May 30, 2025
Texas continues to host most of the continuing rarities in the ABA Area this week with Mottled Owl (ABA Code 5) and Brown Jay (4) still present in the Valley and Cattle Tyrant (5) and Yellow-headed Caracara (5) on the upper coast. Yellow-headed Caracara (5) also continues to be seen in Florida.
Newfoundland & Labrador continue to host surprising records following a very interesting spring in the province, though this time the bird is surprising for somewhat different reasons. The province’s 1st record of House Finch was spotted this week at a feeder in Codrey, on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland. A second sighting of possibly the same bird was seen in Stephenville a couple days later. This species, native to western North America, was famously introduced in the eastern half of the continent in the 1940s and subsequently spread far and wide in subsequent decades, eventually coming back into contact with the western birds. In recent years it has become regular as far northeast as southern Quebec, and there have been several records in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. This being the first, and possibly the second, bird to make it across the relatively short span of water that separates Nova Scotia from the island of Newfoundland.
It wasn’t the only species to push northard this week, as a Pine Warbler in Forteau is the first for Labrador. The species has occurred 20 or so times on the island of Newfoundland.
Wyoming continues its hot streak of late with a pair of 1st records this week. A Grace’s Warbler in Casper is a state 1st, as is a likely Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in Goshen Co.
Missouri finally boasts an Arctic Tern for the state, one seen on the Mississippi River in Pemiscot Co. This is a long-awaited 1st and now leaves Arkansas as the only state/province/territory jurisdiction in the ABA Area currently missing a record of this species.
Birders are on site in western Alaska for the spring rarity season and early highlights include a the ABA Area’s 4th record of Lesser White-fronted Goose (5) and the ABA’s 5th, and first for spring, Song Thrush (5) on St Paul in the Pribilofs.
Down to British Columbia where a Blue Grosbeak in Peachland is the 3rd record for the province.
Notable for Oregon was a Laughing Gull in Clatsop.
In Utah, a nice Cape May Warbler was photographed at Bears Ears National Mpnument in San Juan Co.
More common in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, a Rose-throated Becard (3) at Big Bend NP is one of only a few records for the western part of the state.
Kentucky’s 7th record of Neotropic Cormorant was seen this week in Lexington.
Rhode Island’s 9th Franklin’s Gull was accommodating for many birders in Washington Co.
Vermont also had a couple Franklin’s Gulls in Addison Co.
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.
