* Texas
* Statewide
* March 11, 1999
* TXST9903.11
- Birds mentioned
Red-throated Loon* Texas Review Species
Pacific Loon
Muscovy Duck
Oldsquaw
Bald Eagle
American Golden Plover
Pectoral Sandpiper
Black-tailed Gull* Texas Review Species
California Gull* Texas Review Species
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Kelp Gull* Texas Review Species
Gull-billed Tern
Common Tern
Red-billed Pigeon
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Brown Jay
Clay-colored Robin
Tropical Parula
Hermit Warbler
Golden-cheeked Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Bunting* Texas Review Species
Lazuli Bunting
Dickcissel
- Transcript
Number: (713) 369-9673
Sighting Reports: (281) 992-2757
WWW: http://texasbirding.simplenet.com/rba.htm
Compiler: John O'Brien,
mailto:johnobrien@eye.med.uth.tmc.edu
Andrew Hamlett, mailto:Bachwblr@aol.com
Coverage: Texas Statewide
Transcriber: David Sarkozi, mailto:dsarkozi@flash.net
Thank you for calling the Texas Rare Bird Alert, sponsored
by the Houston Audubon Society. This recording was made
Thursday, March 11 at 12:00 a.m. To report your bird
sightings please call 281-992-2757.
Highlights of today’s tape are: BLACK-TAILED GULL, KELP GULL
(hybrid), and BLUE BUNTING.
The Rio Grande Valley has grown more exciting in the past
week. The BLACK-TAILED GULL* (Larus crassirostris) first
found in mid-February was rediscovered at the Brownsville
landfill on March 5th and continues to be seen through the
10th. To make things more interesting, a KELP GULL* (Larus
dominicanus), or more likely a KELP/HERRING GULL hybrid was
standing a few feet from the Black-tailed Gull on the 5th,
but has not been seen again. Also present is a second
winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus fuscus).
Elsewhere in the valley, Anzalduas Co. park has produced a
tremendous variety of landbirds recently. Up to two HERMIT
WARBLER (Dendroica occidentalis) and two TROPICAL PARULA
(Parula pitiayumi) are being seen regularly with recent
reports on the 7th. Also present are a CLAY-COLORED ROBIN
(Turdus grayi) and a BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus
melanocephalus). Most of these birds are being seen near
the restrooms and boat launch. At Bentsen State Park, a
LAZULI BUNTING (Passerina amoena) was seen at trailer site #
40, DICKCISSEL (Spiza americana) were at # 23 and 71 and a
female BLUE BUNTING* (Cyanocompsa parellina) was seen at
site # 18.
Further up the valley, more than 20 RED-BILLED PIGEON
(Columba flavirostris) are coming in to roost in the
evenings in trees on the island upstream from the road at
Salineno. A MUSCOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata) was seen at
Chapena on the 7th, along with 4 BROWN JAY (Cyanocorax
morio). For reports of other Rio Grande Valley specialties,
please call the Rio Grande Valley hotline at 956-969-2731.
On the upper coast, on Galveston Is., a CALIFORNIA GULL*
(Larus californicus) was seen at East Beach on the 6th. At
Sargent Beach, GULL-BILLED TERN (Sterna nilotica) and COMMON
TERN (Sterna hirundo) were seen along the dirt road to the
SW. A GLAUCOUS GULL (Larus hyperboreus) has also been seen
at the Bolivar flats.
A few migrant shorebirds have begun to arrive in the area.
In west Harris Co., the ponds on Longenbaugh Rd., west of
the Katy-Hockley cutoff produced more than 20 AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER (Pluvialis dominica), along with many
wintering shorebirds on the 11th. Nearby 3 PECTORAL
SANPIPER (Calidris melanotos) were also seen.
Further west on I-10, at least 4 BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus
leucocephalus) were seen east of Columbus, Colorado Co.,
feeding on fish in drying pools by the Colorado River.
In northeast Texas, in Van Zandt Co., the female OLDSQUAW
(Clangula hyemalis) was still present at the Lake Tawakoni
dam spillway on the 6th. At the north end of the dam the
PACIFIC LOON (Gavia pacifica) was seen again on March 6th.
The RED-THROATED LOON* (Gavia stellata) in the same area has
not been reported since the 28th.
Finally, spring migrant landbirds have been arriving
slightly to significantly ahead of schedule. GOLDEN-CHEEKED
WARBLER (Dendroica chrysoparia) arrived March 8th at the
Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area of Ft. Hood in Bell
County, and on March 9th at Emma Long Park and the Barton
Creek Greenbelt in the Austin area. Newly arrived BLACK-
CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD (Archilochus alexandri) and RUBY-
THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Archilochus colubris) have been seen
in a number of locations around the state, and SCISSOR-
TAILED FLYCATCHER (Tyrannus forficatus) and ASH-THROATED
FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus cinerascens) have been noted at
several south Texas locations this week.
Thank you for calling and good birding!
- End Transcript
* Denotes Texas Review Species, sighting reports should be
sent to the Texas Bird Records Committee, Greg Lasley, 305
Loganberry Court, Austin, TX 78745-6527, contact Greg Lasley
(mailto:glasley@earthlink.net)
David Sarkozi, WB5N mailto:dsarkozi@flash.net
Houston, TX
(713) 520-5906
See my webpage, Birds of the Upper Texas Coast
http://texasbirding.simplenet.com/
See the Texas Online Clearinghouse at
http://www.flash.net/~dsarkozi/