Louisiana Rare Bird Alert Tuesday, 17 August 1999 Baton Rouge Audubon Society Rare Bird Alert Area: Baton Rouge and Louisiana statewide Highlights: GREATER SHEARWATER * (*Louisiana State Review List) MASKED BOOBY * BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD GREAT KISKADEE * BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO * SHINY COWBIRD *   others birds mentioned: magnificent frigatebird double-crested cormorant blue-winged teal american bittern white-faced ibis roseate spoonbill common moorhen marbled godwit whimbrel upland sandpiper lesser yellowlegs solitary sandpiper spotted sandpiper willet long-billed dowitcher sanderling semipalmated sandpiper least sandpiper white-rumped sandpiper baird's sandpiper pectoral sandpiper stilt sandpiper buff-breasted sandpiper wilson's phalarope american avocet black-bellied plover semipalmated plover gull-billed tern least tern white-winged dove inca dove ruby-throated hummingbird rufous hummingbird alder flycatcher willow flycatcher scissor-tailed flycatcher cliff swallow northern parula yellow warbler prairie warbler black-and-white warbler american redstart prothonotary warbler worm-eating warbler swainson's warbler louisiana waterthrush kentucky warbler hooded warbler Transcript:   Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on Tuesday August 17. Highlights include SHINY COWBIRDS and BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS on Grand Isle, a GREATER SHEARWATER and MASKED BOOBY out in the gulf, a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD returning to LaPlace for at least a 7th season and a GREAT KISKADEE in Venice.   Two, possibly more, SHINY COWBIRDS were found 8/15 on Grand Isle in Jefferson Parish. Two males were observed in a mulberry tree at a residence known for feeding birds. The house is located behind or north of the water tower. Look for lots of seed thrown on the ground and a grouping of mulberry trees.   BLACK-WHISKERED VIREOS have nested in the woods behind the Sureway Grocery on Grand Isle. 2 vireos were seen as late as 8/16. The Sureway Grocery is on the north side of the main road through Grand Isle.   A GREATER SHEARWATER and a MASKED BOOBY were seen from an oil rig platform off SE LA near the edge of the Mississippi River Canyon early this week.   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 8/5 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. I have not had any recent reports.   The following sightings describe high counts or concentrations, early or late dates or very unusual sightings for the location and time of year.   Sightings from 8/17: Acadia Parish: a SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER along US 90 between Rayne and Duson.   Sightings from 8/16: Jefferson Parish: a WHITE-WINGED DOVE on Grand Isle.   St. Bernard Parish: 1 WILLOW FLYCATCHER, 6 YELLOW and 2 BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS in St Bernard State Park.   Gulf of Mexico: a SWAINSON'S WARBLER on an oil rig plarform.   Sightings from 8/15: East Baton Rouge Parish: an adult male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD is now present at a feeder in Baton Rouge.   Jefferson Parish: well over 100 MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDS observed flying NE on Grand Isle. 1 WHITE-WINGED and 1 INCA DOVE and BRONZED COWBIRDS also seen at the SHINY COWBIRD spot. 1 WHIMBREL, 4 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 1 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER at the Exxon fields; 1 NORTHERN PARULA, 1 PRAIRIE and 1-2 BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS, 1 AMERICAN REDSTART, 2-3 PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS, 2-3 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES, 3-4 KENTUCKY and 4-5 HOODED WARBLERS at the Sureway woods, both locations on Grand Isle.   Lafourche Parish: 2 MARBLED GODWITS, 30 DOWITCHERS, over 150 SEMIPALMATED, 1 PECTORAL and 35 STILT SANDPIPERS, 4 AMERICAN AVOCETS, over 40 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and 1 GULL-BILLED TERN on Fourchon pond.   Sightings from 8/14: Caddo Parish: 13 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS, a TRAILL'S-type FLCATCHER and 2 YELLOW WARBLERS at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport.   Red River Parish: 8 SPOTTED SANDPIPER, 1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 1 WILLET, 150 PECTORAL and 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS and 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS at Lock and Dam #4.   Natchitoches Parish: 1 adult WHITE-FACED IBIS, 4 COMMON MOORHENS and 150 CLIFF SWALLOWS near Powhatan.   Calcasieu Parish: 3 UPLAND SANDPIPERS flying over and 4 YELLOW WARBLERS along Fabacher Rd.   Cameron Parish: 4 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, 1 AMERICAN BITTERN, 1 SOLITARY, 1 SPOTTED, over 60 LEAST, 1 BAIRD'S, 4 PECTORAL and well over 1000 STILT SANDPIPERS, 7 WILSON'S PHALAROPES, 3 BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS and 1 AMERICAN REDSTART at various spots in the parish.   Sightings from 8/12: St Tammany Parish: 2 WORM-EATING WARBLERS at the Pearl River WMA near Slidell.   Sightings from 8/11: Caddo Parish: 2 ALDER FLYCATCHERS and 4 YELLOW WARBLERS at the Stoner launch woods in Shreveport.   Red River Parish: 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 8 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 9 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 1 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, 1 SANDERLING, 20 SEMIPALMATED, 250 LEAST, 1 WHITE-RUMPED and 45 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 6 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and 1 LEAST TERN at Lock and Dam #4.   Natchitoches Parish: 1 immature ROSEATE SPOONBILL, 4 UPLAND SANDPIPERS, 1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 1 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER and 325 CLIFF SWALLOWS close to I-49 near Powhaten. Thanks for calling the Baton Rouge rare bird alert and good birding. Compiler: Karen Fay Home: 225.763.6805 RBA: 225.768.9874 lamskite@aol.com RARE BIRD ALERT ARCHIVE