[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - April 4, 2013

From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2013 21:56:18 -0400 (EDT)
. 
* Texas 
* Lower Rio Grande Valley 
* April 4, 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
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler
+ CRIMSON-COLLARED GROSBEAK
Hepatic Tanager (window strike)
Purple Finch (probable)
.
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. 
.
Feeding at Salineno on the Kepler Tract of the USFWSLower Rio Grande National 
Wildlife Refuge has ended.  Nightjars including Chuck-willâs Widow 
andWhip-poor-will are migrating through, along with Myiarchus Flycatchers. 
.
Grasspipers including the first Buff-breasted Sandpiperare passing through; 
also present are American Golden-Plover, Upland, Pectoraland Bairdâs 
Sandpiper. Swainsonâs and Blue-winged Warblers are among migrantsappearing 
after the cold front.  
.
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 bright male Carpodacus finch was photographed on SPI atthe Convention Center 
on 4/2 and it returned to the stream to bathe on4/3.  Those that saw the bird 
are of theopinion that it is a Purple Finch, more photo documentation is 
desired!  Also present is an oddly colored Spizellasparrow with orange and 
yellow pigment on the head.  
.
A female-plumaged +CRIMSON-COLLARED GROSBEAK was photographedat Sabal Palm 
Sanctuary on 2/12 and returned daily through at least 4/4. It isbeing seen in 
the area of the water feature and feeding station at theHeadquarters, 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. 
.
Hooded Mergansers continue at Santa Ana NWR through 4/1. 
.
The Royal Tern continues at Anzalduas County Park throughat least 3/25.  No 
reports thisweek.  
.
A Hepatic Tanager, rare in the LRGV, was an unfortunatewindow strike this week. 
.
A Zone-tailed Hawk was at Bentsen State Park 3/21 and3/20. 
.
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 forWhite-collared Seedeaters 
are in Zapata and Webb counties. Information isprovided as a service to 
visiting birders. Sites to check include the San YgnacioCounty 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 
Seedeater site, is by advance reservationsonly. E-mail the owner 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. 
.
Seehttp://rgvbirds.blogspot.com/p/ferruginous-pygmy-owl-sites.html for 
moreinformation. 
.
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 4, 2013

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