[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - December 20, 2012
- From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:31:48 -0500 (EST)
RBA
.
* Texas
* Lower Rio GrandeValley
* December 20, 2012
.
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.
.
________________________________________________
NOTE:
Salineno â The ValleyLand Fund feeding station is closed and there is no
access. Volunteers are feeding on the USFWS traildownhill from the VLF
entrance.
.
Resaca de la Palma StatePark now has buildings open and tram running Wednesday
to Sunday.
.
Valley area CBCs aregearing up now! La Sal Vieja istomorrow; Falcon is
Saturday; and Weslaco is next Thursday! Find a list of the CBCs and 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
Reddish Egret
American Woodcock
+BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
+ROSE-THROATED BECARD (2)
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.
.
Couchâs Kingbirds are invery short supply again this winter, they seem to be
more plentiful in CameronCounty; Resaca de la Palma is still reporting them.
Flocking birds seem to be in low numbers ingeneral. Mallards of the
northernsubspecies are at Santa Ana and Estero Llano Grande State Park, while
MexicanMallards are upriver from Roma. WoodDucks and Hooded Mergansers are in
above normal numbers across the valley.
.
The Valley from east towest.
.
An immature BLACK-LEGGEDKITTIWAKE that was photographed at the Boca Chica jetty
on 12/11, it wasresighted 12/13 on South Padre Island.
.
The Brownsville CBCproduced some excellent birds, including an Elf Owl that
responded to tape anda Red-naped Sapsucker. Neither bird ischaseable. An
Eastern Kingbird was reported at the HEB in downtown Brownsville(photos are
highly desirable). A ScarletTanager was reported from the city as well.
.
An adult LesserBlack-backed Gull was photographed in Kopernic Shores on 12/11.
.
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.
.
Watch for a report on theLaguna Atascosa CBC next week.
Two Flamingoes flew by aresidence in San Benito on 12/8. Onebird was much
brighter than the other. Perhaps these are the color banded American Flamingo
from the Yucatanthat has been sighted along the Gulf Coast at times with a very
pale GreaterFlamingo known to be of captive origin. More reports are highly
desired, as are photographs!
.
At Estero Llano GrandeState Park, the +ROSE-THROATED BECARD was refound on 12/8
in the Tropical Zone,and the Prairie Falcon was resighted on 12/5. A Greater
Scaup or two continues at the park, they are very rare forthis site.
.
Rare for the county, aLong-tailed Duck and Surf Scoter continue on Donna
Reservoir through the SantaAna CBC on 12/18. Donna Reservoir is onFM 1423
south of US 83.
.
A Reddish Egret continuesat Delta Lake on 12/6.
.
Hooded Merganserscontinue at Santa Ana NWR. A lingeringPectoral Sandpiper was
a good find 12/6. An American Woodcock was reported on12/15 near the Cattail
Lake trail.
.
On the Santa Ana CBC, anAmerican Woodcock was found at the San Juan Wetlands on
12/18. Take Nebraska south from San Juan to roadsend; turn right to the signed
gate for the wetlands. The wetlands access is on the left end of theparking
lot. The Woodcock was along thestream on the south side of the property.
Photographs are highly desired of this valley rarity!
.
A Prothonotary Warblerwas photographed at the Hidalgo Pumphouse on 12/6! A
birder looking for this extraordinary findfound a female +ROSE-THROATED BECARD
near the parking lot in hackberry trees on12/13. On the Santa Ana CBC, 13 Monk
Parakeets and a feral Rose-ringed Parakeetwere found as well as House Finches,
a very local bird in the county!
.
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. Last report12/15.
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A Hook-billed Kite wasfound at Bentsen on 12/16.
.
Upriver and out of ourarea, an Acorn Woodpecker was photographed in Laredo at a
private residence on11/27 and continues to be reported. Nolocation information
provided. Western Grebes were reported from Lake CasaBlanca in Laredo recently.
.
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.
.
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 See above. Valley Land Fund feeding station closed; another set of
feeders on US FWS refuge land adjacent.
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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