Multiple Purple Gallinules are at the South Padre Island boardwalks.

RBA - May 31, 2012

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RBA

.

* Texas

* Lower Rio Grande Valley

* May 31, 2012

.

To report rare birds, e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred)or call (956) 584-2731 option 3.

.

Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species for Texas. Please send sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Review Committee, ecarpeATgmail.com.

.

NEW STATE PARK TRAM AND STORE OPERATING DAYS STARTING JUNE 1 –Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and Resaca de la Palma State Park will be without tram service on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday starting June 1. Gift shops and offices are also closed these days. Estero Llano Grande State Park will have the offices and gift shop closed Monday only. The parks are open for visitation every day.  Please use the self-pay stations on days the park offices are closed.  Park pass holders can register their use of the parks and support their local parks by checking in at the self-pay stations or ‘iron rangers’.

.

PELAGIC BIRDING OPPORTUNITY – Eric Carpenter is organizing three pelagic trips out of South Padre Island this summer.  The dates are June 30, July 28, and August 25.  Contact Eric for registration information at ecarpe@gmail.com.

.

Our rare bird alert this week includes:

.

Purple Gallinule

+ROSE-THROATED BECARD

Tropical Parula

Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler

.

This is a general reminder that playing recordings is not allowed in Texas State Parks and many LRGV birding sites. All State Park and National Wildlife Refuge visitors must stay on trails. Thank you for not disturbing the wildlife or damaging the vegetation.

.

The Valley from east to west.

.

Mangrove Warbler, a well-marked subspecies of Yellow Warbler that may be distinct enough to warrant full species status, can be seen by contacting the Sealife Center at (956) 299-1957.

.

An Audubon’s Oriole was a single person heard-only bird at the levee just north of Sabal Palm Sanctuary east of Brownsville.

.

A Hudsonian Godwit was a good find at Delta Lake on 5/31. Wilson’s and Snowy Plover are nesting and Least Tern are present near Hargill. 

.

At Estero Llano Grande State Park a female +ROSE-THROATED BECARD initially found on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival on 11/9 is nest building in the Tropical Zone! She is evidently still not paired so no fertile eggs are expected unless a male turns up quickly. Huck Hutchens, a volunteer park host, found the Becard nest building on 5/8 and she remains in the area and readily visible through at least 5/30. The nest is high in a palm tree, ask at the park HQ for directions. The Rose-throated Becard continues to be seen daily in the area of the nest.   

.

Still at Estero, a stunning adult Purple Gallinule continues off the deck.  No additional reports of the other Purple Gallinules reported at Santa Ana and South Padre last week.  A Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet continues in the Tropical Zone (this species is often easier to see at Santa Ana NWR, Anzalduas County Park, or Bentsen State Park).

.

A Tropical Parula continues at Santa Ana NWR near the Cattail Lakes through May 27.

.

A leucistic Black-chinned Hummingbird is at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands.  This bird was initially identified as a Buff-bellied Hummingbird, likely due to the strong chestnut tones in areas with melanin.  Photographs show white tail tips and a broad or paddle-shaped outer primary, making it a Black-chinned.  Hummer expert Bob Sargent observed it’s an immature just out of the nest, as the white feathers are pristine and not worn.  Leucism is reduced pigmentation in the feathers.    

.

Red-crowned Parrots are sometimes seen in the areas of Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, Valley Nature Center in Weslaco in the evening, and Estero Llano Grande State Park in the mornings. Red-crowned Parrots are also reported from Calvary Baptist Church in Harlingen (1815 N 7^th Street) and at Rio Hondo/ 7th Street in Harlingen in the evenings(exit Expressway 77 on Ed Carey, heading north on Ed Carey about 3.5 miles to Rio Hondo Road just before the Airport, turn right onto Rio Hondo going to 7th Street), and also at Oliveira Park (Los Ebanos Road/El Paso Road across from Pace High School) in Brownsville, mingling at dusk with Yellow-headed and Red-lored Parrots (both species are escapes). Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets are seen in urban areas irregularly all over the Valley.

