14 replies to this topic

[DHSBirdman]

Hi everybody. Benjamin Dehaven had a fun thing the other day about asking everyone about birds in their own neck of trhe woods that they should see, but never seem to see. I should have chimed mine in out here in the low desert of Southern California as the common ground dove, and four different species of Thrashers.

What about another reverse type of thing. This summer has been crazy almost everywhere in the U.S. What about asking for people's input on what wieird birds( aka vagrants) have they seen in their own neck of the woods that they should not even see in their neck of the woods in summer time.

My summer vagrants have been a Cooper's Hawk and a juvenile Black Headed Grosbeak, both who frequent my yard nearly every day even though they should have been gone for the summer by late May like all of rest of their their species do every year. Cooper's ( and Sharp Shinned Hawks) always seem to return for a 8 month stay about early to mid September each year, and Black Headed Grosbeaks are pure migrants, here in the desert two to 4 weeks each late April to late May, and then for a week or so in October.

So how about all of the rest of you. Let's hear about some good summer vagrant sitings in your areas of the country.

[fisherman1313]

I found a Clay-colored Sparrow at the viewing platform of the local refuge back in Novemder. I had gone there looking for vagrant sparrows three times the previous week with no luck, I went back the day I found the bird to look at the geese. Another birder went out to see what I have come to call "my" sparrow and while he was looking at it his wife asked, "If that's the Clay-colored Sparrow, then what's this bird over here?" She had found a second one! They were only the third and fourth county records.

On December 1 I went to a nearby reservoir to look for a Pacific Loon (first county record) that a friend of mine had found the day before and (Patagonia Picnic Table Effect) found the fourth county record Red-breasted Merganser. The president of the local Audubon chapter said it was a fine joke to go look for a first county record loon and find a lifer that is 100 miles out of its normal range and had only been seen in the county three times before.

[Benjamin DeHaven]

Ok, my first attempt at this thread was thwarted by my screens going all garbled and then the Blue Screen Of Death. It happens less in windows7 which makes me even more nervous when it does happen.

Anyway! I have two I would like to share here in the Greater Maryland area.

First was a duo of juvenile White Ibis found on the C&O Canal just outside of Potomac, MD. We normally get about 1 or 2 individuals every 2 - 2.5 years. Not epic but exciting for me!


B010369 4x6 by Benjamin DeHaven Photography, on Flickr

Second was a Great White Heron (Great Blue Heron (White Morph)) at Fort Frederick SP outside of Hagerstown, MD. Using the eBird Range Map I find that this was likely only the fourth individual ever reported to eBird. I think that's awesome!


Great White Heron by Benjamin DeHaven Photography, on Flickr

Just upset I was 100% into birding until the last of the winter Snowy Owls flew the coop...

Benjamin DeHaven
Timonium, Maryland

[DHSBirdman]

Hey Fisherman. Your three rare sightings are great ones. I have never seen a Pacific Loon or a Clay-colored sparrow, and I have only seen one Red-breasted Merganser and that was up in costal river inlet way up in northern California in may of this year while I was on vacation. You look like you live in central California someplace, I just can't tell if you are in the San Joaquin or Sacramento valleys or if you are in a foothills community. I lived in Suisun City near where the delta runs from central California to the greater San Francisco Bay area for two years 25 years ago. That whole region is a birding mecca with all of the waterways and wildlife refuges nearby.

Now Benjamin, your two are great also, but your one rare sighting shows the difference in our regions of the country. In the desert I have a moderate chance for white ibis sightings over close to the Salton Sea, which is out in the desert about 50 miles east of me, and I actually see them somewhat. I also see them alot over the mountains west of me inside the greater Los Angeles basin. Now a white plumaged Great Blue Heron is another matter altogether. My seeing normal great blue herons, yes alot, seeing one with all white plumage- never. Great picture of it by the way.

[Joejr14]

Mine so far this year would be a Ruff from back in May. It was found down at Hammonasset Beach State Park (mega rarity spot) a day earlier and I re-found it the next AM. Had some fantastic looks....but too bad it wasn't in breeding plumage.

[Benjamin DeHaven]

Ya, never seen a Ruff. But that is a great picture of a sharp looking bird! And thank you DHSBirdman for the picture compliment. I love Herons so seeing a subspecies(?) that belongs in the Florida Keys was really exciting.

Benjamin

[fisherman1313]

I am in the San Joaquin Valley, just outside Modesto. All the good rarities we've had this year were in winter and early spring. We do have a Lesser Flamingo at the sewage ponds in Ceres, which is just SW of Modesto, but that isalmost certainly an escapee. A friend of mine found what he called "an interesting Myiarchus flycatcher" a couple of days ago, just west of Modesto, but he was not able to make a definate ID and as far as I know no one else has relocated it.

[BarnSwallow]

How long ago was that great white heron there?

[TheGodComplex]

Today, I have seen a Surf Scoter in New Jersey. They only winter here, so it was nice to know I don't have to wait until winter to see one. It only was a single one, and it either was a juvenile or a female. Makes me wonder how it got so far from home.

[Benjamin DeHaven]

How long ago was that great white heron there?

Last I see on eBird is 2 sightings on 7/28/12 and I don't recall seeing any other sightings come across the "MD & DC Birding" Google Group since then.

Here is where it has been sighted: https://maps.google....10382,-78.01014
Here is the eBird Map: http://ebird.org/ebi...r=2008&eyr=2012 (didn't work, but just zoom in on the only purple block in western Maryland)

Note that on the eBird Map the "personal location" is the correct spot, not the "Birding Hotspot" though both have been used to place sightings checklists.

Benjamin

[BarnSwallow]

Thanks! Don't know if I'll get a chance to get out there soon, but I might try!

[birdbrain22]

Most misdirected bird of the summer for us so far was the White Pelican, here in NJ. (non-lifer though)

Also a Brown Booby showed up a few days ago, but she is not a big deal (haven't been able to get there yet though) .... we had great views of the one down in Cape May last year!

[Gordo]

Wait a sec... there's a WHITE version of great blue herons?
This week we spotted a blue heron and right beside it a white twin. We'd never seen white herons before (there were 2 others nearby) and were at a loss as to what they might be.
This was in the Hamilton area of Southern Ontario.
(I really have to stay online long enough to figure out how to upload photos.)

Ok, I've added the photos of this mystery white heron to my gallery... 1 shot of it alongside the blue heron and 3 shots of the white flying

but, apparently I'm not yet allowed to actually post photos (or so some little pop-up box told me when I tried to use the image button while posting,) so...

http://www.whatbird....e-white-120802/

That's the url of the photo of both birds, blue & white
The 3 white heron flying shots are in that same album

[BarnSwallow]

Those are great egrets. See how dainty its bill seems compared to the GBH? Also, the legs are black - they'd be light-colored in a GWH. Great white herons are almost unheard of outside of Florida.

[Gordo]

Great Egrets? Very cool. Another first ever sighting!
I've talked to a few people in this area, long time residents, and none of them said they could recall ever seeing or hearing about "giant white herons" in these parts. My wife & I have been frequenting that conservation area for over 5 years as this was our first ever sighting. Maybe the hotter weather this year is a factor in these beautiful birds showing up now.