colorado. A Zone-tailed Hawk in Bent and a Common Black-Hawk in Delta. 

A Heerman's Gull in Yuma is one of only a handful of records in Arizona. A Red-necked Phalarope in Pima is also a nice find. 

--=====--

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: April 5, 2013

It's April, and the minds of birders slip away from those ephemeral vagrants and rarities and focus once again on the birds returning now in the first waves of spring migration. Which is as it should be, really. The great seasonal ebb and flow is how we keep our own yearly clocks. Tis the season for warblers and vireos and flycatcher and the lot. No one can be blamed if we decide to put our vagrant hunting on hold for a few weeks to revel in this bounty. And the slower pace of rarities on the continent is a expression of that priority shift, and the fact that spring is probably the worst season for finding extralimitals relative to the others.

But just in case you were worried about "The Streak", it's still on, saved this week by birders in Nova Scotia where a Crested Caracara was discovered near Lawrencetown. This has been a remarkable season for caracaras in the northeast, with first records from New Jersey and Delaware, as well as compelling but not confirmed reports from Virginia and Quebec. Who knows when this run will end? 

The increasingly expected Barnacle Goose (ABA Code 4) turned up this week near Alburg, Vermont. 

Sandhill Crane is a very nice bird for the northeast, and one was in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Tufted Duck (3) reported last week near Groveland has been joined by a second. 

Always a great find in the eastern half of the continent, a Brewer's Blackbird was well-photographed, in flight (!) in Salem, New Jersey. 

Delaware got a duo of rare shorebirds at Bombay Hook in Kent, with both a Ruff (3) and a Northern Lapwing (4). 

A Franklin's Gull in Frederick, Maryland, is a great bird for the spring. 

A Broad-tailed Hummingbird that was only recently reported to be spending the winter in Sharpsburg, Georgia, is that state's 12th, and the second this season. 

Arkansas's third Scott's Oriole was reported to be visiting a feeder in Benton, Saline, this week.  

A Ruff (3) turned up in Wayne, Ohio, and in addition to hosting the continuing Spotted Redshank, birders in Greene, Indiana, also found a Prairie Falcon. 

It was a good week for Ruff (3) as a third was discovered at Dodge, Wisconisin. 

A Western Gull in Sitka is a nice bird for Alaska, as most Western-y gulls have more than a bit of Glaucous-winged up that way. 

Good for British Columbia was a Burrowing Owl found near Williams Lake. 

A Brown Booby (3) was photographed from shore in San Diego, California. 

Pretty much annual anymore, a Rufous-backed Robin (3) was reported from Santa Cruz, Arizona, this week. 

--=====--

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: March 29, 2013

it's spring, officially this time, and the listservs are buzzing with reports of FOYs here and there. Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in the center of the continent, Lousiana Waterthrushes in the east, and Say's Phoebe out west. But let's be honest, no one is concerned about the returning birds. We have all spring to enjoy them. What birders across the continent have been clammoring for is news of the streak. 

They beat down my metaphorical door wondering where the next first was going to show up or, horror of horrors, wondered if we'd have to go into the next week in first deficit. 

I'm happy to report that this is not the case. This week saw two firsts in the United States, one confirmed and the second less certain.

The first happens to be the most exciting find on the continent in the last few days as not only was the Spotted Redshank in Greene, Indiana, a state first, but it's a Code 4 bird besides, and one that hasn't been seen in the ABA-Area much in recent years. photo at left by Ryan Sanderson

The second first comes from Maryland where a snipe with white underwings in St. Mary's earlier this week was tentatively identified as an ABA Code 3 Common Snipe. The bird was pretty well-photographed at the link provided, so anyone with some experience with Eurasian snipe ID should check those out. 

One of several Tufted Ducks (3) in the ABA-Area this week was in Salem, New Jersey. A Western Tanager, hardly notable anymore in the state, was in Cape May.

Another Tufted Duck (3) was also in Barnstable, Massachusetts. 

Miami-Dade's first record of Lazuli Bunting was notable for Florida. 

Tennessee's second ever McCown's Longspur was well-photographed near Chattanooga. All the more impressive given how difficult longspurs can be. 

