Texas continues to host a truly impressive selection of ABA Area rarities into this week, with Mottled Owl (ABA Code 5) and Brown Jay (4) still being seen in the Valley, and Amur Stonechat (5), Cattle Tyrant (5), and Yellow-headed Caracara (5) up the coast.
We start in Florida, where what appears to be the state’s 1st record of Yellow-legged Gull (5) was photographed in Volusia Co. This species is primarily found around the Mediterranean but has been moving west and north in recent decades, meaning that we are likely to encounter more of these cryptic gulls in the ABA Area. Unfortunately for birders, in all plumages they appear somewhat intermediate between regular Lesser Black-backed and American Herring Gulls. There are a small handful of accepted records in North America, however, most coming from the northeast in Newfoundland and Quebec, but single records in Maryland and Texas. This bird appears to be of the Azorean breeding subspecies, which is presumably the most likly to occur on this continent.
Florida also boasts a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (3) in Miami-Dade Co, early spring being a good time to encounter these austral migrants in the ABA Area.
Texas also enjoyed a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (3) this week, in Galveston Co.
New Mexico’s 2nd record of Northern Wheatear was found on a golf course in Valencia Co, making for an interesting 1-2 punch with Tufted Flycatcher in the state.
Wisconsin’s 5th record of Tufted Duck was photographed this week in Brown Co.
Notable for Ontario was a sharp Crested Caracara discovered in Essex Co, one of only a few records for Canada, though those have increased quite a bit in the last decade.
South Carolina’s 4th Black-throated Gray Warbler was visiting a feeding station in Columbia.
And in Mississippi, a Harris’s Sparrow is a nice find in DeSoto Co.
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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