Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, April 2, through Friday, April 8, 2011:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) ACCIDENTAL: **EURASIAN WIGEON** CASUAL: *NEOTROPIC CORMORANT* -Additional Species Mentioned Black Scoter Surf Scoter Sandhill Crane American Golden-Plover Short-eared Owl Black-and-white Warbler (3rd earliest) Louisiana Waterthrush Smiths Longspur ***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 BLACK and a SURF SCOTER were seen by the dam at Pleasant Creek SRA on the 2nd. These birds were last seen on the 4th. 2 SURF SCOTERS and a BLACK SCOTER were still present on the 6th. 2 SURF SCOTERS and 2 BLACK SCOTERS were seen on the 7th. SCOTT COUNTY: 10 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at some wetlands near McCausland on the 6th. SOUTHEAST: VAN BUREN COUNTY: A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was seen at Ely Ford at Lacey Keosaqua SP on the 2nd. LOUISA COUNTY: 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and a SANDHILL CRANE were seen at Cone Marsh on the 3rd. 2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Cone Marsh on the 5th. CENTRAL: GREENE COUNTY: An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen at Dunbar Slough on the 2nd. BOONE COUNTY: An early BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was seen near Boone on the 3rd. POLK COUNTY: Highlights from Chichaqua Bottoms WMA on the 2nd included a SHORT-EARED OWL, and 3 flyover SANDHILL CRANES. 21 SMITHS LONGSPURS and a SHORT-EARED OWL were seen in a mowed field on the north side of 118th St by the water trails campground at Chichaqua WMA on the 3rd. 15 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen in corn stubble at the north end of Errington Marsh on the 6th. JASPER COUNTY: 3 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen along 102nd Ave south of the prairie learning center at Neal Smith NWR on the 6th. WEST: GUTHRIE COUNTY: A NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was seen at Bays Branch on the 2nd. The bird was last seen on the 7th. MONONA COUNTY: 15 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Tieville Bend WMA on the 2nd. NORTHWEST: DICKINSON COUNTY: 2 EURASIAN WIGEON were seen at a private pond on the west side of Highway 71 north of Highway 9 on the 2nd. WOODBURY COUNTY: 10 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen flying over Sandhill Lake on the 2nd. 6 SMITHS LONGSPURS and a SHORT-EARED OWL were seen at Luton WMA North on the 5th. Specifically, they are in the 1/4 mile section which lies southwest of the intersection of 240th & Delaware Ave. PALO ALTO COUNTY: 3 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen in a field on the 5th. KOSSUTH COUNTY: 6 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen near St Benedict WA on the 6th. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, April 15, 2011 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]
