Welcome back to our Rio Grande Valley Rare Bird Alert Blog postings!
We have resumed our weekly rarity postings.
Rarities in the Rio Grande Valley, from East to West:
Willacy County
No recent rarities reported.
Cameron County
A good candidate for Western Wood-Peewee was seen at the South Padre Island Convention Center on the boardwalk on 10/10. A Black-throated Blue Warbler was photographed at the same location on 10/11.
A Tropical Parula was photographed in the parking lot at Resaca de la Palma State Park on 10/11.
Hidalgo County
A Tropical Parula was found at Estero State Park on 10/15 in the Tropical Zone.
A Northern Jacana was found at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge at Pintail Lakes on 10/14, and continues through at least 10/16. *PLEASE NOTE THAT A TRAIL PROJECT ON PINTAIL LAKES WILL MAKE THIS AREA INACCESSIBLE from at least 7:30 am - 4:00 pm beginning on Tuesday, October 20th, for about a week. It is unknown whether it will be reopened on the weekend. We will update this post as we receive more information.
A Rose-throated Becard was found at the National Butterfly Center on 10/9, and seen again on 10/15. A Western Tanager continues on 10/12. A hybrid Altamira x Audubon's Oriole continues at the same location.
An adult ROADSIDE HAWK was found at Bentsen State Park on 10/8 and continues through 10/16, typically near the nature center. A Hook-billed Kite was seen over the same location on 10/10. A Western Tanager was here on 10/14.
Starr County
A Mottled Owl, Rose-throated Becards and Brown Jays continue this season at Santa Margarita Ranch. Restricted access through tours with professional guides only.
Full, up-to-date eBird rarity reports by county:
Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr
A note on playback: Playback is strictly prohibited in ALL State Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and many, if not all, municipal and private nature parks. In addition to being potentially harmful to birds when used extensively, it is also disruptive towards other birders. Thank you for not using playback!
Good Birding!
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Compiled by Tiffany Kersten
Nature Ninja Birding Tours
Additional resources for visiting birders may be found at NatureNinjaBirding.com.
