Most exciting was the First North American Record of a Waved Albatross documented offshore from Bodega Bay, California (photo by Glen Tepke). The Waved Albatross also established a First State Record for California (photo by Glen Tepke). An especially surprising sighting was an October feeder visit by a Mexican Violetear in Michigan – a Tenth State Record (photo by Manny Salas).

Lucky birders on a pelagic birding trip originating from Bodega Bay were treated to close views of the First North American Record Waved Albatross, an impressive seabird that also established a First State Record for California! Birders in Canada documented the First Provincial Record of a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Nova Scotia and a Third Provincial Record of a Northern Wheatear in Alberta. A Sixth State Record Gray Kingbird was reported in Massachusetts, along with a Seventh State Record Little Blue Heron in Washington, plus an especially surprising Tenth State Record Mexican Violetear sighted in October in Michigan – and there’s more:

NORTH AMERICAN RECORD

First North American Record Waved Albatross – offshore Bodega Bay, California

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

First State Record Waved Albatross – offshore Bodega Bay, California

First Provincial Record Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia

Third Provincial Record Northern Wheatear – Edmonton, Alberta

Sixth State Record Gray Kingbird – Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Sixth State Record LeConte’s Sparrow – near Rye, New Hampshire

Seventh State Record Little Blue Heron – Bateman Island, Washington

Tenth State Record Mexican Violetear – Copper Harbor, Michigan

REALLY RARE BIRDS

Barolo Shearwaters (4) offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts

Steller’s Eider – Port Hardy, British Columbia

Bar-tailed Godwits (3) – Plymouth, Massachusetts

Red-footed Booby – Lake Houston, Texas

Purple Gallinule – Betsie Lake, Michigan

Purple Gallinule – Whitefish Point, Michigan

Black-throated Gray Warbler – Harbor Island, Michigan

Summer Tanager – Sonora Island, British Columbia

Harris’s Sparrow – near Marshfield, Massachusetts

CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS

Steller’s Sea Eagle – Newfoundland

Yellow-headed Caracara – Texas

Mottled Owl – Texas

Gray Gull – Florida

Common Crane – Alaska

American Flamingos – Florida, Texas

For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: October 10, 2025 - American Birding Association (aba.org). Special Thanks to the ABA for permitting us to use the Rare Bird Alert as the basis to prepare this weekly or bi-weekly replay.

You can often find more information about individual rare bird sightings from the ABA state rare bird alert listserves that you can access at Birding News brought to you by American Birding Association - (aba.org) or at ABA Rare Bird Alert | Facebook.