Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include the Black-tailed Gull (ABA Code 4) in Québec; the Mottled Owl (5), rediscovered this past week, in Texas; California’s first record of Dark-sided Flycatcher (4) in California; and the Variegated Flycatcher (4) in Florida.
Fall is the season for state and provincial firsts, and we have several to report in the past few days. In Saskatchewan, a Broad-billed Hummingbird visiting a feeder in Swift Current is a provincial first. This is the farthest north record for this hummingbird and one of fewer than ten records for Canada. The species occurs regularly in the ABA Area only in southern Arizona and New Mexico, but has a robust pattern of vagrancy across the Lower 48 and even southeastern Canada.
Primarily associated with the Pacific coast of the Americas, a Surfbird at the tip of Long Point Provincial Park in Ontario was a spectacular find—and a first for the province. Interestingly, this is a second record for the Great Lakes. The previous records came from Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1979, directly across Lake Erie from Long Point.
And in Oregon, the state’s first record of Northern Gannet was reported in Lane Co. An individual of this species has been present off the central California coast for several years now.
And up to Alaska where rarity season continues on the Bering Sea islands, highlights include Eyebrowed Thrush (3) on Adak, the state’s 4th Redwing (4), on St. Paul Island, and both Yellow-browed Warbler (4) and the ABA Area’s 3rd Lesser Whitethroat (5) at Gambell, St. Lawrence Island. On the mainland, noteworthy birds include a small flock of Purple Martins in Juneau and a pair of Common Cranes (3) at Delta Junction.
A nice find for Texas and the ABA Area, a stunning adult Northern Jacana (4) was seen this week at Santa Ana NWR in Hidalgo Co.
Virginia’s 4th record of Bell’s Vireo was seen this week in Virginia Beach.
North Carolina had an Elegant Tern, the state’s 2nd, in Dare Co.
And in Florida, western vagrants include a Black-headed Grosbeak in Pinellas Co. and a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in Monroe Co.
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.
