Archive for MEGA: Great Birds
MEGA: Oriental Turtle-Dove in British Columbia
Posted by: | CommentsA first-basic Oriental Turtle-Dove was photographed a few minutes ago at Alaksen NWA, British Columbia. The bird’s origin is likely to be questioned, of course, but its age might suggest a genuine vagrant.
MEGA: Texas Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Posted by: | CommentsHigh on everyone’s list of the next ABA-area vagrant, a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron landed in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas today. The bird was photographed near Bentsen – Rio Grande State Park, and is guaranteed to set off a rush to see this glorious ardeid.
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Guatemala
I’d really hoped that Arizona might get the ABA Area’s first, but who could begrudge Texas this bird?
New Broad-billed Sandpiper Photo
Posted by: | CommentsScott Schuette has passed on this spectacular photo of the St. Paul Broad-billed Sandpiper, still present and showing beautifully this morning.
Broad-billed Sandpiper, St. Paul Island--courtesy Scott Schuette.
MEGA: Broad-billed Sandpiper in Alaska
Posted by: | CommentsScott Schuette photographed a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Antone Slough on St. Paul Island yesterday evening.
Photo courtesy of Scott Schuette (way to go, Scott!)
There are only about half a dozen records of the species ever for the ABA Area–and it’s such a beautiful bird that even if it were common it would still be a definite mega.
Brown-backed Solitaire Photo
Posted by: | CommentsBenjamin Van Doren has very kindly allowed me to post one of his photos of the Brown-backed Solitaire he and his Camp Chiricahua companions discovered Thursday. The image is at http://az-birding.com .
The bird was not seen Friday, but was refound this noon in Ramsey Canyon, just a short distance north in the Huachucas. Debate has already started to rage–well, debate has already started to sulk–about the origin of this individual, one of several seen over the years in Texas and Arizona. Up to now, every bird to be formally reported and assessed by a committee has been deemed of suspect provenance; the species is common in captivity in Mexico and south, though it’s beyond me who’d want that song, beautiful as it is in the canyons where it echoes, in their living room.
What I think matters not a whit, but unless someone can convince me that this bird came across the border in a cage and then escaped into the lush canyons of the Huachucas, I’d count it.
