A Clay-colored Robin appeared at the home of FeederWatchers Jan & Ralph Stone of Jemez Springs, New Mexico in late December, 2001. This species is normally found in Mexico, with its typical range barely reaching the southern tip of Texas. According to the New Mexico Bird Records Committee, this species had never before been recorded in the state!
	Photos by Rose Mary Harty

The bird stayed in the neighborhood until July, spending much of its time at the feeders of the Stone's neighbor, Rose Mary Harty. According to Mrs. Harty, the bird was seen eating suet during the winter months, when natural food sources were limited by the dry weather. The Clay-colored Robin spent much of the winter foraging with jays, and flocked with the American Robins in the spring.

Fortunately, Rose Mary Harty was able to take some excellent photographs when the bird visited her feeder. Providing a good description of a rare bird is important so that researchers may confirm the sighting. Photographs are particularly helpful. Congratulations to the Stones for finding one of the most surprising birds of the year! 

This was the second bird reported by a FeederWatcher last winter that turned out to be a state record. A Brown-headed Nuthatch was found for the first time in Ohio when it visited the feeder of Linda Gilbert of Chagrin Falls. Keep your eyes open for rare birds at your feeders. We encourage you to report any bird that is not a regular visitor in your area by submitting a Rare Bird form (one can be found in your Instruction Booklet or in the Data Entry portion of this web site, or download a .pdf version by clicking here.)