The Austin area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 10:38 on January 24, 2013. Send interesting sightings- complete with species name, LOCATION, and contact information- to Kenny Anderson at kennya290@xxxxxxxxx -Rarities Found This Week- I received belated report of a Zone-tailed Hawk mixed in with Turkey Vultures at Palmetto State Park on 1/12 in Gonzales County. 2 Peregrine Falcons were observed at the Oakwood Cemetery near Martin Luther King and I-35 in Austin on 1/21. I had dismissed a separate animated verbal account of courtship behavior of the species in the same area by another observer; I would be interested in follow-ups by folks in that area. A Yellow Warbler was photographed at Decker lake on 1/20 in Travis County. There was a Texbirds report of a male Purple Finch at Hornsby Bend on 1/23- a species seldom seen in the county, with few reports from the circle- or am I just missing something. -Continuing From Previous Week- Whooping Cranes, only one update, 8 birds at Granger Lake on 1/18 in Williamson County. A difficult to see Prairie Falcon was seen harassing the blackbirds in the Carlson area. Seen from Wells School Road 1/20. A wintering Buff-bellied Hummingbird continues at Hornsby Bend's Platt Lane with reports on 1/17-22. A Prairie Warbler has found home at a Gonzales County residence with latest updates 1/20-22. A Broad-tailed Hummingbird has been photographed and remains at an Austin yard 1/23. A Bastrop County White-breasted Nuthatch on Sayersville Road continued on 1/18. Berry Springs Park in Williamson county had continuing reports of White-breasted Nuthatch on 1/20, Red-headed Woodpecker on 1/17,21,24, and Vermilion Flycatcher on 1/18. The Longhorn Dam area in Austin remains a nice winter spot to bird with up to 4 Couch's Kingbirds on 11/18,23, a juvenile White Ibis on 1/23, 2 Ringed Kingfishers on 1/22 Warbler Woods has a Curve-billed Thrasher remaining as of 1/24 in Guadalupe County. Reports for the Austin area RBA cover a 60 mile radius, centered from the Capitol in downtown Austin. Bird sightings mentioned here have been filtered and scrutinized by the compiler and are believed to be genuine. When documentation or photographs were provided that is mentioned, along with the other information about the bird(s) being seen. For questions or updates about birds mentioned here or to report rare or unusual bird sightings in the Austin area, please send an e-mail to kennya290@xxxxxxxxx Kenny Anderson Austin Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner