Birders in the Vancouver area found an immature Curlew Sandpiper at Boundary Bay in Delta, British Columbia (photo by Ilya Povalyaev).

This week there were so many exciting reports of Asian birds crossing the Bering Strait to the islands of western Alaska that we added an extra heading just for Alaska’s rare sightings, topped by such exciting species as a Spotted Redshank and Siberian Stonechat; a Taiga Flycatcher and Gray-streaked Flycatcher. Seabird action has also picked up with many rare finds among them, including White-faced Storm Petrels offshore from Massachusetts and New York, and Nazca Boobys in Puget Sound, Washington and offshore from California – and there are many more.

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

Sixth State Record Philadelphia Vireo – Steptoe Butte, Washington

REALLY RARE BIRDS

Swallow-tailed Gull – Seattle, Washington

Plain-capped Starthroat – Paton Center, Arizona

Small-billed Elaenia – Farallon Islands, California

Common Ringed Plover – St. Johns, Newfoundland

Curlew Sandpiper – Delta, British Columbia

Ruff – Antelope Island State Park, Utah

Ruff – near Linton, Indiana

Little Egret – near North Andover, Massachusetts

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Whitehorse, Yukon

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Oyster Bay, British Columbia

Yellow-green Vireo – Pasadena, California

Yellow-green Vireo – Anza-Borrego State Park, California

Yellow-green Vireo – Leslie Canyon Refuge, Arizona

Rufous-capped Warblers (2) – Ramanote Canyon, Arizona

REALLY RARE SEABIRDS

White-faced Storm Petrel – offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts

White-faced Storm Petrel – offshore Suffolk County, New York

Flesh-footed Shearwater – offshore Grays Harbor, Washington

Red-billed Tropicbird – offshore San Diego, California

Nazca Booby – Seattle, Washington

Nazca Booby – San Francisco, California

Nazca Booby – offshore San Diego, California

Masked Booby – offshore Hatteras, North Carolina

WESTERN ALASKA’S REALLY RARE BIRDS

Spotted Redshank – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

Siberian Stonechat – Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Taiga Flycatcher – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

Gray-streaked Flycatcher – Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Red-throated Pipit – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

Red-throated Pipit – Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Pechora Pipit – Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Pacific Swift – Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Common Ringed Plover – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

White Wagtail – Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Gray-tailed Tattler – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Kodiak Island, Alaska

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

Brambling – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

Short-tailed Albatross – southeast of the Pribilofs, Alaska

CONTINUING RARE BIRDS

Gray Heron – Prince Edward Island

Berylline Hummingbird – Arizona

You can often find more info 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/