A Shiny Cowbird is a pretty nice bird for Plaquemines, Louisiana. 

Arkansas has a Mountain Bluebird near the town of Oppelo. 

A Cinnamon Teal in Jasper, Missouri, is one of only a few for that state. 

In Ontario, a "Bewick's" Tundra Swan was near Chatham-Kent and a Varied Thrush in Prince Edward. 

Michigan had a Eurasian Wigeon in St Clair and a Townsend's Solitaire in Livingston. 

Another Townsend's Solitaire was seen this week in Pierce, Minnesota. 

Mountain Chickadees came into the lowlands in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. A Say's Phoebe was also seen near Kearney. 

Idaho also had a Tufted Duck (3) this week, this one in Benewah. 

The are fewer than 10 records of Thayer's Gull for Wyoming, the most recent of which was this week in Albany. 

Yet another Tufted Duck (3) was reported from Clark, Washington. 

A Wilson's Plover was discovered in Los Angeles, California. 

Arizona had a Mew Gull, one of fewer than 25 records for the state, at Lake Havasu. 

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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: March 22, 2013

No doubt every birder in North America is now well aware of the streak, and working to extend it for as long as possible. It's been nearly a year since we had a three week stretch without a state or provincial first record. I wouldn't have thought we could keep it up, but here we are. 

In any case, it continues with not one but two firsts, along with a third that was only confirmed recently. The first comes from Wyoming, which doesn't often get mentioned in these parts, but deserves the place of honor this week with the discovery of the state's first Iceland Gull in Albany. At the same site was also the state's 3rd Great Black-backed Gull. 

Staying in the west, Oregon also picked up a new species this week in a subadult Common Eider in Coos. And keeping the theme of excellent birds found nearby, a Yellow-billed Loon was subsequently discovered offshore.  

And the third was not a bird from this week, but one finally confirmed by DNA analysis. An unidentified Empidonax that spend a few days in Norfolk, Virginia, turned out to be a Dusky Flycatcher, the state's first and one of only a few confirmed in the east. 

Arguably the most exciting bird in the ABA Area this week (aside form the continuing Newfoundland Gray Heron) was an ABA Code 4 Fieldfare in Middlesex, Massachusetts. This is a species that has become increasingly hard to come by in North America in recent years, and records outside of Atlantic Canada are especially noteworthy. This is the second for Massachusetts. Photo at left by Marshall Iliff.

Another Code 4, a Common Chaffinch, turned up in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. European finches always have the stink of provenance questions around them, but those in the Northeast are usually considered to be wild birds. 

Barely worth mentioning anymore, but still a 4, a Pink-footed Goose was found and photographed in Oswego, New York. 

New Jersey had a Pink-footed Goose (4), too, in Hunterdon, and the second, third, and a fourth Pacific Loon in two weeks weeks in the state were seen in Morris. 

Georgia's second Bullock's Oriole of the season, this one a stunning adult male, was visiting a feeder in Hinesville. 

Good for Ohio is a Eurasian Wigeon in Ottawa. 

A Western Grebe was skirting the Kentucky/Indiana border on the Ohio River in Louisville. 

Elsewhere in Indiand was a Prairie Falcon in Posey and a Barnacle Goose (4) in Michigan City. 

That Barnacle Goose (4) has apparently made it over the state line to Berrien, Michigan, as well.  Also, a Slaty-backed Gull (3) was found near Marquette. 

Owls have been regular across the northern US and southern Canada this winter, but a Great Gray Owl as far south as Dane, Wisconsin, is surprising. 

A Varied Thrush was seen in Duluth, Minnesota. 

Good birds in Colorado include a Eurasian Wigeon in Weld and an Iceland Gull in Arapahoe. 

Another Eurasian Wigeon turned up near Provo, Utah. 

A Reddish Egret in  Eddy, New Mexico, is a nice bird for that state. 

One of only a few records south of Alaska, a Red-faced Cormorant was seen in Bowman Bay, Skagit, Washington. 

