[texbirds] RBA: Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - June 21, 2012
- From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@xxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:58:16 -0400 (EDT)
.
RBA
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* Texas
* Lower Rio Grande Valley
* June 21, 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 threepelagic trips
out of South Padre Island this summer. The dates are July 28 and August 25.
Contact Eric for registration information at ecarpe@xxxxxxxxxx
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Our rare bird alert this week includes:
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+MASKED DUCK
Purple Gallinule
American Golden-Plover
+ROSE-THROATED BECARD
Tropical Parula
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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The Valley from east to west.
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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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A MASKED DUCK in female plumage appeared 6/5 at Sabal PalmSanctuary and
remained through at least 6/21.
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At Estero Llano Grande State Park a female +ROSE-THROATED BECARDinitially found
on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival on 11/9 is nestbuilding in the
Tropical Zone! She is evidently still not paired so no fertileeggs are expected
unless a male turns up quickly. Huck Hutchens, a volunteerpark host, found the
Becard nest building on 5/8 and she remains in the areaand readily visible
through 6/21. The nest is high in a palm tree, ask at thepark HQ for
directions. The Rose-throated Becard is more difficult to see asshe is spending
time in the nest.
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Still at Estero, a stunning adult Purple Gallinule was lastreported June 21.
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A leucistic Black-chinned Hummingbird continues at the EdinburgScenic Wetlands.
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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 are completed for the
spering. This owl is very difficult to find at anyother location at present.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have not been seen or heardat Bentsen-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 – days change in July
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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx until March
2013.
Santa Ana NWR- closed to bicycles
Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, closed Sunday morning and Mondays.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Gustafson
Mission, Texas
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