Continuing ABA Area rarities are pretty much exclusive to Texas these days, with Yellow-headed Caracara (ABA Code 5), Cattle Tyrant (5), Brown Jay (4), and Asian (Amur) Stonechat (4) in various parts of the state.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Texas boasts another potential stunner this week in the form of a pair of Military Macaws seen near Big Bend National Park in Brewster Co in the far west of the state. These birds represent a potential 1st record not only for Texas, but for the ABA Area. Provenance is always an open question when it comes to birds like this, even though wild populations can be found within 200 miles of the US-Mexico border and large parrots are certainly capable of ranging wide distances in search of food.
There’s a lot to consider with this record, and for a more in depth discussion on these birds please see Tom Ford-Hutchinson’s Field Ornithology piece at aba.org.
Perhaps only wild parrots in west Texas could overshadow the month Newfoundland birders have experienced, as the island has seen multiple European Golden-Plovers (4) on the Avalon Peninsula, joined by at least one Eurasian Oystercatcher (5) at Cape Spear. This is about the 6th for Newfoundland and the 7th for the ABA Area, though more remarkably, it’s the second in as many years. Shorebirds from western Europe are somewhat familiar to birders on the rock, but no one was expecting a Greater Sand-Plover (5) on Biscay Bay, a bird the breeds primarily in central Asia. This is the 1st record for Newfoundland & Labrador and the 1st for Canada. It’s only the 3rd for the ABA Area.
And in Kentucky, a Lesser Nighthawk in McCraken Co represents a 1st record, though sadly the bird was identified from an individual that was salvaged as roadkill.
In South Dakota, a Great Gray Owl was seen near Brookings.
Michigan has had a number of noteworthy birds in the last few days, most notably a Western Grebe in Leelanau Co, a Chuck-Will’s Widow in Monroe Co , and both a Smith’s Longspur and a Ruff (3) in Berrien Co.
In Ontario, good birds include a Rock Wren at Point Pelee, a Blue Grosbeak in Georgina, and a Mountain Bluebird in Ottawa.
The Great Lakes is seeing something of a Mountain Bluebird moment right now, as in addition to the Ontario bird, a further three individuals have been documented in the Chicago-area in Illinois.
Quebec has had a great week for corvids with both a Black-billed Magpie in Memphrémagog and a Fish Crow in Montérégie.
North Carolina hosted a Fulvous Whistling-Duck in Carteret Co, the first in several decades in the state, and a Gray Kingbird in New Hanover Co.
South Carolina also had a Fulvous Whistling-Duck, this one in Jasper Co.
Florida saw it’s first Bahama Mockingbird (3) of the season, this week in Key West.
Alabama’s 2nd Cassin’s Kingbird was photographed in Perry Co.
And in California, a Little Stint (3) is a nice find in San Diego Co.
Omissions and errors are not intended, but if you find any please message blog AT aba.org and I will 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, the richly illustrated journal of ornithological record published by the ABA.
