Rare Bird Alert

As we slide into October, we once again tough base with a handful of continuing rarities in the ABA Area that many of us should be pretty familiar with by now. Notably the ABA’s 2nd record of Inca Tern (ABA Code 5) in Hawaii, which increasingly seems to be marooned there, and both Little Stint (4) and Common Shelduck (4) persist into this week in Quebec. A Little Egret (4) continues in Delaware, while another long-staying Little Stint (4) was seen this week in California.

It seems to be the season for vagrant hummingbirds, as a Mexican Violetear (3) visited a private residence in Windsor, Vermont, where it represents the state’s 1st record and remarkably, only the 3rd recorded hummingbird species for the state after breeding resident Ruby-throated and regular vagrant Rufous.

To Quebec, where a Black-bellied Whistling Duck in Estrie probably marks the high-water mark for the species’s post-breeding adventures this summer.

The Northern Wheatear mini-surge from last week continues in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Also, that state recorded it’s 5th Pacific Golden-Plover this week in Essex.

New York also had a Northern Wheatear this week in Staten Island, which surprisingly also hosted a Tropical Kingbird making for a really interesting species pair in the county.

In Pennsylvania, a frigatebird sp (likely Magnificent) was seen in Luzerne. 

Ohio’s 2nd record of Green-tailed Towhee was photographed in Preble. 

Noteworthy birds for Washington include a Blackpoll Warbler in Adams and a young Little Gull (3) in Walla Walla. 

And in British Columbia, an Orchard Oriole in Metchosin is the province’s 8th and a Snowy Plover at Tofino is a nice find for the province.

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.