HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Louisiana Rare Bird Alert
Saturday, 26 December 1998
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert
Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide
Highlights:
CINNAMON TEAL * ( * Louisiana State Review List)
GOLDEN EAGLE *
CRESTED CARACARA *
CALIFORNIA GULL *
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL *
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD *
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
PAINTED BUNTING
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE *
others birds mentioned:
- eared grebe
- ross's goose
- canada goose
- greater scaup
- common goldeneye
- red-breasted merganser
- reddish egret
- yellow-crowned night-heron
- glossy ibis
- roseate spoonbill
- red knot
- american avocet
- lesser black-backed gull
- franklin's gull
- sandwich tern
- common tern
- pomarine jaeger
- white-winged dove
- rose-ringed parakeet
- monk parakeet
- groove-billed ani
- chuck-will's widow
- whip-poor-will
- least flycatcher
- vermilion flycatcher
- western kingbird
- swainson's thrush
- wood thrush
- tree swallow
- bank swallow
- barn swallow
- tufted titmouse
- purple finch
- tennessee warbler
- nashville warbler
- northern parula
- magnolia warbler
- black-throated green warbler
- prairie warbler
- black-and-white warbler
- american redstart
- ovenbird
- wilson's warbler
- lark sparrow
- dickcissel
- baltimore oriole
Transcript:
Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Saturday December 26. Highlights include female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS in Baton Rouge and St. Gabriel, a male PAINTED BUNTING in Baton Rouge, 2 CALIFORNIA, 2 GREATand 1 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS in Cameron Parish, a GOLDEN EAGLE and CRESTED CARACARA at Lacassine NWR in Cameron Parish, a male CINNAMON TEAL in New Orleans, a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD in Baton Rouge and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD in LaPlace.
A female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD appeared in my yard in Baton Rouge on 12/22. Another CALLIOPE was discovered on 12/24. If you would like to try and see one, exit I-10 on Siegen Lane and head south. Turn right onto Perkins Rd, which is the first light after the Winn Dixie to your left. Almost immediately take the first left into the Winderemere subdivision, turn right at the stop sign and follow the road around to the left, where it becomes Wordsworth Dr. The Calliopes are at 732 Wordsworth, which is on the left in about the middle of the block. So far I've seen one or both in both the front and backyards, but one regularly returns to the bare tree surrounded by aloes and yuccas in the center of the front yard. 2 female CALLIOPES are coming to feeders near St. Gabriel. Call Van at 225(504)388-2855 during the day if you want to arrange a time to see one there.
A male PAINTED BUNTING has returned to the feeders at the library on Bluebonnet Rd. The library hosted several buntings, including a male last year for the entire winter. Exit-I-10 at Bluebonnet and head south. The library is south of Perkins Rd on the right (west side). He is best seen from the geneology section.
Received a recent report that a GOLDEN EAGLE and a CRESTED CARACARA have been hanging around Lacassine NWR in Cameron Parish. I don't have any sighting dates for the eagle, but the caracara was observed on 12/19 flying over the fields on the north side of the pool where the road turns south towards the east boat launch. From Baton Rouge, exit I-10 at Welsh and head south on LA 99. Follow 99 for about 14 miles to LA 14 and turn right. Head west on 14 for about 5 miles and turn left onto Illinois Plant Rd, which will take you into the refuge in about 4 miles. When the entrance road comes to a T- intersection, turn left and follow the road until it makes a 90 degree turn to the south. The caracara was seen over the fields to your left. The eagle has also been reported in this area.
The male CINNAMON TEAL in New Orleans appears to be wintering in the canal between Read Blvd and Bundy Rd. He moves up and down the canal and has been seen from Lake Forest Blvd and from Dwyer Rd, both south of I-10. The canal is also north of I-10 behind Sam's.
A BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD continues in Baton Rouge at 1180 Stanford Avenue. People are invited to come by, but are requested not to park on the street or in front of any of the neighbors' properties. You can park in the driveway, if there is room, or park on the right side of Stanford by the lake and walk back. Exit I-10 at Acadian Thruway and head south. Acadian becomes Stanford Ave after it crosses Perkins Rd. 1180 is 0.9 miles south of the Perkins intersection on the left. Please leave a note if you see any other hummers.
The male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE continues at 1409 Glendale and the male BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD continues at 800 Fagot Loop, both addresses in LaPlace in St John the Baptist Parish. The buffy is reliable, but be prepared for a long wait if you try for the oriole. Call for directions if you need them. BUFF-BELLIES are also in New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Cameron, Slidell and Covington in St. Tammany Parish. A number of RUFOUS (or at least selasphorus) HUMMINGBIRDS are in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Cameron and Covington. And BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS are in Gramercy in St. James Parish, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Slidell, Covington, Baton Rouge and Mandeville in St. Tammany Parish.
What follows are interesting reports of unusual sightings for the locales or season or high concentrations of a particular species:
Sightings from 12/25:
East Baton Rouge Parish: a male COMMON GOLDENEYE and 8 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS on University Lake at LSU in Baton Rouge.
Sightings from 12/23:
Jefferson Parish (Grand Isle CBC): 8 ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, 180 AMERICAN AVOCETS and 19 WHITE-WINGED DOVES.
Sightings from 12/22:
Cameron Parish: 2 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on the beach between Rutherford Beach and the town of Cameron. I don't have a specific location, but the gulls are likely to move up and down the beach. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended if you plan to drive the entire stretch.
Jefferson Parish: 3 PURPLE FINCHES coming to a feeder in Metairie.
Sightings from 12/21:
Cameron Parish (Creole CBC): 4021 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, a YELLOW- CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 2 CALIFORNIA GULLS, 2 SANDWICH TERNS, an adult POMARINE JAEGER, 2 GROOVE-BILLED ANIS, 2 LEAST FLYCATCHERS, a WESTERN KINGBIRD, a WOOD THRUSH, 6120 TREE SWALLOWS, a BARN SWALLOW, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER, 2 PRAIRIE WARBLERS, an AMERICAN REDSTART and a male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.
Sightings from 12/20:
Iberville Parish: a ROSS'S GOOSE and 24 CANADA GEESE at Plaquemine Point.
Cameron Parish (Johnson Bayou CBC): 2 CINNAMON TEALS, LESSER BLACK- BACKED GULL, GROOVE-BILLED ANI, 3 CHUCK-WILL'S WIDOWS, WHIP-POOR-WILL, BUFF- BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD (at Peveto Woods Sanctuaries), VERMILION FLYCATCHER, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, BANK SWALLOW, BARN SWALLOW, TENNESSEE WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, PRAIRIE WARBLER, BLACK-AND- WHITE WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART and DICKCISSEL.
Sightings from 12/19:
Cameron Parish (Sabine NWR CBC): EARED GREBE, GREATER SCAUP, REDDISH EGRET, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, RED KNOT, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, FRANKLIN'S GULL, COMMON TERN, POMARINE JAEGER, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, BANK SWALLOW, TUFTED TITMOUSE, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, PRAIRIE WARBLER, OVENBIRD, WILSON'S WARBLER, LARK SPARROW, PAINTED BUNTING and BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
And, if you're interested in ROSE-RINGED PARAKEETS, try the wires or palm trees along Robert E Lee between Elysian Fields and Paris in New Orleans. Exit I-610 at either Paris (2C) or Elysian Fields (3) and head north. Robert E Lee is approximately 3-4 major intersections north of the interstate. I understand these palm trees are overrun with MONK PARAKEETS, which may make finding a Rose-ringed quite difficult. Your best chance is to try at first light.
Thanks for calling the Baton Rouge rare bird alert and good birding.
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Compiler: Karen Fay Home: 225.763.6805 RBA: 225.768.9874 lamskite@aol.com |
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