Issue # 30
Current Sponsors: Jerry & Debbie Bird, and Stacy & Laura Peterson
Date: March 14, 1999
Phone: (228) 435-RBA7 (435-7227)
Report (same as above) or email: SJPeterson@aol.com
To immediately report very rare birds, PAGE Stacy at 228-880-5179
enter your phone number, and wait for a quick call right back--if I'm in the
area!
Compiler: Stacy Peterson
Coverage: While the hotline is centered on the Mississippi Coast, we
encourage (and yeah, solicit) reports from the rest of the state
as a service to all callers / readers.
More MS bird info: http://members.aol.com/BirdsInMs/Misslist.html
****************************************
LEGEND:
Birds in CAPS are new sightings mentioned since the last update.
3X5 = those birds whose status in that region (S-statewide; C-coastal; I-
interior) is poorly documented. 3X5 report cards requested. Email
<SJPeterson@aol.com> for more information.
MOS-RS = Mississippi Ornithological Society Review Species -
Please submit your documentation of all Review Species & "3X5" species (as
noted in the text below) to:
Terry Schiefer, MOS BRC Chair
Mississippi State University
PO Box 9775
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9775
email: tschiefer@entomology.msstate.edu
##### Birds Mentioned by Region of Mississippi #####
Lower (six southern counties; town of Wiggins south to the coast)
OLDSQUAW -- 3X5 - S
Swallow-tailed Kite -- 3X5 - S
American Oystercatcher
Solitary Sandpiper
Marbled Godwit -- 3X5 - S
Pectoral Sandpiper
CALIFORNIA GULL -- MOS-RS
Common Tern -- 3X5 - S
Ash-throated Flycatcher -- MOS-RS
NORTHERN PARULA
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH
Hooded Warbler
Dickcissel
White-crowned Sparrow
Middle (Hattiesburg north to Yazoo City)
DICKCISSEL
Northern (rest of state north of Yazoo City)
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Ruff -- MOS-RS
American Golden-Plover
##### Hotline Transcript #####
This is Stacy Peterson with Issue # 30 of the Mississippi Coast bird hotline
for Sunday, March 14. It's 11:45 p.m. To skip the rest of the hotline report
and just leave your message for us, press the pound key (#) at any time.
A quick announcement: PLEASE report your success or failure in finding any
birds mentioned on this tape. Your updates are valuable for others who may
wish to see any particular bird -- IF it's still around! Indeed, your updates
are the very essence from which this hotline gains strength!
Special birds reported on today's update include: CALIFORNIA GULL, OLDSQUAW,
and several migrants along the coast.
***** Pass Christian, Harrison County *****
Sunday, March 14. Nancy Madden reports that an adult CALIFORNIA GULL was seen
by several people, including Judy Toups, in Pass Christian. The bird was in
the water just west of the shrimp harbor. Also in the area was a male
OLDSQUAW. A female OLDSQUAW was also seen today in Long Beach near the
chimney.
***** Hancock & Harrison County migrants *****
The rest of the new reports for today could best be termed "migration
updates." This morning (Sunday) in Hancock County, Jerry & Debbie Bird report
2 NORTHERN PARULAS, a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, and WHITE-EYED VIREO were seen
in Spence's Woods. Recall that Gerry Morgan reported NORTHERN PARULA and
HOODED WARBLER from that area on Monday the 8th. The Birds (as in Jerry &
Debbie) also had a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER in their yard on Sunday. This
afternoon at Hiller Park in Biloxi I had a NORTHERN PARULA, at least 1 and
possibly 2 PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS, a LOUISIANA WATHERTHRUSH and two WHITE-EYED
VIREOS. Birds are definiately beginning to move through! Keep your eyes open
and let us know what you see!
***** Madison *****
To the north of us, Ken Hackman reports his first DICKCISSEL of the year on
Sunday near the airport in Madison. Recall that Janet Peterson had her first
DICKCISSEL of the year in her yard in Bellefontaine on Wednesday, March 10.
