Iowa RBA birds reported from Saturday, December 1, through Friday, December 7, 2012:
-RARE Species Mentioned (documentation required) ACCIDENTAL: **GYRFALCON** -Additional Species Mentioned White-winged Scoter Red-throated Loon Western Grebe Great Egret (2nd Latest) Golden Eagle DOWITCHER SP (Record late) Glaucous Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Snowy Owl 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. *EAST*: CLINTON COUNTY: A SNOWY OWL was seen 4 miles SW of the town of Charlotte on the 1st. The SNOWY OWL, which has been seen west of Clinton on blacktop Z36 about .5 miles north of Highway 30, was last seen on the 1st. JOHNSON COUNTY: A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen upriver from the Meheffey Bridge on the 4th. *NORTHEAST:* * * ALLAMAKEE COUNTY: A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen at Lock and Dam 9 on the 7th. * * *SOUTHEAST*: LEE COUNTY: A late GREAT EGRET was seen at the 53rd St access to the Mississippi River southwest of Ft Madison on the 3rd. A very late DOWITCHER SP was seen at Trumpeter Marsh north of Montrose on the 3rd. *SOUTH CENTRAL*: MARION COUNTY: A WESTERN GREBE and a RED-THROATED LOON were seen at Red Rock on the 30th. *CENTRAL:* * * *BOONE COUNTY:* *2 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen near Ledges SP on the 1st.* * * *POLK COUNTY:* *A GYRFALCON was seen at Jester Park on the 5th.* * * *25 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen in NW Grimes on the 7th.* * * * * * * *WEST:* * * *POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY:* *A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen at the Hitchcock Hawkwatch on the 29th.* * * *A GLAUCOUS GULL and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen at Lake Manawa on the 4th. The LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was relocated on the 6th.* * * * * * * * * *NORTHWEST:* * * *CLAY COUNTY:* *39 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen along the Oxbow Trail west of Spencer on the 2 nd.* * * *IDA COUNTY:* *A SNOWY OWL was seen along Highway 59 south just past mile marker 223 on the 7th.* * * * * * * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next scheduled report of the Iowa Rare Bird Alert will be for Friday, December 14, 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]> 515-423-6108 --- 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]
