Rare Bird Alert: August 4, 2017

August means migration across the continent, the first push of shorebirds and passerines making their way south. Much of that is still going on under many birders’ radars right now, but it’s been hard to miss the dispersal of wading birds this year. Herons, egrets, and storks continue to be the headliners this week, with at least one huge surprise. We’ll get to that, but first the continuing birds.

The Pied Wheatear in Nome, Alaska, was seen again this week after having not been reported for a couple weeks. That’s likely mostly to do with few people out looking for it after the initial rush northward. Breeding Black-faced Grassquits (ABA Code 4) and Western Spindalis (3) continue in Florida. Tufted Flycatcher (5) and Flame-colored Tanager (4) are both still being reported in Arizona. Little Egrets (4) are still present in both Maine and Delaware, and the Blue-footed Booby (4) continues to hang out in California.

There might not be a more dramatic ABA Area vagrant than Jabiru (4), and the giant neotropical stork was seen by several this week in Chambers, Texas, just east of Houston. This is about the 15th record for the ABA Area, all but a few have come from Texas.

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