Rio Grande Valley RBA
April 30, 2008
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:41:11 -0500
Reply-To: Jennifer Owen <Jennifer.Owen@TPWD.STATE.TX.US>
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From: Jennifer Owen <Jennifer.Owen@TPWD.STATE.TX.US>
Subject: Rio Grande Valley Rare bird Alert
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m3ULfR1L015171
RBA
* Texas
* Lower Rio Grande Valley
* May 1, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
+ (Details requested by TBRC - Mark.Lockwood AT tpwd.state.tx.us
<mailto:Mark.Lockwood@tpwd.state.tx.us> )
.
Our rare bird alert includes recent reports of...
.
+Masked Duck
Muscovy Duck
Hook-billed Kite
Lucifer Hummingbird
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!
.
Dickcissels are back in numbers and setting up territories throughout
the RGV. Fallouts continue with good cold fronts on April 28. Raptor
migration continues with Swainson's Hawk and Mississippi Kites
increasing while Broad-winged Hawks are tapering off.
.
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. There is a fee to access this site.
Prior arrangements are required, contact Leticia Tijerina, at
956-369-3118 or buny55ATaol.com <mailto:buny55@aol.com> . Ferruginous
Pygmy-Owls are also present on the King Ranch and El Canelo (both fee
sites).
.
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 use similar coastal habitats with
bunch grasses.
.
Mangrove Warblers are a well-marked subspecies or unrecognized species.
For more information on seeing the Mangrove (Yellow) Warblers contact
the South Padre Island Nature Center at (956) 299-0629.
.
South Padre Island had a good warbler fall out on April 28 with
Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, and Cape May Warblers as well as a Bobolink
on April 26. Other sites shared this fallout across the RGV including
Laguna Atascosa, Frontera Audubon Sanctuary, and others. A Surf Scoter
and a Magnificent Frigatebird were reported April 23.
.
At Estero Llano Grande State Park, Fulvous Whistling-Ducks and Roseate
Spoonbills can be seen from the deck over Ibis Pond. Red-crowned Parrots
are seen occasionally early and late in the day over all Weslaco sites.
Valley Nature Center and Frontera Audubon Sanctuary are always good for
migrants. Groove-billed Ani were seen at Frontera over the weekend,
recent reports included a Green-tailed Towhee April 26 and a very late
Winter Wren on April 19, and a variety of warblers including Blue and
Golden-winged Warbler, and Cerulean Warbler.
.
The Audubon's Oriole continued at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC on
April 9. Look for this bird to the right of the center in an area of
taller trees.
At Santa Ana NWR, a Hook-billed Kite was seen from the Tree Tower on
April 12.
.
At Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, the best bird of late is an
immature male Lucifer Hummingbird well photographed on April 27.
Unusual birds on the Big Sit the same day included American and Least
Bittern, Bullock's Oriole, and a large flight of Mississippi Kites.
Since the weekend a heard-only Red-billed Pigeon was reported in the
Kiskadee Blind area. Pauraque are common in the park and five species
of owls can be heard. Please remember, the use of tapes is not allowed
in most RGV birding sites including Bentsen.
.
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. Frontera Audubon Sanctuary and Valley Nature
Center in Weslaco are good places for both species.
.
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.
.
At Salineno watch for Red-billed Pigeons and Muscovy Duck early or late
in the day. Your odds can be improved by walking downstream to look for
them near the river island. A pair of Hook-billed Kites have been
reported crossing the river between 9 and 11 AM on several days, most a
single on April 25. This is a good place for Audubon's Oriole as well.
.
Upriver and out of our area, White-collared Seedeaters can be found at
the San Ygnacio Seedeater Park at the foot of Washington Street and at
the Zapata County Park in Zapata off 9th Street.
.
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.
.
Jennifer Owen-White
Natural Resource Specialist
Estero Llano Grande State Park
World Birding Center
154A Lakeview Dr.
Weslaco, Texas 78596
956-565-3919 ext. 258