Mississippi Statewide RBA
January 25, 2004
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 16:34:28 -0600
Reply-To: Alan Morris <eaglesi@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: "National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Central)"
<BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
From: Alan Morris <eaglesi@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline
Comments: To: Judy Toups <msbushwhacker@cableone.net>,
Sylvia Bogart <BOGARTRS@cs.com>,
barbara Bowen <bbwilletslp@surfbest.net>,
jerry bird <bird_dj@worldnet.att.net>,
Charlie Delmas <delmas@ametro.net>,
Sandy &Randy Reed <foxsparrow@juno.com>,
Gerry Morgan <GerrySMorg@aol.com>, jan dubuisson <jand@cableone.net>,
Nancy Madden <ncmwren@aol.com>, Ned Boyajian <nedrb@theriver.com>,
SJPeterson@aol.com, tish galbraith <tiska@juno.com>,
Joree Peace <wpjrp@att.net>, JoRee Pease <wpjrp@worldnet.att.net>,
Allison Henry <bamohenry@pol.net>,
Debbie Zeitfuss <dzeitfuss@msn.com>,
Jake Pettigrew <PETIGRU@aol.com>, Irene Peirce <peirce@datasync.com>
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Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline for January 25, 2004
Compiler: J. Morris, eaglesi@bellsouth.net
Transcriber: J. Morris
Coverage: The Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline covers the six
southern counties of Mississippi, which include: Hancock, Pearl River,
Harrison, Stone, Jackson and George County.
Birds mentioned:
White Pelican
Northern Pintail
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Western Tanager
Henslow Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Transcript:
Greetings from the Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline.
On January 22, 2004 J. Morris spotted a flock of White Pelicans just off shore
along the Pass Christian Beach near Menge Avenue. There appeared to be twelve
or thirteen in the flock.
JoRee Pease reports Northern Pintails have joined other waterfowl at the Seaman
Rd. Lagoons just north of I-10 at the Ocean Springs exit. Some sections of this
location are off limits to the general public but birders are allowed access to
the front ponds where the Northern Pintails were spotted.
From her yard in Gulfport, Nancy Madden has reported both accipeter species that
we generally get here along the coast. From her kitchen window she has
observed both Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawk making daily visits to her
feeders. This is a perfect opportunity to observe both species together and
make mental notes of the subtle differences that separate these sometime elusive
avian predators.
A very special thanks goes out to Alice Duckett in Ocean Springs for letting the
birding community visit her backyard to get some great looks at a Western
Tanager that has been visiting her suet feeder lately. Also, thanks to Charlie
Delmas for passing the word along. The Western Tanager's normal winter range is
from Mexico south into Costa Rica. While not unheard of to find one here along
the coast in winter, it certainly can make a birders day.
Jerry and Debbie Bird led a field trip on Saturday January 24 to a privately
owned location which opens it's gates to birders on rare occasions. Both
Lincoln and Henslow Sparrows were seen by several competent birders. The
Henslow Sparrow has developed quite a reputation for itself here along the coast
during winter. The bird has always carried with it a mystery. It's choice of
habitat has confounded birders for years. Why does it choose certain locations
and yet does not inhabit others that seem perfectly suited to its preferences?
Any ideas?
That's it for this edition of the Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline.
For information concerning this hotline, please send e-mails to
eaglesi@bellsouth.net
For exact directions to the locations listed above and many others, check out
the recently published: Guide to Birding Coastal Mississippi, by Toups, Bird
and Peterson.
Special thanks to those who continue to contribute to this hotline.
Until next time.
Good birding.
J. Morris