Bird Oddities 4

First, some out-of-range birds from this summer:

First record of Newell's Shearwater from Mainland North America

First North American record of Brown Hawk Owl

A Great Knot was recording inland on the East Coast, in West Virginia. Photos were posted on IDFrontiers by Matt Orsie here, here, and here.

A Green Violet-Ear was reported in MAINE.

And best of all, a LARK BUNTING was found by Mike Andersen and Ken Rosenburg in the Basin the day after the Muckrace. I bolted out to see it in the rain, after 12 hours of much-needed sleep. Photos from Mike are here and another by Ryan Douglas here.


Second, a breeding record and hybrids:

A Lesser Black-backed Gull was confirmed breeding in North America for the first time - with a Herring Gull.

An intergrade Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted Flicker was found at the Lab of Ornithology on August 24th by Chris Wood. His description, posted on cayugabirds-l:

"The flicker has extensive red to the underside of the tail and at least two red primaries on each wing (the rest of the primaries and secondaries appear yellow). The face pattern is like that of a Red-shafted but with a hint of buff on the malar."

And finally, aberrant plumages:

A "Cave-like Swallow" posted by David Arbour on IDFrontiers on September 4th. I believe no conclusive opinion was posted to the list, he may have received some privately.

Scott Zevon posted this bird on IDFrontiers on September 12th, which others believe and I agree is a melanin-deficient (leucistic?) Black-throated Blue Warbler.