.

Green Parakeets can be seen staging in McAllen near 10th and Dove in the evening, sometimes winging a few blocks over to Nolana/McColl – a report last month had 200 at the latter site. A couple of Mitred Parakeets (escapes) were present this winter.

.

In Hidalgo at 5^th and Gardenia near the Hidalgo Pumphouse World Birding Center, a few Monk Parakeets have taken up residence building a nest on a telephone pole.

.

WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER INFORMATION - Most sites for White-collared Seedeaters are in Zapata and Webb counties. Information is provided as a service to visiting birders. Sites to check include the San Ygnacio County Park/Seedeater Sanctuary at the foot of Washington Street in San Ygnacio, the Raptor Trail at the west end of San Ygnacio, the library pond in Zapata, Laredo's Las Palmas Trail, North Central Park, or Father McNaboe Park. Seedeaters are widely distributed this spring with birds at all locations. Access to La Laja Ranch, also a Seedeater site, is by advance reservations only. E-mail the owner at Edward.herbst@att.net. This is a fee site.

.

FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION – Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are present at El Canelo, San Miguelito Ranch and King Ranch (Norias Division only). San Miguelito is closed until March 1.  King Ranch Norias bird trips are completed for the spering.  This owl is very difficult to find at any other location at present. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have not been seen or heard at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park since the summer of 2010, when the park was inundated by the Rio Grande.

.

Directions are provided only for sites not included in the ABA Birders' Guide to the Rio Grande Valley or the Birders' Guide to the Texas Coast. These guides are indispensable for visiting birders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Site Closures:

Allen Williams Wildscape, Pharr, open by appointment ONLY; Call or text 956-460-9864.

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, building closed Sunday (grounds open).

Bentsen-RGV State Park, office and store closed/no trams on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, grounds open (self-pay station).

Estero Llano Grande State Park, building closed Mondays, grounds open (self-pay station).

Frontera Audubon Thicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and all day Mondays except by appt.

Los Ebanos Preserve, San Benito, Appointment ONLY; 956-241-2494.

Methodist Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee) only. Contact Estero Llano Grande State Park – days change in July

Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays.

Resaca de la Palma State Park, office and store closed/no trams Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, grounds open (self-pay station).

San Miguelito Ranch - Lety at 956-365-3118 or Buny55@aol.com. Closed until March 2013.

Santa Ana NWR- closed to bicycles

Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, closed Sunday morning and Mondays.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.

RBA

.

* Texas

* Lower Rio Grande Valley

* May 24, 2012

.

To report rare birds, e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred)or call (956) 584-2731 option 3.

.

Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species for Texas. Please send sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Review Committee, ecarpeATgmail.com.

.

NEW STATE PARK TRAM AND STORE OPERATING DAYS STARTING JUNE 1–Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and Resaca de la Palma State Park will be without tram service on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday starting June 1. Gift shops and offices are also closed these days. Estero Llano Grande State Park will have the offices and gift shop closed Monday only. The parks are open for visitation every day. Please use the self-pay stations on days the park offices are closed. Park pass holders can register their use of the parks and support their local parks by checking in at the self-pay stations or ‘iron rangers’.

.

PELAGIC BIRDING OPPORTUNITY – Eric Carpenter is organizing three pelagic trips out of South Padre Island this summer. The dates are June 30, July 28, and August 25. Contact Eric for registration information at ecarpe@gmail.com.

.

Our rare bird alert this week includes:

.

Purple Gallinule

+ROSE-THROATED BECARD

Yellow-green Vireo

Tropical Parula

Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler

Spotted Towhee

.

This is a general reminder that playing recordings is not allowed in Texas State Parks and many LRGV birding sites. All State Park and National Wildlife Refuge visitors must stay on trails. Thank you for not disturbing the wildlife or damaging the vegetation.

