Rio Grande Valley RBA
March 24, 2008
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:29:05 -0400
Reply-To: live4birds@AOL.COM
Sender: "National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Central)"
<BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
From: Mary Gustafson <live4birds@AOL.COM>
Subject: RBA: Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley - March 24 - Internet-only Update
Comments: To: TEXBIRDS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
To: BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Precedence: list
List-Help: <http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?LIST=BIRDCNTR>,
<mailto:LISTSERV@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU?body=INFO BIRDCNTR>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:BIRDCNTR-unsubscribe-request@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
List-Subscribe: <mailto:BIRDCNTR-subscribe-request@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
List-Owner: <mailto:BIRDCNTR-request@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
List-Archive: <http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?LIST=BIRDCNTR>
X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at email.arizona.edu
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by virtualbirder.com id
m2OETPxW061334
RBA
* Texas
* Lower Rio Grande Valley
* March 24, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
+ (Details requested by TBRC - Mark.Lockwood AT tpwd.state.tx.us)
.
Our rare bird alert includes recent reports of…
.
+Masked Duck
Muscovy Duck
Hook-billed Kite
Common Black-Hawk
Groove-billed Ani
+Dusky-capped Flycatcher
+Fork-tailed Flycatcher
+White-throated Robin
Tropical Parula
Mangrove Warbler
White-collared Seedeater
.
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
.
Thank you for calling the Lower Rio Grande Valley Birding Hotline 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!
.
A White-throated Robin was located at the private residence of Allen Williams in
Pharr on March 18 and continued through the 23rd. This is a TBRC Review
Species. Other recent sightings at this site include Red-crowned Parrots and
Green Parakeets (early morning), Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Clay-colored Robins,
many warblers including Nashville, Yellow-throated, Wilson’s, and a
Black-throated Green. This site is at 750 W. Sam Houston in Pharr, to reach
this site exit US 83 at Jackson Avenue (NOT Jackson STREET) in McAllen and go
east on Jackson Avenue, which becomes West Sam Houston. You will pass a
Lowe’s hardware store, continue 0.5 miles to #750 on the left. The
Skinner-Silva Funeral Home is just beyond the residence. Park by the wooden
fence at the front of the property, and use the fee station and sign in book
under the car port. There is a fee for access to this site. The White-throated
Robin has been seen initially near the mulberry behind the house on the east
side of the property, near the bubbling pond. Recent sightings are from the
area immediately behind the house and in the front yard.
.
A Fork-tailed Flycatcher is at the Southmost Preserve of The Nature Conservancy,
a closed preserve east of Brownsville. Initially found March 16 it remained
through at least March 23. This is a TBRC Review Species. Other birds at this
site by scheduled field trips over the weekend include Black Phoebe, Sora, Least
Bittern, a variety of waterfowl, Groove-billed Ani, Green Kingfisher, and many
other birds. For access information, email live4birdsATaol.com or call
956-432-4528 after 7 and before 10 PM.
.
Migrants this week included both a Chuck-will’s-widow at Allen Williams yard
(home of the White-throated Robin) and a Whip-poor-will near Palmview. An influx
of Hooded Orioles occurred with several at various RGV locations from
Brownsville to Falcon. Raptors are continuing to migrate with numbers of
Turkey Vultures and Swainson’s and Broad-winged Hawk. American
Golden-Plovers and Upland Sandpiper stopped at sod farms near Weslaco during the
week. One sod farm is just west of TX 88 on US 281. White Ibis have been
migrating north in the thousands near the coast, and a few Acadian Flycatchers
appeared.
.
Masked Ducks continue on the King Ranch to the north of our area through March
22. Access to the ranch is by prior arrangement, call 361-592-8055 for
information. These birds have been seen on the half-day tour of the Santa
Gertrudis division. They are moving around more lately and have reportedly
been harder to find recently. This is a TBRC Review Bird.
.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are nesting at the San Miguelito Ranch about 10 miles
north of Raymondville. These birds are reportedly very visible near their nest
site at the ranch. For access, make prior arrangements with the owner,
Leticia Tijerina, at 956-369-3118 or buny55ATaol.com. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls
are also present on the King Ranch and El Canelo.
.
Aplomado Falcons are often found on Old Port Isabel Road, Route 100 near Laguna
Vista and on the road to Boca Chica, and also near Buena Vista Road and FM
106. Botteri’s Sparrow are on territory in the coastal prairie in areas
dominated by bunch grasses on Old Port Isabel Road and Rt 4. Mangrove Warblers
continue and are setting up territories. This well-marked subspecies or
unrecognized species is present year-round. For more information on seeing the
Mangrove (Yellow) Warblers contact the South Padre Island Nature Center at
(956) 299-0629.
