Rarities continuing into this second week of the year include Yellow-headed Caracaras (ABA Code 5) in both Florida and Texas. Also, Cattle Tyrant (5), Kelp Gull (5), and Brown Jay (4) continue in Texas as well.
And we stay in Texas where the rarity cup runneth over as it has for more than a year now, where a state 1st Gray Gull (5) was discovered at the Brownsville Landfill in Cameron Co. This is a young bird so a different individual from the Gray Gull that has spent over at year on the Florida panhandle and occasionally in bordering Alabama. This makes it the 2nd ABA Area record, though a previous unaccepted Louisiana record is considered very likely to have been a Gray Gull.
In New York, what appears to be a Taiga Bean-Goose (3) was well-photographed in Washington Co. This would be a 1st record for that state. This bird seems likely to be the bean-goose that was previously seen in Quebec late last year.
Over to Ohio, where a state 1st Lazuli Bunting is visiting a feeder in Meigs Co. This species is reasonably common as a vagrant in the east, but most records come from closer to the coast. This Ohio record fills in a big donut hole in the Mid-East, where West Virginia and Kentucky are the last states/provinces east of the Mississippi River to record this species.
Down to Alabama, where a Thick-billed Longspur in Decatur in the northern part of the state is a 1st record, adding to a fairly strong pattern of vagrancy for this species in the southeast. There are additional records for North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana and three for Tennessee. Also in Alabama, a Glaucous-winged Gull in Foley is the state’s 2nd.
In Ontario, a Tufted Duck (3) is a nice find near Toronto.
On Prince Edward Island, a Spotted Towhee is the ltest eastern record for this species which is having something of a moment this winter.
Oklahoma’s 3rd record of Varied Thrush was found on the Tallgrass Prairie Christmas Bird Count.
And in Hawaii, a Western Gull near Honolulu on O’ahu Island is the 2nd record for the islands, the previous record also coming from O’ahu.
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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