Rare Bird Alert

Continuing ABA Area rarities include the Gray Heron (ABA Code 5) on Prince Edward Island, Berylline Hummingbird (4) still regular at a feeder in Arizona, and the Steller’s Sea-Eagle (4), now somewhat regular in Newfoundland.

We start up in Maine, where unbelievable vagrant raptors have become something of a cottage industry, with the discovery of a female-type Eurasian Marsh-Harrier at North Haven Island, in Knox. This is a potential 1st confirmed record for this widespread Eurasian bird of prey, long considered a good candidate for vagrancy to the ABA Area. Notably, there is also a previous sight record from Virginia in 1994, accepted by the state records committee but not, evidently, by the ABA Checklist Committee, as well as records from Bermuda and Puerto Rico.

There are a couple other 1sts to report this week, including yet another 1st for Michigan. This time it’s the bird that everyone and their sister expected as, at long last, a Limpkin was seen by many in Ottawa this week.

And elsewhere in the Great Lakes region, Illinois also gets a state 1st Painted Redstart in Lake, though there may be a previous record from the Chicago area that made it in the Field Museum collection but evaded the Illinois Records Committee.

It seems like only last week that we were celebrating Wisconsin’s first Limpkin, and now the state’s 3rd record turns up in Crooked Lake.

Good birds in Pennsylvania this week include a Brown Booby (3) well inland in Bucks, and a Roseate Spoonbill in Lancaster. 

Quebec had a young White-faced Ibis this week in Lanaudière.

Notable for Connecticut was a small flock of White Ibis at Old Saybrook.

South Carolina’s 2nd record of Crested Caracara was seen in Beaufort this week.

In Florida, a Thick-billed Vireo (4) in Monroe hopefully presages a good Caribbean rarity season.

Kansas had it’s 7th record of Limpkin this week on the Riley/Pottawatamie, border. Its 1st was only earlier this summer.

Good for New Mexico was a pair of Fulvous Whistling-Ducks in Albuquerque.

Washington’s 4th record of Hawaiian Petrel was seen from a pelagic out of Westport.

And in Alaska, a Lesser Sand-Plover (3) in Nome is notable for being on the mainland, and out on St Paul, a Baikal Teal (4) was a highlight for the week.

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.