Rare Bird Alert: August 16, 2019

Though summer is coming to a close we still have a few continuing rarities that have been our constant companions all season long, including the Slate-throated Redstart (ABA Code 4) in Texas, and the somewhat regular Nazca Booby (5) and Red-footed Booby (4) in California. Likewise, the Maine Little Egret (4) and the Arizona Common Crane (4) have been present for months now and will almost certainly move on once fall begins in earnest, though that may be a few weeks away yet.

In Arizona this week, a Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Cochise is new to this space. This species is always a fun one when it shows up in the Sky Islands of the southeast part of the state as it isn’t quite annual these days. Many birders have been able to see this week.

We’re starting to look again to Alaska as fall migration lurches forward. A young Little Stint (4) on St Paul Island is the first of what one hopes will be an excellent fall vagrant season.

Texas also had a nice hummingbird week in the form of a White-eared Hummingbird visiting a feeder in the Davis Mountains.

Nice for Nebraska was a breeding record, no less, of Common Gallinule in Knox. 

Always a noteworthy record in the Lower 48, a Yellow-billed Loon was photographed in Webster, Iowa, this week.

Missouri had a Great Black-backed Gull at Riverlands in St. Charles. 

In Illinois, a Fulvous Whistling-Duck was seen in Jackson. This species used to be the default vagrant whistling-duck in decades past but records have been scare in recent years while Black-bellied Whistling-Duck has been seen all over the continent.

Ontario’s 2nd record of Common Ringed Plover was found in the decidedly un-shorebirdy Algonquin Provincial Park this week.

Delaware had a flyby Magnificent Frigatebird on Fenwick Island.

In Vermont, a American White Pelican has been frequenting a lake near the town of Swanton.

New Hampshire’s 5th record of Tufted Duck has been present near Exeter.

Adding to the remarkable run of northerly Brown Booby records this summer comes one from Hancock, Maine.

And in Nova Scotia, a Black-tailed Godwit (3) was photographed on Whitehead Island.

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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.

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