Rare Bird Alert

Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) and Pine Flycatcher (5) continue in Arizona into this week, as does a Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida, and a Little Stint (4) in California.

Alaska has been on a roll lately, but the birds involved haven’t been coming from the direction that exciting finds in the state typically do. The Last Fronteir boasted an extraordinary 3 potential state 1sts this week, all birds from southern climes making their way north. Perhaps most amazing was an apparent Lucy’s Warbler in Fairbanks in the middle of the state. The species has a few vagrant records in the west from places like Washington and British Columbia, but central Alaska is quite a leap.

Other 1sts include a Wedge-tailed Shearwater photographed offshore near Sitka in the panhandle, and a young Least Tern in Anchorage. This being Alaska, the possibility for an ABA Area 1st Little Tern had to be considered, especially following the more ambiguous initial photos, but subsequent observations confirmed Least for this bird.

One other 1st to report this week, and another in the southern birds in northern places pattern, in the form of a one-minute wonder Broad-billed Hummingbird at a feeder in Elk River, Minnesota. While the bird did not stick around, the homeowner certainly deserves credit for noticing something different and getting confirmatory photos and video of it during its brief stay.

Good for South Dakota this week was a Brown Pelican near Pickstown, though there’s no telling whether it came from the Atlantic of the Pacific populations.

British Columbia’s 3rd record of Nazca Booby was photographed in Victoria, about 70 miles from the unidentified booby in northwest Washington we recording in this space last week.

In Texas, a young Snail Kite in Lee is the state’s 5th record.

Pennsylvania had a small flock of Wood Storks turn up in Lancaster. 

In Quebec, a Sandwich Tern was photographed at the Magdalen Islands.

Good for St Pierre et Miquelon was a Yellow-crowned Night Heron this week.

And in Newfoundland, a European Golden-Plover (4) was found at Cape Freels.

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.