(The Austin area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 1:15 October 27, 2011. Send interesting sightings–complete with species name, location, and contact information–to Kenny Anderson.)
Rarities Found This Week
October 23 was a decent day to seek Sage Thrasher–3 were reported. 1 was photographed at Reimer’s Ranch, a Travis County park. 1 was seen at the Shin Oak Observatory, part of the Balcone Canyonlands refuge. 1 was at the Cibalo Nature Center in Boerne.
Green-tailed Towhees were reported from a retention pond behind Petsmart near the intersection of Brodie Lane and Ernest Robles in Sunset Valley 10/21. the other was at mary Moore Searight Park in Austin 10/21.
A White-tailed Kite was in a kettle of hawks seen from Big Webberville Park in eastern Travis County 10/21.
American Golden Plover was at Stillhouse Hollow’s Union Grove WMA in Bell County10/25.
A male Red-naped Sapsucker was at Big Webberville Park 10/23.
Zone-tailed Hawk continues in the Big Webberville Park and Utley area, seen 10/21,27.
A Say’s Phoebe was near the intersection of Wells and Wells School Road in northeastern Travis county 10/26.
Pyrrhuloxia was seen at Camp Mabry 10/25.
Red-shafted Northern Flickers have been in greater abbundance, reports came from Reimer’s Ranch (5 birds), russel Park on Lake Georgetown, and Big Webberville Park.
A Summer Tanager was viewed at Big Webberville Park on 10/25.
Continuing Birds for Previous Weeks
Great Kiskadee, as many as 3, are being heard and occasionally seen from Big Webberville Park’s river views. The birds appear to like a private property gravel pit, and occasionally (when I am not there) visit the Big Webberville Park section of the river.
An Eastern Wood Pewee lingers at Big Webberville Park, 10/21
Reports for the Austin area RBA cover a 60 mile radius, centered from the Capitol in downtown Austin. The circle extends north to Belton (Bell County), south to Leesville (Gonzales County), east to Somerville WMA (Lee Burleson County), and west to Blumenthal (Gillespie County). Bird sightings 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 nollanderson@sbcglobal.net.
-Kenny Anderson, Rare Bird Alert Compiler, Travis Audubon Society
To view our archive of previous RBA reports, click here.