.

The Valley from east to west.

.

A Purple Gallinule was reported from South Padre Island during the week.

.

Mangrove Warbler, a well-marked subspecies of Yellow Warbler that may be distinct enough to warrant full species status, can be seen by contacting the Sealife Center at (956) 299-1957.

.

A Yellow-green Vireo was found last week in a closed area in Cameron County as part of routine bird monitoring projects. This late-arriving species should be looked for in mature woodlands in eastern Cameron County.

.

At Estero Llano Grande State Park a female +ROSE-THROATED BECARD initially found on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival on 11/9 is nest building in the Tropical Zone! She is evidently still not paired so no fertile eggs are expected unless a male turns up quickly. Huck Hutchens, a volunteer park host, found the Becard nest building on 5/8 and she remains in the area and readily visible through at least 5/22. The nest is high in a palm tree, ask at the park HQ for directions. The Rose-throated Becard continues to be seen daily in the area of the nest.

.

Still at Estero, a stunning adult Purple Gallinule continues off the deck. A Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet continues in the Tropical Zone (this species is often easier to see at Santa Ana NWR, Anzalduas County Park, or Bentsen State Park). A Bay-breasted Warbler was a great find at Estero on 5/9, as was a female Black-headed Grosbeak.

.

A Tropical Parula continues at Santa Ana NWR near the Cattail Lakes through May 22. A Purple Gallinule is also present.

.

A leucistic Black-chinned Hummingbird is at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. This bird was initially identified as a Buff-bellied Hummingbird, likely due to the strong chestnut tones in areas with pigmentation. Photographs show white tail tips and a broad or paddle-shaped outer primary, making it a Black-chinned. Hummer expert Bob Sargent observed it’s an immature just out of the nest, as the white feathers are not worn. Leucism is a condition of reduced pigmentation.

.

Red-crowned Parrots are sometimes seen in the areas of Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, Valley Nature Center in Weslaco in the evening, and Estero Llano Grande State Park in the mornings. Red-crowned Parrots are also reported from Calvary Baptist Church in Harlingen (1815 N 7^th Street) and at Rio Hondo/ 7th Street in Harlingen in the evenings(exit Expressway 77 on Ed Carey, heading north on Ed Carey about 3.5 miles to Rio Hondo Road just before the Airport, turn right onto Rio Hondo going to 7th Street), and also at Oliveira Park (Los Ebanos Road/El Paso Road across from Pace High School) in Brownsville, mingling at dusk with Yellow-headed and Red-lored Parrots (both species are escapes). Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets are seen in urban areas irregularly all over the Valley.

.

Green Parakeets can be seen staging in McAllen near 10th and Dove in the evening, sometimes winging a few blocks over to Nolana/McColl – a report last month had 200 at the latter site. A couple of Mitred Parakeets (escapes) were present this winter.

.

In Hidalgo at 5^th and Gardenia near the Hidalgo Pumphouse World Birding Center, a few Monk Parakeets have taken up residence building a nest on a telephone pole.

.

WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER INFORMATION - Most sites for White-collared Seedeaters are in Zapata and Webb counties. Information is provided as a service to visiting birders. Sites to check include the San Ygnacio County Park/Seedeater Sanctuary at the foot of Washington Street in San Ygnacio, the Raptor Trail at the west end of San Ygnacio, the library pond in Zapata, Laredo's Las Palmas Trail, North Central Park, or Father McNaboe Park. Seedeaters are widely distributed this spring with birds at all locations. Access to La Laja Ranch, also a Seedeater site, is by advance reservations only. E-mail the owner at Edward.herbst@att.net. This is a fee site.

.

FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION – Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are present at El Canelo, San Miguelito Ranch and King Ranch (Norias Division only). San Miguelito is closed until March 1. King Ranch Norias bird trips are completed for the spering. This owl is very difficult to find at any other location at present. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have not been seen or heard at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park since the summer of 2010, when the park was inundated by the Rio Grande.

