Amateur birder in Oregon accidentally photographs bird never before seen in US

Michael Sanchez snapped a few photos of a bird at Hug Point that may be first images in North America of the rare blue rock-thrush

Michael Sanchez was setting up his new camera to capture a waterfall at Oregon’s Hug Point at sunrise when he spotted a little bird hopping around. He snapped a few photos, and didn’t think much more of it.

A week later, those snapshots have made him the star – and the envy – of the local birding community. Sanchez, who is from Vancouver, Washington, may have inadvertently captured the first images of an extremely rare blue rock-thrush in North America.