Heart of Texas (Central Brazos Valley) RBA
October 5, 2003
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 16:17:00 -0600
Reply-To: Bert Frenz <bert@BAFRENZ.COM>
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From: Bert Frenz <bert@BAFRENZ.COM>
Subject: RBA Heart-of-Texas 10/5/03
Comments: To: TEXBIRDS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
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- RBA
* Texas
* Heart-of-Texas
* October 5, 2003
* TXHE0310.05
- Birds mentioned
Wood Stork
Mute Swan
Osprey
Northern Bobwhite
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Monk Parakeet
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Gray Catbird
American Redstart
Louisiana Waterthrush
Mourning Warbler
Summer Tanager
- Transcript
Number: None
Compiler: Bert Frenz, mailto:bert@bafrenz.com
Coverage: Central Brazos Valley, 14 counties near College Station
Transcriber: Bert Frenz
RBA web site: http://birdingonthe.net/hotmail.html
This is the Heart-of-Texas Rare Bird Alert sponsored by the Rio Brazos
Audubon Society updated as of Sunday, October 5.
The Heart-of-Texas RBA covers 14 counties surrounding College Station
(Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Falls, Freestone, Grimes, Lee, Leon,
Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Waller, Washington). This is
part of the Central Oaks & Prairies region.
First of season sightings: Green-winged Teal (4 Oct), Northern
Pintail (7 Sep), Cooper's Hawk (6 Sep), American Kestrel (20 Sep),
American Coot (4 Oct), Sandhill Crane (27 Aug), Northern Flicker
(4 Oct), Eastern Phoebe (28 Sep), House Wren (20 Sep), Ruby-crowned
Kinglet (15 Sep), Brown Thrasher (19 Sep), Pine Warbler (30 Sep).
Migrating warblers this fall: Nashville (21 Sep to 29 Sep), Yellow
(21 Aug to 21 Sep), Black-throated Green (25 Aug to 18 Sep), Black-
nd-white (summer to 4 Oct), American Redstart (18 Sep), Northern
Waterthrush (31 Aug to 3 Sep), Louisiana Waterthrush (8 Jul to 27
Sep), Mourning (7 Sep to 25 Sep), Common Yellowthroat (14 Sep to
29 Sep), Wilson's (20 Sep to 16 Sep), Yellow-breasted Chat (16 Aug
to 18 Sep).
Last of season sightings: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (31 Aug),
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (4 Oct), Common Nighthawk (1 Oct), Chimney Swift
(29 Sep), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (4 Oct), Eastern Wood-Pewee
(2 Sep), Great Crested Flycatcher (18 Sep), Eastern Kingbird (21 Sep),
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (29 Sep), Purple Martin (24 Sep), Cliff
Swallow (21 Sep), Cave Swallow (27 Sep), Summer Tanager (19 Sep),
Indigo Bunting (4 Oct), Dickcissel (18 Sep), Blue Grosbeak (3 Sep),
Orchard Oriole (2 Sep).
Wood Stork: (7) 28 September (Donnell Parker), north of Giddings,
Lee County [uncommon].
Mute Swan: (2) 28 September (Barry Boyd), private lake just off FM
515 near Navasota, Grimes County [the only other report of Mute Swans
in the RBA area is of some domestic swans at Carter Lake in Brazos;
two graduate students that live on the Navasota ranch say the pair
have been observed on the small lake for several years during the
fall].
Osprey: (1) 20 September (Darrell Vollert, Gary and Kathy Adams
Clark), over Polk's Lake, Clarann Estate, Washington County [second
record for this species at the Clarann Estate; uncommon on larger
lakes, but unusual at small ponds].
Osprey: (2) 20 September (Mike Mathews), near La Grange, Fayette
County [few records for this county].
Northern Bobwhite: (1) 20-23 September (Fred Collins), his farm
on Repka Road, Waller County [uncommon].
Northern Bobwhite: (covey of 10) 20 September (Sharon Kersten),
northeast Milam County [rare].
Semipalmated Sandpiper: (at least 2 in large flock of peeps)
21 September (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert), Turf farms, CR 443
and Hwy 50, Burleson County [rare in Central Brazos Valley].
Baird's Sandpiper: (at least 2 juveniles) 21 September (Ellen
Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert), Turf farms, CR 443 and Hwy 50, Burleson
County [occasional].
Pectoral Sandpiper: (1 juvenile) 21 September (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell
Vollert), Turf farms, CR 443 and Hwy 50, Burleson County [uncommon].
Buff-breasted Sandpiper: (at least 20) 21 September (Ellen Ratoosh,
Darrell Vollert), Turf farms, CR 443 and Hwy 50, Burleson County
[occasional].
Monk Parakeet: (nesting pair) 19 September (Shirley Wilkerson),
Bryan, Brazos County [first report of nesting in Brazos County].
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet: (1) 29 September (James Phelps), feeder
in backyard, Shenandoah Subdivision, College Station, Brazos County
[presumed escapee].
Great Horned Owl: (heard calling in the floodplain) 29 September
(Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos
County [common, but don't call until fall, the first time heard this
season].
Buff-bellied Hummingbird: (1-2) from 30 March 2002 to at least
4 October (Marcia Effinger), Old Chappell Hill Road, Chappell Hill,
Washington County [rare].
Black-chinned Hummingbird: (1 female/immature) 3 October (Jerry
Walls, et al.), Christmas Nature Preserve, near Richards, Montgomery
County [first county record?; this location is just east of the RBA
area and within the RBA area this species is very rare].
Rufous Hummingbird: (1) 20 September (Anthony Floyd), Milam County
[rare].
Rufous Hummingbird: (1 male) 3 October (Jerry Walls, et al.),
Christmas Nature Preserve, near Richards, Montgomery County.
Yellow-throated Vireo: (2) 21 September (Jim Hughes), College
Station, Brazos County [rare in fall].
Northern Rough-winged Swallow: (1+ in large flock of swallows)
21 September (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert), Brazos bottoms
along Hwy 50, Burleson County [occasional].
Bank Swallow: (1+ in large flock of swallows) 21 September (Ellen
Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert), Brazos bottoms along Hwy 50, Burleson
County [occasional].
Gray Catbird: (1) 18 and 29 September (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald
Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [uncommon].
American Redstart: (2) 18 September (Ellen Ratoosh, Mike LeBuffe),
Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].
Louisiana Waterthrush: (1) 27 September (Darrell Vollert), Clarann
Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare, particularly this
late in fall].
Mourning Warbler: (1 first-year male) 25 September (Mike Manson),
TAMU campus, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].
Summer Tanager: (1 female) 19 September (Shirley Wilkerson),
Kurten, Brazos County [rare in September].
The "Checklist and Seasonal Distribution - Birds of the Central Brazos
Valley, Texas" is available. Send $1.00 and a self-addressed stamped
(37 cents) business envelope to Jim Anding, Rio Brazos Audubon Society
5060 Cole Lane, College Station, TX 77845
Descriptions and directions to most birding sites are on the Central
Brazos Valley web site.
- End Transcript
---------------------------------
Bert Frenz
mailto:bert@bafrenz.com
Birds of Central Brazos Valley web site: http://www.bafrenz.com/birds/
Rio Brazos Audubon Society web site: http://www.riobrazosaudubon.com