The Austin Area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 12:00 on May 10, 2013. Send interesting sightings–complete with species name, LOCATION, and contact information–to Kenny Anderson at kennya290@gmail.com.

Rarities Found This Week:

• A Least Tern at Granger Lake in Williamson County is a nice find on 5/16.
• Caspian Tern was seen over Lake Travis on 5/15, viewed from Bob Wentz/ Windy Point- a Travis County park.
• Warbler Woods, in Guadalupe County, gave a good description of Palm Warbler which was seen on 5/11,13.
• Purple Gallinule is being viewed at Silverado Springs Park in Williamson County. Reports come from 5/12-15.
• A Zone-tailed Hawk was photographed at Hornsby Bend on 5/12, the bird was seen on 5/13 on the loam pits off of the adjacent Platt Lane.
• The Hornsby Bend monthly survey (second Saturday of the month) turned up a Laughing Gull on 5/11.
• A Common Loon was photographed lingering in the area at Belton Lake Temple Lake Park on 5/13.
• Veery continued at the Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary (Travis) on 5/10 and another was seen along the San Gabriel River trail leading from CR347 in Williamson County on 5/16.
• Gray-cheeked Thrush reported from: Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary 5/11, an Austin home near Commons Ford Park in Austin, the Austin Lakeshore Park on Lady Bird Lake 5/10, Laguna Gloria in Austin on 5/15,16, St. Edward’s Park in Travis County 5/12, and on the “Big Tree” trail leading from CR347 along the San Gabriel River in Williamson County 5/16.
• A female Scarlet Tanager was at an Austin home 5/16.
• MacGillivray’s Warbler was at St. Edward’s Park on 5/16, West Bouldin Greenbelt in Austin 5/16 and a private property in south Austin 5/16.
• Golden-winged Warbler was reported at West Bouldin Greenbelt 5/16, Riata Ponds and trails 5/12 (Travis), Warbler Woods 5/12, and photographed at the Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary 5/12.
• Kentucky Warbler was at St. Edward’s Park in west Austin 5/13 and an Austin residence 5/9.
• Red-breasted Nuthatches and Pine Siskins have continued with several reports in the 60 mile circle.

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.