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The American Birding Association recommends that birders use a standard FRS (Family Radio Service) channel. This kind of common communication is often essential when trying to re-find a roving rarity. The ABA recommends channel 11 subcode 22 for birding communications. Many of the modern FRS radios have built-in GPS and can transmit location information to other capable receivers. For more information, see Using Radios for Birding by Paul Baicich on the Bird Watcher's Digest web site.

To report a Texas rare bird sighting, please email staff@narba.org

*Texas Review Species - please send reports to Mark Lockwood, Texas Bird Records.

Pelagic Birding Trip -- September 6
Eric Carpenter has planned pelagic birding trips aboard the Osprey. The trips leave from the southern tip of South Padre. The next trip will be on September 6. More Information.

Coastal Bend: LESSER/GREAT FRIGATEBIRD* --
first report: Aug 5; last update: Aug 6
On the afternoon of Aug 5 around 2:00pm Brush Freeman saw a juvenile Frigatebird with about 16-18 others over the channel in West Matagorda Bay from the bay front in Port O'Connor. The bird was at a distance but clearly showed a brownish head, indicating a non-Magnificent Frigatebird. Brush reported: "While I am not familiar with any species of frigatebird at all other than MAFR, this critter looks to be either Great or Lesser, I have ruled out another species just based on range. And if a gun was held my head and I had to choose I would go Lesser only because the white on the under-parts seemed limited, even from this distance, to the breast or upper breast. I Google earthed this up and the distance between I and it was .62-1.1 mi. Quite within the range of a good scope here. This bird may hang around, in fact it may have been here for a while as in the afternoons there are always a few frigates around." On Aug 6 the bird did not make an appearance; Brush now leans towards the Great Frigatebird identification.
Location: (posted by Brush Freeman): pull up Google Earth, go to Port O'Connor Texas, look for a house on the front beach labeled Walker house. With your Google measuring tool, just drag a line out from there straight into the bay 1.1 mi. and you have a rough idea as to where these birds most usually are to be found. This bird may hang around, in fact it may have been here for a while as in the afternoons there are always a few frigates around.

Big Bend National Park: WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD* --
first report: July 28; last update: Aug 4
On July 27 Thomas Riecke, Greg Cook, Lacrecia Johnson, and Brian Gibbons observed a female WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD* in Boot Canyon at Big Bend National Park. It was seen in a flowering agave between remote campsites BC#1 and BC#2. Two White-eared Hummingbirds, both female, were found on Aug 1-2. They were along the side drainage by BC#2 and also up the drainage to the main Boot Canyon trail about 100 yards before the turnoff to the campsites.

Lower Rio Grande Valley: ROSE-THROATED BECARD* --
first report: Aug 14
On the evening of Aug 13 a female or immature ROSE-THROATED BECARD* was seen in the thicket at Frontera Audubon Society, but it was not relocated on Aug 14. Frontera Audubon Thicket is #58 on the Lower Texas Coast Wildlife Trail.

Lower Rio Grande Valley: YELLOW-GREEN VIREO --
last update: Aug 15
On Aug 10 Lynn Barber found a YELLOW-GREEN VIREO at Sabal Palm Audubon Center. The vireo was heard and seen along the boardwalk. Sabal Palm has been a reliable location for Yellow-green Vireo this summer. Lynn was not able to find the vireo which was present earlier this summer in the Brownsville Boca Chica neighborhood.

On Aug 15 Mary Gufstafson found a singing YELLOW-GREEN VIREO near Progreso Lakes while she was conducting point counts at during point counts on Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR tracts in Hidalgo County. She was also surpised to find a singing Alder Flycatcher in the same area.

Lower Rio Grande Valley - San Ygnacio: WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER -- last update: July 26
The WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATERS have been seen consistently at the end of the Raptor Trail; best time is in the morning. On July 25 at 12:40 pm one male was found at the boat ramp (end of Raptor Trail). On July 20 at 11:20 am two birds were heard calling in the same area. On July 14 a female was observed at 10 am. On July 13 a male was seen in the morning, and both male and female were there at about 7 pm. Normally they are not seen that late in the day. The Raptor Trail is 1/2 mile to the end and 1/2 mile back. The first half of the trail is not very birdy; but the second half is. The entrance is on Uribe Ave. one block to the north and parallel to Washington. San Ygnacio is #87 on the Lower Texas Coast Wildlife Trail. Parking and pedestrian entry to the sanctuary at south end of Washington St.

