Rare Bird Alert: November 28, 2015

Thanks for waiting the one additional day for you helping of rare birds this week. I know you’ve all been salivating for it as much you were for Thanksgiving dinner. And despite missing its regularly scheduled time, much like this past Thursday, the leftovers are just as good as the meal itself.

Continuing ABA Area notables this week include Sinaloa Wren (5) in Arizona, a Northern Jacana (4) in Texas, and the Streak-backed Oriole (4) in New Mexico.

This is the part of the year where we begin to see an increase in vagrant waterfowl, particularly geese from Europe. Pink-footed and Barnacle Geese, despite still being Code 4s on the official ABA list, are annual these days and this week saw a number of them reported in the northeast. Barnacle Goose, at least, seems to be slowly working its way westward into the Great Lakes region with some regularity, it seems only a matter of time before Pink-footed follows it, particularly with the populations of both in Northern Europe steadily increasing.

This is also that special time of year where we start to see tropical flycatchers photographed against a background of snow, a true sign of the changing seasons if there ever was one. That was certainly the case in Iowa this week, where a Vermilion Flycatcher was photographed in Madison. Also notable, a Pine Grosbeak was seen in O’Brien, in the far north of the state, perhaps a sign of things to come in the middle of the continent.

In Missouri, an Anna’s Hummingbird in Franklin is the state’s 6th record.

Down in Louisiana, a Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird was seen in Jefferson.

Notable for Texas and the ABA Area was a Crimson-collared Grosbeak (4) heard only as of the time of writing, in Hidalgo.  More notable for the state, though, was a Common Redpoll in Hale, about the 15th for Texas.

In New Mexico, a young Glaucous-winged Gull in Eddy is their 3rd.

California had a nice Le Conte’s Sparrow,  found in Los Angeles. 

In Oregon, a Yellow-throated Warbler is coming to a feeder in Washington.

An interesting bird in British Columbia is a possible McKay’s Bunting the 2nd(?) for the province, in Sunshine Coast. The ID is still being discussed and those who want to weigh in can see a photo of the bird at the link.

In Alaska, a Brambling (3) was visiting a feeder in Sitka.

Idaho had two Brown Thrashers at feeders in the state this week, one in Sandpoint and the other in Blackfoot.

Notable for Minnesota, a Varied Thrush was photographed in Hubbard.

Westerly winds blew in a Lewis’s Woodpecker to Trempealeau, Wisconsin.

Illinois had a Slaty-backed Gull (4) in Hampton, right on the border with Iowa.

Noteworthy finds in Indiana this week include a Green-tailed Towhee in Gibson and a Townsend’s Solitaire  in Porter.

In Michigan, a Harlequin Duck was accommodating to many birders in Jackson.

Over in Newfoundland, a Western Kingbird was found in St. Lawrence, the 4th for the season there.

In Nova Scotia, not one, but two different individual Mountain Bluebirds turned up the same week, a female-type in Freeport and a stunning adult male in Mavillette.

In Maine, a MacGillivray’s Warbler was found in Cape Elizabeth.

Massachusetts’s 6th or so record of Pink-footed Goose (4) has been present much of the week in Turner Falls.

And just south of that in Avon, Connecticut, another Pink-footed Goose (4) has been present for several days.

Following birds last week in New Brunswick and Maryland, New York had its own  “Western” Flycatcher , in well-trafficked Central Park, New York. Like the previous two, the jury is still out on its identity. Birders in the New York City area also turned up a Pink-footed Goose (4) in Suffolk.

In Pennsylvania, a Western Tanager was present in Centre.

New Jersey had a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Atlantic.

Tennessee’s 10th record of Say’s Phoebe was discovered in Chester this week.

Alabama had a Buff-bellied Hummingbird at a feeder in Foley.

An American Tree Sparrow in Whitfield, Georgia, is a nice bird anywehre in the south.

And in Florida, a stunning male Western Spindalis (3) was photographed in Broward.

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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 aba.org/nab>, the richly illustrated journal of ornithological record published by the ABA.

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