Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, October 1, through Friday, October 7, 2011:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) NONE -Additional Species Mentioned Surf Scoter Cattle Egret YELLOW RAIL American Golden-Plover Black-bellied Plover American Avocet Buff-breasted Sandpiper TOWNSENDS SOLITAIRE 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:* * * HANCOCK COUNTY: 5 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen at Crystal Hills WMA on the 3rd. CERRO GORDO COUNTY: A NELSONS SPARROW was seen at Zach WA on the 5th. * * * * *EAST*: JOHNSON COUNTY: 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS were seen at Sand Point on the 30th. 5 NELSONS SPARROWS were seen along Greencastle Ave north of Swan Lake Rd on the 3rd. The following directions were offered to get to these birds: To get to those birds I walked the farm access road east into the open field of short emergent grass and headed for the rock/concrete pile. Sparrows were from the pile eastward and better the farther east. Dense pockets of marsh vegetation, small snags, and an inch of water underfoot were the key elements of success. A CATTLE EGRET was seen at Sandy Beach on the 3rd. *SOUTHEAST*: LOUISA COUNTY: A YELLOW RAIL was seen at Horseshoe Bend on the 7th. Specific directions: >From Wapello, go east on Cty 99 (formerly State 99) for 2-3 miles to 114th Ave. Follow that gravel rd for 2.2 miles. At that point state land is on each side of the rd. with cables to prevent vehicles from driving on the area. I put a small white napkin on the orange/white metal marker on the north side. Follow the old vehicle trail for 50-100 yds and you will see a wide area with water in it. In the grassland in this area is where I flushed the bird. *SOUTH CENTRAL*: APPANOOSE COUNTY: 35 NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Buckshot Lake on the 1st. 15 were still present on the 5th. MARION COUNTY: Highlights from Pinchey Bottoms on the 2nd included at least 350 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and a NELSONS SPARROW. WARREN COUNTY: A NELSONS SPARROW was seen at Diehl Ponds on the 2nd. *CENTRAL:* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was seen at Jester Park on the 1st.* * * *AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER were seen at Jester Park on the 1st.* * * *A TOWNSENDS SOLITAIRE was seen at Easter Lake on the 3rd. Specifically, from the far southwest shelter area, there is a trail that leads to a small stream. The bird was seen by the gate.* * * *JASPER COUNTY:* *A SURF SCOTER was seen at Rock Creek SP on the 1st.* * * *GREENE COUNTY:* *NELSONS SPARROWS were seen at Snake Creek Marsh on the 6th.* * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, October 14, 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]
