Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, September 24, through Friday, September 30, 2011:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) ACCIDENTAL: **ANHINGA** CASUAL: *LAUGHING GULL* *CALIFORNIA GULL* -Additional Species Mentioned Red-breasted Merganser (2nd earliest) Eared Grebe Black-crowned Night-Heron Mississippi Kite Sandhill Crane American Golden-Plover Black-bellied Plover American Avocet Hudsonian Godwit Red-necked Phalarope Buff-breasted Sandpiper Sanderling SABINES GULL BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER Mourning Warbler Spotted Towhee 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. *EAST*: LINN COUNTY: 3 BLACK CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER were seen at Cedar Lake on the 25th. JOHNSON COUNTY: A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER was seen at Hawkeye WA on the 28th. Directions: Traveling west on Swan Lake road turn north by the maintenance bldg. (So on the far east side of HWA). Go to the second gravel parking lot that is on the West. Across the road (to the east) and about 50 feet north is a well marked path. Follow the path to a clearing. *SOUTHEAST*: LEE COUNTY: A LAUGHING GULL was seen along the Ft Madison riverfront near Captain Kirks Bar and Grill on the 23rd. A CALIFORNIA GULL was seen at Green Bay Bottoms on the 28th. Directions: Take US Hwy. 61 south from Burlington to Co. X-50 (turn left/east at the BP Station in Wever). Follow the road to the river and continue until you are beyond the grain elevator *SOUTH CENTRAL*: WARREN COUNTY: Several NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Diehl Ponds on the 23rd. AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen at Diehl Ponds on the 27th. MARION COUNTY: A SABINES GULL was seen at Red Rock on the 25th. Highlights from Pinchey Bottoms on the 25th included 42 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 107 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 4 AMERICAN AVOCETS, and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Highlights from Pinchey Bottoms on the 27th included AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and HUDSONIAN GODWIT. Highlights from Pinchey Bottoms on the 29th included 26 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 121 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 2 ANHINGAS, and a MISSISSIPPI KITE. APPANOOSE COUNTY: NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Buckshot Lake on the 28th. *CENTRAL:* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *Shorebird highlights from Saylorville on the 23rd included AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and SANDERLINGS.* * * *An early RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was seen at Saylorville on the 27th. It was seen again on the 28th.* * * *A SABINES GULL and 3 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen at Saylorville on the 27th.* * * *2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Engeldinger Marsh on the 28th.* * * *An EARED GREBE was seen at Saylorville on the 29th.* * * * * * * * * *SOUTHWEST:* * * *MILLS COUNTY:* *170 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen in flooded fields east of Plattsmouth on Highway 34 on the 25th.* * * * * * * * * *WEST:* * * *POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY:* *A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen at the Hitchcock Hawkwatch on the 25th.* * * * * * * * * *NORTHWEST:* * * *KOSSUTH COUNTY:* *Highlights from Smith WA on the 25th included MOURNING WARBLER and SPOTTED TOWHEE.* * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, October 7, 2011 for the weekly report. Should any UNRECORDED or ACCIDENTAL species be reported, an update will be posted. John Bissell Grimes, Iowa [email protected] <[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]
