This is the Austin Area Rare Bird Alert. This update is as of 7/21/2016. Send interesting sightings, complete with species name, location, and contact information to Arman Moreno at armanmorenobirds@gmail.com.

Rarities found this week

• Six PIPING PLOVERs were found on Pond 1 West at Hornsby Bend, Travis, on 7/19. All six birds continued at least through 7/20. No positive reports for today. This is an unusually high number. One of the birds had a yellow band on the upper left leg but was too far away to read any data.
• A male CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD has returned to a private residence in New Braunfels, Comal, on 7/16 and continues through 7/17.

Continuing birds from previous weeks

• Two SNOWY PLOVERs continued on the West side of Pond 1 at Hornsby Bend, Travis, through 7/17 but have not been recently reported.
• A juvenile-plumaged LAUGHING GULL was photographed at Hornsby Bend, Travis on 7/13 and continues through 7/21. The bird has mainly been reported floating on Pond 2 but has also been observed flying around the ponds.
• Up to four LESSER NIGHTHAWKS continue at the Village Shopping Center in North Central Austin, Travis, last reported on 7/20. The birds are fairly active, flying around the shopping center, but have also been photographed perched on telephone wires.
• The long-staying GREAT KISKADEE continues at Berry Springs Park in Georgetown, Williamson, most recently on 7/16.

Reports for the Austin area RBA cover a 60 mile radius, centered on 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 email to armanmorenobirds@gmail.com.

Arman Moreno
Rare Bird Alert Compiler
Travis Audubon Society

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