Louisiana Rare Bird Alert
Tuesday, 21 September 1999
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert
Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide
Highlights:
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD (not on the state list)
BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO * (*Louisiana State Review List)
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD *
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
others birds mentioned:
- cory's shearwater *
- masked booby *
- american white pelican
- black-bellied whistling-duck
- louisiana (aka tricolored) heron
- american bittern
- wood stork
- white-tailed kite
- sharp-shinned hawk
- cooper's hawk
- american kestrel
- merlin
- peregrine falcon
- dowitcher sp.
- western sandpiper
- least sandpiper
- black-necked stilt
- american avocet
- black skimmer
- eurasian collared-dove
- blossom-headed parakeet (probable escapee)
- black-billed cuckoo
- eastern screech-owl
- ruby-throated hummingbird
- rufous hummingbird
- red-bellied woodpecker
- western kingbird
- eastern kingbird
- philadelphia vireo
- warbling vireo
- veery
- swainson's thrush
- american robin
- red-breasted nuthatch
- marsh wren
- sedge wren
- barn swallow
- ruby-crowned kinglet
- carolina chickadee
- american goldfinch
- golden-winged warbler
- nashville warbler
- yellow-throated warbler
- prairie warbler
- common yellowthroat
- yellow-breasted chat
- lark sparrow
- dickcissel
- rose-breasted grosbeak
- blue grosbeak
Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Tuesday September 21. Highlights include a LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD out in the Gulf, a probable CLAY-COLORED SPARROW in Metairie, a probable MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD in Lafayette and a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD in LaPlace.
Even though the report is a bit late, I thought I would mention the report of a LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD, seen on 9/12 out on an oil platform off the southwest coast. The observer has reviewed museum specimens and has submitted convincing details to the LSU Museum of Natural Sciences, which oversees this interesting trans-gulf migration project.
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.
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.
Interesting sightings:
9/20:
Caddo Parish: 1 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH near downtown Blanchard.
East Baton Rouge Parish: a BLOSSOM-HEADED PARAKEET (most likely an escapee) coming to a feeder in Zachary.
9/19:
Caddo/Bossier Parishes: 1 PHILADELPHIA VIREO and 1 NASHVILLE WARBLER at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport. Also 1 SWAINSON'S THRUSH at Fleming Park on the western end of Cross Lake and an EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, I believe in Bossier City.
Winn Parish: 2 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS.
St Tammany Parish: a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO and humdreds of RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS in a yard in Abita Springs.
Lafourche Parish: a juvenile plumaged BLACK SKIMMER at the Caldwell Ponds NW of Thibodaux.
Jefferson/Lafourche Parishes: 200 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 1 SHARP-SHINNED and 2 COOPER'S HAWKS, 1 PEREGRINE FALCON, 200 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 1 CAROLINA CHICKADEE, 2 PRAIRIE and 1 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER and 1 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT either on Grand Isle or at Port Fourchon. Gulf of Mexico: 1-2 CORY'S SHEARWATERS seen from an oil platform off the southwest coast.
9/18: Caddo Parish: 18 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 75 AMERICAN ROBINS and 1 GOLDFINCH at the Stoner launch woods. Also a singing MARSH WREN in the southern part of the parish.
West Carroll Parish: a WARBLING VIREO in Oak Grove.
St Tammany Parish: 40-50 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS in a yard in Slidell.
Cameron Parish: ~ 100 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS and 3-4 AMERICAN BITTERNS seen at dusk at Lacassine NWR. Also 2 WHITE-TAILED KITES near Holly Beach and 1 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and 1 PRAIRIE WARBLER at Peveto Woods in Little Florida subdivision.
Orleans Parish: a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in a yard in New Orleans.
Jefferson/Lafourche Parishes: SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, MERLIN, 3 PEREGRINE FALCONS, ~120 DOWITCHERS, over 300 WESTERN and 100 LEAST SANDPIPERS, ~80 AMERICAN AVOCETS, a WESTERN and over 40 EASTERN KINGBIRDS, 2 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, over 150 BARN SWALLOWS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and LARK SPARROW either on Grand Isle or at Port Fourchon.
9/17:
Caddo Parish: a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK heard at the Stoner launch woods.
Gulf of Mexico: an adult MASKED BOOBY seen from an oil platform off the southwest coast (don't have exact date)
9/16:
Caddo Parish: a SEDGE WREN in Shreveport.
East Baton Rouge Parish: 2 LOUISIANA (aka TRICOLORED) HERONS, 82 WOOD STORKS (roosting at dusk), 4 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 4 BLACK-NECKED STILTS, 1 EASTERN SCREECH-OWL, around 60 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS and 12 BLUE GROSBEAKS at Richfield Riversilt (about 6 miles south of LSU on River Rd).
Orleans Parish: a number of migrants including a VEERY, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and over 16 YELLOWTHROATS at the Louisiana Nature Center. Exit I-10 at Read Blvd (exit 244). The Center is in Joe Brown Memorial Park on Nature Center Dr. Also 1 LARK SPARROW and 2 DICKCISSELS at Recovery One in New Orleans East.
9/14:
Gulf of Mexico: a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH on an oil platform off the south-central coast.
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 |
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