A extremely rare sighting for Hawaii, a Merlin was sighted last week, establishing the Sixth State Record, and initiating a discussion about whether the small falcon originated in North America or Asia.
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Last week provided some exciting rare birds, including a way-offcourse Merlin photographed on the Big Island of Hawaii, only the Sixth State Record. Two seabirds provided the other state records last week: A Fourth State Record Black Guillemot was observed and photographed at close quarters at Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina; and a Tenth State Record Thick-billed Murre was sighted near Stonington, Connecticut. Found among a flock of robins, a rare Redwing was found and photographed in Clarenville, Newfoundland, and a young male Black-headed Grosbeak was visiting a feeder in Fowlerville, Michigan. Down South, a Golden-crowned Sparrow was photographed at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge outside Shreveport, Louisiana; and a Rose throated Becard was sighted in the Rio Grande Valley in Starr County, Texas.
STATE RECORDS
Fourth State Record Black Guillimot – Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina
Sixth State Record Merlin – South Kohala (Big Island), Hawaii
Tenth State Record Thick-billed Murre – near Stonington, Connecticut
REALLY RARE SIGHTINGS
Redwing – Clarenville, Newfoundland
Golden-crowned Sparrow – Red River Refuge, Louisiana
Black-headed Grosbeak – Fowlerville, Michigan
Rose throated Becard – Starr County, Texas
CONTINUING RARE BIRDS
Continuing rare birds last week included:
Garganey – Salton Sea, California
La Sagra’s Flycatcher – Everglades National Park, Florida
Rare birds are truly rare gems found among our familiar local birds that add so much to each week’s birding news. Keep alert as January comes to a close and we greet February!
For more information, see the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at https://www.aba.org/rare-bird-alert-january-31-2020/ 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/