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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: March 15, 2013

I feel sort of like a Yankees fan in 1941. This streak, nearly unbroken since last March of not going more than two weeks without a state or provincial first record in the ABA-Area is only getting bigger since I first went back and looked up what had only been a hunch up to this point. Now that I know we're in the middle of it? Well, it feels bigger now, and I really want to know how long we can keep this up.  

Anyway, the streak continues this week with a remarkable two more firsts, both in the United States this time.  Almost immediately after posting last week's RBA, a Delaware birder discovered a Crested Caracara near Ocean View in the southern part of the state. It's been a crazy year for caracaras, with apparently multiple birds hanging around southern New Jersey most of the winter. Whether this is a new bird or one of those birds making the leap across Delaware Bay is probably impossible to determine (none of the birds were banded), but with a growing number of extralimital caracara records across the east (and much of the west too), confidence in the provenance of these birds as legitimate seems to be growing. Though admittedly that's just my sense and you can take that as far as you want to. 

Not long after the caracara, a gorup of birders from the northeast found Louisiana's first record of Iceland Gull, a striking subadult in Plaquemines. The bird proved difficult to relocate given the amount of real estate in the Mississippi River delta where it could take off to at any given time, but it was recently refound at a landfill in Venice.  

But as fun as firsts are, those are hardly the most exciting reports this week in the ABA Area.  That honor has to go to the ABA Code 5 Gray Heron (photo at left by Bruce Mactavish) discovered at Little Heart's Ease, Newfoundland. This is the ABA-Area's sixth record, Newfoundland's third, and probably the first truly twitchable individual of this species in the area, though the Caribbean and northern South America have a surprising number of records as well.  The bird was refound later in the week, and while initial reports suggested it may be ill, local residents have stated they believe it's been around for several months, so who knows?

Also notable in Newfoundland, a Long-eared Owl, one of only a few records, was photographed near Portugal Cove South. 

In Quebec, an Ivory Gull was seen in Bas-Saint-Laurent. 

Still a very good bird in New England, a Black Vulture was photographed near New Salem, New Hampshire, and a possible Northern Lapwing (4) was reported, but not yet confirmed, near Pittsfield. 

In Massachusetts, notable birds include a Black-headed Gull (3) in Hampshire, a Pacific Loon in Essex, and a female Tufted Duck (3) in Barnstable. 

Nice in Connecticut is a Trumpeter Swan near New Haven. 

A Varied Thrush in Kings, New York, is the first report in New York City metro area for some time. 

New Jersey also had a Pacific Loon, one well-seen and photographed in Morris. 

A Black-tailed Godwit (3), either a new bird or the same one from last fall, was found this week at Chincoteague NWR in Accomack, Virginia. 

Multiple White-faced Ibis, as many as five in a single flock, have been seen with some frequency in Hyde, North Carolina.  This group more than doubles the total number of birds ever reported in the state. 

In Georgia, a possible Yellow-billed Loon was reported from a lake on the border of Cobb and Fulton. 

A White-faced Ibis was also photographed in Alachua, Florida, and a half dozen Sprague's Pipits were reported from Taylor. 

Alabama's second Razorbill of the season, not to mention the second ever, was seen from the pier of Gulf State Park in Baldwin.

A Ferruginous Hawk in Perry, Tennessee, is that state's 3rd record. UPDATE: This record was a mistaken ID 

At Riverlands Bird Sanctuary in St. Charles, Missouri, both a Glaucous Gull and a Western Grebe have been present this week. 

A Mountain Bluebird was found this week in Des Moines, Iowa. 

Still a notable bird on the southern plains, a Lesser Black-backed Gull was reported from Hefner, Oklahoma.

Largely absent from the Rocky Mountains, a Purple Finch is a great find for Larimer, Colorado. 

A Eurasian Wigeon (3) away from the coast is notable in the west, so one in Lee Metcalf NWR in Ravalli, Montana, was a very nice bird. 

An Iceland Gull was seen on the Snake River in Nez Perce, Idaho. 

Washington also had an Iceland Gull, along with a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Asotin. 

And slightly late reports from Arizona include a Lesser Black-backed Gull, around the state's 5th, a Red-necked Grebe, and a Mew Gull, on Alamo Lake in La Paz. 

--=====--

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.