A Common Murre was photographed off the jetty at Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Point Park south of Daytona Beach, Florida.

Last week a First State Record Common Murre was sighted at Lighthouse Point Park near Daytona Beach, Florida. Two other state record birds were observed last week, with a McKay’s Bunting photographed at Delta, British Columbia, that established a Third Provincial Record, and photos also confirmed a Sixth State Record Vermillion Flycatcher in Eugene, Oregon. Other exceptional rare bird finds included a European Crane, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Pochard, Tropical Kingbird, and a Rufous-backed Robin!

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

First State Record Common Murre – Daytona Beach, Florida

Third Provincial Record McKay’s Bunting – Delta, British Columbia

Sixth State Record Vermillion Flycatcher – Eugene, Oregon

REALLY RARE SIGHTINGS

European Crane – Bosque del Apache Refuge, New Mexico

Common Pochard – Adak Island, Alaska

Eurasian Wigeon – near Cross Plains, Texas

Tropical Kingbird – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Rufous-backed Robin – near Uvalde, Texas

Yellow-throated Warbler – Cornville, Arizona

Bullock’s Oriole – Camden, Maine

Bullock’s Oriole – Stratham, New Hampshire

Mountain Bluebird – near Markham, Ontario

Rock Wren – Dardenelle Lock and Dam, Arkansas

Rock Wren – Mercer County, Missouri

Black Guillemot – Island Beach State Park, New Jersey

Brown Pelican – Lake Saracen, Arkansas

CONTINUING RARE BIRDS

The following ultra-rare birds were first sighted and reported here during previous weeks, but continue to be monitored by birders, just in case new people wish to seek them and to add to records about these birds rare to the United States and Canada:

Streak-backed Oriole – near Dudleyville, Arizona

Garganey – Salton Sea, California

Antillean Palm Swift – Marathon Key, Florida

La Sagra’s Flycatcher – Everglades National Park, Florida

Rare birds are gems among our familiar avifauna that add a high level of excitement among birders week after week. Be alert throughout 2020!

For more information, see the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at http://blog.aba.org/ and scroll down to reach the Rare Birds report. 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/