Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, October 3, through Friday, October 9, 2009:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) None -Additional Species Mentioned Ross’s Goose Northern Goshawk Least Bittern SNOWY EGRET YELLOW RAIL American Avocet Common Tern Spotted Towhee Nelsons Sparrow Brewer’s Blackbird ***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. EAST: LINN COUNTY: A LEAST BITTERN was seen in a mitigation pond along Center Point Road 1/2 mile north of Boyson Road in Hiawatha on the 4th. 200 BREWER’S BLACKBIRDS were seen along Lewis Bottoms Rd on the 7th. NORTHEAST: ALLAMAKEE COUNTY: 3 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS were seen at the Effigy Mounds Hawkwatch on the 4th. SOUTH CENTRAL: APPANOOSE COUNTY: 12 NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Sedan Bottoms on the 3rd. CENTRAL: BOONE COUNTY: Several NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Harrier Marsh on the 4th. A YELLOW RAIL and a NELSONS SPARROW were seen at Harrier Marsh on the 9th. MARSHALL COUNTY: 3 YELLOW RAILS were seen while harvesting prairie on the 4th. POLK COUNTY: A ROSS’S GOOSE was seen at Waterworks Park on the 9th. Highlights from Saylorville on the 9th included a juvenile COMMON TERN, 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS, and a YELLOW RAIL at Red Feather Prairie. NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Errington Marsh on the 4th. A SPOTTED TOWHEE was seen at the Big Creek spillway on the 4th. WEST: POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY: 2 SNOWY EGRETS were seen on the 8th in a small fenced in pond on Applewood Dr. south of the MidAmerican Plant just west of I-29. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, October 16, 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]
