(The Austin area Rare Bird Alert is a service of the Travis Audubon Society. This update is as of 10:20 on September 22, 2011. Send interesting sightings–complete with species name, location, and contact information–to Kenny Anderson.)
Rarities Found This Week
A Say’s Phoebe was photographed in Cedar Park on 9/21, 22.
A female type Western Tanager was photographed at a southwest Austin home 9/18,19.
A drake Ring-necked Duck was on Pond 2 at Hornsby Bend 9/17
A Swainson’s Thrush has been photographed by wildlife cameras (motion detected) at Warbler Woods 9/20-22.
A Yellow-throated Vireo was reported at Warbler Woods 9/20.
Lincoln’s Sparrows hit a little early with a Warbler woods report 9/22 and a Pflugerville yard bird 9/22.
Extreme drought in the area has concentrated southward migrants along waterways, especially the Lower Colorado River. Birding on the weekend of 9/16-18 proved quite exciting with nice concentrations of passerines and unusual numbers of some hard to see fall migrants.
Louisiana Waterthrushes made an unexpected showing with numerous observers seeing several at Big Webbervillle Park (photographed) 9/16,17. 1 was described at Northwest Austin’s Meade Street Greenbelt in Williamson County on 9/18. A single bird was seen at Hornsby Bend on 9/19, and a photographed bird at Brushy Creek WMA in Round Rock seen Williamson County 9/18.
Magnolia Warblers: 1 at a private property in Williamson County 9/17, and one hatch year bird at Hornsby Bend on 9/17 (Travis County).
Blackburnian Warblers: 1 at Landa Park in New Braunfels 9/19, 2- a male and female- at Big Webberville Park on 9/16.
Hooded Warblers: 1 male at Hornsby Bend 9/16, 1, and a nicely described female at Big Webberville on 9/16
Chestnut-sided Warblers: 1 continued at Warbler Woods 9/9-17, 1 at Roy Guerrero Park in Austin on 9/17, 1 at Big Webberville Park on 9/22.
Tennessee Warblers: 1 at a Bastrop County residence 9/16, and 1 at Hornsby Bend on 9/19.
Ovenbirds: 1 at Hornsby Bend 9/17, 3 at Roy Guerrero Park on 9/17, 1 at a southwest Austin yard 9/19,20, and 1 at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos 9/22.
Continuing Birds for Previous Weeks
Red-necked Phalarope delighted many at Hornsby Bend’s pond 2 9/15-19.
A Worm-eating Warbler occasionally revealed itself at Big webberville Park 9/15-17.
Cassin’s Sparrows continued at Hornsby on 9/16,19.
Couch’s Kingbirds: Big webberville by boa tramp 9/16,17, Hornsby Bend 9/17, and Roy Guerrero Park 9/21.
Savannah Sparrows arrived early, this will be their last mention until June.
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
