Rare Bird Alert

Thanks for everyone’s patience with regard to the lack of an RBA last week. I was traveling in Colombia and unable to make time to put it together. On the plus side, you get a bonus two week Rare Bird Alert this week!

Continuing ABA Area birds include the Steller’s Sea-Eagle (ABA Code 4)in Quebec, Little Egret (4) in Delaware, Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona, and Inca Tern (5) in Hawaii.

It’s late summer and that means boobies moving up the coast, and Maine has more than one option so far this month, with both a state 1st Masked Booby (3) and a Brown Booby (3) seen at Mount Desert Island.

The other firsts this week have a decidedly southern irruption flair, as Rhode Island boasts its 1st record of Black-bellied Whistling Duck in Warwick.

New Hampshire becomes the latest state to add Roseate Spoonbill to the state list this summer, with an individual in Coos representing a state 1st

District of Columbia also had a 1st record of Roseate Spoonbill, with a bird hanging out on the Anacostia River.

Connecticut also had a Roseate Spoonbill for the period in Litchfield, notable for being the state’s first away from the coast.

New York had two Wood Storks in the state this month, one in Columbia and one on Staten Island. The latter, however, succumbed to that scourge of urban birds, garbage, and recently was found dead.

Notable birds for Newfoundland include a Magnificent Frigatebird at Cape Spear and a Tricolored Heron on the Avalon Peninsula.

Florida’s 3rd record of Pacific Golden-Plover was found near Leon. 

Michigan also had a pair of Wood Storks, one in Lenawee, and another in Mason, the state’s 5th and 6th records.

Kentucky had a Fulvous Whistling-Duck in Jefferson, the state’s 4th record.

Illinois adds to the Roseate Spoonbill surge with a bird in Pope. 

Saskatchewan’s 7th record of Yellow-crowned Night Heron was a nice adult bird in Saskatoon.

Over to California where a Sandwich Tern in Marin is one of fewer than 5 records for the state.

Stint season continues in the west where a Red-necked Stint (3) was a nice find in Clatsop, Oregon.

Washington’s 4th record of Eastern Wood-Pewee was recorded singing on Marrowstone Island in Puget Sound.

And in British Columbia, a Black Phoebe in Rosedale is a nice provincial bird.

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.