Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, March 31, through Friday, April 6, 2012:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) CASUAL: *NEOTROPIC CORMORANT* -Additional Species Mentioned Cinnamon Teal Eared Grebe PLEGADIS SP (Record early) Sandhill Crane Sora (3rd earliest tie) American Golden-Plover Hudsonian Godwit (2nd earliest) Upland Sandpiper (2nd earliest) Short-eared Owl WHITE-WINGED DOVE WHIP-POOR-WILL (Record early) EASTERN KINGBIRD (Record early) BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Record early) Louisiana Waterthrush ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (Record early) NORTHERN PARULA (Record early) YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (Record early tie) PALM WARBLER (Record early) CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Record early) GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Record early) Henslows Sparrow (2nd earliest tie) Smiths Longspur 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*: LINN COUNTY: An EARED GREBE was seen at Cedar Lake on the 30th. An EARED GREBE was seen at Pleasant Creek Lake on the 30th. It was seen again on the 1st. JOHNSON COUNTY: A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at Babcock Access on the 30th. 3 early SORAS were seen at Waterworks Prairie Park on the 1st. AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen Hawkeye WA on the 5th. *NORTHEAST:* * * BLACK HAWK COUNTY: A SANDHILL CRANE was seen at Greenbelt Lake on the 1st. * * *SOUTHEAST*: LOUISA COUNTY: 5 SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Cone Marsh on the 31st. DES MOINES COUNTY: An early NORTHERN PARULA was seen in Cascade Ravine in Dankwardt Park in Burlington on the 31st. A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was seen at Starrs Cave Park and Preserve north of Burlington on the 31st. An early BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen at Starrs Cave Park on the 4th. VAN BUREN COUNTY: 3 early YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS were seen in the Ely Ford area of Lacey-Keosauqua SP on the 31st. LEE COUNTY: Early HENSLOWS SPARROWS were seen throughout the county on the 3rd. *SOUTH CENTRAL*: RINGGOLD COUNTY: An early HENSLOWS SPARROW and an early UPLAND SANDPIPER were seen at the Kellerton Grasslands on the 31st. MARION COUNTY: 17 EARED GREBES and an early PLEGADIS IBIS were seen at Pinchey Bottoms on the 1st. LUCAS COUNTY: 3 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH were seen at Mine Pond at the Lucas Unit of Stephens SF on the 1st. CLARKE COUNTY: An early WHIP-POOR-WILL was heard on the 5th. *CENTRAL:* * * *GREENE COUNTY:* *Highlights from Dunbar Slough on the 1st included BREWERS BLACKBIRDS, an early HUDSONIAN GODWIT, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, and a SANDHILL CRANE.* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen on the 1st.* * * *An early CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen on the Grand View College campus on the 2nd.* * * *An early ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen at Saylorville on the 3rd.* * * *Early EASTERN KINGBIRDS were seen 2 miles southwest of the capitol building in Des Moines on the 4th.* * * *STORY COUNTY:* *An early PALM WARBLER was seen in a yard in the NW part of the county on the 2nd.* * * *JASPER COUNTY:* *Early HENSLOWS SPARROWS and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW were seen at Neal Smith NWR on the 3rd. SMITHS LONGSPURS were also seen.* * * *100 SMITHS LONGSPURS were seen on the east side of the Neal Smith NWR on the 4th.* * * *A SANDHILL CRANE was seen at Neal Smith NWR on the 4th.* * * * * * * * * *SOUTHWEST:* * * *FREMONT COUNTY:* *3 NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS and a CINNAMON TEAL were seen at Forney Lake on the 2nd.* * * * * * * *NORTHWEST:* * * *PLYMOUTH COUNTY:* *A WHITE-WINGED DOVE continues to be seen in Merrill as recently as the 31st .* * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, April 13, 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]
