[texbirds] RBA: Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley, February 14, 2013
- From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:28:23 -0500 (EST)
RBA
.
* Texas
* Lower Rio GrandeValley
* February 14, 2013
.
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.
.
Our rare bird alert thisweek includes:
.
Glossy Ibis and Glossy xWhite-faced Ibis hybrid
Black-legged Kittiwake
Flammulated Owl
Common Nighthawk
Mangrove [Yellow]Warbler
+GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER (noadditional reports)
Western Tanager
+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.
.
We have widespreadreports of birds beginning courtship or nesting activities
this past week. A surprise was the return of Cliff Swallowsto colonies in Webb
County.
.
Couchâs Kingbirds are finallyreturning in small numbers to Hidalgo Co..
Mallards of the northern subspeciesare present this winter, an unusual event
â Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, WoodDuck and Hooded Mergansers are in above
normal numbers across the valley aswell. Zone-tailed Hawks are in Weslacoas
well as the more traditional sites of Anzalduas/Hidalgo/Bentsen
andSalineno/Falcon.
.
USFWSvolunteers are feeding birds daily at the Lower Rio Grande Valley
NationalWildlife Refuge Kepler Tract (adjacent to Salineno). Volunteers will be
on siteto greet visitors on Mondays and Thursdays from 8am to noon. **Donations
aregreatly appreciated** and can be dropped off at the Roma Bluffs World
BirdingCenter or at the feeding station on Mondays and Thursdays. Any questions
pleasefeel free to call Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge at 956-784-7500
.
The Valley from east towest.
.
A stunning FlammulatedOwl was found and photographed at South Padre Island near
the Convention Centeron 1/8! The bird has recently been refoundon a daily
basis in the thickets at the Convention Center through 2/12. It can be very
difficult to locate in thedense brush. This is only the secondwinter record
for Texas of this highly migratory owl.
.
This would seem self-evident, but please be careful not to tramplethe plants at
the Convention Center gardens. Every bit of habitat at the convention center
has been planted byvolunteers for the benefit of wildlife including migratory
birds.
.
An immature Black-legged Kittiwake continues near the south jettyat SPI with
intermittent reports.
.
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.
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A female-plumagedCRIMSON-COLLARED GROSBEAK was photographed at Sabal Palm
Sanctuary on 2/12 andreturned for another photo op on 2/13. It has been seen in
the area of the water feature and feeding station inthe late morning, but has
not appeared more than once per day.
.
A Prairie Falconresurfaced at Estero Llano Grande State Park on 2/9 after a
lengthy absence.
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A Western Tanager was atValley Nature Center on 2/5.
.
Hooded Merganserscontinue at Santa Ana NWR. A Glossy Ibis was photographed in
early January;several recent reports show one or two birds that appear to be
Glossy xWhite-faced Ibis hybrids. One bird lookslike a Glossy Ibis with a red
eye, and the other looks more like a White-facedIbis with a red face but pale
lines on the facial skin.
.
A Red-naped Sapsucker maycontinue at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in
the area of the resaca,there is again only one report this week. Please
continue to report this continuing rarity. The bird shows some hybrid
characters and maybe a backcross or third generation hybrid between Red-naped
and the even rarerin Texas Red-breasted Sapsucker. ARed-naped Sapsucker would
have more black feathering separating the red throatand the pale line above it,
with the black pinched in the middle. This bird has virtually no black line.
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A GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLERwas reported from Zapata on 1/31. Documentationand
photographs are highly desired for this review species! Take US 83 to 9thAvenue
and go southwest two blocks to the park. Walk the trail around the pond,the
bird was on the back (southwest) side of the pond within 50 yards of
thenorthern end of the trail.
.
Upriver and out of ourarea, the Laredo Acorn Woodpecker was photographed in
Laredo at a privateresidence on 11/27 and is now utilizing telephone poles
across the street atthe Mall del Norte. Park betweenDillardâs and the
Cinemark and watch the small triangle of woods to the north. Continuingreports
are highly desired! The birdcontinues in the area this week ago, but is often
missed.
.
Congratulations toLaredo on a successful Laredo Birding Festival! Highlights
included a Red-billed Pigeon on private land about 25 milesnorth of the city,
an early Broad-winged Hawk at the Las Palmas Nature Trail, WesternGrebes
continue on Lake Casa Blanca in Laredo, and two immature Reddish Egretsat
Indian Sunset Park/Muller Pond Park. White-collaredSeedeaters are regular in
parks and near the river 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, sometimes winginga few blocks over to Nolana x 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. Thesebirds are present since November 2011. In Harlingen, Monk
Parakeets haveconstructed a roost nest on the cell tower northwest of 106 and
Ed Carey. Thesebirds were discovered in December 2012.
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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
at Bentsen-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.
Bentsen-RGV State Park,building/store closed/no trams on Monday, but the
grounds are open (self-paystation).
Edinburg Scenic WetlandsWorld Birding Center, building and grounds both
closed on Sundays.
**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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