[texbirds] Zone-tailed Hawk at Anzalduas County Park today

From: SeEtta Moss <seettam@xxxxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2013 22:01:54 -0600
I understand that most are aware that there has been a Zone-tailed Hawk at
Anzalduas County Park, in fact I can remember reading about this for
several years when I have come down to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
However, I have received emails from others (actually birders who live in
Texas but not down here) who have asked me to post these specialties as
they have never seen them and might make a trip down if they are being
seen.  As a visiting birder, I can appreciate their frustration when
rarities and specialty birds are no longer posted.
I spotted an adult Zone-tailed Hawk in a tree right by the water on the
other side of Rio Grande River, but it was in the United States per the
Border Patrol officers I asked.  It was in the land mass directly across
from the Anzalduas boat ramp (not the closer land mass to the left of the
boat ramp on which there is a park as it is in Mexico).  Though distant I
could see it's bright yellow cere, black head and body. When it turned to
face in my direction I could see at least two white tail bands, one quite
wide and one at end of tail. It is clearly an adult.  I told one birder who
drove by about it and he said he saw it flying over Anzalduas not long
before I got there.  I was able to assist another 2 birders to see the bird
and hope they read this as they didn't think they could count it on their
ABA list.  I got photos that I have uploaded onto my Birds and Nature
blog<http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com>.
One of the photos shows a wide white and a terminal white tail band.
Another photo shows 2 white tail bands above the terminal tail band.

Other specialty birds there included a Black Phoebe, a male Vermilion
Flycatcher, a Green Kingfisher and a Ringed Kingfisher (I got some photos
of the latter as the sun came out for a little while, photos also on my
blog).

There was some big police thing that happened just after I left--a dozen
Border Patrol and local police cars converged at high speed while I tried
to stay out of their way, Border Patrol on dirt bikes, etc, glad I missed
the action there.

SeEtta Moss
Colorado birder staying in Pharr
Blogging for Birds and Blooms magazine @
http://birdsandbloomsblog.com/author/seetta-moss/
Personal blog @ BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com


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[texbirds] Zone-tailed Hawk at Anzalduas County Park today

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