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The following informal round-up is just the highlights from the various national RBA transcripts. Apologies if you feel there are any ommisions but do feel free to e-mail us with any feedback, particularly if there any howlers!

June 2001 gave rarity chasers and state listers a chance to take a bit of a breather, as breeding birds settled in and the pace of migration and vagrancy slowed down. However, as always, there were a few choice birds this month scattered around the region to get pulses racing.

Two MANX SHEARWATERS were reported June 22nd passing the Boiler Bay viewpoint near Depoe Bay, OR. Among seabirds seen on North Carolina pelagic trips from Manteo on June 10th, were both CAHOW (BERMUDA PETREL) and also a FEA'S PETREL. These NC trips seem to be the most reliable in the States for seeing this tantalizing Pterodroma.

From eastern MA on June 22nd, a fly-over ANHINGA was seen but not relocated on the ground.

In San Diego, CA an immature NAZCA BOOBY, that had previously landed on a fishing boat some 60miles offshore came in to shore where it was taken into care, recovered and released on June 22nd at Coronado (click here for Don Roberson's ID Article on this species). There was a report of 2 BROWN BOOBIES seen over the ocean off North Beach Haven, Long Beach Island, New Jersey, on Friday, June 8th.

A LITTLE EGRET, sporting plumes, was discovered at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, June 8th and 9th There was also a report of a LITTLE EGRET seen on June 21st near Augustine Beach, Delaware. Also, an immature WHITE-FACED IBIS was reported as seen on Saturday, June 24th, at Brigantine Refuge, near Oceanville northwest of Atlantic City. Another immature WHITE-FACED IBIS was reported at Brig, NJ June 24th. A TRICOLORED HERON has been seen from the 15th through the 18th at Strauss Cabin Lake, Ft Collins, Colorado. And yet another TRICOLORED HERON was also in ILL A WHOOPING CRANE has now been seen by many observers Andrew, AB. The bird has spent the Summer there thus far.

In Pembroke Pines, FL, the male MASKED DUCK with the bright blue bill was seen again at the end of the month.

A MISSISSIPPI KITE was found at Oxford Airport in Oxford, CT on June 24th

Smart RED PHALAROPES in basic plumage graced Nebraska, New Mexico and California. A female RUFF (Reeve) was found 10 June in Brevard Co., FL. A breeding plumaged CURLEW SANDPIPER was seen at the northeast part of the harbor at Great Lakes Naval Base, ILL.and an ARCTIC TERN also delighted observers there. A CURLEW SANDPIPER, two-thirds of the way into breeding plumage, was found at Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE, on June 8th.

A pelagic trip out to Cox's ledge, RI on the 3rd, turned up several good species including a SOUTH POLAR SKUA, Another pelagic trip offshore from Lewes, Delaware, June 9th ,also recorded a SOUTH POLAR SKUA. Meanwhile back at Ft DeSoto County Park, FL the HEERMANN’S GULL still lingered.

The GREEN VIOLET-EAR was still coming to a feeder, west of Austin, TX in Volente, in Travis Co. at the end of the month.

From Fairbanks, AK, a BLACK PHOEBE, far north of it's usual range was seen on June 25th. A SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was seen June 14th along the Androscoggin River in Topsham, Maine

The YELLOW GREEN VIREO continued this month at the Sabal Palm Grove, TX. and a BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO at Bald Head Island in NC was seen mid-month.

On the 10th, a male NORTHERN WHEATEAR was seen in an open field about five miles north of Shields in Grant County, North Dakota.

A singing male TROPICAL PARULA continued in Miller Canyon above the Beattys' Guest Ranch on the east side of the Huachuca Mts, AZ through the 28th. The RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS remained in French Joe Canyon, AZ through the month raising speculation of nesting attempts. In CA an adult male HOODED WARBLER was at Big Sur on June 22nd. The CRESCENT-CHESTED WARBLER was still being occasionally seen in Madera Canyon, however, not easy and thwarting dreams that it might actually settle down for others to see. Oregon had a nice collection of vagrant warblers. A MAGNOLIA WARBLER was east of Sublimity on June 17th; a BLACKPOLL WARBLER was east of Ashland June 16th and an OVENBIRD was in Orchards park in Vancouver June 15th. On the 9th a BLUE-WINGED WARBLER was seen at Andrew Molera State Park, CA.

FLAME-COLORED TANAGERS were the flavor of the month in Arizona with birds seen in various canyons although much debate centered on their purity.

A COMMON GRACKLE, a good bird for California, continued at Balboa Lake in the Sepulveda Basin, CA through the month. It could often be found chasing a female Great-tailed Grackle around. A male SHINY COWBIRD was seen on the 15th on the east end of Dauphin Island, Alabama. Another SHINY COWBIRD was at Ft DeSoto, FL

The BLACK-BACKED ORIOLE continued in the Tijuana River Valley, San Diego, CA for its 2nd summer.

A PAINTED BUNTING reported at Policeman's Flats, AB June 14th, would be the province's only second-ever record of the species with the first coming last summer at Bowden AB

In the pretty but presumably captive department, a EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH of unknown origin was seen June 10th and May 14th at a feeder in Lincolnwood, ILL.