Mississippi Statewide RBA
February 2, 2004
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 19:56:25 -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
To: BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Precedence: list
X-Virus-Scanned: by amavisd-new at listserv.arizona.edu
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by virtualbirder.com id
i131uxvF070707
Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline
February 2, 2004
Area coverage: The Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline covers the six
southern counties of Mississippi, which include: Jackson, George, Harrison,
Stone, Hancock and Pearl River county.
Compiler: J. Morris
Transcriber: J. Morris eaglesi@bellsouth.net
Species mentioned:
Long-tailed Duck
ROSS'S GOOSE
Purple Gallinule
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD
Wilson's Warbler
Transcript:
On January 31, Barbara Bowen reported a single Wilson's Warbler feeding with a
large flock of American Goldfinches in her backyard in Waveland. The Wilson's
Warbler is considered a rare winter resident here along the Gulf Coast.
On February 1, an Audubon field trip to the Jackson County Treatment Facility
yielded a rare opportunity for some birders to get a look at a Ross's Goose.
Long time birders Lucy and Bob Duncan spotted the goose in a flock of 12 Snow
Geese. They also spotted a Purple Gallinule, very rarely reported during the
winter months here along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Way to go Lucy and Bob!
From the Pippin home near Bayou View, in Gulfport, comes a report of an Allen's
Hummingbird! There are less than ten recorded sightings of this hummer here
along the coast. The bird has been banded and the Pippin's are willing for
birders to come by and get a look at this very rare visitor. For more info you
may call them at 228-864-3038 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
On February 2, coast birder Don Mckee reported a Long-tailed Duck, several
Marbled Godwits and a Long-billed Curlew near the Beach Park Pier in Pascagoula.
Don is working on breaking the "Big Year" record for the state of Mississippi.
The Long-tailed Duck made #190 for the year thus far. Go get em Don!
For directions to the birding locations mentioned here and many others, please
consult the recent publication of Birding Coastal Mississippi and Adjacent
Counties by Toups, Bird and Peterson. For more info you may contact the
principal author at msbushwhacker@cableone.net. All proceeds from the sale of
this book go to the Mississippi Coast Audubon Society.
There will also be a book signing Friday, February 6, 2004 at 2608 13th St.
Downtown Gulfport. Featured artist Alison Henry will be on hand displaying some
of her beautiful bird art. Her depiction of a Swainson's Warbler adorns the
cover of Birding Coastal Mississippi and Adjacent Counties.
That's it for this edition of the Mississippi Coast Birding News and Hotline.
Special Note: Thanks to all those who contribute to this hotline. Special
thanks go to Bill Butler, Judy Toups and Don Mckee for their continued support
of this hotline. Also, special thanks to the Pippin family for welcoming
birders onto their property. For many coast birders, this is a first look at an
immature Allen's Hummingbird.
Until next time,
Good birding.
J. Morris
eaglesi@bellsouth.net