[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - November 13, 2014

From: "Mary Gustafson" <dmarc-noreply-outsider@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "live4birds@xxxxxxx" for DMARC)
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 21:39:30 -0500
. 
* Texas 
* Lower Rio Grande Valley
* November 13, 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
. 
Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species forTexas. Please send 
sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Records Committee:ecarpeATgmail.com.  
_____________________________________________________________
NOTE: LRGV Christmas Bird Countsdates are online at 
http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com/p/lower-rio-grande-valley-christmas-bird.html.  
Participate! 
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NOTE: The Salineno feedingstation is OPEN.  Donations of oranges,peanut butter, 
and seed is appreciated.   Be sure to thank Lois and Merle (and Jake)when you 
see them for their hard work in preparing the site and settingup!  
.
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. 
______________________________________________________________
Fall migration is concluding,winter birds are arriving with the cold front. 
Late Broad-winged Hawk and Wood Stork continue to be reported across thevalley. 
 Black-throated Gray Warblerswere found at Anzalduas and Estero this week. 
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Our rare bird alert this week includes: 
.
+BROWN BOOBY 
Hook-billed Kite
Bald Eagle
Red-naped Sapsucker 
Tropical Parula 
Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler  
Painted Redstart (Brooks County). 
Spotted Towhee
.                                          
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. 
.
The Valley from east to west.   
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A +BROWN BOOBY was found October 26 feeding near the BocaChica jetty (the south 
side of the inlet) but not relocated on October 27.  It was relocated from 
Scarlet Colleyâs boatand photographed 11/5-7 and videoed on 11/11. 
. 
A Purple Gallinule was at the SPI Convention Centerboardwalk on 11/8.  
Groove-billed Aniswere in the gardens last week along with a late Swainsonâs 
Thrush and an earlyWinter Wren. A late Bay-breasted Warbler was present 11/8,  
and a White-throated Sparrow through11/10.  A few Pine Siskins were 
reported11/9.  
.
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 Spotted Towhee was in the Tropical Zone at Estero LlanoGrande State Park on 
11/7. 
.
Two Hooded Mergansers were reported from Frontera andEstero on 11/7. A late 
Red-eyed Vireo was at Frontera last week.  A Tropical Parula continued at 
Frontera.  
.
A dark immature Reddish Egret was at Delta Lake on 11/11. 
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A Tropical Parula continues at Quinta Mazatlan through10/28.  The bird is 
singing heartily andhas been found mostly in the eastern portion of the 
property.   
.
At Anzalduas County Park, both Hook-billed Kite andZone-tailed Hawk continue to 
be reported this week.  Gray Hawk is a regular species at thislocation.  A Bald 
Eagle was photographedon 11/8 for a very rare Hidalgo County record. 
.
Nearby at Bentsen, both Hook-billed Kite and Zone-tailedHawk have also been 
reported last week. A Red-naped Sapsucker returned to Bentsen on 11/5 for the 
third year andremained through the week.  
.
A Reddish Egret was at the bluffs at Santa Margarita on11/5.  This is a fee 
site and not to beconfused with the access to the river that is no longer 
available.  See 
http://marybirds.blogspot.com/2013/11/santa-margarita-bluffs-november-3-2013.htmlfor
 more information on visiting or email the RBA.    
 
Several White-collared Seedeaters were at La Laja Ranchon 11/5 with counts in 
the double digits. See below for visitationinformation.  
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EXTRALIMITAL REPORTS 
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The Painted Redstart returned to the Brooks County RestArea on US 281 south of 
Falfurrias on Saturday 9/20 and continues to 10/30.  A Painted Redstart 
wintered at this site lastyear.   
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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.
.
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.  
.
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!  
. 
Updated FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION - FerruginousPygmy-Owls are present 
on the King Ranch, along with reliable Tropical Parulas(Norias Division only).  
This is the onlybreeding site for Tropical Parula in the LRGV most years.  
Contact 361-592-8055 or visit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx for moreinformation.  Tours are 
over (with theexception of the RGVBF) until spring 2015. The only tours that 
have a chance to find the owl are birding tours tothe Norias Division.  
Historic tours andbirding tours to Santa Gertrudis Division will not be able to 
find the owl asit does not occur near Kingsville.   
.
This spring and summer a pair of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl withchicks entertained 
birders at San Miguelito Ranch (fee site), contact Letty at956-369-3118 or 
Buny55@xxxxxxx.  Otherprivate ranches are no longer open to birders or do not 
have accessiblepygmy-owls.  This owl is very difficultto find at any other 
location at present and has not been seen or heard atBentsen-Rio Grande Valley 
State Park since the summer of 2010, when the parkwas inundated by the Rio 
Grande. 
.
Seehttp://rgvbirds.blogspot.com/p/ferruginous-pygmy-owl-sites.html for 
moreinformation. 
.
Directions are provided only for sites not included in theABA Birders' Guide to 
the Rio Grande Valley or the Birders' Guide to the TexasCoast. These guides are 
indispensable for visiting birders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Site Closures: 
 
Allen Williams residence, Pharr, open by appointmentONLY; Call or text 
956-460-9864. 
 
UPDATE!
Bentsen-RGV State Park, open daily, first tram at 8:30AM. 
 
Camp Thicket (formerly Methodist Camp Thicket), Weslaco,group reservations 
(fee) only. Contact Estero Llano Grande State Park. 
 
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, buildingand grounds closed on 
Sundays. 
 
UPDATE! 
Estero Llano Grande State Park, open daily; building/storeopen daily.  
 
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 Nature Center â OPEN Saturdays from 8-12 noon (andSunday?)  Call 
956-681-3333 forinformation. 
 
Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee) only. Contact Estero Llano 
Grande StatePark. 
 
Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays.  Open on Thursdays to 
dark.  
 
Resaca de la Palma State Park, open daily; building/storeclosed/no trams 
Monday-Tuesday, grounds open (self-pay station).  
 
Salineno âfeeding station is OPEN until March.     
 
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 - November 13, 2014

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