December 3: For the past few days a black-backed race male Western Spindalis has been observed at Markham Park in Sunrise, FL. The bird is keeping company with a group of Spot-breasted Orioles, another south Florida specialty. Western Spindalis is casual and rare in the US, although one is seen in south Florida every other year or so. The black-backed race predominates in the southern Bahamas and the green-backed race in the Northern Bahamas. Since it is a casual visitor from across the Gulf Stream, the species is usually seen close to the coast so it is quite unusual for this individual to have been discovered some twelve miles inland.