Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, March 17, through Friday, March 23, 2012:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) ACCIDENTAL: **BULLOCKS ORIOLE** -Additional Species Mentioned Cinnamon Teal Eared Grebe AMERICAN BITTERN (Record early) Golden Eagle COMMON GALLINULE (Record early) Sandhill Crane American Golden-Plover Long-billed Dowitcher (2nd earliest) WHITE-WINGED DOVE NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Record early) Northern Mockingbird NORTHERN PARULA (Record early) Smiths Longspur LeContes Sparrow (2nd earliest) Brewers Blackbird ***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*: JOHNSON COUNTY: A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen at the Coralville Reservoir on the 16th. SMITHS LONGSPURS and AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen at Sand Point on the 17th. 25 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen in corn stubble on the east side of Sioux Avenue about a half mile south of Johnson Co. F-62 on the 22nd. SCOTT COUNTY: A very early NORTHERN PARULA was seen at the Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport on the 17th. *SOUTHEAST*: DES MOINES COUNTY: A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen near Oakville along Des Moines Cty Rd. 99 on the 17 th. WAPELLO COUNTY: A BULLOCKS ORIOLE continues to be seen in Ottumwa as recently as the 21st. *SOUTH CENTRAL*: WARREN COUNTY: 8 BREWERS BLACKBIRDS were seen at Banner WA on the 16th. MADISON COUNTY: A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen at Badger Creek SP on the 22nd. *CENTRAL:* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *An early LECONTES SPARROW and a SANDHILL CRANE were seen at Errington Marsh on the 17th.* * * *40 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen at Chichaqua WA on the 17th. 50 were there on the 18th.* * * *An EARED GREBE was seen at Saylorville on the 20th. 3 were present on the 22nd.* * * *2 BREWERS BLACKBIRDS were seen at Saylorville on the 21st.* * * *TAMA COUNTY:* *20 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Otter Creek Marsh on the 17th. * * * *Record early highlights from Ottern Creek Marsh on the 18th included AMERICAN BITTERN, COMMON GALLINULE, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 20 SANDHILL CRANES were also seen.* * * *DALLAS COUNTY:* *2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen near Desoto on the 18th.* * * * * *WEST:* * * *CRAWFORD COUNTY:* *2 BREWERS BLACKBIRDS were seen on the 19th.* * * * * * * *NORTHWEST:* * * *HUMBOLDT COUNTY:* *An early LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was seen at Banwart Prairie on the 19th.* * * *PLYMOUTH COUNTY:* *A WHITE-WINGED DOVE was seen in Merrill on the 21st. This bird was seen at the intersection of Frost and Center St. This bird was last seen on the 23rd .* * * *WOODBURY COUNTY:* *A CINNAMON TEAL continues to be seen on the north side of New Lake on the 23rd.* * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, March 30, 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]
