Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include Mottled Owl (ABA Code 5) and Brown Jay (4) in south Texas, and the ongoing Steller’s Sea-Eagle (4) in Newfoundland.
Not more than a day after we first reported the Arizona 1st Piratic Flycatcher, Colorado jumped into the ring with a state 1st Piratic Flycatcher (4) of their own, a bird seen in Yuma Co. This species has a tendency to reappear in seemingly random clusters of sightings on the map, but temporal clusters are something a bit different. This currently represents the farthest north record of this widespread neotropical species.
Not to be outdone, North Carolina boasts a state 1st streaky flycatcher of its own, with the discovery of a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in Dare Co. This species has occurred a number of times along the Gulf coast and up in the northeast, but records in the Mid-Atlantic are fairly scarce.
The last couple weeks have been phenomenal for Common Ringed Plover. After 1st records in Arizona and Minnesota this year, the east coast finally gets into the game with New Hampshire’s 1st record in Rockingham Co.
These records clearly lit a fire under local birders around the ABA Area as Virginia birders discovered a 1st record Common Ringed Plover shortly thereafter in Northampton Co, followed closely by a New Jersey 1st record of Common Ringed Plover in Cape May Co! And just to keep the theme a Common Ringed Plover in York Co, Maine, in the same period is that state’s 4th.
In Maryland, a MacGillivray’s Warbler was captured by Patuxent bird banders in Prince George’s Co where it furnished the state with its 1st official, a previous report from the 1960s was never officially accepted. Also in the state, a Lark Bunting was seen in St. Mary’s Co, the first seen in nearly two decades.
British Columbia does the double this week, when a Juan Fernandez Petrel (3) was sighted *from shore* on Haida Gwaii Island, representing a both a BC and a Canada 1st, as well as being only the third record away from Hawaii. And soon afterwards, a 1st provincial record of Cassin’s Sparrow in Delta also gives British Columbia a new species for its list.
Just to the south in Montana, a White Wagtail in Deer Lodge Co is a 1st for the state and one of very few records of this species for the big middle of the continent.
And in Nebraska, a Vega Gull (3) in Lancaster Co is a state 1st. This species has a very odd pattern of vagrancy with records scattered loosely all over the continent, suggesting that this recent split from the Herring Gull complex could turn up as a first record just about anywhere in the ABA Area.
A new exciting find from Alaska this week is a Song Thrush (4) on St Paul Island.
Washington’s 9th record of Little Blue Heron was photographed in Benton Co.
In Idaho, a young Red-headed Woodpecker seen in Jefferson Co is a noteworthy find.
Good for Utah was a Chestnut-sided Warbler in Washington Co.
Nevada’s 8th record of Philadelphia Vireo was well-photographed near Reno this week.
In Wyoming, a trio of Philadelphia Vireos were seen in Goshen Co, and at least two different Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, a male and a female type, are visiting feeders in Cheyenne. There are fewer than 10 records for the state.
The impressive movement of Clark’s Nutcrackers reached North Dakota this week, where a bird was seen in Stutsman Co.
Wisconsin had a Vermilion Flycatcher in Milwaukee Co.
Limpkin is still turning up in weird places, though the number of records during the irruption of sorts from a couple years ago means that they don’t always turn up in rare bird reports. One was seen in Mendon, Ohio, this week.
A Fork-tailed Flycatcher (3) in Elkhart Co, Indiana, is that state’s 4th record.
Connecticut is blocked from many pelagic records by Long Island, but this week saw both a Great Shearwater and a Leach’s Storm-Petrel reported in the state, the latter seeing a major influx into Long Island Sound.
Louisiana’s 2nd record of Violet-green Swallow was photographed in Red River Parish.
And in Florida, an Elegant Tern was seen by many in Lee Co, and the ABA Area’s third Piratic Flycatcher (4) in a matter of days, was seen in Pinellas Co, where it represented the state’s 5th and the county’s 2nd!
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.
