Actually a thrush, a far off-course Eurasian Blackbird was documented foraging in a front yard in Cartwright, Labrador, which created a First Provincial Record for Newfoundland and Labrador as well as an impressive Third North American Record (photo by Vernon Buckle). The Gray-crowned Rosy Finch found by in a yard in Green Bay, Nova Scotia, established a First Provincial Record (photo by Mitch Doucet).

One of the best things about attracting birds to our yards is that we never know what birds will arrive each season, or each hour of each day for that matter. It’s always exciting to see a different bird arrive at our feeding station, a bird bath, or in one of the trees in our yard. Adding a new species to your yard list is always rewarding; and ever so rarely, you might see a truly rare bird – possibly even a bird that establishes a new state record.

January was a banner month for birders to find rare birds in their yards, even adding a couple super-rare birds – like the Third North American Record “blackbird” that could easily have been overlooked as “just another blackbird.” Actually a thrush, a far off-course Eurasian Blackbird was documented foraging in a front yard in Cartwright, Labrador, which created a First Provincial Record for Newfoundland and Labrador as well as an impressive Third North American Record!

Not all backyard birds are songbirds; case in point, a Gundlach’s Hawk, native to Cuba, and quite rare even on that island, which was photographed standing on the roof of a home in Cape Coral, Florida. A series of quick photos documenting that super-rare sighting established a First North American Record as well as a First State Record for Florida.

Most recently, a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch was recorded in a yard in Green Bay, Nova Scotia on January 15, which established a First Provincial Record. Then on January 16 and thereafter, a Third State Record Pine Warbler was visiting a feeding station in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

On the other side of the country a well-photographed Green-tailed Towhee that visited a feeder occasionally from January 14 to19 in Fairfield, Connecticut created a Third State Record. And on January 9 a Harris’s Sparrow was documented in a backyard in Turner, Maine.

The second week in December was also an especially exciting period for rare sightings of yard birds, including a Broad-billed Hummingbird that visited a backyard nectar feeder in a yard in rural Micanopy, Florida, establishing a Ninth State Record; a colorful adult male Scott’s Oriole was visiting a yard and feeder in Overland Park, Kansas, which created a Third State Record; a Streak-backed Oriole was visiting a feeder and neighborhood in Lone Pine, California; and a Brambling was feeding on maple seeds in a front yard in Port Angeles, Washington.

These are all super-exciting observations, and frankly, a similarly rare bird could suddenly appear in your yard. While the percentages may be slight for a rare bird to stop by, it’s worthwhile to be aware, and be alert. And you don’t really need to do anything extra to attract a far off-course bird; just keep doing what you are doing – providing habitat with your landscaping that provides cover (shelter), food, and roosting sites, plus a feeding station stocked with a variety of foods and fresh water.

One thing to keep in mind is that you definitely want to document any rare bird sighting with photos, which underlines the importance of bird photography. If you personally can’t photograph the rare bird, call on a friend who can – immediately – you may not have much time before it moves on. Photography can also be useful in trying to determine the identity of a bird you are not familiar with, and to share it with others who can be helpful in the case of a difficult ID.

Next, please make the extra effort to report the rare bird sighting to local and state birding groups right away too. Others will be interested, will want to add your sighting to state records, and may want to see the bird themselves. Many birders are keen to add new birds to their lists – their life list, annual list, county list, state list, and North American list when applicable. Part of the fun of birding is sharing, and sharing access for other birders to see a rare bird you find can be a most rewarding endeavor.

It’s actually quite surprising to hear how many birders have stories about the rarest birds they have seen in their yards. Do you have a rare bird story? You can keep track of rare bird sightings other people document in their yards each week, along with the rare birds sighted across the United States and Canada in The Birding Wire’s Rare Birds article which appears in each issue. We rely on the American Birding Association’s weekly report for that information, which is always an impressive collection of the rarest birds found across the continent. In fact, we report the newest yard find in this issue – the Gray-crowned Rosy Finch found in a yard in Green Bay, Nova Scotia, which established a First Provincial Record. While watching for rare birds in your yard, as always, enjoy them all.

Share your backyard birding experiences and photos with The Birding Wire at editorstbw2@gmail.com