The Austin Area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 10:00 on October 25, 2012. Send interesting sightings–complete with species name, LOCATION, and contact information–to Kenny Anderson at kennya290@gmail.com.

Rarities Found This Week:

A Prairie Falcon was seen from Sunshine Road where it crosses the Little River in Bell County, there were 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers present as well. Photographs of the falcon and one juvenile woodpecker were obtained on 10/28.

A Harris’s Hawk was reported from Hornby Bend’s Platt Lane on 10/27 in Travis County.

A Red-naped Sapsucker was at Buescher State Park near the dam on 10/28 in Bastrop County.

An Ash-throated Flycatcher was described at Hornsby Bend at the end of the Platt Pond Trail on 10/28.

Up to three Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have been at a Blanco County home 10/26.

A Swainson’s Thrush has been at a Bastrop County home 10/29-11/1 and an American Woodcock on 10/27.

2 Reddish Egrets were reported at Canyon Lake’s Potter’s Creek Park in Comal County on 10/29.

A Vermilion Flycatcher was nice at Slough Pond in Bell County on 10/30-11/1.

A Tri-colored Heron lingers in the area below Longhorn Dam with a report on 10/25 (Travis County)

A few warblers continue to come through: Wilson’s Warbler at Little Webberville on 10/31, Tennessee Warbler at Dick Nichols on 10/27, and a American Redstart at a Bastrop County residence.

Reports for the Austin area RBA cover a 60 mile radius, centeredfrom the Capitol in downtown Austin. The circle extends north to Belton (Bell County), south to Leesville (Gonzales County), east to SomervilleWMA (Lee Burleson County), and west to Blumenthal (Gillespie County).Birdsightings 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 kennya290@gmail.com.

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

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