[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - August 9, 2012
- From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2012 17:23:19 -0400 (EDT)
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RBA
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* Texas
* Lower Rio Grande Valley
* August 9, 2012
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To report rare birds, e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred)orcall (956)
584-2731 option 3.
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Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species for Texas.Please send
sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Review Committee,ecarpeATgmail.com.
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PELAGIC BIRDING OPPORTUNITY – Eric Carpenter is organizing onemore pelagic trip
out of South Padre Island this summer **NOTE: The last tripis full with a
waiting list - August 25. Contact Eric for registrationinformation at
ecarpe@xxxxxxxxxx
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Our rare bird alert this week includes:
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Reddish Egret
American Woodcock (no reports)
*ROSE-THROATED BECARD
Yellow-green Vireo
Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler
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This is a general reminder that playing recordings is not allowedin Texas State
Parks and many LRGV birding sites. All State Park and NationalWildlife Refuge
visitors must stay on trails. Thank you for not disturbing thewildlife or
damaging the vegetation.
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Redhead appeared in new locations in Cameron County on July30. A stunning male
Yellow-headedBlackbird was in Donna at the Valley Grass Farm on July 31.
Migrants includeEmpidonax, Upland Sandpiper, Black-and-white Warbler etc.
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The Valley from east to west.
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The July 28 pelagic sailed on calm seas. Highlights include two very confiding
Cory’sShearwaters, a close but brief Audubon’s Sheatwater, distant Sooty and
BridledTerns, and Band-rumped Storm-Petrels. Apod of Short-finned Pilot Whales
were very confiding, as was a GreenTurtle.
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Mangrove Warbler, a well-marked subspecies of Yellow Warbler thatmay be
distinct enough to warrant full species status, can be seen bycontacting the
Sealife Center at (956) 299-1957.
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Shorebirds abound at Sugar House Pond north of Edcouch/Elsa on FM1425, with a
drop-in and fly-out Marbled Godwit and two Willets on August9. These birds did
not stay more than anhour. Thousands of shorebirds arepresent. Please do not
walk away from theroad on the levees as these areas are posted closed.
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A Reddish Egret was a surprise at the inland location of DeltaLake on 7/26 and
was relocated 8/6 and 8/8 from the parking area on the westside of TX 88.
Another surprise was a breeding plumaged Eared Grebe on August9. The lake is
already being refilled, shorebird habitat remained east of TX 88but not west of
it.
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At Estero Llano Grande State Park, the Rose-throated Becard wasrelocated on
8/1. Please document theselate dates to the TBRC as they are especially
important to document the entiredate span of occurrence. This bird maybe
continuing but has been very difficult to locate of late.
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Still at Estero, an American Woodcock was a stunning find, mostrecently on
7/28. As the park dries outafter irrigation birders should keep their eyes
open for this major valleyrarity! Additional reports andespecially photos are
highly desired!
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Red-crowned Parrots are sometimes seen in the areas of QuintaMazatlan in
McAllen, Valley Nature Center in Weslaco in the evening, and EsteroLlano Grande
State Park in the mornings. Red-crowned Parrots are also reportedfrom Calvary
Baptist Church in Harlingen (1815 N 7th Street) and atRio Hondo/ 7th Street in
Harlingen in the evenings(exit Expressway 77 on EdCarey, heading north on Ed
Carey about 3.5 miles to Rio Hondo Road just beforethe Airport, turn right onto
Rio Hondo going to 7th Street), and also atOliveira Park (Los Ebanos Road/El
Paso Road across from Pace High School) inBrownsville, mingling at dusk with
Yellow-headed and Red-lored Parrots (bothspecies are escapes). Red-crowned
Parrots and Green Parakeets are seen in urbanareas irregularly all over the
Valley.
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Green Parakeets can be seen staging in McAllen near 10th and Dovein the
evening, sometimes winging a few blocks over to Nolana/McColl – a reportlast
month had 200 at the latter site. A couple of Mitred Parakeets (escapes)were
present this winter.
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In Hidalgo at 5th and Gardenia near the HidalgoPumphouse World Birding Center,
a few Monk Parakeets have taken up residencebuilding a nest on a telephone
pole.
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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, Laredo's Las Palmas
Trail, North Central Park, or Father McNaboe Park.Seedeaters are widely
distributed this spring with birds at all locations.Access to La Laja Ranch,
also a Seedeater site, is by advance reservationsonly. E-mail the owner at
Edward.herbst@xxxxxxxxxxxx is a fee site.
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION – Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls arepresent at El
Canelo, San Miguelito Ranch and King Ranch (Norias Divisiononly). San Miguelito
is closed until March 1. King Ranch Norias bird trips arecompleted for the
spering. This owl is very difficult to find at any otherlocation at present.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have not been seen or heard atBentsen-Rio Grande Valley
State Park since the summer of 2010, when the parkwas inundated by the Rio
Grande.
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Directions are provided only for sites not included in the ABABirders' Guide to
the Rio Grande Valley or the Birders' Guide to the TexasCoast. These guides are
indispensable for visiting birders.
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Site Closures:
Allen Williams Wildscape, Pharr, open by appointment ONLY; Call ortext
956-460-9864.
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, building closedSunday (grounds
open).
Bentsen-RGV State Park, office and store closed/no trams onMonday, Tuesday and
Wednesday, grounds open (self-pay station).
Estero Llano Grande State Park, building closed Mondays, groundsopen (self-pay
station).
Frontera Audubon Thicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and allday Mondays
except by appt.
Los Ebanos Preserve, San Benito, Appointment ONLY; 956-241-2494.
Methodist Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee) only.Contact Estero
Llano Grande State Park – office and gift shop closed Monday andTuesday (site
open)
Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays.
Resaca de la Palma State Park, office and store closed/no tramsMonday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, grounds open (self-pay station).
San Miguelito Ranch - Lety at 956-365-3118 or Buny55@xxxxxxxx Closed until
March 2013.
Santa Ana NWR- closed to bicycles
Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, closed Sunday morning and Mondays.
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Mary Gustafson
Mission, Texas
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