Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, August 22, through Friday, August 27, 2009:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) CASUAL: *WHIMBREL* *PRAIRIE WARBLER* -Additional Species Mentioned Gray Partridge LITTLE BLUE HERON YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON Sandhill Crane American Golden-Plover Black-bellied Plover Piping Plover American Avocet RED KNOT Sanderling WESTERN SANDPIPER WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER Buff-breasted Sandpiper Red-necked Phalarope Common Tern Veery Golden-winged Warbler Mourning Warbler ***NEW!**************** For more up to date information on rarities in the state of Iowa, visit the Iowa Birds and Birding website at www.iowabirds.org. A list of rare birds is placed on the home page with the location of the rarity and most recent date of observation. This is updated several times per day. This is a handy tool for anyone making a birding trip or otherwise into the state of Iowa. ************************ Species in ALL CAPS can be classified into three categories in the state of Iowa: 1) UNRECORDED, ACCIDENTAL or Casual; 2) A RARE but regular species; or 3) record early or late date or unusual for time of year. Any species with three asterisks (***species***) would represent a first record for Iowa (UNRECORDED) and should be observed and documented very carefully. Species with two asterisks (**species**) are species that are either ACCIDENTAL, CASUAL, or a rare regular species, and should also be documented. Species with one asterisk (*species) should have some details of the observation provided. NORTH CENTRAL: CERRO GORDO COUNTY: An adult GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was seen at Parker’s Woods on the 24th. MITCHELL COUNTY: A family group of GRAY PARTRIDGE were seen in the western part of the county on the 27th. EAST: SCOTT COUNTY: A BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was seen at Credit Island on the 22nd. JOHNSON COUNTY: A WHIMBREL was seen north of Sand Point at Hawkeye WA on the 23rd. Directions are as follows: From the eastern end of Swan Lake on Swan Lake Road take the short access road north to a dead end and walk the edge of the field north to Sand Point. A PRAIRIE WARBLER was seen at the Cottage Reserve of Lake McBride on the 23rd. Highlights from Sand Point at Hawkeye WA on the 24th included 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS, 1 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, 1 SANDERLING, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, and 1 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. A juvenile WESTERN SANDPIPER and an adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER were seen at the far east side of Babcock access at Hawkeye WA on the 24th. NORTHEAST: BLACK HAWK COUNTY: 12 GRAY PARTRIDGE were seen in the Waterloo area on the 24th. WINNESHIEK COUNTY: 2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Cardinal Marsh on the 22nd. CHICKASAW COUNTY: A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was seen at Cedar Lake on the 27th. A VEERY was seen at Howard Woods on the 27th. SOUTHEAST: DES MOINES COUNTY: 2 GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS were seen at Starr’s Cave on the 23rd. SOUTH CENTRAL: MARION COUNTY: Highlights from Red Rock on the 23rd included 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 3 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, juvenile PIPING PLOVER, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. APPANOOSE COUNTY: Highlights from the south fork area of Lake Rathbun on the 26th included an immature PIPING PLOVER, and 2 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. CENTRAL: STORY COUNTY: A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was seen along College Creek in Ames on the 22nd. A MOURNING WARBLER and a VEERY were seen along College Creek in Ames on the 23rd. They were seen along the paved trail between South Dakota Ave and Thackeray Ave. POLK COUNTY: Highlights from Chichaqua WA on the 22nd included a juvenile YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, a juvenile LITTLE BLUE HERON, and 2 SANDHILL CRANES. Highlights from Jester Park on the 23rd included a molting adult RED KNOT, and 5 juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen at a small wetland near Jester Park on the 25th. Directions: This wetland can be viewed from the corner of 103rd Court and 114th Street in NW Polk County generally south of Jester Park. From NW Beaver Drive on the west side of Saylorville Lake, turn north at 107th Street and turn right at 114th Street (this is the street that leads to the Jester Park Stables.) A MOURNING WARBLER was seen at Polk City WA on the 27th. A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and a COMMON TERN were seen at Saylorville on the 27th. GREENE COUNTY: A GRAY PARTRIDGE was seen just north of Grand Junction on the 22nd. NORTHWEST: CLAY COUNTY: A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was seen at Dewey’s Pasture on the 27th. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, September 4, 2009 for the weekly report. Should any UNRECORDED or ACCIDENTAL species be reported, an update will be posted. John Bissell Grimes, Iowa [email protected] 515-986-9796 --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/membership.asp. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