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That's it for the new information on today's hotline. If you called the tape
since since Saturday, what you'll hear next was all on there...
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***** Keesler AFB, Harrison County *****
While driving home from the hospital Saturday morning, my wife Laura counted 9
or 10 SWALLOW-TAILED KITES soaring lazily NE over Keesler AFB.
***** Hancock County *****
Also on Saturday, Judy Toups reports that she too had a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE --
this one flying over Cedar Point in Bay St. Louis. At the Lakeshore Ponds she
reports a COMMON TERN, which was also present a week ago, March 6.
***** Gulfport, Harrison County *****
Judy adds that on Saturday an AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER and at least 8 MARBLED
GODWITS were found near Moses' Pier in Gulfport.
***** Jackson County *****
Shorebirds seem to be the items of interest in Jackson County. Janet
Peterson, Nancy Madden and Don McKee all reported on the Coast Audubon Society
field trip Saturday morning to the Chevron Property near Pascagoula. The
group had a SOLITARY SANDPIPER and PECTORAL SANDPIPER among the other
shorebirds. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, AMERICAN AVOCET, and GREEN HERON were just
a few of the other birds reported. Don adds that he had a SOLITARY SANDPIPER
at the Seaman Rd. Sewage Lagoons on Thursday the 11th. Janet adds that the
next day she had PECTORAL SANDPIPERS at the lagoons as well.
Now might be a good time to interject a quick advertisement for the Coast
Audubon's general meeting this Monday, March 15. Scott Hereford of the
Sandhill Crane NWR will give a report of the extensive bird surveys being done
for the past 6 years at that very spot--the Seaman Rd. Sewage Lagoons. Meet
at the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center in Biloxi at 6:30 pm on Monday,
March 15.
Since the Chevron property is off limits to visiting birders, we thought we'd
let you know that an alternate site to search for shorebirds in that area is
the Pascagoula River Marsh. Due to recent rains, the empoundments might be
worth looking over for these shorebirds in the next couple days. If you do
make it over there, be on the lookout for an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER which was
last reported at that location last Tuesday.
***** Crowder, Quitman County *****
Mississippi's 8th record of RUFF was found on March 9 by Fred Broerman in a
muddy rice-stubble field near the town of Crowder in Quitman County. It was
confirmed on the 11th by Jeff Wilson, Gene and Shannon Knight, and Marvin
Davis [DIRECTIONS from Marvin Davis' MISSBIRDS post: "Go into Crowder from the
east, turning south at T intersection, and and continue S (as the MS rte goes
West) as if headed for the NWR/"Crowder Ponds". BUT! Stay with the pavement as
it turns west; THEN turn south (left) on the 1st gravel road, and go to the
2nd E-W gravel rd. In the SE quadrant from that intersection is the rice field
where the bird was seen, mostly at long (scope) range."] Several PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS were also seen in those fields--these are our first reports for the
year. Has anyone seen them previously in 1999?
At the Crowder Ponds themselves, Marvin Davis passed on word that the Knights
saw a couple BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, also our first reports of that species for
the year.
***** A&D Turf Farms, Layfayette, County *****
Speaking of first reports, Marvin Davis reports AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER for a
first-of-the-year from the A&D Turf Farms in Layfayette County on Friday,
March 12.
FINALLY--another reminder to please let us know about the good birds you
happen to be seeing in the area, particularly any birds mentioned currently,
or historically, on this tape.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's it for the 30th update of the Mississippi Coast bird hotline. We
generally update the tape late in the evenings whenever new reports come in,
and we'll keep viable reports on here until they're just about a week old. So
if you have birds to tell us about, including the continued presence of any
birds mentioned on this tape, please do so after the tone, and thank you for
using our hotline.
Until later, HAVE FUN and GOOD BIRDING.
[COMPILER'S NOTE: Birders with email access can send bird reports or comments
directly to me. <SJPeterson@aol.com>. Similarly, if you would like private
copies of this transcript emailed to you directly, please email me and request
so. This includes those who may not wish to receive the bulk of RBA
transcripts from BIRDCNTR.]