Iowa RBA birds reported from Friday, April 2, through Friday, April 9, 2010:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) ACCIDENTAL: **NEOTROPIC CORMORANT** CASUAL: *LAUGHING GULL* (2nd earliest) -Additional Species Mentioned Surf Scoter Black Scoter Gray Partridge Eared Grebe YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON White-faced Ibis Golden Eagle Sandhill Crane Forsters Tern (2nd earliest) Short-eared Owl Cliff Swallow (2nd earliest) Northern Mockingbird Louisiana Waterthrush Smiths Longspur Brewers 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. NORTH CENTRAL: WINNEBAGO COUNTY: A female BREWERS BLACKBIRD was seen at the intersection of 330th St and Maple Ave on the 3rd. HANCOCK COUNTY: BREWERS BLACKBIRDS were seen near Crystal Lake on the 7th. EAST: LINN COUNTY: A BLACK SCOTER continues to be seen at Pleasant Creek SP on the 3rd. It was last seen on the 8th. BREWERS BLACKBIRDS were seen in a cow pasture just east of Lewis Bottoms Marsh on the 6th. An EARED GREBE was seen at Pleasant Creek SP on the 7th. 2 were there on the 8th. JOHNSON COUNTY: An EARED GREBE was seen along Highway 965 at Croy Rd at the Hawkeye WA on the 6th. NORTHEAST: CLAYTON COUNTY: An immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen along the Turkey River southeast of Elkader on the 8th. SOUTHEAST: VAN BUREN COUNTY: A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was seen at Lacey-Keosaqua SP on the 2nd. LOUISA COUNTY: A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen at Cone Marsh on the 3rd. It was at the SE intersection area (T Ave and 220th St) HENRY COUNTY: 2 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES were seen at Oakland Mills County Park on the 3rd. SOUTH CENTRAL: MADISON COUNTY: 7 FORSTERS TERNS were seen at Badger Creek Lake on the 3rd. CENTRAL: DALLAS COUNTY: A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen ½ mile west of Jordan Creek Mall on the 4th. BOONE COUNTY: A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was seen at Ledges SP on the 2nd. A SANDHILL CRANE was seen at a marsh along the Boone/Hamilton County line on the 3rd. POLK COUNTY: 3 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen at Chichaqua WA on the 3rd. They were seen along 118th St. An adult breeding plumaged LAUGHING GULL was seen below the Saylorville dam on the 4th. This bird was also seen on the main reservoir from the west overlook. A SURF SCOTER was seen at Errington Marsh on the 4th. SANDHILL CRANES were heard at Chichaqua WA on the 4th. A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen in a small pothole along 114th St near the Jester Park horse stables on the 8th. An early CLIFF SWALLOW was seen at Grays Lake on the 9th. STORY COUNTY: 3 SANDHILL CRANES were seen as flyovers between Kettleson Marsh and Cooper Marsh on the 4th. GREENE COUNTY: 2 GRAY PARTRIDGE were seen at the intersection of 200th St and B Ave on the 8th. SOUTHWEST: PAGE COUNTY: A subadult NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was seen at Pierce Creek RA on the 3rd. It was last seen on the 5th at Rapp Park. It was seen again on the 6th in a pond along Highway 59 1.5 miles south of the intersection with Highway 2. It was seen again at Pierce Creek on the 9th. NORTHWEST: PLYMOUTH COUNTY: 3 WHITE-FACED IBIS were seen at a pond along Highway 60 1 mile NNW of Lemars on the 2nd. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, April 16, 2010 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]