.
At Sabal Palm Grove east of Brownsville, Dusky-capped Flycatchers wintered near
the boardwalk with the last report from March 8. This is a TBRC Review
Species. A few Groove-billed Ani winter over at this site and are reported
irregularly. This site is good for Tropical Kingbirds. A MacGillivray’s
Warbler continued through Saturday March 22 near the new blind. A Least
Flycatcher has wintered at this site and continues to be reported.
.
A Summer Tanager is wintering at Valley Nature Center in Weslaco, and a
Clay-colored Robin recently appeared. Martin Hagne reports that Buff-bellied
Hummingbird is now easy to see at the feeders. Frontera Audubon Sanctuary in
Weslaco continues to host a single Groove-billed Ani between the parking lot and
the visitor center. A Louisiana Waterthrush and a Barn Owl appeared over the
weekend. Gray Hawk and Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet were seen on Sunday,
after occasional reports all winter.
.
At Estero Llano Grande State Park, Green Kingfishers are on Alligator Lake, and
Groove-billed Anis are often seen near Alligator Lake or the floodway. Check the
eBird kiosk for more information. Shorebirds and herons are present in
numbers as well. Clay-colored Sparrows have been near the gazebo.
.
A distant Hook-billed Kite was studied from the Tower at Santa Ana NWR on March
21, and a Mississippi Kite was seen as well. Birds present near the Tower
include Clay-colored Robin and Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet.
.
Clay-colored Robins have been easy to see at the suet feeders at Quinta Mazatlan
WBC in McAllen, with at least 7 present March 9.
.
At Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Pauraque are present and often found at
dawn or dusk on the park roads. Elf Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Barn Owl,
Eastern Screech-Owl and Great Horned Owl are all present in the park, with Elf
Owl calling near the entrance gate several evenings. Northern
Beardless-Tyrannulet are at Paixtle Circle, the resaca area, and the Hawk
Tower. Hook-billed Kites continue to be reported from the Hawk Tower several
days last week, a Chihuahuan Raven was a big surprise for the location on March
13. The Hawk Watch is conducted every morning in March (weather permitting).
There is water in the resaca under the Hawk Tower and it continues to have a
lot of birds.
.
Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets can be seen or heard in many valley
cities, especially early and late in the day. In McAllen, Green Parakeets
stage on 10th Street between Violet and Dove. Recently Red-crowned Parrots
have been in Weslaco near Valley Nature Center, at Texas and 5th, and 11th and
Indiana. In Harlingen, try Pendleton Park at the intersection of Grimes and
Morgan. Fort Brown in Brownsville has both species, and they have been on Cowan
Terrace recently as well north of Rt. 4 near the airport. Allen Williams yard
in Pharr has both species in the early morning.
.
Green-tailed Towhees continue at the feeders at Falcon State Park early in the
morning. Clay-colored, White-crowned, and Black-throated Sparrow are present at
the feeders near the rec center. Red-billed Pigeons have been seen in Falcon
Heights near Falcon State Park last week, and also at Falcon State Park.
.
Nearby at Falcon County Park, Red-billed Pigeons have been found perched in the
park during the day. This site is also good for Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and
still has Lark Buntings.
.
At Salineno the last day for the feeding station will be March 26! Both
Hook-billed Kite and Common Black-Hawk have been reported off and on all winter
but we’ve had no reports for more than two weeks. Zone-tailed Hawk is often
seen over the river in the morning and evening. Watch for Red-billed Pigeons in
flight or perched high on the islands early or late in the day. Muscovy Ducks
are seen most often in the late afternoon or early morning, and numbers up to 20
birds last week, with smaller numbers reported recently. Your odds can be
improved by walking downstream to look near the river island to the east. The
feeding station is a good place to see Hooded and Audubon’s Orioles.
.
Upriver and out of our area, White-collared Seedeaters can be found with
patience at the San Ygnacio Seedeater Park at the foot of Washington Street and
at the Zapata County Park in Zapata off 9th Street.
.
There are no recent reports from Chapeno. There is a public boat ramp at
Chapeno, but access to the river below the feeding station at Chapeno is by
prior arrangement only, contact the owner at 956-237-2033 or fax him after hours
at 956-765-6089. Brown Jay is a TBRC Review Species.
.
The Wikibird guide is back up, check out
http://wikibird.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_Valley_birding_guide . Thanks to Tim
Whitehouse for this great service!
.
Please report sightings to rgvbirds AT hotmail.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