Fregetta tropica, rarest of the rare 2011 [el más raro de los raros]

The Black-bellied Storm-Petrel (Fregetta tropica), 1st for Spain and 2nd for the Western Palearctic seen on 10.9.2011 c.40 nautic miles N of Lanzarote at Banco de la Concepción area has been voted in this blog as the rarest of the rare birds seen in Spain in 2011. The 83 people voting in the blog poll have given 36 votes to this species, 3 more than the 2nd contestant, the also 1st for Spain and extremely rare Stejneger's Scoter (Melanitta deglandi stejnegeri) seen in Pontevedra coasts in December 2011. 3rd position of this incredible year went to Thayer's Gull (Larus thayeri), also from Galicia, gathering 22 votes. Thank you everybody for taking part in the contest. Both 1st and 2nd place winners appear in the animated image of the Rarebirdspain website already with previous highlights of the so far XXI century rarities in Spain. The unique photo of Miguel Rouco of the Fregetta is reproduced again below as an homage to this superb sighting!

 

El  PaíñoVentrinegro (Fregetta tropica), primero de España y segundo en el Paleártico occidental observado el 10/09/2011 a unas 40 millas náuticas al N de Lanzarote, en el Banco de la Concepción ha sido elegido en este blog como el más raro de los pájaros raros visto en España en 2011. Las 83 personas que votaron en la encuesta del blog dieron 36 votos a favor de esta especie, tres más que el segundo clasificado, el también primero para España  Negrón de Stejneger (Melanitta deglandi stejnegeri) visto en las costas de Pontevedra en diciembre de 2011. La 3 ª posición de este increíble año fue a parar a la Gaviota de Thayer (Larus thayeri), también de Galicia, con un total de 22 votos. Gracias a todo el mundo por participar en el concurso. Tanto los ganadores del primero y segundo lugar aparecen ya en la imagen animada de la homepage de la web Rarebirdspain junto con otras citas destacadas de lo que va de siglo XXI y rarezas en España. La única foto de la Fregetta, de Miguel Rouco, se reproduce arriba de nuevo como un homenaje a este magnífico avistamiento!

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Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus ), 1st for Spain, 3rd for the Western Palearctic

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On 24 May 2023, Roland Bekkers, photographed an Ancient Murrelet ( Synthliboramphus antiquus) at the Odiel river mouth , an important wetland in the Huelva province, in the Atlantic coast of Andalucia, S Spain. At 20:22 the same day the news came out and were broadcasted within the Rarebirdspain group. Despite the rarity of the record, a number of local birders decided to give it a try on 25 May morning.  Local birders asked to respect local colonies of Little Terns Sternula albifrons and Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola remaining within marked paths in any attempt of twitching the murrelet.  On 25 May, at 10:37 AM the bird was relocated c.400m from the mouth of the Mazagón Marina (José Luís Anguita, Manuel Bárcenas, Juanjo Cirpriano, Alfonso Barragán), UTM 37.138718, -6.841995 . See photos below (José Luís Anguita) and videos (José Manuel Reyes). Some boats flushed the bird c. 2000 m from the initial place and a bit later it flew a further 3000 m to the W remaining near the pl
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Grackles (Quiscalus) in the Iberian peninsula

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Quiscalus mexicanus , Mexico, 31.8.2007 © Ricard Gutiérrez Grackles (genus Quiscalus ) are birds from Icteridae family, typical of Neotropical region, but also present in the Holartic, including USA coast. Typical 'resort' birds known by many as those 'black' birds frequenting the tables of hotels in the Caribbean or Mexican coasts trying to steal food from customer's breakfast or lunch.  Not a typical long-distance migrant group, they are believed to be quite intelligent, in a rather Corvidae mood, so despite they cannot be considered as true vagrants to the Palearctic according to the uncapability of crossing by themselves the Atlantic, it is true that they (presumably) board on ships to do the crossing. And not only one species but, at least, two having been recorded in Gibraltar and mainland Spain.  E-listed in Europe due to the 'current rules', a review of the treatment of what A listing means regarding 'clever' birds such as Corvidae
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Rare Birds in Spain. Bird News 21-31 December 2023

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  Ricard Gutiérrez (editor). Data from eBird, ornitho.cat, observado.es, birdingemporda.com and Rarebirdspain whatsapp group   Ducks & Geese   26.12.2023 Branta bernicla hrota 2 ind, Santoña, Cantabria (Javier Train –photo-)   21.12.2023 Cygnus cygnus   2 ind Ría de Betanzos; A Coruña. Still present (Xabier Vázquez Pumariño; Cristina Soto); 22.12 (Javier Río); 23.12 (Daniel García Novo); 24.12 (Franqui Illanes –photo-; Ramón Ternero); 25.12 (Leticia Miranda); 26.12 (Javier Río; Jorge Vilas); 28.12 (Diego Montenegro);   29.12 (Carlos Durán; Francisco Rodal); 30.12 (Carmen Peñalver, Juno Toni); 31.12 (Xavier Parra).     24.12.2023 Cygnus cygnus 1 ind Urdaibai, Bizkaia. Still present (A.Galache).   30.12.2023 Spatula discors 1 1w Fuerteventura golf club, Antígua, Fuerteventura. Still present (Eliseo Reyes).   21.11.2023 Anas rubripes   1 male. Sada, A Coruña. Still present (Xabier Vázquez Pumariño; Cristina Soto); 22.12 (Javier Río); 28.12 (Diego Monten
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