[texbirds] RBA: Texas - Lower Rio Grande Valley - 11/29/2012
- From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:32:05 -0500 (EST)
Updates are found at http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com.
RBA
.
* Texas
* Lower Rio GrandeValley
* November 29, 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 isclosed. Contact Valley Land Fund withany questions. The river
access is open.
.
Estero Llano GrandeState Park once again has its buildings open 7 days a week!
This is great news!
.
Valley area CBCs aregearing up now. Find a list of the CBCsand the compilers
at http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com/p/lower-rio-grande-valley-christmas-bird.html
________________________________________________
Our rare bird alert thisweek includes:
.
Long-tailed Duck
Surf Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Reddish Egret
Prairie Falcon
+ROSE-THROATED BECARD
Bell's Vireo
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Mangrove [Yellow]Warbler
+CRIMSON-COLLAREDGROSBEAK
.
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. Flocking birds
seem to be in low numbers in general. Mallards of the northern subspecies are
atSanta Ana and Estero Llano Grande State Park, while Mexican Mallards
areupriver from Roma. Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers are in above
normalnumbers.
.
The Valley from east towest.
.
On South Padre Island, aRed-breasted Nuthatch continues, and a Painted Bunting
is spotted infrequently.
.
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 refound on
11/26 in the Tropical Zone. No recent sightings on the Prairie Falcon. A
Greater Scaup was an excellent find at thepark on 11/18-19!
.
A female-plumaged+CRIMSON-COLLARED GROSBEAK was found at Valley Nature Center
on 11/17 afterbeing heard early in the morning for a couple of days. The bird
was heard on 11/18 but has not been reported since.
.
Rare for the county, aLong-tailed Duck and Surf Scoter continue on Donna
Reservoir through11/26. Donna Reservoir is on 1423 southof US 83.
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A Red-breasted Merganser was an excellent find thisweek at Delta Lake.
.
Four Hooded Merganserscontinue at Santa Ana NWR.
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At the Edinburg Wetlands WBC a Bell's Vireo was relocated on 11/26.
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Six Pine Siskins were at Anzalduas County Park on 11/24.
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A Dickcissel appeared atthe feeders at NABA on 11/25.
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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. Also, the redtuft on the
cheek is odd for a Red-naped Sapsucker.
.
SIX Wood Ducks werefound at Magnus Lake near Falcon State Park on 11/27!
.
Upriver and out of ourarea, an Acorn Woodpecker was photographed in Laredo at a
private residence on11/27. Western Grebes have returned toLake Casa Blanca 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. InHarlingen, Monk Parakeets have constructed a roost nest on
the cell towernorthwest of 106 and Ed Carey.
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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 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 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 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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