[texbirds] RBA Texas Rio Grande Valley
- From: John Yochum <John.Yochum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2013 20:18:09 +0000
* Texas
* Lower Rio Grande Valley
* December 5, 2013
.
To report rare birds, e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred) or call
(956)584-2731 option 3.
.
Updates can be seen on the web at http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com
.
Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species for Texas. Please send
sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Review Committee: ecarpeATgmail.com.
_____________________________________________________________
NOTE: Monday to Wednesday, Resaca de la Palma State Park offices closed but the
park open (NO TRAM, self check-in at the Iron Ranger) and full services
Thursday-Sunday.
.
NOTE: The Bayside Drive at Laguna Atascosa is closed to private vehicles to
protect ocelots. This area is covered by refuge tours. All other portions of
Laguna are OPEN as normal! Private vehicles can drive to Osprey Overlook, and
there are 50 miles of hiking and biking trails.
_____________________________________________________________
American Goldfinch are arriving in the LRGV, and Black-throated Grays are found
at several locations (eg Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, UTPA campus in Edinburg).
Lingering Anis are still around.
.
Our rare bird alert this week includes:
.
Surf Scoter
+AMAZON KINGFISHER
Prairie Falcon
Mountain Plover
+ROSE-THROATED BECARD
Tropical Parula
Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler
Painted Redstart (Brooks Co.)
+GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER (NO Reports)
.
This is a general reminder that playing recordings is not allowed in Texas
State Parks nor in many LRGV birding sites. All State Park and National
Wildlife Refuge visitors must stay on trails. Thank you for not disturbing the
wildlife or damaging the vegetation.
.
The Valley from east to west.
.
A Surf Scoter has been seen and photographed often and well near the Coast
Guard Station on South Padre Island through at least December 4. Since it
stays within the walls most times it is best seen by boat. Mangrove Warbler, a
well-marked subspecies of Yellow Warbler that may be distinct enough to warrant
full species status is being seen and photographed well also and is also best
seen by boat. Both can be seen by contacting the Sealife Center at (956)
299-1957.
.
A +ROSE-THROATED BECARD was documented from Sabal Palm 11/12 through 11/19, but
there have been no additional reports.
.
The AMAZON KINGFISHER found on the RGV Birding Festival on 11/9 and lingers to
at least 12/5 at 2pm. Take US 77 to TX 100, the main route to South Padre
Island. Go east on TX 100 for a short distance (less than half a mile) to a
visible resaca (oxbow lake) on the right. Pull off and park carefully on this
very busy highway! There is a less visible resaca on the left (north) side of
the road, and another less visible resaca on the south to the west of the
"main" resaca. The Amazon Kingfisher has been seen at all of these resacas.
.
A Prairie Falcon, a relatively rare winter raptor, returned to a traditional
territory in Willacy County. To reach the area, head north on US 77 from
Sebastian to FM 1018; take FM 1018 east to CR-375 (same as Primrose CR) Go
north on 375 and check the utility poles on the east side of CR-375, between
FM-1018 and the first dirt farm road that crosses CR-375 headed north.
.
Mountain Plover returned to their former wintering location in Willacy County
on Mesquite Road on 11/11. Take CR 360 to CR 1600; this is just west of the
Prairie Falcon location. Go east on CR 1600 (Mesquite Road) if it is passable.
.
A male Hooded Merganser still swims in the Harlingen reservoir at Dixieland
Park near the Mall in Harlingen.
.
A +GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER was photographed October 12 at the Frontera Audubon
Thicket in Weslaco and was relocated almost daily through November 4. There
are NO recent reports but birders are encouraged to continue looking for this
shy warbler. It had a talent for evading birders, but loved to bathe in the
stream and drips in the thicket.
.
An immature male +ROSE-THROATED BECARD was found and photographed on 11/11 at
the parking lot of Santa Ana NWR.
.
The Painted Redstart was last seen on November 10 at the University of Texas -
Pan American campus in Edinburg. The campus is northwest of the intersection
of Sugar and University. Monday-Friday park at meters ONLY. Meters can be
found in the lot east of Sugar, and the main entrance on University. A Tropical
Parula also continues in the area. Another Tropical Parula is at the nearby
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands.
