[texbirds] RBA: Texas - Rio Grande Valley, November 1, 2012

From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2012 14:51:02 -0400 (EDT)
RBA
. 
* Texas 
* Lower Rio GrandeValley 
* November 1, 2012 
. 
To report rare birds,e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred)or call 
(956)584-2731 option 3.
. 
Capitalized birds markedwith a + are Review Species for Texas. Please 
sendsightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Review Committee: 
ecarpeATgmail.com. 
.
________________________________________________
NOTE: Access Update âSalineno â The Valley Land Fund bird feeding station 
at Salineno is closed andwill not reopen Nov. 1 as in past years. We have no 
further information at this time. 
.
Estero Llano Grande StatePark grounds are open daily. On Mondays, the park 
store and offices are closedand visitors are requested to use the iron ranger 
(self pay station).  
.
During the upcoming RioGrande Valley Birding Festival, rare finds on trips will 
be posted on the RBABlog at rgvbirds.blogspot.com as always and tweeted from 
live4birds. 
________________________________________________
Our rare bird alert thisweek includes: 
.
Common Loon
Reddish Egret
Hook-billed Kite
MEW GULL 
+ ROSE-THROATED BECARD (reappeared!)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Mangrove [Yellow]Warbler 
. 
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. 
.
At Bentsen, the park store and buildings are open Tuesday - Sundayand trams are 
running 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.  The park store and buildingsremain closed with no 
trams on Monday. 
.
The Valley from east towest. 
.
On South Padre Island, aRed-breasted Nuthatch was found 10/16 and continued 
through at least 10/21. 
.
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. 
.
At Estero Llano GrandeState Park, the +ROSE-THROATED BECARD was seen in the 
Tropical Zone on 10/28.  
.
Both King and VirginiaRail were reported from Estero Llano Grandeâs marshes 
during the week. Bothspecies are much easier to find in Cameron or Willacy 
Counties.
.
An adult MEW GULL, afirst for the LRGV, was photographed at Delta Lakes on 
10/27. A Common Loon waspresent briefly in the morning. Birders looking for the 
gull were treated tonot one but two Reddish Egret on 10/28! Also present were a 
Dunlin and aSanderling.  
.
At Santa Ana, two WoodDucks were on the entrance road pond on 10/25. A black 
morph Hook-billed Kite was at Santa Ana on 10/15. 
.
A male Broad-tailedHummingbird was reported from Edinburg Scenic Wetlands on 
10/24.  More details are desired for this very rarevalley bird!  
 
A Yellow-headed Parrot(origin uncertain or exotic) was at Anzalduas County Park 
on 10/15.  This species has been present at Anzalduasfor two years. 
.
Six Canada or CacklingGeese were a great surprise to the hawk watchers at 
Bentsen-Rio Grande ValleyState Park on 10/24!  
. 
A near-adult LesserBlack-backed Gull was on Falcon Lake in Zapata Co. and more 
often across theriver in Mexico on 10/28. The bird was seen from a private 
ranch south ofZapata. 
.
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. 
.
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-OWLINFORMATION - 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
atBentsen-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 closed Monday, but the grounds 
are open (self-paystation). 
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 GrandeState Park. 
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 FEEDING STATIONCLOSED 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 - Rio Grande Valley, November 1, 2012

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