Rare Bird Alert
Friday, 04 December 1998
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert
Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide
Highlights:
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE * ( * Louisiana State Review List)
COMMON GROUND-DOVE
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD *
BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD *
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
TREE SWALLOW (large roosts)
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE *
others birds mentioned:
eared grebe
northern gannet
anhinga
white-tailed kite
broad-winged hawk
peregrine falcon
solitary sandpiper
lesser black-backed gull
white-winged dove
rose-ringed parakeets
short-eared owl
ruby-throated hummingbird
vermilion flycatcher
ash-throated flycatcher (possible)
western kingbird
scissor-tailed flycatcher
american robin
gray catbird
northern rough-winged swallow
northern parula
magnolia warbler
prairie warbler
black-and-white warbler
white-crowned sparrow
leconte's sparrow
lark sparrow
dickcissel
blue grosbeak
baltimore oriole
Transcript:
Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Friday December 4. Highlights include a BUFF-BELLIED and a female BROAD- TAILED HUMMINGBIRD in Baton Rouge, an adult BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE in Cameron Parish, 2 COMMON GROUND-DOVES in Baton Rouge, 2 female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS near St. Gabriel, large TREE SWALLOW roosts in canefields along the Mississippi River and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD in LaPlace.
A BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD is in Baton Rouge at 1180 Stanford Avenue, being first noticed on 12/3. 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 a couple of blocks south on the left. Please leave a note if you see any other hummers. Also a female BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, identified 12/3, is coming to a feeder in Baton Rouge. Haven't yet gotten permission for that one.
An adult BLACK-LEGGED KITTWAKE was seen 11/28 on Rutherford Beach near Oak Grove in Cameron Parish. The bird was last seen flying inland with a gull flock. To get to Rutherford Beach, exit I-10 at Chloe and head south on LA 397. In a little over 5 miles turn left onto LA 14. Follow 14 to LA 27, heading south on 27 and continuing south on LA 82 to Oak Grove. When you come to a T-intersection, turn right. The road to Rutherford Beach will be on your left in a little over a mile. A four-wheel drive vehicle may be necessary to drive the entire stretch to Broussard Beach.
2 COMMON GROUND-DOVES were seen 11/27 at Richfield Riversilt on River Road in Baton Rouge. Richfield Riversilt is 5 miles south of the LSU Vet School on River Road and is on the river side of the road. If you aren't familiar with the LSU campus, you can exit I-10 at College Drive and head south on College, which becomes Lee drive after it crosses Highland. Continue on Lee to Nicholson Drive and turn left onto Nicholson. Go almost ½ mile and turn right onto Ben Hur Road. Ben Hur ends in a little over 3 miles at River Road. Turn right onto River Road and Richfield Riversilt will be on your left in about 2 miles.
2 female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS are at feeders near St. Gabriel. Call Van, Steve or Donna at 225(504)388-2855 if you want to arrange a time to see them.
Two large congregations of TREE SWALLOWS, each estimated to be over 1 million, have been found in canefields along the Mississippi River. One roost is located near Lucy in St. John the Baptist Parish across the Mississippi River from LaPlace. Take I-310 across the Mississippi River and take the next exit (exit 7 marked Hahnville/Luling) to get to River Road (LA 18) which runs along the west bank. Go west on LA 18 for 11 miles to an iron pipe gate on the left and park. This spectacular event occurs around dusk (~5:15 pm on 11/22 - lasts 7-10 minutes). A second equally large roost is in Vacherie in St. James Parish. And about 10,000 swallows are roosting in cane at the foot of the I-310 bridge in Luling in St. Charles Parish.
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 and Slidell 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 in St. Tammany Parish. And BLACK-CHINS are in Gramercy in St. James Parish, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Slidell, Covington and Baton Rouge.
Migration reports are winding down and the number of wintering birds is on the increase. Here is a sampling of some of the more interesting reports:
Sightings from 12/3:
St. Tammany Parish: a PEREGRINE FALCON, with prey, flying over Lake Pontchartrain, noticed 4 miles from the north shore from the causeway, and a female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD in Slidell.
Iberville Parish: a female RUBY-THROATED in St. Gabriel as well.
Lafayette Parish: 2 female RUBY-THROATS in Lafayette and thousands of AMERICAN ROBINS gorging on hackberries at Acadiana Park Nature Station in Lafayette.
Sightings from 12/1:
Lafayette Parish: 750 AMERICAN ROBINS at Acadiana Park Nature Station in Lafayette.
St. Bernard Parish: an ANHINGA, a SOLITARY SANDPIPER and a possible ASH- THROATED FLYCATCHER at St. Bernard State Park.
Sightings from 11/29:
St. Tammany Parish: a BALTIMORE ORIOLE at a feeder in Slidell.
Cameron Parish: a SHORT-EARED OWL over East Jetty flats in the town of Cameron.
St. James Parish: a WHITE-WINGED DOVE at a feeder in Gramercy.
Sightings from the Thanksgiving weekend (11/27-11/29):
Calcasieu Parish: 5 WHITE-TAILED KITES along Fabacher Road, a SCISSOR- TAILED FLYCATCHER on Gum Island Road and a BLUE GROSBEAK on Gum Cove Road.
Cameron Parish: an EARED GREBE and an immature NORTHERN GANNET between Rutherford and Broussard Beaches near Oak Grove, 7-10 EARED GREBES at Sabine Pass, an immature BROAD-WINGED HAWK on the entrance road to Lacassine NWR, a second winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on a breakwater west of Holly Beach, 2 VERMILION FLYCATCHERS and a WESTERN KINGBIRD at or near the Equinox Oil Field in Johnson Bayou, a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW at the Cameron Ferry, a NORTHERN PARULA at the Peveto Woods Sanctuaries, a MAGNOLIA, 2 PRAIRIE and a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER at the mouth of the Mermentau River and a DICKCISSEL at a feeder in the town of Cameron.
Sightings from 11/27:
Caddo Parish: a late GRAY CATBIRD and 125 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS on Yearwood Road south of Shreveport.
East Baton Rouge Parish: 5 LECONTE'S and a LARK SPARROW at Richfield Riversilt on River Road in Baton Rouge.
Cameron Parish: 2 WHITE-TAILED KITES, one at Sabine NWR and the other along LA 82.
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. Try around dawn or late evening.
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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