- Birds mentioned
Greater White-fronted Goose
Canvasback
Redhead
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Upland Sandpiper
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Great Crested Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Cave Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Hooded Warbler
Dickcissel
- Transcript
Number: None
Compiler: Bert Frenz, mailto:bert@bafrenz.com
Coverage: Central Brazos Valley, 10 counties near College Station
Transcriber: Bert Frenz
RBA web site: http://www.birdware.com/Lists/rba/_us/tx/heart/rba.htm
This is the Heart-of-Texas Rare Bird Alert sponsored by the Rio Brazos
Audubon Society updated as of Sunday, March 28.
The Heart-of-Texas RBA covers ten counties surrounding College Station
(Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Lee, Leon, Madison, Milam, Robertson,
Waller, Washington).
Spring advances with American Goldfinch moving toward alternate
plumage and Hermit Thrushes singing territorial songs. Ellen
Ratoosh reports Carolina Chickadees are now bringing food to newborn
chicks in her nesting box. The Eastern Bluebird’s nest was
apparently invaded by House Sparrows and the eggs destroyed. House
Finch are starting to nest in her yard.
A single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE that was first seen in Polk’s
Lake in Chappell Hill (Washington Co.) in mid-January was still
present on the 21st, according to Darrell Vollert, and this provides
our first record for the latter part of March. Darrell also reports
four lingering CANVASBACK at Wichita Ranch near Brenham and 21
REDHEAD at a pond near Chappell Hill, unusual records for late March.
BALD EAGLES have been known to nest at the far end of Gibbons Creek
Reservoir in prior years and Bo Williams reports sightings in the last
few weeks around the reservoir and TMPA mine. But Jim Yantis of Parks
and Wildlife says the eagles are not on the nest this year and he
thinks they lost the clutch during the hail storm in late January.
An early BROAD-WINGED HAWK was found by Lily Bartoszek on March 6,
but no further reports have come in, even though flocks are now
passing along the Texas coast.
Reports at expected arrival times include 9 UPLAND SANDPIPERS seen
by Darrell Vollert on the 25th on the Washington Co. side of the
Brazos River, one COMMON NIGHTHAWK on the 16th at Bryan Country Club
Lake seen by Keith Arnold, and two CHIMNEY SWIFTS over Sandstone Park,
College Station, on the 23rd by Ellen Ratoosh. Darrell Vollert saw 4
Chimney Swifts the next day in Brenham.
A BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD returned to the yard of Bob & Marsha
Effinger in Chappell Hill. This is the same yard that sported one
or two Buff-bellies all last summer. Two RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS
continue at Scott & Gail Cole’s feeders in Brenham.
Darrell Vollert provided our first report (early) of GREAT CRESTED
FLYCATCHER on the 25th in Chappell Hill. He also saw the first
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER of the season along FM 390 in Washington Co.
One or two pairs of CAVE SWALLOWS returned to the Tabor Road overpass
on Hwy 6, north Bryan. On the 25th, Keith Arnold reported 5-6 pairs
of Barn Swallows, the Cave Swallows, but no Cliff Swallows at the
site.
Mike Carlo reported two GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS on the nature trail
behind College Hills School in College Station on the 21st. This
species certainly has been unusually numerous this winter.
Migrating warblers have arrived this week with four reports of
NASHVILLE WARBLERS starting Mar 21; four reports of NORTHERN PARULA
starting Mar 2; seven reports of BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER starting
Mar 20; and four reports of BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER starting Mar 17.
Darrell Vollert’s report of LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH on the 23rd in
Brenham is rare. The same day in Chappell Hill he reported the first
HOODED WARBLER of the season.
Three more early DICKCISSELS were found. Darrell Vollert saw these
in Chappell Hill on the 25th. This year we have had three early
(Feb-Mar) sightings, which is the same number as all early sightings
for the past 30 years combined. The normal arrival time for
Dickcissels in this area is April 14.
The “Checklist and Seasonal Distribution - Birds of the Central Brazos
Valley, Texas” is available. Send $1.00 and a self-addressed stamped
(32 cents) business envelope to Jim Anding, Rio Brazos Audubon Society
5060 Cole Lane, College Station, TX 77845
- End Transcript
---------------------------------
Bert Frenz
mailto:bert@bafrenz.com
web site: http://www.bafrenz.com/birds/index.htm