Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, January 21, through Friday, January 27, 2012:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) CASUAL: *GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL* *ICELAND GULL* -Additional Species Mentioned Tundra Swan (Central) White-winged Scoter Gray Partridge Thayers Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Bonapartes Gull Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Northern Mockingbird Spotted Towhee Red Crossbill 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 22nd. * * * * *EAST*: LINN COUNTY: A SNOWY OWL was seen at the intersection of 18th St and Walford on the 21st. This is near the eastern Iowa airport. SCOTT COUNTY: 2 RED CROSSBILLS and multiple flocks of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen at Fairmount Cemetery on the 21st. These birds were last seen on the 24th. CROSSBILLS were last seen on the 26th. A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen from Lindsay Park on the 21st. A THAYERS GULL and a BONAPARTES GULL were seen at Lock and Dam 15 on the 23 rd. The BONAPARTES GULL was joined by a 2nd, and was last seen on the 26th. A BONAPARTES GULL was seen at the warm outflow at Concord and Wapello Streets on the 23rd. It was last seen on the 24th. Highlights from Lock and Dam 14 included a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, an ICELAND GULL, and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. MUSCATINE COUNTY: A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen at the intersection of F Avenue and Ripley St. south of Muscatine and east of Fruitland near the Louisa Generating Station on the 24th. JOHNSON COUNTY: A SNOWY OWL continues to be seen near the courthouse as recently as the 24th . *NORTHEAST:* * * WINNESHIEK COUNTY: A SPOTTED TOWHEE was seen north of Cardinal Marsh on the 20th. 30 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen on the west side of the NICC campus on the 23rd. * * *CENTRAL:*** * * *STORY COUNTY:* *3 GRAY PARTRIDGE were seen on Co Rd E29 just a mile North of Fernald on the 21st.* * * *A SNOWY OWL was seen about 150 yards west of 580th ave. 1.5 miles north of 13th street on the 22nd.* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen sitting on a ridge east of NW 26th Street, and 7-tenths of a mile north of the intersection of NW 26th Street and NW 110th Avenue on the 21st. This bird was last seen on the 26th.* * * *2 COMMON REDPOLLS and 2 TUNDRA SWANS were seen at the Johnston Pits on the 21st.* * * *A SNOWY OWL was seen along Interstate 35 near mile marker 100 on the 24th.* * * *BOONE COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen 1/2 mile east of V Avenue on 280th St on the 21st.* * * *JASPER COUNTY:* *4 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen at Neal Smith NWR on the 24th.* * * * * * * * * *SOUTHWEST:* * * *FREMONT COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen at Forney Lake on the 25th.* * * *A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen on a power pole west of I-29 on 192nd Ave on the 25th.* * * *A SNOWY OWL continues to be seen on 230th Street near Farragut as recently as the 23rd.* * * * * * * * * *WEST:* * * *CARROLL COUNTY:* *2 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen at Swan Lake SP on the 21st. One was relocated on the 24th.* * * * * * * * * *NORTHWEST:* * * *KOSSUTH COUNTY:* *21 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen at Riverview Cemetery in Algona on the 21st. * * * *Approximately 30 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen in Algona on the 27th.* * * *DICKINSON COUNTY:* *7 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen in a cemetery in the southeast part of the county on the 21st.* * * *A SNOWY OWL was seen just east of the junction of 240th Street and 240th Avenue southeast of Milford on the 22nd.* * * *SIOUX COUNTY:* *10 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen in a fairly large stand of spruce and fir trees on the south side of the Dordt College campus on the 26th.* * * *SAC COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen 3/4 of a mile west of highway 71 and D15 on the 26th.* * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, February 3, 2012 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]
