[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - January 24, 2013

From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 09:39:36 -0500 (EST)
Sorry for the delay - internet was down last night. 
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Check out the Texas eBird Portal at www.ebird.org/tx - all the features of 
eBird, with Texas centric news and updates!  
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RBA
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* Texas 
* Lower Rio GrandeValley 
* January 24, 2013
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To report rare birds,e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred) or call
(956)584-2731 option 3.
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Updates can be seen onthe web at http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com
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Capitalized birds markedwith a + are Review Species for Texas. Please
send sightings/photographsto the Texas Bird Review Committee:
ecarpeATgmail.com. 
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Our rare bird alert thisweek includes: 
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Long-tailed Duck (noreports)
Surf Scoter (no reports)
Reddish Egret
Glossy Ibis (no reports)
American Woodcock
Flammulated Owl 
Common Nighthawk 
+ROSE-THROATED BECARD 
Mangrove [Yellow]Warbler 
Western Tanager 
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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. 
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Couchâs Kingbirds are invery short supply again this winter, they seem to be 
more plentiful in CameronCounty and absent from Hidalgo. Mallards of the 
northern subspecies are presentthis winter, an unusual event â Greater Scaup, 
Bufflehead, Wood Duck and HoodedMergansers are in above normal numbers across 
the valley as well.  Zone-tailed Hawks are in Weslaco as well asthe more 
traditional sites of Anzalduas and Salineno/Falcon.  
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American Woodcock are atrecord levels in the LRGV!  Most birdsare only found 
for a couple of days, but observers should be aware and report allsightings.  
Irrigated and urban areas,parks, and adjacent to wetlands are typical habitats 
for the species thiswinter. 
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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 
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The Valley from east towest. 
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A stunning FlammulatedOwl was found and photographed at South Padre Island near 
the Convention Centeron 1/8!  The bird has recently beenrefound on a daily 
basis in the thickets at the Convention Center through 1/24.  It can be very 
difficult to locate in thedense brush.  This is only the secondwinter record 
for Texas of this highly migratory owl.    
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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. 
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A Western Tanager was at the Convention Center on SPI through theweek.  
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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 Groove-billed Ani wasfound at the Laguna Atascosa HQ through at least 1/19.  
This is a poor winter for this cuckoo!   
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At Estero Llano GrandeState Park, the +ROSE-THROATED BECARD continued through 
1/10 in the TropicalZone, no recent reports. 
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A Long-tailed Duck andSurf Scoter may continue on Donna Reservoir, but we have 
no recent positivereports.  Donna Reservoir is on FM 1423south of US 83. 
Delta Lake continues tohave excellent shorebird habitat!  
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Valley Nature Center hada Black-throated Gray Warbler, others are at Anzalduas 
and Resaca de la PalmaState Park.  Normally the species iswidespread and in too 
many locations to report. 
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Hooded Merganserscontinue at Santa Ana NWR. A Glossy Ibis was photographed in 
early January; norecent reports. 
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At the Edinburg ScenicWetlands WBC an American Woodcock was located near the 
dragonfly pond (with theY-shaped wooden boardwalk) during the week. It can be 
difficult to see in the dense brush, and is more likely to beencountered in the 
early AM or late evening. 
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A Western Tanager was agreat find on the Tuesday birdwalk at Quinta Mazatlan.  
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A Red-naped Sapsucker maycontinue at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in 
the area of the resaca,there is 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 flock of up to fivenighthawks, all thought to be Commons, is near the Resaca 
at Bentsen and istypically reported in the evening.  Thebirds have been present 
for a couple of weeks.  Another Common Nighthawk was reportedlypeenting 
elsewhere in the county.  Allnighthawk reports are most welcome, and photos are 
highly desired as these birdsare out of season!  
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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, but is often 
missed. 
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Western Grebes continueon Lake Casa Blanca in Laredo.  White-collaredSeedeaters 
are regular in parks and near the river in Laredo.  
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. 
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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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[texbirds] RBA - Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - January 24, 2013

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