From the CT Birds Listserv
From: Aidan Kiley <eezambo@gmail.com>
Subject: [CT Birds] 2023 Rarity Roundup
To: Listserv <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org>
Hello CT Birders:
We are in rarity season. James Purcell’s fantastic find of a MacGillivray’s Warbler in Fairfield is a great reminder of what can show up!
In the past few years I have organized a very informal “Rarity Roundup”, which is an event in which birders commit to search locations specifically to turn up vagrants. The goal is to get people out searching a variety of areas, especially those that are rarely or never covered.
There are countless rarities that have shown up at very very random spots so any beach, thicket, meadow, etc. has some potential!
To organize this, I have created a Google Sheet (the Google Drive version of Excel).
I am organizing it for November 22nd through November 26th (Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the Sunday after) but the ideas/strategies/birding should not end there!
If you are interested in participating (even if you only have the time to check a quick spot or two!) I encourage anyone to click the link and add your name, locations you’re planning to visit, and if known/desired, dates you’ll check the areas and specific targets you may have in mind!
Some species to keep in mind: Ash-throated Flycatcher, Painted Bunting, Western Kingbird and other western kingbird species, Harris’ Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Western Tanager, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Sedge Wren, Sage Thrasher, Limpkin, and Western Flycatcher.
I went into the eBird species map and counted 16 (yes you read that right!!) records of Ash-throated Fly in the Northeast this fall. Surely a
handful around the state.
If you find anything interesting, please document with photos or audio (if possible) and report to all and any appropriate communication outlets! Good
luck!
https://docs.google.com/spread
Best,
Aidan Kiley
Fairfield
FOLLOW UP:
CT birders have turned up more than a few good things!
Here is a summary of birds found during the “rarity roundup” and since.
Red-headed Woodpecker, multiple YB Chats, Yellow-headed Blackbird,Clay-colored Sparrow, Greater White-fronted Goose, Tundra Swan, Black-headed Gull, multiple Harlequin Duck, *Western Flycatcher*, *Painted Bunting*, and *Western Kingbird* have all been found. Congrats to all who have stumbled across something rare and apologies if I forgot something!
New rarities show up in the Northeast daily, so there’s no reason to stop checking local areas!
The Red-flanked Bluetail in a senior living community in NJ is absolutely mind-blowing and a perfect example of how the most random areas are worth checking.