* Texas
* Austin
* March 19, 1999
* TXAU9903.19
- Birds mentioned
GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER
BLACK-CAPPED VIREO
Sora
American Golden-Plover
Pectoral Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Upland Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Whip-poor-will
Barn Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Cave Swallow
Sprague's Pipit
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Parula
Scott's Oriole
Black-tailed Gull -Brownsville- First Texas Record
- Transcript
Number: (512) 926-8751
Compiler: Andy Donnelly
Transcriber: Andy Donnelly
Internet: andyd@onr.com
Hello, this is a Friday, March 19th update of the Austin-Area Rare Bird
Alert, a service of the Travis Audubon Society. Highlights of today's
update include: Golden-cheeked Warblers, Black-capped Vireo, and Scott's
Oriole. New additions to this report will be at the beginning of this
message. If I have the time and enough reports, I will update the alert
twice a week for the next few months as things start moving through. And
as usual, if something really extraordinary shows up, a special alert will
be made immediately.
Both GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLERS (Dendroica chrysoparia) and BLACK-CAPPED
VIREOS (Vireo atricapillus) have returned to Central Texas. The first
reports of the warblers came 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.
Black-capped Vireos returned to Fort Hood on the 16th, a full five days
earlier than the previous early return date.
Hornsby Bend continues to see more and more migrants. Recently there have
been 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: A male SCOTT'S ORIOLE (Icterus parisorum) visited a feeder
in Liberty Hill this week. An UPLAND SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda) was
heard near Elgin on the 18th. Keep your eyes open for these in the fields
outside Hornsby Bend and at Mueller airport, and remember than the Turf
Farms near Webberville are now closed to birders!!! Other returning
migrants this week include CHIMNEY SWIFTS (Chaetura pelagica). AMERICAN
WOODCOCK (Scolopax minor) are still being seen in our area, one remains at
a private residence in NW Hays County.
Now for some old reports.
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. 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. Look for CAVE SWALLOWS (Petrochelidon fulva) at their
nesting spot in a culvert near the Colorado River under FM 969. Both
NORTHERN PARULA (Parula americana) and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (Seiurus
motacilla) were in their nesting territory in the Bastrop-Beuscher State
Park area. And a WHIP-POOR-WILL (Caprimulgus vociferus) was heard in Elgin
on the 15th.
In other areas of Texas, the BLACK-TAILED GULL# (Larus crassirostris) is
back at the Brownsville dump. 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)
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* *
* 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. *
* *
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