Michael Sanchez, an amateur photographer from Vancouver, Washington, ventured to northwest Oregon last week with the intention of photographing waterfalls, not birds. However, his excursion led to an unexpected and remarkable discovery.
Sanchez, aged 41, chose the scenic locales of Hug Point along the North Pacific Ocean coast as his photographic playground. While awaiting the sunrise on a particular morning, he chanced upon a small bird nearby, initially dismissing it as a common blackbird.
Deciding to use the bird as a photography subject until the lighting improved for waterfall shots, Sanchez later realized, upon reviewing his photos back home, that it was no ordinary blackbird. The bird’s vibrant blue and chestnut hues puzzled him, prompting him to seek identification assistance from avian experts on Facebook.
To his astonishment, Sanchez learned that he had captured images of a bird incredibly rare to the United States – the blue rock thrush, native to Europe and Asia. His accidental discovery sparked excitement within the birding community.
Sanchez managed to photograph the bird on April 21 at Hug Point State Recreation Site in Seaside, Oregon, during a solo trip. Although he wasn’t an avid birder, his photographs of the apparent blue rock thrush left birding enthusiasts astonished.
The American Birding Association shared Sanchez’s photo on its Facebook page, eliciting reactions of awe and disbelief from members. Many birders flocked to Hug Point in hopes of spotting the elusive avian visitor.
Experts expressed confidence in confirming the bird’s identity as a blue rock thrush, marking it as an exceedingly rare find. While a blue rock thrush was previously sighted in British Columbia in 1997, no records exist of such a bird in the United States prior to Sanchez’s discovery.
Brodie Cass Talbott, a senior educator at the Bird Alliance of Oregon, characterized the sighting as possibly one of the most exceptional bird discoveries in Oregon and the nation. The absence of previous sightings in nearby Alaska adds to the mystery surrounding the bird’s appearance.
The bird’s presence in Oregon raises questions about its journey, with theories ranging from accidental migration due to storms to hitching a ride on a westbound boat. Another blue rock thrush sighting on the Farallon Islands off California further complicates the narrative.
Sanchez, reflecting on his unlikely encounter, expressed newfound curiosity about birds and hinted at future bird photography endeavors. While acknowledging the improbability of a similar rare sighting, he remains grateful for his stroke of beginner’s luck.