.

Directions are provided only for sites not included in the ABA Birders' Guide to the Rio Grande Valley or the Birders' Guide to the Texas Coast. These guides are indispensable for visiting birders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Site Closures:

Allen Williams Wildscape, Pharr, open by appointment ONLY; Call or text 956-460-9864.

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, building closed Sunday (grounds open).

Bentsen-RGV State Park, office and store closed/no trams on Mondays, grounds open (self-pay station). **** SEE CHANGE IN DAYS WITH TRAM SERVICE STARTING JUNE 1 ABOVE****

Estero Llano Grande State Park, building closed Mondays, grounds open (self-pay station).

Frontera Audubon Thicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and all day Mondays except by appt.

Los Ebanos Preserve, San Benito, Appointment ONLY; 956-241-2494.

Methodist Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee) only. Contact Estero Llano Grande State Park – days change in July

Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays.

Resaca de la Palma State Park, office and store closed/no trams Mon/Tue, grounds open (self-pay station). **** SEE CHANGE IN DAYS WITH TRAM SERVICE STARTING JUNE 1 ABOVE****

San Miguelito Ranch - Lety at 956-365-3118 or Buny55@aol.com.

Santa Ana NWR- closed to bicycles

Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, closed Sunday morning and Mondays.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RBA - May 17, 2012

.

RBA

.

* Texas

* Lower Rio Grande Valley

* May 17, 2012

.

To report rare birds, e-mail rgvbirds AT hotmail.com (preferred)or call (956) 584-2731 option 3.

.

Capitalized birds marked with a + are Review Species for Texas. Please send sightings/photographs to the Texas Bird Review Committee, ecarpeATgmail.com.

.

NEW STATE PARK TRAM AND STORE OPERATING DAYS STARTING JUNE 1 –Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and Resaca de la Palma State Park will be without tram service on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday starting June 1. Gift shops and offices are also closed these days. Estero Llano Grande State Park will have the offices and gift shop closed Monday only. The parks are open for visitation, please use the self-pay stations on days the park offices are closed.  Park pass holders can register their use of the parks and support their local parks by checking in at the self-pay stations or ‘iron rangers’.

.

PELAGIC BIRDING OPPORTUNITY – Eric Carpenter is organizing three pelagic trips out of South Padre Island this summer.  The dates are June 30, July 28, and August 25.  Contact Eric for registration information at ecarpe@gmail.com.

.

Our rare bird alert this week includes:

.

Purple Gallinule

+ROSE-THROATED BECARD

Tropical Parula

Mangrove [Yellow] Warbler

Spotted Towhee

.

This is a general reminder that playing recordings is not allowed in Texas State Parks and many LRGV birding sites. All State Park and National Wildlife Refuge visitors must stay on trails. Thank you for not disturbing the wildlife or damaging the vegetation.

.

The Valley from east to west.

.

A Black-billed Cuckoo was a nice find on SPI at the convention center during the week.  Warblers continue, as do all 5 eastern Empidonax. 

.

Mangrove Warbler, a well-marked subspecies of Yellow Warbler that may be distinct enough to warrant full species status, can be seen by contacting the Sealife Center at (956) 299-1957.

.

At Estero Llano Grande State Park a female +ROSE-THROATED BECARD initially found on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival on 11/9 is now nest building in the Tropical Zone! She is evidently still not paired so no fertile eggs are expected unless a male turns up quickly. Huck Hutchens, a volunteer park host, found the Becard nest building on 5/8 and she remains in the area and readily visible through at least 5/16. The nest is high in a palm tree, ask at the park HQ for directions. The Rose-throated Becard continues to be seen daily in the area of the nest.   

.

Still at Estero, a stunning adult Purple Gallinule continues off the deck.  A Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet continues in the Tropical Zone (this species is often easier to see at Santa Ana NWR, Anzalduas County Park, or Bentsen State Park). A Bay-breasted Warbler was a great find at Estero on 5/9, as was a female Black-headed Grosbeak.

