Louisiana Rare Bird Alert Friday, 29 January 1999 Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide Highlights: ROSS' GOOSE CINNAMON TEAL * ( * Louisiana State Review List) ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK* GOLDEN EAGLE * CRESTED CARACARA * CALIFORNIA GULL * GROOVE-BILLED ANI BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD * BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD * RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD WESTERN (possible PACIFIC-SLOPE) FLYCATCHER * BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER * (possible) PAINTED BUNTING LAPLAND LONGSPUR BULLOCK'S ORIOLE * others birds mentioned: fulvous whistling-duck black-bellied whistling-duck canvasback greater scaup common goldeneye hooded merganser white-tailed kite sandhill crane whimbrel franklin's gull white-winged dove ruby-throated hummingbird vermilion flycatcher ash-throated flycatcher western kingbird scissor-tailed flycatcher ovenbird northern waterthrush yellow-breasted chat dickcissel Baltimore oriole Transcript: Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Friday, January 29. Highlights include 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS at the Powhatan exit off I-49 in Natchitoches Par., a WESTERN-type (possible PACIFIC-SLOPE) FLYCATCHER near Pine Prairie in Evangeline Parish, female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS in Baton Rouge and St. Gabriel, a BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD in Abbeville in Vermilion Par., a male PAINTED BUNTING in Baton Rouge, an immature CALIFORNIA GULL 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. Two ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, one imm. and one probable adult female were discovered Jan. 9 right along I-49 at the Powhatan-Allen exit (Exit #148), about eleven miles N. of the Natchitoches exit. Both hawks may be seen from I-49 either soaring or perched on hay bales or small trees, so watch as you approach the exit. To reach the usual spot where the imm. and sometimes both hawks have been seen, exit I-39 at Powhatan-Allen and go west a few hundred yards on LA 485 to a small blacktop private road to the left (S.). and proceed to towards the end of the pavement scanning for the hawks. The imm. ROUGH-LEGGED often sits on a hay bale or small tree just beyond the end of the pavement. It is not recommended to drive past the end of the pavement this time of the year so as not to get stuck in the red mud or tear up the road surface. If this road is gated, try walking up the southbound entrance ramp of I-49 until you have a view of the same spot. If you do not see the adult ROUGH-LEGGED here, try going east on LA 485 a short distance and searching the fields on the East side of I-49. A ROSS' GOOSE was found Jan. 24 in City Park in New Orleans. The goose is associating with a mixed flock of domestic waterfowl near the Delgado Museum. In the lagoon near the Museum there ia also a nice collection of diving ducks, including 7 REDHEADS, 5 GREATER SCAUP, a Ruddy duck, and the usual Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks. On the nearby Marconi Lagoon near the crossing of Fillmore St. there were 7 more REDHEADS and a male CANVASBACK. A female BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD was discovered in a yard in Abbeville in Vermilion Parish on 12/29. The hummer has been banded and the ID is confirmed. Exit I-10 at Lafayette and follow signs for US 167 to Abbeville (over 20 miles). At the first traffic light in Abbeville, turn left onto Bypass 14. Cross the bridge and turn right at the next light by a Burger King. Turn right again at the second street. Follow the curves and cross the coulee bridge. 301 S. Hollingsworth is the second house on the right. The Broad-bill also visits the yard a few doors down. Call Elizabeth Edwards at 898-1469 if you have difficulty finding the house. A male BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD has been present in Houma since mid-December at the home of Melanie Naquin. Visitors are welcome at last report, but please cal Melanie at 504-873-8794 home or 540-876-3768 work Tue-Wed or 504-532-2239 work M-Th-F. An immature CALIFORNIA GULL, which may be one of the ones seen on the Creole CBC, was seen on 12/27 on western Rutherford Beach near Oak Grove in Cameron Parish. The gull was about a half mile east of the tidal stream cut, which may mean something to you only if you regularly drive Rutherford Beach. To reach Rutherford Beach, exit I-10 at Cameron-Creole (Exit #36) and head south on LA 397 for about 6 miles. Turn left on LA 14, which starts heading south in about 3 miles. Continue heading south on LA 27 at Holmwood. Follow 27 south through Creole, continuing on LA 82 to Oak Grove (~ 24 miles from Holmwood). Turn right at the T-intersection onto Trosclair Rd (Par. 357). The turn to Rutherford Beach is a little over a mile on the left. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended if you plan to drive the entire beach. During a scouting trip on 12/26 for the Pine Prairie CBC, a possible WESTERN- type FLYCATCHER was found near Pine Prairie. The vocalizations led the observer to lean towards an identification of PACIFIC-SLOPE. The bird was found again on Jan.. 23. So far attempts to photograph the bird have not met with success as far as I know. If you have a camera and the opportunity, please check it out. To look for the bird, exit I-10 or US 190 at LA 13 and head north to the jct. of LA 10, about 33 mi. N. of I-10. Alternatively, especially if you are coming from the east, exit I-49 a few miles N. of Opelousas at Exit #23 and take US 167 west to Ville Platte, where you continue west on LA 10 for about 7 miles to jct. LA 13, which has a flashing light. Go west from this jct. on LA 10 about 1.6 miles. When the road takes a sharp right, turn right onto a gravel road and head north. Go about 0.7 mi. pasing the 3 or so houses on the left. When this road makes a 90 degree right, find a spot to pull over. The bird was seen in the hedgerow on the left. It was on the back side (west) facing a cow pasture protected by an electric fence. A female CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD appeared in the yard of Karen and George Fay in Baton Rouge on 12/22. Another CALLIOPE was discovered on 12/24. They were both here as of 1/1. 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. One seems to have settled in the backyard and one continues in the front yard and 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 genealogy section, and also the children's section. 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 Club. 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. 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 buff-bellied is reliable, but be prepared for a long wait if you try for the oriole. Call Marty Guidry at 225-755-1915 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 12/30: Lafayette Parish: a lone male CANVASBACK on a small lake in Girard Park in Lafayette. Sightings from 12/29: Jefferson Davis/Calcasieu/Cameron Parishes (Lacassine NWR-Thornwell CBC): FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK, over 200 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS, GREATER SCAUP, WHITE-TAILED KITE, 2 GOLDEN EAGLES, CRESTED CARACARA (at Lacassine NWR in the fields north of the 90 degree turn to the east boat launch), SANDHILL CRANE, WHIMBREL, FRANKLIN'S GULL, VERMILION FLYCATCHER, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, a possible BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and DICKCISSEL.. Sightings from 1/21: Calcasieu Parish: 200 SANDHILL CRANES just south of Holmwood. Thanks for calling the Baton Rouge rare bird alert and good birding. Compiler: Bruce Crider Home phone # : 225-927-5350 RBA phone # : 225-768-9874 Bcrider10@aol.com RARE BIRD ALERT ARCHIVE