Rare Bird Alert
Thursday, 10 December 1998
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert
Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide
Highlights:
CINNAMON TEAL * ( * Louisiana State Review List)
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD *
BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD * (possible)
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
TREE SWALLOW (large roosts)
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE *
others birds mentioned:
anhinga
ross's goose
american wigeon
gadwall
mottled duck
cattle egret
american bittern
northern harrier
peregrine falcon
sandhill crane
eurasian collared-dove
rose-ringed parakeets
groove-billed ani
roadrunner
whip-poor-will
ruby-throated hummingbird
white-eyed vireo
american robin
gray catbird
brown creeper
pine siskin
nashville warbler
yellow-throated warbler
lark sparrow
painted bunting
yellow-headed blackbird
Transcript:
Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Thursday December 10. Highlights include a possible BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD in Mandeville, a male CINNAMON TEAL in New Orleans, a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD in Baton Rouge, 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 duck, initially IDed as a MASKED DUCK, was seen on City Park Lake at LSU in Baton Rouge on 12/9. The bird was seen and video taped around noon, but could not be refound a couple of hours later or the next day. The video has been reviewed and the duck is thought to be possibly a strangely plumaged lesser scaupor Aythya hybrid. If you would like to hunt for this bird, City Park Lake is off of Dalrymple and north of the larger University Lake. It was seen along the northeast edge of the lake.
The male CINNAMON TEAL in New Orleans was seen again on 12/5 in the canal south of I-10 between Read Blvd and Bundy Rd. Exit I-10 at Read Blvd (after I-610 rejoins I-10) and head south. Turn right at the first light which is Lake Forest Blvd and proceed west about 1/3 mile. The canal is on both sides of the road. The teal was accompanied by a male Blue-winged Teal and they evidently move up and down the canal. Part of the canal can also be seen from Dwyer Rd, which is the next road south of Lake Forest on Read, and part of the canal is just north of I-10 behind Sam's.
A BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD is in Baton Rouge at 1180 Stanford Avenue, being first noticed on 12/3. Also seen 12/5 and 6. 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.
Female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS are at feeders near St. Gabriel, may be as many as 5. 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 (birds form a funnel as they drop into the cane, 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-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS are in Gramercy in St. James Parish, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Slidell, Covington, Baton Rouge and Mandeville in St. Tammany Parish. A BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD may be in Mandeville. More, if and when the sighting pans out.
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 12/9:
Iberville Parish: 2 adult SANDHILL CRANES seen flying near St. Gabriel.
Sightings from 12/7:
St. Tammany Parish: a female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD continues in Mandeville.
Iberville Parish: a female RUBY-THROAT also continues near St. Gabriel.
Sightings from 12/6:
Pointe Coupee Parish: 2 MOTTLED DUCKS and an AMERICAN BITTERN at the Morganza Spillway and about 20 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in New Roads.
Lafayette Parish: a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at a feeder in northeast Lafayette.
Iberville Parish: a WHIP-POOR-WILL apparently wintering near St. Gabriel.
Plaquemines Parish: a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER in the woods south of Ft. Jackson and a female PAINTED BUNTING in the scrub across the street, both sightings near Venice.
Sightings from 12/5:
Caddo Parish: an immature ROSS'S GOOSE, a CATTLE EGRET, a WHITE-EYED VIREO and a GRAY CATBIRD on the Caddo Lake Winter Bird Count.
Calcasieu Parish: 2 ROADRUNNERS on Marcantel Road (exit I-10 at LA 108 north, go 1.2 miles; left on US 90, go 2 miles; right on LA 27, go 9.5 miles; left on Rt 66, go 2.5 miles; right on Marcantel), PINE SISKINS and LARK SPARROWS in the same area; YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD on Charlie Moss Rd (south on LA 27about 5 miles; right on LA 108, go about 4 miles; left on Choupique Rd, go about 2 miles; right on Charlie Moss Rd).
Orleans Parish: an ANHINGA, over 600 AMERICAN WIGEON, over 500 GADWALL and a NORTHERN HARRIER at Southpoint in Bayou Savage NWR.
Jefferson Parish: 3 GROOVE-BILLED ANIS at the West Bank Beagle Club in Marrero and a NASHVILLE WARBLER in a batture woodlot in Waggaman.
Sightings from 12/3:
Lafayette Parish: 2 female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS in Lafayette and thousands of AMERICAN ROBINS gorging on hackberries at Acadiana Park Nature Station in Lafayette.
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-THROAT in Slidell.
Vermilion Parish: a BROWN CREEPER in Abbeville.
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.
 © D.J. L'Hoste |
Compiler: Karen Fay Home: 225.763.6805 RBA: 225.768.9874 lamskite@aol.com |
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