* Texas
* Austin
* March 16, 1999
* TXAU9903.16
- Birds mentioned
GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER
Cinnamon Teal
Greater Scaup
Mississippi Kite
Sora
Mountain Plover
American Golden-Plover
Pectoral Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Whip-poor-will
Barn Owl
Short-eared Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Cave Swallow
Sprague's Pipit
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Parula
Black-headed Grosbeak
Black-tailed Gull -Brownsville- First Texas Record
Kelp Gull -Brownsville- Texas Review Species
- Transcript
Number: (512) 926-8751
Compiler: Andy Donnelly
Transcriber: Andy Donnelly
Internet: andyd@onr.com
Hello, this is a Tuesday, March 16th update of the Austin-Area Rare Bird
Alert, a service of the Travis Audubon Society. Highlights of today's
update: Golden-cheeked Warblers and other migrants. New additions to this
report will be at the beginning of this message.
They're baaaacccckkk!! GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLERS (Dendroica chrysoparia)
have returned to Central Texas, with reports first coming in between March
8th and 10th. They have been heard and seen along the Barton Creek
Greenbelt, Turkey Creek trail off of City Park Road, Fort Hood, Balcones
Canyonlands NWR, and the TAS sanctuary. It's official, spring is here!!!!
Hopefully in the next week or so the Black-capped Vireos will be returning
too.
Hornsby Bend continues to see more and more migrants. Recently there have
been up to five male CINNAMON TEAL (Anas cyanoptera), two female GREATER
SCAUP (Aythya marila), a LAUGHING GULL (Larus atricilla), BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS (Calidris bairdii), PECTORAL SANDPIPERS (Calidris melanotos),
STILT SANDPIPERS (Calidris himantopus), SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS
(Limnodromnus griseus), a SORA (Porzana carolina), and an AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER (Pluvialis dominica). The RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes
erythrocephalus) is still around in the Pecan grove at the entrance, and is
now in full adult plumage.
Here and there: Four MISSISSIPPI KITES (Ictinia mississippiensis) were seen
in North Austin on the 11th. Richard Moya Park is again open and a good
place to look for migrants, and the BARN OWL (Tyto alba) appears to be
nesting again in the tree it nested in a couple of years ago. Several male
CINNAMON TEAL are being seen at Riata Pond, along with many other ducks.
SPRAGUE'S PIPITS (Anthus spragueii) are staging again for their move north,
with 70 to 90 being seen in one group in north Austin on the 11th. And a
WHIP-POOR-WILL (Caprimulgus vociferus) was heard in Elgin on the 15th. A
male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus melanocephalus) was seen in the
Bastrop area on the 7th. CAVE SWALLOWS (Petrochelidon fulva) are back at
their nesting spot near the Colorado River on FM 969. And both NORTHERN
PARULA (Parula americana) and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (Seiurus motacilla)
were in their nesting territory in the Bastrop-Beuscher State Park area.
Now for some old reports.
SHORT-EARED OWLS (Asio flammeus) have been putting on a pretty good show
for birders in a field near San Marcos. One was seen working the field
just before dark on the 14th. To get here, take Exit 205 from I-35 and go
on Hwy. 80 towards Luling. Just at the county line there is a road to the
right, which is Hays CR 266/Caldwell CR 101 (the road runs along the county
line a while, thus both names). Go about 2 miles on this road, across the
San Marcos River, and then up a hill. Where the hill levels off there is a
large field with a pond on the left. The owls were being seen here at dawn
and dusk. The road can be busy but there are places to pull off safely.
The latest and greatest at Granger. The best spot for MOUNTAIN PLOVERS
(Charadrius montanus) is on CR 345 south of CR 346, especially around the
farmhouse. However, the farmers are starting to work the fields over
pretty good, and the prime time to see these birds may already be gone. I
have had no reports for a couple of weeks now.
In other areas of Texas, several good things. The BLACK-TAILED GULL#
(Larus crassirostris) is back at the Brownsville dump. 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. For information on these birds
and other birds in Texas, please call the Texas tape at 713-369-9673.
Thanks for calling the Travis Audubon alert, and good birding.
- End Transcript
# Denotes Texas Review Species, sighting reports should be sent to the Texas
Bird Records Committee, Greg Lasley, 305 Loganberry Ct, Austin, TX
78745-6527, contact Greg Lasley (Email:glasley@earthlink.net)
************************************************************************
* *
* Andy Donnelly Please contact me at this Email address if you *
* Austin, TX have any questions about birds in Austin or *
* andyd@onr.com on Austin birding locations. *
* *
* For more information on birding in and around *
* Austin, please see the Birding In Central Texas web page at *
* http://www.onr.com/user/andyd/Birding.html *
* *
* The Austin Birding Guide is a site guide with a large map *
* highlighting 30 prime birding sites within 30 miles of downtown *
* Austin. This project was a partnership between Texas Partners *
* In Flight, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Travis Audubon Society. *
* To order a free copy by mail, send a long (legal-sized), *
* self-addressed stamped ($0.55) envelope to: *
* John Kelly, 7442 Dallas Dr., Austin, TX 78729-7770. *
* *
************************************************************************