Waco (Central Texas Audubon) RBA
May 28, 2000
Date: Sun, 28 May 2000 18:53:09 -0500
Reply-To: "E.G. White-Swift" <birder@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: "National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Central)"
<BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
From: "E.G. White-Swift" <birder@EARTHLINK.NET>
Organization: Outback Communications
Subject: RBA - Waco, TX - May 28, 2000
Comments: To: Texbirds posting <texbirds@list.audubon.org>
To: BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
RBA 5/28/00
- RBA
* Texas
* Waco
* May 28, 2000
* TXWA0005.28
- Birds mentioned
Anhinga
Glossy Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Bald Eagle
Crested Caracara
Black-necked Stilt
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Black Tern
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Canyon Wren
White-breasted Nuthatch
Summer Tanager
- Transcript
Hotline Number: (254) 299-8170
Special note: On or about the first week of June, the number for the
CTAS birding hotline will change from 299-8170 to 299-8175 due to an
office assignment change for hotline keeper Tom Justice at McLennan
Community College.
Compiler: E.G. White-Swift birder@earthlink.net
Coverage: Waco Area
Transcriber: E.G. White-Swift mailto:birder@earthlink.net
www: http://www.dallas.net/~birding/ctas.htm
This is the Sunday, May 28, update of Waco area birding reports
sponsored by the Central Texas Audubon Society.
This week the most activity has been at the Waco Metropolitan Area
Regional Sewerage System ponds located along the Brazos River off FM434
1/2 mile east of Loop 340. On Thursday afternoon 5/25 an adult GLOSSY
IBIS was carefully identified and photographed on Pond 3 along with
three mixed age WHITE-FACED IBIS. This is the first Glossy Ibis
photographed and observed by so many high-powered scopes in McLennan
County. Documentation from multiple observers will be reviewed by the
Central Texas Audubon Society checklist committee. If accepted, it will
be the first record of Glossy Ibis accepted for McLennan County. The
ibis flock were found again on Friday and again today (Sunday, 5/28).
On Saturday, 5/26, a very late BLACK TERN was found on Pond 1. It was
not refound on Sunday. On Sunday, 5/27, a late BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
was found near the willow island in Pond 1, an ANHINGA was observed
flying over the ponds and an adult BALD EAGLE was observed from Pond 1
sitting in a snag along the Brazos River. Anhinga, which historically
nested in small numbers here, are now found periodically in McLennan
County but this is the second consecutive year they have been found
during the summer so they are likely nesting somewhere in the county.
Summer sightings of adult Bald Eagles are rare in McLennan County but
for nearly 10 years eagles have been nesting about 40 miles east of Waco
below Lake Limestone in Roberston County. It is possible that
previously fledged eagles from this nest site have set up territories
along the Brazos or this could be a post-breeding adult foraging along
the Brazos.
Also at the sewer ponds this week:
There are at least 6 BLACK-NECKED STILTS feeding in either Pond 1 or
Pond 3 with a least one nest in Pond 3 (apparently a second nesting
attempt this season as the first nest attempt resulted in the eggs being
lost, most likely to a predator). Spring shorebird migration is in
coming to a close at the ponds. Species found this week include:
Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpipers,
Least Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers and Spotted Sandpipers. Some very
late duck species still at the ponds include a Ring-necked Duck, a
female Northern Pintail, Northern Shovelers and Green-winged Teal plus
on most visits you are likely to encounter between five and ten
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.
There were some good birds elsewhere in the county this weekend. In
McGregor in western McLennan County today there were at least two and
possibly more EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES at the grain co-op by the Amtrak
rail lines on the east side of downtown. While these doves are not
currently on the county checklist, this is about the sixth report of
these doves in the county over the last three years and the second
consecutive summer they have been reported from the grain co-op in
McGregor. Also heard in the same area was a CANYON WREN which was a few
miles south of the areas where they are normally reported. These wrens
are typically found along the steep banks of the Middle Bosque River and
Hog Creek in northwestern McLennan County.
Another vagrant species for McLennan County is the WHITE-BREASTED
NUTHATCH which was found in the pecan groves below the Lake Waco dam on
Saturday 5/27. After years of no reports of this species in the county
this is the third report in two years, all within a half-mile of either
the Bosque or Brazos river bottoms. Also at the pecan groves on
Saturday were SUMMER TANAGERS, Eastern Wood Peewees and two Barred Owls.
CRESTED CARACARA are uncommon in McLennan County but there were three
reports this week. On Wednesday, they were observed on the Heaton Ranch
on Cattle Drive near Crawford in Western McLennan County. On Saturday
there was one on Delmar Ranch Road and another on Wolf Lane in
northwestern McLennan County.
And finally, an uncommon Wilson's Warbler was found on Wednesday 5/24
near Hallsburg in eastern McLennan County.
If you have information to add to this report, please leave a message
after the tone. Thanks for calling.
- End Transcript
E.G. White-Swift.........birder@earthlink.net……(254) 420-1543
Central Texas Audubon Society
Waco, Texas