This page contains recent TX RBA email messages. If you have subscribed to receive email messages and are are not receiving them, it is possible that your email provider is classifying them as spam. If possible, add staff@narba.org to your address book or safe sender list to help prevent this problem. Please contact the NARBA webmaster for further assistance.
September 1 - Sabine's Gull
Texas Panhandle: On September 1 Brian Gibbons reported that he found a juvenile SABINE'S GULL at Rita Blanca Lake near Dalhart in the panhandle. The bird was walking on the sandy beach at the north end of the lake. He took photographs which will soon be available.
August 31 - Ruff*
Galveston, TX: On Aug 31 Havar Hveding observed and photographed a RUFF* on Galveston Island. He reported that it was hanging out around some wet parts of a field by the 8 Mile Rd (W side of the road, N of Stewart) on Galveston Island. It was feeding and showing well from the road from 10am to noon. He couldn't see it when he left, but assumed it was still somewhere in the field.
August 30 - Wood Sandpiper*
West Texas: On Aug 29 while searching for the Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Martin Reid and Sheridan Coffey observed a WOOD SANDPIPER* from the dam at Lake Balmorhea in west Texas. They first heard the bird flying at some distance and eventually it flew at eyelevel within 30 yards of them. They got very good and solid looks at the bird and the critical field marks were seen well. The bird vocalized about six times. Unfortunately the bird kept flying south. It did not seem to gain altitude so there is hope that it may have been just going to another feeding area south of the lake. They will try to refind the bird on Aug 30.
August 28 - Fork-tailed Flycatcher*
West Texas: On Aug 28 a FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER* was observed and photographed about one mile west of the town of Balmorhea in west Texas. The location is between Balmorhea State Park and town. The bird was hanging out with a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on a fence wire.
August 24 - Ruff*
Lower Rio Grande Valley: At around 8 am on Aug 24 a female RUFF* (Reeve) was found in the southwest corner of Hwy 490 and 1425 near Raymondville, TX by birders who were searching for the Jabiru.
August 21 - Jabiru*
Lower Rio Grande Valley: On the evening of Aug 20 a JABIRU* was observed and photographed outside Raymondville in Willacy Co. in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It had first been found last week.
August 19 - possible Lesser/Great Frigatebird*, Brown Booby*
Coastal Bend: On Aug 19 Martin Reid photographed a female frigatebird with a pink bill, possibly a LESSER/GREAT FRIGATEBIRD* at the Quintana Jetty near Freeport. The bird was found in a large group of frigatebirds. He hopes to be able to obtain a solid identification from the photograph. He also observed an immature BROWN BOOBY* riding into port on the shrimp boat Nicholas at about 1:05 pm.
August 14 - Rose-throated Becard*
Lower Rio Grande Valley: On the evening of Aug 13 a female or immature ROSE-THROATED BECARD* was seen in the thicket at Frontera Audubon Society (Weslaco, TX). It was not relocated on the morning of Aug 14.
August 5 - Lesser/Great Frigatebird*
Coastal Bend: On the afternoon of Aug 5 Brush Freeman observed a juvenile Frigatebird with a brown head that he believes is either a LESSER or GREAT FRIGATEBIRD. The sighting was made in Matagorda Bay close to Port O'Connor. He feels that the bird may stay in the area, and may have already been present for a while.
July 30 - Green Violetear*
Magnolia, TX: On July 29 a GREEN VIOLETEAR* was observed by Don DuBois as it visited some flowers at his home in Magnolia, TX (Montgomery Co). This is about 40 miles northwest of Houston. Don welcomes birders in small numbers. Contact information is in the website report.
July 29 - White-eared Hummingbird*
Big Bend National Park, TX: On July 27 a female WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD* was observed in Boot Canyon, Big Bend National Park. It was in a flowering agave between remote campsites BC-1 and BC-2.
July 16 - Brown Booby*
Lower Rio Grande Valley, TX: On July 15 an immature BROWN BOOBY* was observed for an extended period of time in the afternoon at Padre Island National Seashore. The bird was between 3 and 4 miles south of the visitor center.
July 16 - Green Violetear*
Austin: A confirmed GREEN VIOLETEAR* has been visiting a feeder in Austin, TX, beginning at 12:30 pm on July 15. It has also been seen several times on July 16.
June 14 - Masked Duck*
Dallas: On the morning of June 14 a female MASKED DUCK* was observed at a Trinity River restoration project marsh in northwest Kaufman County near Dallas.
June 13 - Mangrove Cuckoo*
Lower Rio Grande Valley: On June 13 Scarlet and George Colley of the South Padre Island Nature Center observed a MANGROVE CUCKOO* feeding in their backyard at their house in Port Isabel, TX. They welcome visitors. Directions and contact information are in the TX RBA website report.
