Louisiana Rare Bird Alert
13 September 1999
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert
Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide
Highlights:
GREATER SHEARWATER * (*Louisiana State Review List)
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO *
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD *
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
SHINY COWBIRD *
others birds mentioned:
- pied-billed grebe
- gadwall
- ring-necked duck
- great egret
- wood stork
- osprey
- bald eagle
- short-billed dowitcher
- western sandpiper
- least sandpiper
- buff-breasted sandpiper
- black-necked stilt
- american avocet
- common ground-dove
- groove-billed ani
- common nighthawk
- whip-poor-will
- rufous hummingbird
- least flycatcher
- eastern kingbird
- red-eyed vireo
- blue-gray gnatcatcher
- northern rough-winged swallow
- nashville warbler
- black-throated green warbler
- prairie warbler
- wilson's warbler
- lark sparrow
- scarlet tanager
- dickcissel
- blue grosbeak
- baltimore oriole
Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Monday September 13. Highlights include a probable CLAY-COLORED SPARROW in Metairie, a probable MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD in Lafayette, GREATER SHEARWATERS in the Gulf, SHINY COWBIRDS and BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS on Grand Isle and a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD in LaPlace.
A probable CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen on 9/10 at Bucktown in Metairie. The bird was located on the peninsula. Take I-10 to I-610 in New Orleans. Exit I-610 at West End/Canal Blvd, which is the first exit after I-610 splits with I-10. Go north on West End towards Lake Pontchartrain for a few miles (pass several lights). At the light for Robert E Lee, turn left onto Lee, stay in the right lane and immediately bear right, following Old Hammond Hwy. Once you cross the 17th St Canal bridge, look for R & O's restaurant on the left. Park at the base of the levee on your right and walk the gravel path to the peninsula.
A probable MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was seen briefly on 9/8 at a USL construction site on Cajundome Blvd across from the National Wetlands Research Center. Exit I-10 in Lafayette at University Ave and head south (~1.5 miles). Turn right onto Congress St. Cajundome Blvd intersects Congress in about 1.5 miles. The field is on the northwest corner of the intersection of Cajundome and Congress, but the bird has not been seen since.
2 GREATER SHEARWATERS were seen on 9/6 from oil platforms out in the Gulf of Mexico during a migration study being conducted by LSU.
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 9/4, but could not be found on 9/11. 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.
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 9/12:
Caddo Parish: at least 2 LEAST FLYCATCHERS at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport. Also 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES and 1 OSPREY migrating over Cross Lake.
East Baton Rouge Parish: 30-40 WOOD STORKS and an adult BALD EAGLE at Richfield Riversilt (accessible from River Rd). It is several miles south of the LSU Vet School on the right. BLACK-NECKED STILTS were seen on Ben Hur Rd.
Sightings from 9/11:
Caddo Parish: 24 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport.
St Landry Parish: 1 COMMON GROUND-DOVE and 110 BLUE GROSBEAKS near Lawtell.
Jefferson Parish: ~25 RED-EYED VIREOS, 2 BLACK-THROATED GREEN and 1 PRAIRIE WARBLER on Grand Isle.
Lafourche Parish: ~120 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 400-500 WESTERN and ~120 LEAST SANDPIPERS at Port Fourchon.
Sightings from 9/10:
De Soto Parish: a female SCARLET TANAGER near Stonewall.
Jefferson Parish: 2 DICKCISSELS at Bucktown in Metairie.
Orleans Parish: a WHIP-POOR-WILL in a park at Fleur de Lis and 38th St.
Sightings from 9/9:
St Tammany Parish: a second RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, a juvenile male, reported in a yard in Abita Springs.
Jefferson Parish: 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS (very approachable) and 6 LARK SPARROWS at Bucktown in Metairie.
Sightngs from 9/8:
Caddo/Bossier Parishes: a roost of over 10,000 swallows, mostly NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, on a sandbar in the Red River. Also a NASHVILLE WARBLER at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport. 76 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were counted migrating over Bossier City in the evening.
East Baton Rouge Parish: a GADWALL and a RING-NECKED DUCK on City Park Lake by LSU and a BALTIMORE ORIOLE visiting a hummer feeder in Baton Rouge.
Jefferson Parish: several BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, 90 EASTERN KINGBIRDS, 5 LARK SPARROWS and 1 DICKCISSEL at Bucktown in Metairie.
Gulf of Mexico: a GROOVE-BILLED ANI on an oil platform off the southeast coast.
Sightings from 9/7:
St Landry Parish: a male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in a yard in Lawtell.
Iberville Parish: 60 EASTERN KINGBIRDS and 48 GNATCATCHERS seen migrating over St Gabriel.
Jefferson Parish: 60-70 EASTERN KINGBIRDS migrating over Kenner.
Orleans Parish: 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS and several DICKCISSELS at Recovery One in New Orleans East.
Sightings from 9/6:
Caddo Parish: 1 LEAST FLYCATCHER and 3 WILSON'S WARBLERS at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport and 1 WILSON'S along Wells Island Rd.
East Baton Rouge Parish: over 200 GREAT EGRETS and 60 STORKS at Richfield Riversilt.
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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