Midsummer sees three rarities continuing in the ABA Area, a Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) in Arizona, Little Egret (4) in Maine, and a small group of Tamaulipas Crows (4) in Texas.

It’s time to catch up on the travels of the east coast Heermann’s Gull, which has already taken a flyer up to Massachusetts before returning, once again, to its home base in coastal Georgia. This single bird has represented 1st records for no fewer than five states so far this year. We get to add a sixth this week, as the bird wandered over to southern South Carolina, turning up in Beaufort county for that state’s 1st record of Heermann’s Gull.

The week’s other 1st record is also brought to by a widely wandering species. Montana’s 1st record of Neotropic Cormorant was discovered on a lake in Billings this week. And perhaps more extraordinarily, it was followed almost immediately by the state’s 2nd record in Great Falls. 

Washington’s 15th record of Costa’s Hummingbird was visiting a feeder in Kittitas this week.

What looks like Colorado’s 3rd record of Arctic Loon was discovered at a reservoir in Jackson. 

Illinois becomes the latest state in the Midwest to host a White-tailed Kite this week, the state’s 3rd or 4th record in Madison. 

Good for Pennsylvania, a California Gull was found in Erie. 

And in Florida, a nice-looking Yellow-green Vireo was found in Miami-Dade. 

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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.