The Austin Area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 1/10/2014. Send interesting sightings–complete with species name, LOCATION, and contact information to Kenny Anderson at kennya290@gmail.com.

Rarities Found This Week

• Williamson County has terrific hawk reports: 1 White-tailed Hawk on the Granger CBC 1/4, 1 Ferrruginous Hawk 1/3-5 seen on CR352, CR 356, CR359, FM971, a Harris’s Hawk seen 1/10 off I-35 between mile markers 268-269, a Rough-legged Hawk on 1/4 CR389.
• A Western Tanager was photographed at an Austin feeder in Travis County (private residence).
• A Long-tailed Duck continues at the Inks Lake National Fishery in Burnet County 1/7,8.
• A female Calliope Hummingbird has been photographed at an Austin home with latest report 1/7.
• A Zone-tailed Hawk was described at a Bastrop County home on 1/4.
• A Horned Grebe continues at Lake Pflugerville in Travis County 1/5,7.
• An American Bittern was photographed at Mueller Austin pond near the Brauning Hanger 1/9.
• An Ash-throated Flycatcher was reported on the Granger CBC on 1/4 in Williamson County.
• An Anhinga is being seen around Lady Bird Lake portion of the Lower Colorado River. 1/6 bird was seen above Longhorn Dam.
• A Least Flycatcher was at Lake Bastrop’s North Shore Park on the CBC on 1/1.
• Eastern Towhees: Blunn Creek Nature Preserve 1/4 (Travis), 1 female at Silk Oak Park in Travis County 1/6.
• Rusty Blackbirds continue to be seen at Hornby Bend with up to 30 birds seen 1/3-7.
• Vermilion Flycatcher at Bastrop State Park main entrance road 1/3, Berry Springs Park in Williamson County 1/9,10, Hornsby Bend 1/4-7.
• A Red-headed Woodpecker is being seen at the primitive boat dock at Granger Lake 1/4 in Williamson County.
• A Common Loon was at Lake McQueeney in Guadalupe County on 1/1.

Reports for the Austin area RBA cover a 60 mile radius, centered from the Capitol in downtown Austin. Bird sightings mentioned here have been filtered and scrutinized by the compiler and are believed to be genuine. When documentation or photographs were provided 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 kennya290@gmail.com

-Kenny Anderson, Rare Bird Alert Compiler, Travis Audubon Society

To view our archive of previous RBA reports, click here.