Rio Grande Valley RBA
November 10, 2008
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:47:15 -0500
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From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@AOL.COM>
Subject: RBA: Texas Lower RIo Grande Valley, November 10, 2008 - special
internet only Monday Update
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RBA
.
* Texas
* Lower Rio Grande Valley
* November 13, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
+ (Details requested by TBRC - Mark.Lockwood AT tpwd.state.tx.us)
.
Our rare bird alert includes recent reports of…
.
Audubon's Shearwater
Hook-billed Kite
Pomarine Jaeger
Allen’s Hummingbird
+Dusky-capped Flycatcher
+Rose-throated Becard
Mangrove Warbler
Pine Siskin
.
hotline: Texas Parks and Wildlife - Lower Rio Grande Valley Birding
Hotline number: (956) 584-2731
to report: rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred) or (956) 584-2731 option 3
compilers: Mary Gustafson (Rio Grande Joint Venture) and Jennifer Owen
(Estero Llano Grande State Park).
.
- Transcript
.
This is a special Monday Internet-only edition of the Rio Grande Valley RBA
sponsored by Estero Llano Grande State Park, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the
World Birding Center. This hotline is normally updated Thursdays by 5 PM.
Please send observations to Texbirds or to the hotline email address. Thank
you to those who sent reports!
.
The last pelagic trip of the year from South Padre Island went out in rough
conditions on Nov. 9. Several Pomarine Jaegers from 1 year old to full adult
were seen, as well as an Audubon’s Shearwater only visible from the upper deck
and a Magnificent Frigatebird on the way in. Franklin's Gulls were seen well
into the pelagic zone. Thanks to all the intrepid birders from the Rio Grande
Birding Festival for making this expedition possible.
.
Many birds have been discovered over the weekend on Rio Grande Birding Festival
trips. It is likely that there are other undiscovered gems waiting to be found,
so keep checking other sites as well as those with rare birds reported.
Black-throated Gray Warblers have appeared at several sites, and Tropical Parula
at Estero Llano Grande State Park and Quinta Mazatlan!
.
At Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco, an immature male Rose-throated
Becard was found on November 6 and continues to be seen daily through the 9th.
The bird is in a CLOSED area of the park, you must check in at the park
headquarters and request permission to look for the Becard each time you visit
the park. A Tropical Parula is also being seen daily. An exotic Black-throated
Magpie-Jay – a huge long-tailed and crested Jay from west Mexico –
continues at the park near the Headquarters. This is an escaped cage bird and
is *not* a wild bird. Numbers of shorebirds and large wintering warbler flocks
are in the area as well.
.
Late migrants include a Blackpoll Warbler at South Padre Island Convention
Center on Sunday. A Pine Siskin flyover at South Padre bodes well for the
season, and a late Dickcissel was detected as well. Magnificent Frigatebirds
flew over during the week as well.
.
A Dusky-capped Flycatcher was found at Sabal Palm Sanctuary east of Brownsville
on November 5. This is a TBRC Review Species. This bird has been detected
nearly every day but is more often heard calling than seen. Also present at
Sabal Palm are Groove-billed Ani.
,
The adult male Allen’s Hummingbird continues for its second winter at
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park but is intermittent at the feeders near the
Headquarters. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl has been heard or seen on a couple of
mornings over the past week, mostly early morning. At Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley
State Park, an unidentified Parula and a Black-headed Grosbeak were present on
Nov. 7. The usual Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and Gray Hawk are being
detected regularly.
.
At Anzalduas County Park, at least two individual Hook-billed Kites have been
seen (once each) since Nov. 1, and Zone-tailed Hawk was reported more than once
during the past week. Also present were at least two different Hook-billed
Kites. Two probably different Hook-billed Kites were seen on the pontoon boat
trip over this past weekend, but on the Mexican side of the river.
.
An adult male American Redstart is present at Allen Williams residence Nov. 1.
Wilson’s, Orange-crowned, Black-and-white, and Black-throated Green Warblers
are widespread, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Blue-headed
Vireo are in good numbers in winter flocks. Frontera Audubon Sanctuary has
Ovenbird and Northern Waterthrush as they do every year.
.
Quinta Mazatlan has TWO Tropical Parulas! Quinta is on 10th Street south of US
83.
.
Groove-billed Anis become rare or hard to find in the LRGV in winter. They
continue along the Rio Grande and at Santa Ana NWR, Bentsen RGV State Park, and
Sabal Palm Sanctuary.
.
Numbers of shorebirds continue to be seen at Sugar House Pond in eastern Hidalgo
County, Estero Llano Grande State Park, and South Padre Island.
.
Red-crowned Parrots seem to be roosting in the area of the Valley Nature Center,
and Green Parakeets are staging before going to roost on 10th street between
Violet and Zinnia at about 5:30 PM. Both species are seen at Quinta Mazatlan
on South 10th street in McAllen, and in Harlingen, Pharr, and Brownsville.
Red-crowned Parrots are also seen flying over Estero Llano Grande State Park’s
Visitor Center.
.
The feeders at Salineno are open 7:30 AM to 4 PM, and the birds are starting to
come in.
.
Mangrove Warblers are a well-marked subspecies Yellow Warbler that may be
distinct enough to warrant full species status. For more information on seeing
Mangrove (Yellow) Warbler contact the South Padre Island Nature Center at (956)
299-1957.
.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are present at three fee sites. These include the San
Miguelito Ranch (Prior arrangements are required, contact Leticia Tijerina, at
956-369-3118 or buny55ATaol.com), King Ranch, and El Canelo. They are also
seen rarely at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in the pre-dawn hours.
Remember, the use of tapes is not allowed at Bentsen or many LRGV sites.
Always ask before using tapes.
.
Red-billed Pigeons were reported from Salineno on November 6. They usually
become more difficult to find in the winter and can disappear entirely some
years. The bird sanctuary at San Ygnacio is still flooded by the Rio Grande.
Alternate sites for White-collared Seedeaters are at Zapata near the pond at
the south end of 9th Street and Laredo.
.
The Wikibird guide provides birding site information for the Rio Grande Valley
at http://wikibird.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_Valley_birding_guide [this site seems to
be temporarily down]. Thanks to Tim Whitehouse for this great service! Many
RGV specialties like Clay-colored Thrush are covered in the RGV recent
sightings information in greater detail than we can cover in the hotline.
.
Please report sightings to rgvbirdsAThotmail.com (Replace AT with @) or (956)
584-2731 option 3. Thanks to everyone who reported their sightings to Texbirds
or the compilers.
.
Mary Gustafson
Mission, Texas