The Austin area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 4:30 on December 27, 2013. Send interesting sightings- complete with species name, LOCATION, and contact information- to Kenny Anderson at kennya290@xxxxxxxxx -Rarities Found This Week- A very interesting American Pipit was photographed on the western shore of Lake Pflugerville in Travis County on 12/21 and seen again on 12/24. This pipit looks to be a very excellent candidate for the *japonicus* subspecies (or "Siberian" Pipit). Observations and photographs should be submitted to the Texas Bird Records Committee. A Dark Eyed Junco at a Bastrop County home has been photographed by a wildlife viewing camera a few times- it looks to be a possible "White-winged Junco" (12/22). A juvenile Brown Pelican was resting next to a group of White Pelicans below the Longhorn Dam on 12/22. Several observers were able to photograph a strange winter appearance of a locally difficult to see bird. A female Calliope Hummingbird has been visiting an Austin home's feeder and has been nicely photo-documented 12/12-22 in Travis County. A Lesser Black-backed Gull has often been seen at the 290 landfill in Austin. Best viewed from Blue Goose Road's shoulder (be careful, get off road). Latest reports 12/24,25. A Franklin's Gull was observed at same location 12/26. 2 Harris's Hawks were photographed on 183 outside of Gonzales on 12/23 in Gonzales County. 2 Horned Grebes at Lake Pflugerville on 12/25,26 and one on 12/26 are continuing from last week at this Travis County lake. A Say's Phoebe was photographed at a Bastrop County private enterprise on 12/25. A Zone-tailed Hawk was observed along the Blanco River corridor west of Whimberly in Hays County on 12/20. A Zone-tailed Hawk described at Hornsby Bend on 12/24 slid over from the CBC location to the north. Updates encouraged. A Red-headed Woodpecker continues in the Granger Lake area with latest report coming 12/26 from the San Gabriel Unit in Williamson County. A nighthawk species was reported east of Pedernales State Park in Hays County on 12/26. Rusty Blackbirds at Hornsby have increased in number. Birds are seen often in the CER parking lot and near Pond 1 West. Up to 30 have been reported. Vermilion Flycatcher continues on the western bank of Pond 2 at Hornsby and along Old San Antonio Road north of the creek in southern Travis 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