Rio Grande Valley recent sightings archive

From WikiBird

This contains archived information about rare bird sightings.

Contents 1 05/06 1.1 Rose-throated Becard 1.2 Crimson-collared Grosbeak 1.3 Mangrove Cuckoo 1.4 Yellow-green Vireo 1.5 Spotted Wren or Spot-breasted Wren 1.6 Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher 1.7 Black-whiskered Vireo 2 04/06 2.1 Yucatan Jay 3 03/06 3.1 Piratic Flycatcher 4 02/06 4.1 Red-naped Sapsucker 4.2 Ruddy Ground-Dove 5 1/06 5.1 Short-tailed Hawk 5.2 American Woodcock 5.3 Social Flycatcher 5.4 Snow Bunting 5.5 Dusky-capped Flycatcher 6 12/05 6.1 Long-tailed Duck 6.2 Whooping Crane 6.3 Anna's Hummingbird 6.4 Black-legged Kittiwake 7 11/05

05/06

Rose-throated Becard

5/26/06. Rose-throated Becard at Santa Ana NWR near the parking lot. This lone female built a nest and then abandoned it. It is no longer being detected in the area.

Crimson-collared Grosbeak

5/20/06. Crimson-collared Grosbeak seen at Frontera Audubon Center in Weslaco. Not seen since.

Mangrove Cuckoo

Last seen on 5/29/06. First seen on 5/19/06. Mangrove Cuckoo photographed at Frontera Audubon Center in Weslaco.

Yellow-green Vireo

5/17/06. Brief observations of a returning Yellow-green Vireo at Sabal Palm Grove.

Spotted Wren or Spot-breasted Wren

5/14/06. Unconfirmed reports of a Spotted Wren or a Spot-breasted Wren at Sabal Palm Grove. Either would be a first record for the USA. Note that worn Carolina Wrens can show spots on the sides of the breast.

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Last reported 5/14/06. First reported 5/13/06 at the convention center on South Padre Island.

Black-whiskered Vireo

Last reported 5/12/06. First report 4/23/06 at the convention center on South Padre Island.

04/06

Yucatan Jay

Last reported 4/1/06. Seen daily at the San Ygnacio Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary at the 1st turn to the left of the entrance trail way at the bottom of the slope. There is some doubt that it is a Yucatan Jay and instead may be a San Blas Jay.

03/06

Piratic Flycatcher

Last reported:' 3/27/06. First seen 3/20/06 at Bentson State Park calling from the top of a leafless Cedar Elm, on the west side of the old trailor loop, near the paved path that connects the pavilion/boat ramp area with the old trailor loop. On 3/21/06 seen between 7:30am and 8:30am in the old picnic area bounded by the boat ramp, Green Jay blind, Green Jay trail along the resaca and Hackberry Rd. The bird was not heard. This is the old primitive camping area that parallels the resaca. On 3/27/06 08:15am heard calling near the old sewer plant inside the old trailer loop.

02/06

Red-naped Sapsucker

Last reported 2/18/06. First report at Santa Ana NWR on 1/13/2006 and again on 1/17 and 1/18 between Pintail lakes 1 and 3. The tree is on the right side of the trail (the Pintail 1 side). It is standing alone and has very few leaves on it. The tree is opposite the bench closest to the canal and has a set of fresh holes that the sapsucker is attending. The sapsucker was also seen in the large mesquite at the intersection of the trail leading to the levy and the trail between Pintails 1 and 2. Be aware that there are several Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in this area as well. [1] [2] [3]

Ruddy Ground-Dove

Last reported 2/21/06. [4]
A female was sighted at Estero Llano Grande State Park, which is not officially opened yet but visitors are welcome. From the park parking lot walk east through a red gate and proceed east down a hard-packed dirt road, until you are about even with the park maintenance garage to your left. If you get to where the water is, you've gone way too far. There was a narrow strip of grassland (mainly cactus and thorny scrub) on one side of the path and then a culvert on the other side of the path. On 1/18/06 was seen across the fence in the orange tree.

