Well into the summer now and the list of continuing rarities is a familiar one. The Kelp Gull (ABA Code 4) continues in the American Herring Gull colony in Wisconsin. Summer cruisers in Newfoundland have been reporting the long-staying Steller’s Sea-Eagle (4) more regularly these days. The Falcated Duck (4) is regularly seen in western Alaska, and Mottled Owl (5) continues in Texas.
Midsummer frequently brings with it some oddball vagrants, perhaps best exemplified this year by Pennsylvania’s 1st record of Willow Ptarmigan, discovered and seen by many birders at Presque Isle State Park in Erie Co. While late June is hardly the time of year one expects to see a bird most associated with ice and snow, birders have documented a fairly regular pattern of vagrancy for this bird in the eastern Great Lakes, with a number of records from the north side of Lakes Erie and Ontario. This includes records from earlier this year, notably on the Toronto, Ontario, lakefront and at Rock Point Provincial Park, the latter not more than about 60 miles as the ptarmigan flies or walks or whatever Ptarmigans prefer to do from where the Pennsylvania bird is being seen.
California is no stranger to incredible and unexpected birds, but perhaps no one really expected a potential ABA Area 1st record of Pearl Kite until one was photographed in Los Angeles Co late last month. This is the smallest species of raptor in the Americas, and a reasonably common species of arid landscapes and broken woodlands throughout northern South America, ranging as far north as southern Honduras. It has been expanding northward in recent years like other raptors that have been seen in the ABA Area, with recent records from Guatemala but none, as of yet, from Mexico. That makes for quite a jump to Los Angeles, but it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a largely neotropical species make a huge leap northward, before “filling in” behind with observations that seem more expected. Yellow-headed Caracara, Southern Lapwing, and Cattle Tyrant have all shown somewhat similar patterns.
Staying in the realm of individual birds taking massive and unexpected leaps northward, Yukon Territory’s 1st record of Sage Thrasher was photographed this week, not at the southern end of the territory, but at the very northern tip in Qikiqtaruk, formerly Herschel Island, on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. This is approximately 1400 miles north of the next closest record from Alberta, and 11 degrees of latitude farther north than the previous northernmost record, in Churchill, Manitoba. Also in Yukon, the territory’s 2nd record of Oriental Turtle-Dove (4) was seen in Watson Lake.
In Kentucky, sadly deceased Band-rumped Storm-Petrel in Glasgow was likely blown inland as a the result of the recent Tropical Storm Arthur. This is, notably, about the 5th record of this species for Kentucky, and all previous records are associated with tropical storms.
A more regular vagrant in recent years, but still noteworthy anywhere away from Florida, an adult Snail Kite was photographed in Altamaha NWR, Georgia.
Noteworthy for North Carolina is a Bar-tailed Godwit in Hyde Co.
Maryland’s 2nd record of Red-footed Booby (4) was photographed on a boat in Chesapeake Bay, Anne Arundell Co.
Pennsylvania’s 2nd Brown-headed Nuthatch was a great find on a breeding bird survey in Chester Co.
Rhode Island welcomed a Franklin’s Gull to Charlestown in late June.
Nova Scotia’s 7th White Ibis was seen in Glace Bay, along with an accommodating Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Baccaro.
In Iowa, an Arctic Tern at Saylorville is the state’s 6th record.
South Dakota hosted a Crested Caracara in Tyndall, the latest extralimital record of this species that tends to turn up randomly in the middle of the continent.
Good for Kansas was a stunning adult Purple Gallinule in Wichita.
Colorado had a Hooded Oriole visiting a feeder in Estes Park.
Montana’s 6th or so Prairie Warbler was well-documented in Park Co.
Of note in Washington was an Alder Flycatcher in Pend Orielle Co.
Alberta’s 7th Black-throated Sparrow was seen this week in Cypress Co.
Notable finds in British Columbia recently include the province’s 10th Hooded Warbler in Vancouver, and a Cocos Booby near Galiano Island.
In Hawaii, a sharp-looking male Baikal Teal (3) in Honolulu Co is the 3rd record for the islands.
Omissions and errors are not intended, but if you find any, please message blog AT aba.org and we 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 installments of the ABA Rare Bird Alert. Readers should note that most of these reports have not yet been vetted by a records committee. All birders are urged to submit documentation of rare sightings to the appropriate state or provincial records 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.
