Louisiana Rare Bird Alert Thursday, 02 September 1999 Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide Highlights: CORY'S SHEARWATER * (*Louisiana State Review List) BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO * SHINY COWBIRD *   others birds mentioned: northern gannet double-crested cormorant american white pelican brown pelican black-crowned night-heron roseate spoonbill osprey american kestrel common snipe whimbrel upland sandpiper greater yellowlegs lesser yellowlegs long-billed dowitcher western sandpiper least sandpiper baird's sandpiper stilt sandpiper black-necked stilt american avocet black-bellied plover semipalmated plover snowy plover lesser black-backed gull laughing gull black tern black skimmer white-winged dove inca dove whip-poor-will olive-sided flycatcher yellow-bellied flycatcher least flycatcher western kingbird eastern kingbird bank swallow barn swallow yellow warbler black-throated blue warbler black-throated green warbler mourning warbler wilson's warbler dickcissel bronzed cowbird Transcript:   Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Thursday September 2. Highlights include CORY'S SHEARWATERS in the Gulf off the south-central coast, SHINY COWBIRDS and BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS on Grand Isle and a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD returning to LaPlace for at least a 7th season.   2 CORY'S SHEARWATERS were seen from an oil platform out in the Gulf of Mexico off the south-central coast on 8/30/99. Several other shearwaters were also seen, but not positively Ided (possible Audubon's Shearwater, Cory's/Greater Shearwaters).   Two SHINY COWBIRDS were seen again on 8/26 behind the watertower on Grand Isle in Jefferson Parish. Heading towards the eastern end of the island, turn left on Willow Lane, then take a right on the street past the watertower. These birds were seen in the mulberries. The house where they were originally discovered is located at the end of Coulon Rigaud Lane. Turn left by the Beach Club as you head towards the eastern end of the island. BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS have nested in the woods behind the Sureway Grocery on Grand Isle. 1 vireo was seen as late as 8/29. The Sureway Grocery is also on the left side of the main road through Grand Isle.   A male BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD, that has been recorded in LaPlace for at least the last 7 winters, has returned on August 6 to 800 Fagot Loop in LaPlace. From Airline Hwy in LaPlace, turn south on Elm Street by the Billy Hart Restaurant. Fagot Loop is the first right turn. The house is on the NW corner of Elm and Fagot Loop. He often hangs out in the red cedar tree in the backyard. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS are also at a number of locations. Call for the one nearest you (225-763-6805).   The following sightings describe high counts or concentrations, early or late dates or very unusual sightings for the location and time of year.   Sightings from 9/2 Ascension Parish: a RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD at a yard in Donaldsonville.   Sightings from 9/1: Caddo Parish: 1 WESTERN KINGBIRD along the Red River near Shreveport.   Red River Parish: 1 WHIP-POOR-WILL along the Red River.   Sightings from 8/31: Caddo Parish: 5 LEAST FLYCATCHERS and 4 MOURNING WARBLERS in Shreveport.   Jefferson Parish: 1 DICKCISSEL at Bucktownin Metairie.   Sightings from 8/30: East Baton Rouge Parish: a RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD at a yard in Baton Rouge.   Sightings from 8/29: Caddo Parish: 1 LEAST FLYCATCHER at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport.   St Landry Parish: 1 AMERICAN KESTREL near Lawtell.   Orleans Parish: 250 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 200 WESTERN and 3100 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 150 BLACK-NECKED STILTS and 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS at Recovery One in New Orleans East.   Lafourche/Jefferson Parishes: 350 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 1 WHIMBREL, 500+ WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 1000 BLACK SKIMMERS and 4+ BRONZED COWBIRDS at Grand Isle/Port Fourchon.   Sightings from 8/28: Acadia Parish: 150 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 1 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER north of Crowley.   St Martin Parish: SEMIPALMATED PLOVER at the USL Experimental Farm near Cade.   East Baton Rouge Parish: 300 BANK SWALLOWS roosting on a sandbar in the Mississippi River. The sandbar can be viewed from the Richfield Riversilt site off of River Rd.   Vermilion Parish: 125 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 1000+ LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 1500 WESTERN and 300 STILT SANDPIPERS, 800 BLACK-NECKED STILTS, 185 AVOCETS, 25 BLACK-BELLIED and 20 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS at the Vincent Refuge (LA 35/699).   Cameron Parish: 100-150 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS at the Equinox Oil field in Johnson Bayou; 8 SNOWY PLOVERS and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS along Broussard/Rutherford Beaches; 1 WHIP-POOR-WILL at the Willow Is woods near Oak Grove; SNOWY PLOVER and 250 BLACK TERNS near East Jetty and 1 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER at East Jetty woods in the town of Cameron; also 1-2 LEAST FLYCATCHERS, 500 BARN SWALLOWS and 1 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER.   Sightings from 8/27: Caddo Parish: 1 YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER and 1 WILSON'S WARBLER at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport.   Red River Parish: 1 COMMON SNIPE at Lock and Dam #4 and 1 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and 80+ EASTERN KINGBIRDS along the Red River.   St Tammany Parish: a female BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER in a yard in Abita Springs.   Jefferson Parish: 101 YELLOW WARBLERS at Bucktown in Metairie.   Orleans Parish: 1 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, 1 WILLET, 1 apparent WESTERN and 159 EASTERN KINGBIRDS and 6 DICKCISSELS at Recovery One in New Orleans East.   Sightings from 8/26: Jefferson Parish: 1 2nd yr NORTHERN GANNET, 18 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, 300+ BROWN PELICANS, 1 OSPREY, 2 UPLAND SANDPIPERS, 1 WHITE-WINGED and 2 INCA DOVES on Grand Isle.   Lafourche Parish: 400 WHITE PELICANS, 140 ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, 2000+ WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 2600 LAUGHING GULLS and 400 SKIMMERS at Port Fourchon. Thanks for calling the Baton Rouge rare bird alert and good birding. © D.J. L'Hoste Compiler: Karen Fay Home phone # : 225-763-6805 RBA phone # : 225-768-9874 Email address: lamskite@aol.com RARE BIRD ALERT ARCHIVE