Maryland’s third state record Rock Wren sighting was a highlight this week.

Last week’s rarest finds included a male Garganey, an Old World teal, located and photographed on a pond in central California; and a Brambling, an Old World finch, that turned up after what must have been an ultra-long-distance flight to Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! Closer to home, Georgia birders found two state record birds visiting feeders – a second state record male Lazuli Bunting, and an eighth state record Common Redpoll. A third state record Rock Wren was identified in a yard in Maryland, and a variety of other off-course birds were sighted ranging from a Trumpeter Swan in northwest New Mexico to a Black-faced Grassquit in Key West, Florida.

Second State Record Lazuli Bunting – Albany, Georgia

Third State Record Rock Wren – southwest Maryland

Eighth State Record Common Redpoll – north-central Georgia

REALLY RARE SIGHTINGS

Garganey – West Sacramento, California

Brambling – Midway Island

Black-faced Grassquit – Key West, Florida

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch – Scotts Bluff, Nebraska

Trumpeter Swan – northwest New Mexico

Varied Thrush – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Great Kiskadees – White Lake Birding Trail, Louisiana

As for continuing rare birds reported here previously, south Texas birders continue to report the Yellow Grosbeak, a Crimson-collared Grosbeak, and at least one Golden-crowned Warbler. In south Florida, birders are still finding the La Sagra’s Flycatcher and Thick-billed Vireo. Other continuing rare finds include the Red-flanked Bluetail in Los Angeles, and the White-throated Thrush in southeast Arizona. What rare finds will birders report this week?

For more information, see the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at http://blog.aba.org/2019/03/rare-bird-alert-march-8-2019.html

Special Thanks to the ABA, and Nate Swick, who does such a great job of compiling the ABA’s Rare Bird Alert, which we use to prepare this weekly replay.

You can often find more information about individual rare bird sightings from the state rare bird alert listserves that you can access at http://birding.aba.org/ or at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ABArare/