[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - January 17, 2013

From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:51:21 -0500 (EST)
RBA
. 
* Texas 
* Lower Rio GrandeValley 
* January 17, 2013
. 
To report rare birds,e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred) or call
(956)584-2731 option 3.
.
Updates can be seen onthe web at http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com
. 
Capitalized birds markedwith a + are Review Species for Texas. Please
send sightings/photographsto the Texas Bird Review Committee:
ecarpeATgmail.com. 
.
Our rare bird alert thisweek includes: 
.
Long-tailed Duck 
Surf Scoter  
Reddish Egret
Glossy Ibis 
American Woodcock (norecent reports)
Flammulated Owl 
+ROSE-THROATED BECARD 
Mangrove [Yellow]Warbler 
Western Tanager 
. 
This is a generalreminder that playing recordings is not allowed in
Texas State Parks nor inmany LRGV birding sites. All State Park and
National Wildlife Refugevisitors must stay on trails. Thank you for not
disturbing the wildlifeor damaging the vegetation. 
.
Couchâs Kingbirds are invery short supply again this winter, they seem to be 
more plentiful in CameronCounty and absent from Hidalgo. Mallards of the 
northern subspecies are presentthis winter, an unusual event â Greater Scaup, 
Bufflehead, Wood Duck and HoodedMergansers are in above normal numbers across 
the valley as well.  Zone-tailed Hawks are in Weslaco as well asthe more 
traditional sites of Anzalduas and Salineno/Falcon.  
.
American Woodcock are atrecord levels in the LRGV!  Most birdsare only found 
for a couple of days, but observers should be aware and reportsightings.  
Irrigated and urban areas,parks, and adjacent to wetlands are typical habitats 
for the species thiswinter.  
.
The Valley from east towest. 
.
A stunning FlammulatedOwl was found and photographed at South Padre Island near 
the Convention Centeron 1/8!  The bird has recently beenrefound on a daily 
basis in the thickets at the Convention Center.  This is only the second winter 
record forTexas of this highly migratory owl.    
.
This would seem self-evident, but please be careful not to tramplethe plants at 
the Convention Center gardens. Every bit of habitat at the convention center 
has been planted byvolunteers for the benefit of wildlife including migratory 
birds. 
.
A Western Tanager was located at South Padre Island on 1/17.  
.
Mangrove Warbler, awell-marked subspecies of Yellow Warbler that may be
distinct enough towarrant full species status, can be seen by contacting the 
Sealife Center at(956) 299-1957.  
.
A Groove-billed Ani wasfound at the Laguna Atascosa HQ on 1/11, and a Lesser 
Black-backed Gull wasphotographed on the refuge drive on 1/3. 
.
At Estero Llano GrandeState Park, the +ROSE-THROATED BECARD continued through 
1/10 in the TropicalZone. 
.
A Long-tailed Duck andSurf Scoter continue on Donna Reservoir. Donna Reservoir 
is on FM 1423 south of US 83. 
.
Birds continuing atDelta Lake include Sanderling, Dunlin, Franklinâs and 
Bonaparteâs Gull, and ReddishEgret.  
.     
Valley Nature Center ishosting a Black-throated Gray Warbler, others are at 
Anzalduas and Resaca de laPalma State Park.  Normally the speciesis widespread 
and in too many locations to report. 
.
Hooded Merganserscontinue at Santa Ana NWR. A Glossy Ibis was photographed on 
12/30 andrelocated last week. 
.
A Red-naped Sapsuckercontinues at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in the 
area of theresaca.  The bird shows some hybridcharacters and may be a backcross 
or third generation hybrid between Red-napedand the even rarer in Texas 
Red-breasted Sapsucker.  A Red-naped Sapsucker would have more blackfeathering 
separating the red throat and the pale line above it, with the blackpinched in 
the middle.  This bird hasvirtually no black line.
.
A Hook-billed Kite wasseen on 1/6 at Bentsen.  
.
Upriver and out of ourarea, the Laredo Acorn Woodpecker was photographed in 
Laredo at a privateresidence on 11/27 and is now utilizing telephone poles 
across the street atthe Mall del Norte.  Park betweenDillardâs and the 
Cinemark and watch the small triangle of woods to the north. Continuingreports 
are highly desired!  
.
Western Grebes continueon Lake Casa Blanca in Laredo, and a Brown Pelican was 
reported at the lake twoweeks ago.  White-collared Seedeaters areregular in 
parks and near the river in Laredo. 
.
PARROT REPORT
Red-crowned Parrots aresometimes seen in the areas of Quinta Mazatlan
in McAllen, ValleyNature Center in Weslaco in the evening, Calvary
Baptist Church inHarlingen (1815 N 7th Street), and also at Oliveira
Park (Los Ebanos Road/ElPaso Road across from Pace High School) in
Brownsville, mingling atdusk with escaped Yellow-headed and Red-lored
Parrots. Red-crownedParrots and Green Parakeets are seen in urban areas
irregularly all over theValley.
.
Green Parakeets can beseen staging in McAllen near 10th and Dove in the
evening, sometimeswinging a few blocks over to Nolana/McColl. Watch for
a couple of MitredParakeets that sometimes mingle with them.
.
In Hidalgo, at 5th andGardenia near the Hidalgo Pumphouse World Birding
Center, a few MonkParakeets have taken up residence building a nest on a 
telephone pole. Thesebirds are present since November 2011. In Harlingen, Monk 
Parakeets haveconstructed a roost nest on the cell tower northwest of 106 and 
Ed Carey. Thesebirds were discovered in December 2012.   
.
WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATERINFORMATION - Most sites for White-collared
Seedeaters are in Zapataand Webb counties. Information is provided as a
service to visitingbirders. Sites to check include the San Ygnacio
County Park/SeedeaterSanctuary at the foot of Washington Street in San
Ygnacio, the RaptorTrail at the west end of San Ygnacio, the libray
pond in Zapata, andLaredo's Las Palmas Trail, North Central and Father
McNaboe Park. Access toLa 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- Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are present
at El Canelo, SanMiguelito Ranch and King Ranch (Norias Division only).
San Miguelito is closeduntil March 1. This owl is very difficult to
find at any otherlocation at present and have not been seen or heard
at Bentsen-Rio GrandeValley State Park since the summer of 2010, when
the park was inundatedby the Rio Grande. 
.
Directions are providedonly for sites not included in the ABA Birders'
Guide to the Rio GrandeValley or the Birders' Guide to the Texas Coast.
These guides areindispensable for visiting birders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Site Closures: 
Allen WilliamsWildscape, Pharr, open by appointment ONLY; Call or text
956-460-9864. 
Edinburg Scenic WetlandsWorld Birding Center, building and grounds both
closed on Sundays. 
Bentsen-RGV State Park,building/store closed/no trams on Monday, but the 
grounds are open (self-paystation). 
**Estero Llano GrandeState Park, building/store open 7 days a week! **
Frontera AudubonThicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and all day
Mondays except byappointment. 
Los Ebanos Preserve, SanBenito, Appointment ONLY; 956-241-2494. 
Methodist Camp Thicket,Weslaco, group reservations (fee) only. Contact
Estero Llano Grande StatePark. 
Quinta Mazatlan,McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays. 
Resaca de la Palma StatePark, building/store closed/no trams Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday,grounds open (self-pay station). 
SALINENO â FEEDINGSTATION CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 
San Miguelito Ranch -Closed until March 2013. Lety at 956-365-3118 or
Buny55ATaol.com 
Santa Ana NWR- closed tobicycles 
Valley Nature Center,Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and Mondays.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Mary Gustafson
Mission, Texas

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[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - January 17, 2013

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