Taylor County: AMERICAN WOODCOCK -- first report: Aug 13
On Aug 11 an AMERICAN WOODCOCK appeared on a sidewalk in the Buffalo Gap area of West Texas. Jay Capra was able to get photographs. See the link for the full story.

Lower Rio Grande Valley: APLOMADO FALCON -- first report: Aug 6
On Aug 5 at about 7pm Stacy Sanchez observed two APLOMADO FALCONS at Laguna Atascosa NWR. Stacy was almost to the T at FM106 (General Brant Road) and Buena Vista Road. Other staff members have also reported seeing them there. Laguna Atascosa is now open in certain areas; hours are from 7am to 4pm.

Guadalupe Mountains: OLIVE WARBLER -- first report: Aug 11
On Aug 9 Brian Gibbons found and photographed an OLIVE WARBLER in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The warbler was on the Bowl Trail, about 300 meters before the junction with Juniper Trail.

New! Bolivar Peninsula: LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL -- first report: Aug 17
On Aug 17 Cin-ty Lee and Bill Saulmon found a fresh adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary.

New! Houston: LEAST GREBE -- first report: Aug 16
On the morning of Aug 16 Drew Deckert found an adult LEAST GREBE in Bear Creek Park in west Houston. The grebe was on a golf course pond just west of Bear Creek Drive at the entrance off Clay Road. This represents a new park record. (Map of Bear Creek Park)

Austin: LEAST GREBE --
first report: July 9; last update: Aug 8
On July 5 Vincent O'Brien found a LEAST GREBE with 3 juveniles in Austin on a small pond on the southwest side of the Triangle Apartment complex and shopping center, at 4600 Guadalupe, Austin. The group was observed again on the morning of July 9 for about 30 minutes, and has continued through July 10. On July 19 Vincent reported there were four new ducklings present in addition to the three juveniles and two adults. The three juveniles were staying away from the breeding pair and new arrivals at another end of the pond. On July 28 Vincent reported that on July 22, that there were 10 grebes present: the original adult female with 3 juveniles, and the new pair of adults with 4 downy chicks. The ten birds have continued at least through Aug 2. Nine of the birds were seen on Aug 7.

Lower Rio Grande Valley - Salineno: RED-BILLED PIGEON, MUSCOVY DUCK
Watch for RED-BILLED PIGEONS and MUSCOVY DUCKS early or late in the day. Your odds can be improved by walking downstream to look for them near the river island. Both species were very easy to spot on May 9-10. Map. Salineno is #80 on the Lower Texas Coast Wildlife Trail.

Lower Rio Grande Valley: FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWLS --
FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWLS ;may be seen at the San Miguelito Ranch about 10 miles north of Raymondville. These birds are reportedly very visible near their nest site at the ranch. There is a fee to access this site. Prior arrangements are required, contact Leticia Tijerina, at 956-369-3118. They are also present on the King Ranch and El Canelo (both fee sites).

Lower Rio Grande Valley: MANGROVE (YELLOW) WARBLER --
MANGROVE WARBLERS, a well-marked subspecies or unrecognized species, are present year-round. For more information on seeing them, contact Scarlet Colley (telephone: 956-299-1957) at the South Padre Island Nature Center.

Lower Rio Grande Valley: RED-CROWNED PARROTS, GREEN PARAKEETS
Both species can be seen or heard in many valley cities, especially early and late in the day. In McAllen, Green Parakeets stage on 10th Street between Violet and Dove. Recently Red-crowned Parrots have been in Weslaco near Valley Nature Center, at Texas and 5th, and 11th and Indiana. In Harlingen, try Pendleton Park at the intersection of Grimes and Morgan. Fort Brown in Brownsville has both species, and they have been on Cowan Terrace recently as well north of Rt. 4 near the airport. Frontera Audubon Sanctuary and Valley Nature Center in Weslaco are good places for both species.