An adult Steller’s Sea Eagle, the largest eagle in the world with a normal range along coastal northeast Asia, was found far inland in Alaska at Denali National Park and photographed by Josh Parks.

An adult Steller’s Sea Eagle, the largest eagle in the world, was found inland in Alaska at Denali National Park. Farther south, Hurricane Laura and the resulting tropical storm blew several exciting seabirds far inland, creating sightings of Band-rumped Storm Petrels in Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee, plus Magnificent Frigatebirds in Ontario, Oklahoma, and over the Mississippi River between Hannibal, Missouri & Quincy, Illinois. Old World shorebirds found included Curlew Sandpipers in Washington and British Columbia, and a Ruff in Alberta.

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

First State Record Eastern Yellow Wagtail – Cape San Blas, Florida

First State Record Band-rumped Storm Petrel – Lake Lemon, Indiana

Second State Record Band-rumped Storm Petrel – Housatonic River inlet, Missouri

Thirteenth State Record Curlew Sandpiper – Potholes Reservoir, Washington

Thirteenth State Record Curlew Sandpiper – near Delta, British Columbia

REALLY RARE SIGHTINGS

Steller’s Sea Eagle – Denali National Park, Alaska

South Polar Skua – Panama City, Florida

Ruff – Calgary, Alberta

Magnificent Frigatebird – Witby, Ontario

Magnificent Frigatebird – Tulsa, Oklahoma

Magnificent Frigatebird – Mississippi River, Missouri & Illinois

Band-rumped Storm Petrel – Pickwick Lake, Tennessee

Townsend’s Storm Petrel – offshore Los Angeles, California

Brown Booby– offshore Forteau, Labrador

Brown Booby – Witby, Ontario

Brown Booby – Olivebridge, New York

Parasitic Jaeger – West Valley Ponds, Montana

Pomarine Jaeger – Pickwick Lake, Tennessee

Sooty Tern – Pickwick Lake, Tennessee

Sooty Tern – St. Marks Refuge, Florida

Brown Pelican – Mallorytown, Ontario

Prothonotary Warbler – Pearce, Quebec

CONTINUING RARE BIRDS

The Common Crane is still being monitored by birders in northeast California, and the Thick-billed Vireo is still being seen in Miami, Florida. A pair of Eared Quetzals continue to be seen in Southeast Arizona, where birders also continue to report the Plain-capped Starthroat and Berylline Hummingbird regularly. Fall migration kicks in more each day, so be sure to check every shorebird, hummingbird, songbird, flycatcher, and gull – actually every bird – for the potential of a rare or off-course species!

For more information, see the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at https://www.aba.org/rare-bird-alert-september-4-2020/ 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/