.

A Tropical Parula continues at Santa Ana NWR near the Cattail Lakes through May 14. 

.

A Hudsonian Godwit and two Mallards that were apparently wild were nice finds south of Hargill on 5/17.

.

Red-crowned Parrots are sometimes seen in the areas of Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, Valley Nature Center in Weslaco in the evening, and Estero Llano Grande State Park in the mornings. Red-crowned Parrots are also reported from Calvary Baptist Church in Harlingen (1815 N 7^th Street) and at Rio Hondo/ 7th Street in Harlingen in the evenings(exit Expressway 77 on Ed Carey, heading north on Ed Carey about 3.5 miles to Rio Hondo Road just before the Airport, turn right onto Rio Hondo going to 7th Street), and also at Oliveira Park (Los Ebanos Road/El Paso Road across from Pace High School) in Brownsville, mingling at dusk with Yellow-headed and Red-lored Parrots (both species are escapes). Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets are seen in urban areas irregularly all over the Valley.

.

Green Parakeets can be seen staging in McAllen near 10th and Dove in the evening, sometimes winging a few blocks over to Nolana/McColl – a report last month had 200 at the latter site. A couple of Mitred Parakeets (escapes) were present this winter.

.

In Hidalgo at 5^th and Gardenia near the Hidalgo Pumphouse World Birding Center, a few Monk Parakeets have taken up residence building a nest on a telephone pole.

.

WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER INFORMATION - Most sites for White-collared Seedeaters are in Zapata and Webb counties. Information is provided as a service to visiting birders. Sites to check include the San Ygnacio County Park/Seedeater Sanctuary at the foot of Washington Street in San Ygnacio, the Raptor Trail at the west end of San Ygnacio, the library pond in Zapata, Laredo's Las Palmas Trail, North Central Park, or Father McNaboe Park. Seedeaters are widely distributed this spring with birds at all locations. Access to La Laja Ranch, also a Seedeater site, is by advance reservations only. E-mail the owner at Edward.herbst@att.net. This is a fee site.

.

FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL INFORMATION – Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are present at El Canelo, San Miguelito Ranch and King Ranch (Norias Division only). San Miguelito is closed until March 1.  King Ranch Norias bird trips are completed for the spering.  This owl is very difficult to find at any other location at present. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have not been seen or heard at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park since the summer of 2010, when the park was inundated by the Rio Grande.

.

Directions are provided only for sites not included in the ABA Birders' Guide to the Rio Grande Valley or the Birders' Guide to the Texas Coast. These guides are indispensable for visiting birders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Site Closures:

Allen Williams Wildscape, Pharr, open by appointment ONLY; Call or text 956-460-9864.

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center, building closed Sunday (grounds open).

Bentsen-RGV State Park, office and store closed/no trams on Mondays, grounds open (self-pay station). **** SEE CHANGE IN DAYS WITH TRAM SERVICE STARTING JUNE 1 ABOVE****

Estero Llano Grande State Park, building closed Mondays, grounds open (self-pay station).

Frontera Audubon Thicket, Weslaco, closed Sunday mornings and all day Mondays except by appt.

Los Ebanos Preserve, San Benito, Appointment ONLY; 956-241-2494.

Methodist Camp Thicket, Weslaco, group reservations (fee) only. Contact Estero Llano Grande State Park – days change in July

Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, closed Sundays and Mondays.

Resaca de la Palma State Park, office and store closed/no trams Mon/Tue, grounds open (self-pay station). **** SEE CHANGE IN DAYS WITH TRAM SERVICE STARTING JUNE 1 ABOVE****

San Miguelito Ranch - Lety at 956-365-3118 or Buny55@aol.com.

Santa Ana NWR- closed to bicycles

Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, closed Sunday morning and Mondays.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~