(The Austin area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 6:30 on September 1, 2011. Send interesting sightings–complete with species name, location, and contact information–to Kenny Anderson.)
Rarities Found This Week
Without a doubt, this weeks most interesting report was of a possible immature Lesser Black-backed Gull at Hornsby Bend on 8/27. I am awaiting details for this; it would be an exceptional find.
A Blue-winged Warbler was located on a private property in Bastrop County 8/29
Northern and Louisiana Waterthrushes are listed in the Travis Audubon Checklist as rare–perhaps (I think) a bit of an error. Both species were observed side-by-side (which is cool) at Camp Mabry in Austin on 8/26.
A Northern Waterthrush was at Nicholas Dawson Park in South Austin on 8/28
An Ovenbird was photographed at Warbler Woods in Guadalupe County on 8/28-29
A Yellow-throated Warbler migrant was a park-first for Commons Ford Park in western Travis County.
Continuing Birds for Previous Weeks
A Prairie Warbler found on August 25, continued to please numerous Hornsby Bend birders/listers 8/25-8/28 Travis County
A Yellow-throated Vireo re-appeared (same tree) at Big Webberville Park after a weeks long absence in eastern Travis County on 8/26
Couch’s Kingbird is enigmatic, but reasonably regular at Big Webberville Park. 8/26
Yellow-throated Warbler, a breeder at the Colorado River and Highway 360, lingers late into the season. 8/30
Reports for the Austin area RBA cover a 60 mile radius, centered from the Capitol in downtown Austin. The circle extends north to Belton (Bell County), south to Leesville (Gonzales County), east to Somerville WMA (Lee Burleson County), and west to Blumenthal (Gillespie County). Bird sightings mentioned here have been filtered and scrutinized by the compiler and are believed to be genuine. When documentation or photographs were provide, that is mentioned along with the other information about the bird(s) being seen.
For questions or updates about birds mentioned here or to report rare or unusual bird sightings in the Austin area, please send an e-mail to nollanderson@sbcglobal.net.
-Kenny Anderson, Rare Bird Alert Compiler, Travis Audubon Society
