Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, December 31, through Friday, January 6, 2011:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) CASUAL: *BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE* *ICELAND GULL* *GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL* -Additional Species Mentioned Tundra Swan (Central, Northwest) Gray Partridge Thayers Gull Glaucous Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL Common Redpoll ***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:* * * HAMILTON COUNTY: 3 TUNDRA SWANS were seen at Beemers Pond on the 2nd. * * * * *EAST*: LINN COUNTY: A flock of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS was seen at a spruce plantation on the 31 st. Directions: from the large parking lot along Matsell Park Road, 1 mile north of the Waspi River bridge. From there it's a westerly walk on the trail through the red pines. *NORTHEAST:* * * CLAYTON COUNTY: A COMMON REDPOLL was seen in the southeast part of the county on the 3rd. 4 GOLDEN EAGLES were seen on the SE Clayton CBC on the 2nd. ALLAMAKEE COUNTY: A SNOWY OWL was seen in a pasture just east of Waukon on Elon Road on the 5 th. * * *SOUTHEAST*: LEE COUNTY: A SNOWY OWL was seen just outside Ft Madison on the 31st. Directions: At the intersection of highway 61 and highway 2, just outside of Fort Madison (on the west end of town), take a gravel road that fronts Huffman Welding and heads south. the owl is in a field about 1 1/2 blocks south of Brockman Sand Co. pit, on the east side of the road, approximately 150 yards out from the road and near some piles of dirt made from a new drainage ditch that has been excavated into the field. The owl was perched on the highest of the piles, can be seen with the naked eye. A GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL and a THAYERS GULL were seen along the Ft Madison riverfront on the 4th. *SOUTH CENTRAL*: MARION COUNTY: A THAYERS GULL and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen below the Red Rock dam on the 2nd. A GLAUCOUS GULL and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen at Red Rock on the 5th. *CENTRAL:* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *Highlights from Saylorville on the 31st included a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, ICELAND GULL, and a THAYERS GULL. The BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was last seen on the 1st. The ICELAND and THAYERS GULLS were seen again on the 2nd. The THAYERS GULL was last seen on the 4th. The ICELAND GULL was last seen on the 5th.* * * *STORY COUNTY:* *A COMMON REDPOLL was seen at an Ames feeder on the 2nd.* * * *A SNOWY OWL was seen near Shipley, less than a mile west of S14 on the 2nd. * * * *5 GRAY PARTRIDGE were seen on the Ames CBC on the 17th.* * * *A SNOWY OWL was seen just off the E29 exit east of Interstate 35 on the 3rd. It is between 570th and 580th St. This bird was last seen on the 6th.* * * *JASPER COUNTY:* *2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen on the Neal Smith CBC on the 31st.* * * * * * * *SOUTHWEST:* * * *FREMONT COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen just west of 370th Avenue on 230th Street on the 1st.* * * *2 SNOWY OWLS were seen west of Farragut on the 6th. The first bird is being seen on 230th Street, usually within a mile west of 370th Avenue, and the second bird is being seen on Manti Road near the Farragut sewer lagoons. * * * *ADAMS COUNTY:* *A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen a half mile north of the Taylor County line on the 4th. Another one in a different unknown location was seen on the 6th.* * * * * * * * * *WEST:* * * *CARROLL COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL continues to be seen in a field to the south of 110th between Mahogany and Hwy 71 on the 31st.* * * *A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen on the Carroll CBC on the 1st.* * * *An injured SNOWY OWL was found near the intsersection of 250th and Union on the 6th.* * * * * * * * * *NORTHWEST:* * * *IDA COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen northwest of Holstein, about 2 miles west of Highway 59 and 130th street at the Great Plains Dairy on the 31st. This bird was last seen on the 5th.* * * *DICKINSON COUNTY:* *2 SNOWY OWLS were seen on the 2nd. The 1st one was seen along 240th St southeast of Milford and the 2nd one was seen about another mile east.* * * *A TUNDRA SWAN was seen near the entrance to West Okoboji Harbor on the 2nd. * * * *WOODBURY COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen at the intersection of Emett Ave and 300th St on the 5 th.* * * *6 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen at Owego on the 5th.* * * *A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at Luton South WMA on the 5th.* * * * * * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, January 13, 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/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