June 13 - Flame-colored Tanager*
Big Bend National Park: In the early morning hours on June 13 a female FLAME-COLORED TANAGER* was seen and photographed in the vicinity of the Boot Spring campsites in Big Bend National Park. There may a male present also, but it was not seen well enough to confirm the sighting.
June 11 - Brown Jay*
Lower Rio Grande Valley: On June 11 it was reported that BROWN JAYS* (both adult and juvenile) have been seen over the past couple of days in La Puerta Tract, a USFWS sanctuary, near Rio Grande City, TX.
June 9 - Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher*
Lower Rio Grande Valley: On the morning of June 9 John Brush confirmed a SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER* at Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, TX. It is suspected to have been present for about a week. Exact directions are in the TX RBA report on the website.
June 7 - Red-billed Tropicbird*
South Padre Island, Texas: At about 8:45 am on June 7 Brad McKinney observed an adult RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD* near the South Padre Island jetties at the southern end of South Padre Island.
May 7 - Short-tailed Hawk*
Edwards Plateau, TX: On May 7 Mitch Heindel, while leading a tour, found a dark morph SHORT-TAILED HAWK* at Lost Maples State Natural Area. They got good looks on the way down the Can Creek trail from the ponds.
May 3 - Piratic Flycatcher*
Corpus Christi, TX: On May 3 a PIRATIC FLYCATCHER* was identified by Gene Blacklock at Pollywog Pond in Corpus Christi, TX.
April 27 - Yellow-Green Vireo
Upper Texas Coast: On Apr 26 late in the day a YELLOW-GREEN VIREO was seen close to the parking lot for the Rookery at Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary in High Island.
April 16 - probable Elegant Tern*
Upper Texas Coast: Midday on Apr 15 a probable ELEGANT TERN* was observed briefly and photographed at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. Photos have been posted. It may also have been present on Apr 14.
April 13 - Ruff*
Edwards Plateau: On April 12 in the afternoon a juvenile RUFF* was observed and photographed at Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory, which is near Austin, TX.
April 12 - Greater Flamingo*
Upper Texas Coast: On April 12 at around 6:00 pm two GREATER FLAMINGOES* were observed and photographed at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. Earlier this year in February, two flamingoes had been seen in the Laguna Madre.
April 6 - Blue Bunting*
Lower Rio Grande Valley, TX: At 11:50 am on April 6, a male BLUE BUNTING* was observed briefly at the northeast end of Pintail Lake at Santa Ana NWR. The observer, Dan Jones, saw the bird, heard it give a few calls, but then was unable to refind it.
March 28 - Northern Pygmy-Owl*
Big Bend NP, Texas: On March 28 a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL* was found along the Emory Peak Trail in Big Bend National Park. The bird definitely seemed territorial, and there is a good chance it could be refound. When calling, it was clearly audible from a long stretch of trail.
March 18 - White-throated Robin*
Lower Rio Grande Valley, TX: On Mar. 18 Lynn Barber confirmed a WHITE-THROATED ROBIN* being seen at the property of Allen Williams in Pharr, TX. The robin was feasting on mulberries and hackberries. Allen also has numerous other species including a Clay-colored Robin. He welcomes birders during daylight hours, requesting a donation of $10 for a week's admission. The address is 750 W. Sam Houston in Pharr. Lynn has already posted a photo.
March 16 - Fork-tailed Flycatcher*
Upper Texas Coast: On the afternoon of March 15 a FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER* was found in Sabine Pass (Jefferson County), TX. The bird was observed by multiple observers from 3:00 until dark, flycatching mostly from the utility wires on Pilot Station Road 0.6 to 0.9 miles south of the bridge over Texas Bayou. This is the section of the road where the ship channel comes right up to the road on the left(east), and is before one reaches the main line of Salt Cedars. It is possible this is the same bird that was seen in February in Louisiana.
March 7 - Iceland Gull*
Houston, TX: On March 6 Martin Reid found a classic first year ICELAND GULL* in a large flock of gulls at a construction site at Hwy. 59 and Beltway 8 which is close to Bush Intercontinental Airport.
March 5 - Clark's Nutcracker*
Texas Panhandle: A CLARK'S NUTCRACKER* has been reported from the TX Tech University's Kilgore Research Site at the intersection of Highway 60 and FM 683 (just east of St. Francis) in Carson County. As of March 3 it was still being seen.
March 1 - Little Gull*
Dallas, TX: On March 1 a LITTLE GULL* was found and photographed at the White Rock Lake spillway in Dallas.
