The Austin Area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 9:45 on March 21, 2013. Send interesting sightings–complete with species name, LOCATION, and contact information–to Kenny Anderson at kennya290@gmail.com.

Rarities Found This Week:

• A Black-headed Grosbeak was at a feeder at a home in southwestern Bastrop County on 3/21.
• A Black-headed Grosbeak was photographed at a feeder in Blanco County on 3/10.
• A Hutton’s Vireo was nicely described and singing on the Travaasa Hotel property in Travis County on 3/13.
• A storm on 3/19 prompted some interesting migrants to drop out, including a Lapland Longspur on CR352 in Williamson County (Late Date). A Yellow-throated Warbler (local breeder but tricky migrant) at Sunset Valley, and a Black-capped Vireo (difficult migrant) at Commons Ford in Travis County.
• Warbler Woods also reported a Black-capped Vireo 3/12 (not suitable breeding habitat) Guadalupe County.
• An American Bittern was detected at the Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary on the Lower Colorado River in Austin on 3/16,17.
• The same trip that produced a Williamson County Lapland Longspur had 3 lingering Horned Larks on CR352 and a single on CR436.
• A Red-headed Woodpecker continues at the Macedonia Cemetery as of 3/20.
• A Common Loon was photographed at Stillhouse Lake’s River’s Bend Park on 3/7 (Bell county). Two Common Loons were at Canyon Lake in Comal County on 3/21. An alternate plumage Common Loon in Austin on the Lady Bird Lake portion of the Lower Colorado River was a snazzy sight on 3/21.
• A Common Gallinule on Waller Creek in Austin is a strange place to have a bird and it has lingered. 3/6-21.

Continuing From Previous Weeks:

• The last Whooping Crane report I have seen from the Granger Lake area came on 3/9. Two birds were reported from Friendship Park in Williamson County. This has been an amazing story.
• A wintering Prairie Warbler at a Gonzales County home remained 3/11-17 (great yard bird).
• Berry Springs Park continues to host a Red-headed Woodpecker 3/7,13.
• A White Ibis below the Longhorn Dam in Austin had reports on 3/15-20.
• A Peregrine Falcon, maybe two, continue to be seen around the downtown Austin area, University of Texas Tower, and Roy Guerrero Park. Last report came 3/20 from below Longhorn Dam. Consistent reports of birds on the Frost Bank Building and UT Tower have me desiring future updates.

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.