Louisiana Rare Bird Alert
10 August 1999
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert
Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide
Highlights:
MASKED BOOBY * (*Louisiana State Review List)
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
GREAT KISKADEE *
BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO *
others birds mentioned:
- pied-billed grebe
- american white pelican
- black-bellied whistling-duck
- yellow-crowned night-heron
- american bittern
- roseate spoonbill
- wood stork
- black vulture
- osprey
- mississippi kite
- american kestrel
- marbled godwit
- solitary sandpiper
- spotted sandpiper
- short-billed dowitcher
- stilt sandpiper
- black-necked stilt
- american avocet
- black-bellied plover
- semipalmated plover
- gull-billed tern
- least tern
- belted kingfisher
- blue-winged warbler
- yellow warbler
- prairie warbler
- black-and-white warbler
- kentucky warbler
- hooded warbler
- blue grosbeak
- painted bunting
- shiny cowbird * (? possible - heard only)
Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Tuesday August 10. Highlights include a MASKED BOOBY seen from an oil platform in the Gulf, a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD returning to LaPlace for at least a 7th season, a GREAT KISKADEE in Venice and BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS on Grand Isle.
A MASKED BOOBY was sighted in Louisiana waters from an offshore oil platform by observers who are part of a study of migration patterns out in the Gulf of Mexico.
A male BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD, that has been recorded in LaPlace for at least the last 7 winters, has returned on August 6 to 800 Fagot Loop in LaPlace. From Airline Hwy in LaPlace, turn south on Elm Street by the Billy Hart Restaurant. Fagot Loop is the first right turn. The house is on the NW corner of Elm and Fagot Loop. He often hangs out in the red cedar tree in the backyard.
A GREAT KISKADEE, which was originally discovered in late April, was seen again on Thursday August 5 around noon in Venice. To find the nest pole, stay on the main road from LA 23 in Venice and head towards Bud's Boat Rental. I believe the road is called Tidewater. You'll go through a right/left/right jug handle. Go past the intersection with the sign advertising Bud's Boat Rental (do NOT turn) and look for a power pole with a tag #184. A nest, constructed by the bird earlier in the year, is located on this pole. As you face the nest pole, the bird flew in from the left into the bushes across the water behind the nest pole. We were first alerted to the bird's presence by the loud call. The bird was present in the area between pole #s 184 and 185 for at least a half hour. Please be patient if you plan to see this bird. We waited at the nest site for at least an hour before we had any indication the bird was present.
BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS have nested in the woods behind the Sureway Grocery on Grand Isle. 3, presumably 2 adults and a juvenile, were seen and heard on 8/6 and the immature was seen again on 8/8. The Sureway Grocery is on the north side of the main road through Grand Isle.
The following sightings describe high counts or concentrations, early arrival or late departure dates or very unusual sightings for the location and time of year.
Sightings from 8/8:
Caddo Parish: 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER and 2 YELLOW WARBLERS in Shreveport.
Rapides Parish: 1 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, 50-60 ROSEATE SPOONBILLS and 250 WOOD STORKS near Cheneyville.
St Tammany Parish: a dozen or so AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 3 OSPREYS, 2 AMERICAN KESTRELS and lots of YELLOW WARBLERS along the Ponchartrain lakefront and at Big Branch Marsh NWR.
Orleans Parish: 1 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER and several YELLOW WARBLERS in east New Orleans.
Lafourche/Jefferson Parishes: 500+ WHITE PELICANS, 119 ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, 12 MARBLED GODWITS, 10 SHORT-BILLED (plus 100 unIDed) DOWITCHERS, 8 STILT SANDPIPERS, 5 BLACK-NECKED STILTS, 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS, 25 BLACK-BELLIED and 5 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 3 GULL-BILLED and 200+ LEAST TERNS, 2 PRAIRIE, 1 BLACK-AND-WHITE, 1 KENTUCKY and 3 HOODED WARBLERS and 1 PAINTED BUNTING in the Port Fourchon/Grand Isle area. A possible SHINY COWBIRD was heard near a yard behind the Sureway Grocery (Santini's).
Sightings from 8/7:
Iberville Parish: a BELTED KINGFISHER flying over Bayou Manchac.
St Mary Parish: a BELTED KINGFISHER along the Charenton Canal near Bayou Teche.
Sightings from 8/6:
Lafayette Parish: 2 YELLOW WARBLERS flying over the USL Experimental Farm in Lafayette.
Jefferson Parish: about a dozen YELLOW WARBLERS in Metairie.
Lafourche/Jefferson Parishes: AMERICAN BITTERN, 10 ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER in the Grand Isle/Port Fourchon area.
Iberville Parish: an adult BALD EAGLE has been seen several times at approximately mile marker 125 on the Atchafalaya Parkway.
Sightings from 8/5:
Iberville Parish: 3 YELLOW WARBLERS flying over and 1 observed in a yard in St Gabriel.
Plaquemines Parish: adult and juvenile YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, a BLACK VULTURE, a MISSISSIPPI KITE, a SOLITARY SANDPIPER, adult and immature BLACK-NECKED STILT, 3 GULL-BILLED TERNS and a pair of BLUE GROSBEAKS in Venice or along LA 23.
Sightings from 8/4:
St Bernard Parish: SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and YELLOW WARBLER.
Thanks for calling the Baton Rouge rare bird alert and good birding.
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Compiler: Karen Fay Home: 225.763.6805 RBA: 225.768.9874 lamskite@aol.com |
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