.
American Robins continue at Quinta Mazatlan at the south end of 10th Street in
McAllen to at least December 5, sometimes hard to find in the Valley for year
listers.
.
Out of our area to the north, another Painted Redstart was found at the
Falfurrias Rest Area on US 281 on October 19 and continues to December 5. This
site is in Brooks County.
.
PARROT REPORT
Red-crowned Parrots are sometimes seen in the areas of Quinta Mazatlan in
McAllen, Valley Nature Center in Weslaco in the evening, and Calvary Baptist
Church in Harlingen (1815 N 7th Street). Brownsville's Oliveira Park (Los
Ebanos Road/El Paso Road across from Pace High School) has Red-crowned Parrots,
mingling at dusk with escaped Yellow-headed, White-fronted, Lilac-crowned and
Red-lored Parrots. Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets are seen in urban
areas irregularly all over the Valley.
.
Green Parakeets can be seen staging in McAllen near 10th and Dove in the
evening, sometimes winging a few blocks over to Nolana and McColl. Watch for a
couple of Mitred Parakeets that sometimes mingle with them.
.
In Hidalgo on Gardenia at 5th, near the Hidalgo Pumphouse World Birding Center,
a few Monk Parakeets have taken up residence building nests on telephone poles,
keeping company with an escaped Rose-ringed Parakeet. These birds have been
present since the winter of 2010.
.
WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER INFORMATION - Most sites for White-collared Seedeaters
are in Zapata and Webb counties. Information is provided as a service to
visiting birders. Sites to check include the San Ygnacio County Park/Seedeater
Sanctuary at the foot of Washington Street in San Ygnacio, the Raptor Trail at
the west end of San Ygnacio, the library pond in Zapata, and Laredo's Las
Palmas Trail, North Central and Father McNaboe Park. Access to La Laja Ranch,
also a Seedeater site, is by advance reservations only. E-mail the owner at
Edward.herbst AT att.net. This is a fee site.
.
Updated FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION - Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are present
on the King Ranch (Norias Division only). Other private ranches are no longer
available or do not have accessible pygmy-owls. This owl is very difficult to
find at any other location at present and has not been seen or heard at
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park since the summer of 2010, when the park
was inundated by the Rio Grande.
.
See http://rgvbirds.blogspot.com/p/ferruginous-pygmy-owl-sites.html for more
information.
.
Directions are provided only for sites not included in the ABA Birders' Guide
to the Rio Grande Valley or the Birders' Guide to the Texas Coast. These guides
are indispensable for visiting birders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Site Closures:
Allen Williams Wildscape, Pharr, open by appointment ONLY; Call or text
956-460-9864.
Bentsen-RGV State Park, open 7 days until spring; first tram at 8:30 AM.
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, building and grounds both closed
on Sundays.
Estero Llano Grande State Park, building/store open 7 days.
Frontera Audubon Thicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and all day Mondays
except by appointment.
Laguna Atascosa NWR - Bayside Drive closed to private vehicles to protect
ocelots.
Los Ebanos Preserve, San Benito, Appointment ONLY; 956-241-2494.
Methodist Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee) only. Contact Estero
Llano Grande State Park.
Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays.
Resaca de la Palma State Park, building/store closed with no trams
Monday-Wednesday, but the grounds will be open (with a self-pay station).
Salineno -feeding station is open.
Santa Ana NWR- closed to bicycles
Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and Mondays.
John Yochum
Park Ranger IV
Estero Llano Grande State Park
Weslaco TX
956-565-3919
Join us for Bunuelos and Christmas Carols Saturday, December 21 8-10pm
Bird Walks: Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30am
Butterfly/Dragonfly Walks: Fridays 1:30pm
Tram Tours: Wednesdays and Sundays 2pm-4pm, or call to arrange your own time
(groups of 6+)
New Moon Starwatch: Dec 2 (every new moon) 8-10pm
Full Moon Night Hike: Dec 17 (every full moon) 8-10pm
: Texas Parks and Wildlife is Celebrating 50 Years of Making Life Better
Outside. Join Us!: <http://bit.ly/TPW50>
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