[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - April 11, 2013

From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:47:23 -0400 (EDT)
. 
* Texas 
* Lower Rio Grande Valley 
* April 11, 2013
.           
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
. 
Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species forTexas. Please send 
sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Review Committee:ecarpeATgmail.com. 
.
Reports on roosting Swainsonâs Hawks in the LRGV are highly desired by a 
local researcher.  Please call Bill Clark with reports of flocks of 
Swainsonâs Hawks sitting in fields in the early morning before liftoff.  Bill 
can be reached at 956 793-3112.  
.                                       
Our rare bird alert this week includes: 
.
Glossy Ibis (no recent reports)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler
+ CRIMSON-COLLARED GROSBEAK
Purple Finch (gone)
.
This is a general reminder that playing recordings is notallowed in Texas State 
Parks nor in many LRGV birding sites. All State Park andNational Wildlife 
Refuge visitors must stay on trails. Thank you for not
disturbing the wildlife or damaging the vegetation. 
.
Nightjars including Chuck-willâs Widow and Whip-poor-willare migrating 
through, along with Myiarchus Flycatchers. Western Kingbirds arenewly arrived.  
Nesting is well underwaywith Clay-colored Thrush constructing their large messy 
basket nests.  The first Buff-bellied Hummingbirds arefledged already.  
.
Grasspipers including Buff-breasted Sandpiper continue topass through; also 
present are American Golden-Plover, Upland, Pectoral andBairdâs Sandpiper.
.
Mississippi Kites are joining the numerous Swainsonâs andBroad-winged Hawks 
on migration. Territorial Cooperâs Hawks are displaying. 
.
The Valley from east to west.  
.
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. 
.
A Red-breasted Nuthatch continues on South Padre Islandwith reports from Ling 
St on 4/11. Arrivals on Thursdayâs cold front include a variety of warblers 
âBlackpoll, Chestnut-sided, a Lazuli Bunting on Sheepshead, as one local 
birderdescribed it âmore Lark Sparrows than Iâve seen in my lifeâ. 
.
A bright male Carpodacus finch was photographed on SPI atthe Convention Center 
on 4/2 and it returned through 4/5 has been confirmed asa Purple Finch, the 
first documented for the LRGV!   
.
A female-plumaged +CRIMSON-COLLARED GROSBEAK wasphotographed at Sabal Palm 
Sanctuary on 2/12 and returned daily through atleast 4/4. It is being seen in 
the area of the water feature and feedingstation at the Headquarters, feeding 
on potato trees.  
.
An adult Glossy Ibis was at Estero Llano Grande StatePark through 3/31 and was 
likely present since 3/25.  Another was reported - without details - atSanta 
Ana on 4/1 after a long gap without observation. No more recentreports.  
.
Hooded Mergansers continue at Santa Ana NWR through 4/1. Norecent reports. 
.
Not one but TWO Royal Terns were reported from Anzalduason 4/10.  This is a 
very rare species inHidalgo Co. 
.
A Hepatic Tanager, rare in the LRGV, was an unfortunatewindow strike this week. 
.
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)has Red-crownedParrots as well, 
mingling at dusk with escaped Yellow-headed, White-fronted,Lilac-crowned and 
Red-lored Parrots. Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeetsare seen in urban 
areas irregularly all over the Valley.
.
Green Parakeets can be seen staging in McAllen near 10thand Dove in the 
evening, sometimes winging a few blocks over to Nolana xMcColl. Watch for a 
couple of Mitred Parakeets that sometimes mingle with them.
.
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 are present 
since winter 2010. In Harlingen, MonkParakeets have constructed a roost nest on 
the cell tower northwest of 106 andEd Carey. These birds were discovered in 
December 2012. 
.
WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER INFORMATION - Most sites for White-collaredSeedeaters 
are in Zapata and Webb counties. Information is provided as aservice to 
visiting birders. Sites to check include the San Ygnacio CountyPark/Seedeater 
Sanctuary at the foot of Washington Street in San Ygnacio, theRaptor Trail at 
the west end of San Ygnacio, the library pond in Zapata, andLaredo's Las Palmas 
Trail, North Central and Father McNaboe Park. Access to LaLaja Ranch, also a 
Seedeater site, is by advance reservations only. E-mail theowner at 
Edward.herbst AT att.net. This is a fee site.
. 
FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION - FerruginousPygmy-Owls are present at El 
Canelo, San Miguelito Ranch and King Ranch (NoriasDivision only). Recent 
reports have *not* found Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls at SanMiguelito Ranch, which 
reopened March 1. This owl is very difficult to find atany other location at 
present and have not been seen or heard at Bentsen-RioGrande Valley State Park 
since the summer of 2010, when the park was inundatedby the Rio Grande. 
.
See http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com/p/ferruginous-pygmy-owl-sites.htmlfor more 
information. 
.
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, building/store closed/no trams onMonday, but the 
grounds are open (self-pay station). 
 
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, buildingand grounds both closed 
on Sundays. 
 
**Estero Llano Grande State Park, building/store open 7days a week! **
 
Frontera Audubon Thicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday morningsand all day Mondays 
except by appointment. 
 
Los Ebanos Preserve, San Benito, Appointment ONLY;956-241-2494. 
 
Methodist Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee)only. Contact Estero 
Llano Grande State Park. 
 
Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays. 
 
Resaca de la Palma State Park, building/store closed/notrams Mondays & 
Tuesdays, grounds open (self-pay station). 
 
SALINENO âtemporary feeding station on the FWS Keplertract ends Saturday. 
 
San Miguelito Ranch â reopened March 1! Closes for theseason in May. Letty at 
956-369-3118 or Buny55ATaol.com 
 
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 - April 11, 2013

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