Rare Bird Alert

There are lots of continuing rarities this week in the ABA Area, including additional sightings of Garganey (ABA Code 4) in Montana and New Jersey. The ABA’s 2nd Pine Flycatcher (5) is still being seen in Arizona, as are both LaSagra’s Flycatcher (4) and Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida.

The most exciting find of the week comes from Arizona, where a Yellow Grosbeak (4) was photographed in Santa Cruz. This species has always been one that prompts quite a bit of excitement in the ABA Area as they historically don’t stick around long. This one made perhaps more exciting by the close proximity of a Berylline Hummingbird (4) in the same county.

We have a slate of four 1st records to report for the week, all coming from the big middle of the continent. In Montana, a well-photographed Cassin’s Sparrow in Phillips is a long-awaited 1st. One could reasonably expect more extralimital Cassin’s Sparrows in the ABA Area this summer as there continues to be a drought in the core of the species’s range which, in the past, has driven this bird to parts north and east.

Kansas becomes the latest state to add Limpkin to its list following the discovery of a bird in Linn. Who knows how far afield this species will be seen this summer, but the sky, or perhaps more accurately, the Rocky Mountains, is the limit.

Up to Wisconsin, where a Cassin’s Kingbird in Marathon is a 1st record for the state and another extralimital mark for this ABA Tyrannus with the least significant pattern of vagrancy.

And in Indiana, not one, but two Anhinga in Pike represent a 1st record of this southeast wanderer with a surprisingly light historical pattern around the Great Lakes.

Staying in the middle of the continent, a Tricolored Heron in Dubuque, Iowa, represents that state’s 7th record.

A small flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in Armour, South Dakota, is a good find for the state.

Alberta’s 2nd provincial record of Orchard Oriole was discovered in Lethbridge this week.

In British Columbia, the province’s 4th and 5th records of Scarlet Tanager were discovered at the same site in Vancouver, and a notable Indigo Bunting was in Quesnel.

Birders on Gambell, Alaska, got to see a Long-toed Stint (4) this week.

Shooting across the continent to Vermont, where a small flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in Addison is the 2nd occurance for the state.

Noteworthy for Massachusetts was a Loggerhead Shrike in Worcester. 

Quebec’s 2nd record of Rock Wren was very well-documented in Rimouski, and a Sandwich Tern on the Magdalen Islands was also a provincial highlight this week.

And in Florida, a Varied Thrush in Jacksonville is a nice change from all the Caribbean rarities reported from the state in the last few weeks.

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.