Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, October 16, through Thursday, October 21, 2010:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) CASUAL: *RED PHALAROPE* -Additional Species Mentioned Western Grebe Surf Scoter Black Scoter Golden Eagle Sandhill Crane American Golden-Plover Black-bellied Plover American Avocet Short-eared Owl Smiths Longspur Nelsons Sparrow ***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: 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were seen at Clear Lake on the 20th. EAST: JOHNSON COUNTY: 2 BLACK SCOTERS were seen at Hawkeye WA along the Highway 965 bridge area on the 17th. 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS and 50 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen at the east end of Hawkeye WA on the 19th. SOUTHEAST: LOUISA COUNTY: Highlights from Cone Marsh on the 19th included AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and 6 SANDHILL CRANES. CENTRAL: JASPER COUNTY: A RED PHALAROPE was seen at Rock Creek SP on the 15th. It was last seen on the 20th. 2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Rock Creek SP on the 19th. 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen at Neal Smith NWR on the 21st. HAMILTON COUNTY: 2 SURF SCOTERS were seen at Little Wall Lake on the 18th. 3 were there on the 20th. BOONE COUNTY: 2 NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Harrier Marsh on the 21st. POLK COUNTY: A WESTERN GREBE and a SURF SCOTER were seen at Saylorville on the 21st. WEST: POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY: 2 GOLDEN EAGLES were seen at the Hitchcock Hawkwatch on the 20th. NORTHWEST: WOODBURY COUNTY: A flyover SMITHS LONGSPUR was heard at Luton WMA on the 16th. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, October 29, 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]
