[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - 5/8/2014

From: "Mary Gustafson" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "live4birds@xxxxxxx" for DMARC)
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 8 May 2014 17:25:50 -0400 (EDT)
. 

* Texas 

* Lower Rio Grande Valley

* May 8, 2014

.

To report rare birds, e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com(preferred) or call 
(956)584-2731 option 3.

.

Updates can be seen on the web athttp://rgvbirds.blogspot.com

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Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species forTexas. Please send 
sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Records Committee:ecarpeATgmail.com.  

_____________________________________________________________

NOTE: A local researcher islooking for territorial Harrisâs Hawks. If you 
regularly see Harrisâs Hawks on territory or you locate a nest,please contact 
Bill Clark at raptours AT earthlink.net. 

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NOTE: McAllen Botanical Gardensâ open Saturday mornings ONLY from 8-12. This 
site had been closed to the public for some time, letâs gobirding!  Find it 
on the south side ofBusiness 83 between Ware and Bentsen Rds. 

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NOTE: The Bayside Drive at Laguna Atascosa is closed toprivate vehicles to 
protect ocelots.  This area is covered by refuge tours.  All other portions of 
Laguna are OPEN asnormal!  Private vehicles can driveto Osprey Overlook, and 
there are 50 miles of hiking and biking trails.  

______________________________________________________________

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Our rare bird alert this week includes: 

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Broad-billed Hummingbird 

Blue-throated Hummingbird 

+DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER 

Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler 

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This is a general reminder that playing recordings is notallowed in Texas State 
Parks, federal properties, nor in many LRGV birdingsites. All State Park and 
National Wildlife Refuge visitors must stay ontrails. Thank you for not 
disturbing the wildlife or damaging the vegetation. 

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The Valley from east to west.   

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Warbler migration continues and Empidonax Flycatchersshould be in good numbers 
the next few weeks.   

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A Bellâs Vireo was recorded at SPI on 5/3.  This is a scarce spring migrant.  
A late Hermit Thrush was also on SPI through5/3. 

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Mangrove Warbler, a well-marked subspecies of YellowWarbler that may be 
distinct enough to warrant full species status, can be seenby contacting the 
Sealife Center at (956) 299-1957.  

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A +DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER was heard and recorded atResaca de la Palma State 
Park on 5/2. The bird was found on 5/5 in the evening.  Note days without 
trams, below.   FromHunterâs Lane and the tram road, proceed down Hunterâs 
Lane and turn left justbefore the resaca crossing.  Thenortheastern Mexico 
subspecies is a review taxa for the TBRC.  This bird is not yet identified 
tosubspecies.  

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A Broad-billed Hummingbird was found at Quinta Mazatlan on4/30 and remained 
through 5/4!  TheBlue-throated Hummingbird was relocated and continued to 5/4!  
Unfortunately neither bird has been detectedsince.  Continuing reports â 
positive ornegative â are appreciated.      

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PARROT REPORT

Red-crowned Parrots are sometimes seen in the areas ofQuinta Mazatlan in 
McAllen, Valley Nature Center in Weslaco in the evening,Calvary Baptist Church 
in Harlingen (1815 N 7th Street). Brownsvilleâs OliveiraPark (Los Ebanos 
Road/El Paso Road across from Pace High School) hasRed-crowned Parrots as well, 
mingling at dusk with escaped Yellow-headed,White-fronted, Lilac-crowned and 
Red-lored Parrots. Red-crowned Parrots andGreen Parakeets are seen in urban 
areas irregularly all over the Valley.

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Green Parakeets can be seen staging in McAllen near 10thand Dove in the evening 
(at the Loewâs fountain on warm evenings), sometimeswinging a few blocks over 
to Nolana x McColl. Watch for a couple of MitredParakeets that sometimes mingle 
with them. There is another staging area in Mission on the north expressway.  

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In Hidalgo, at 5th and Gardenia near the HidalgoPumphouse World Birding Center, 
a few Monk Parakeets have taken up residencebuilding nests on telephone poles, 
keeping company with an escaped Rose-ringedParakeet. These birds have been 
present since winter 2010.  

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WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER INFORMATION - Most sites forWhite-collared Seedeaters 
are in Zapata and Webb counties. Information isprovided as a service to 
visiting birders. Sites to check include the SanYgnacio County Park/Seedeater 
Sanctuary at the foot of Washington Street in SanYgnacio, the Raptor Trail at 
the west end of San Ygnacio, the library pond inZapata, and Laredo's Las Palmas 
Trail, North Central and Father McNaboe Park.  Access to La Laja Ranch, also a 
Seedeatersite, is by advance reservations only. E-mail the owner at 
Edward.herbst ATatt.net. This is a fee site. White-collared Seedeaters are 
singing in mid-April to May, which makesthem muck easier to locate!  

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Updated FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION - FerruginousPygmy-Owls are present 
on the King Ranch, along with reliable Tropical Parulas(Norias Division only).  
This is the onlysite for Tropical Parula in summer most years. Contact 
361-592-8055 or visit@king-ranch.comfor more information.

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Recent reports include a pair from San Miguelito Ranch(fee site), contact Letty 
at 956-369-3118 or Buny55@xxxxxxx.  Other private ranches are no longer open 
tobirders or do not have accessible pygmy-owls. This owl is very difficult to 
find at any other location at present andhas not been seen or heard at 
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park since thesummer of 2010, when the park was 
inundated by the Rio Grande. 

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Seehttp://rgvbirds.blogspot.com/p/ferruginous-pygmy-owl-sites.html for 
moreinformation. 

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Directions are provided only for sites not included inthe ABA Birders' Guide to 
the Rio Grande Valley or the Birders' Guide to theTexas Coast. These guides are 
indispensable for visiting birders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Site Closures: 

 

Allen Williams Wildscape, Pharr, open by appointmentONLY; Call or text 
956-460-9864. 

 

Bentsen-RGV State Park, open 7 days until June 1; firsttram at 8:30 AM. 

 

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, buildingand grounds closed on 
Sundays. 

 

Estero Llano Grande State Park, building/store open 7days to June 1; store and 
offices closed Monday and Tuesday starting June 1.  

 

Frontera Audubon Thicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday morningsand all day Mondays 
except by appointment; open Tues-Sat. 

 

Laguna Atascosa NWR â Bayside Drive closed to privatevehicles to protect 
ocelots. 

 

Los Ebanos Preserve, San Benito, Appointment ONLY;956-241-2494. 

 

McAllen Botanical Garden â OPEN Saturdays from 8-12 noon.

 

Methodist Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee)only. Contact Estero 
LlanoGrande State Park. 

 

Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays. 

 

Resaca de la Palma State Park, building/store closed/notrams Monday-Wednesday 
starting June 1, grounds open (self-pay station).  

 

Salineno âfeeding station is CLOSED until November.   

 

Santa Ana NWR- closed to bicycles 

 

Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings andMondays

 



Mary Gustafson
Mission, Texas

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[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - 5/8/2014

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