1/06

Short-tailed Hawk

Last reported: 1/23/06. A light morph Short-tailed Hawk was seen at Sabal Palm Grove by the Resaca and Oriole Lane.

American Woodcock

Last report: 1/21/06. Seen on the Green Jay trail at the Lakeview Park next to Llano Grande WBC in Weslaco on HWY 1015 south of town. Park outside the park in the WBC parking area and enter Lakeview Park. Then turn right before the first trailer. The Green Jay trail is posted. The bird was seen along the trail near marker 21 and also on the adjacent levee.

Social Flycatcher

Last reported 1/3/06. Reported by Habitat Restoration Biologist Chris Hathcock from his kayak in the resaca approx 1/4 mile north of the boat ramp where last year's bird was discovered. The boat ramp may be the best place to try to refind this bird. Not seen since the original sighting.

Snow Bunting

Last reported 1/2/06 3:00pm. The Snow Bunting has not been reported for the last few days despite an attempt on 1/4/06. The bird is usually found at Isla Blanca Park at the south end of South Padre Island. From the park entrance go to the statue of Jesus which is along the ship channel. Park and walk back to a large anchor in a concrete circle, which is on the opposite (north) side of the street. The bird was feeding in the grass between the anchor and a motor home (this is a RV park area). 1st report from Texbirds Archive, Texbirds Archive. Photos: here, here, and here.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Last reported 2/17/06. Seen at the same spot near Cannon Road as last year: The dike road to the west of Cannon Road and north of Military Highway. There are now two birds being reported. One was seen just south of some carpet that was place there as a marker. The other bird was 0.6 miles north of the carpet and 0.1 miles south of the field road turnoff. First reported 12/18/2005.

Directions: West of Los Indios turn north off Military Highway (281) onto Cannon Road (old cannon at wayside rest), go to power station, turn left, go along edge on field road and turn left again on dike road (therefore heading south again toward Military Hwy.) Proceed to curve in road. After rains the Cannon Road route may be very muddy with the rains because of several low lying spots that turn into a quagmire. The dike road is elevated and much preferable. Simply think of a large rectangle with M Hwy to the south, Cannon Road to the East, the field road on the north, and the dike road on the west. The dike road intersects the Military Hwy just west of the Cannon Road intersection. The bird was on the dike road.

12/05

Long-tailed Duck

Last reported 12/31/05. A female Long-tailed Duck was seen at the S. Padre Island convention center near the end of the northern-most boardwalk, in the direction of the convention center around 9 am. She was in a large group of ducks.

Whooping Crane

Last reported 12/18/05. Seen flying over La Sal del Rey at 2:00pm. It was also seen at 8:30am flying south over "feedlot" road which juts north of FM186. Previously seen 1 mile east of the junction of highways 186 and 88 and 1 mile east of Hargill.

Directions:
From McAllen go north on highway 281 about 20 miles to highway 186 and go east about 10 miles past the junction with highway 88. From Raymondville go west on 186 just less then 10 miles.

Anna's Hummingbird

Last reported 12/22/05. Seen at Bentson State Park/WBC On the Texas Wild Olive trees just south of the gatehouse (old headquarters) building. Texbirds Archive 12/22/05 and Texbirds Archive 12/23/05

Black-legged Kittiwake

Last reported 12/23/05 1:00pm. Seen near the end of the Boca Chica Jetty. Texbirds Archive

11/05

Masked Duck last reported 11/29/05
Seen at Sable Palm Audubon Sanctuary southeast of Brownsville in the northeast corner of the resaca.

Brown Booby last reported 11/28/05
See from the Jetties at the south end of S. Padre Island.

Masked Booby last reported 11/28/05
See from the Jetties at the south end of S. Padre Island.

Manx Shearwater last reported 11/28/05
See from the Jetties at the south end of S. Padre Island.