Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, February 25, through Friday, January March 2, 2012:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) ACCIDENTAL: **BULLOCKS ORIOLE** CASUAL: *GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL* *KUMLIENS GULL* -Additional Species Mentioned Long-tailed Duck Sandhill Crane Thayers Gull Glaucous Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE (Usual location) 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:* * * WRIGHT COUNTY: WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and COMMON REDPOLLS were seen at the Clarion Cemetery on the 27th. * * * * *EAST*: SCOTT COUNTY: Highlights from Lock and Dam 14 on the 26th included 2 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, KUMLIENS GULL, 4 THAYERS GULLS, and a GLAUCOUS GULL. At least 1 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was seen at Fairmount Cemetery on the 26th . Highlights from Lock and Dam 15 on the 1st included KUMLIENS GULL, 3 THAYERS GULLS, 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, and 1 GLAUCOUS GULL. Highlights from Lock and Dam 14 on the 1st included a KUMLIENS/THAYERS GULL hybrid, and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. *SOUTHEAST*: LOUISA COUNTY: A pair of SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Cone Marsh on the 26th. WAPELLO COUNTY: A BULLOCKS ORIOLE continues to be seen in Ottumwa as recently as the 29th. *SOUTH CENTRAL*: WARREN COUNTY: A SNOWY OWL was seen in the northeastern part of the county on the 26th. *CENTRAL:* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *A LONG-TAILED DUCK was seen at Saylorville on the 25th.* * * *WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen in a pine grove behind the Polk City Caseys on the 25th.* * * *3 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen at Errington Marsh on the 26th.* * * *TAMA COUNTY:* *A SHORT-EARED OWL and 5 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Otter Creek Marsh on the 25th.* * * *STORY COUNTY:* *A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen on the west side of R38 (510th), about a 1/2 mile north of the Kelley turnoff E57 (280th) on the 26th.* * * *HAMILTON COUNTY:* *2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Bob Pyle Marsh on the 28th.* * * * * * * * * *SOUTHWEST:* * * *PAGE COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen on "A" Avenue just north of Rapp Park on the 24th. It was last seen on the 25th.* * * * * * * *NORTHWEST:* * * *DICKINSON COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen on private property in Milford on the 25th.* * * *WOODBURY COUNTY:* *WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS continue to be seen at Graceland Cemetery in Sioux City as recently as the 25th.* * * *KOSSUTH COUNTY:* *12 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen at Riverview Cemetery in Algona on the 1st.* * * *PLYMOUTH COUNTY:* *A BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE was seen at the Broken Kettle Grasslands on the 2nd.* * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, March 9, 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]
