BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

RARE BIRD RECORDS

JUNE -- JULY 2008

**PARK**

**[SPECIES]{.underline} [\#]{.underline} [DATE]{.underline}
[LOCATION]{.underline} [OBSERVER]{.underline} [STATUS]{.underline}**

Gray hawk 2\* 6/01-7/31 Cottonwood Camp Many observers unc.

2\* 6/01-7/31 RGV-Daniels Ranch many observers unc

1juv 7/17 Cottonwood Camp Barry Lyon unc

\*nesting pair

Common

black-hawk 2\* 6/1-7/31 Rio Grande Vill. Many observers rare

\*nesting pair

Golden eagle 1 6/30 Dagger Flat Rob & Angie Dean rare

Flammuated owl 2 6/20 Boot Canyon Mike Austin rare

**White-eared**

**Hummingbird\* 1f 7/27 Boot Canyon Brian Gibbons acc.**

**\*Texas Review Species: Reports to TBRC:Lockwood.**

Magnificent

Hummingbird 1m 7/27 Boot Springs Greg Cook rare

Couch's kingbird 1 6/20 Terlingua Abajo Robert Doster rare

**Dusky-capped**

**Flycatcher\* 1 6/15 Pinnacles Pass Malkom Boothroyd rare**

**2 6/28 Boot Canyon Mark Lockwood rare**

**1 7/13 Boot Springs Christine Guarino rare**

**1 7/18 Boulder Meadows Barry Lyon rare**

**1-2 7/18 Pinnacles Camp Barry Lyon rare**

**\*Texas Review Species: Reports to TBRC:Lockwood.**

Black-capped

Vireo 1m 6/08 Basin sewage ponds M. Boothroyd rare

5-7 7/17 Window Trail Barry Lyon rare

2 7/22 Laguna Mdw Trail David Elkowitz rare

Red-eyed vireo 2 6/01 Oak Creek Canyon John Maresh late?

Carolina wren \~10 6/17-20 Black Dike-SEC Robert Doster rare

1 7/17 Cottonwood Camp Barry Lyon rare

**PARK**

**[SPECIES]{.underline} [\#]{.underline} [DATE]{.underline}
[LOCATION]{.underline} [OBSERVER]{.underline} [STATUS]{.underline}**

Black & White

Warbler 1 7/18 Pinnacles Camp Barry Lyon rare

Louisiana

Waterthrush 1 7/26 Boot Canyon Brain Gibbons early

Painted redstart 2 6/07 Boot Canyon Mike Overton spo.

1 7/18 Boot Canyon Barry Lyon spo.

**Flame-colored**

**Tanager\* 1f 6/12 Boot Canyon Malkolm Boothroyd acc.**

**1f 6/28 Boot Canyon Mark Lockwood acc.**

**\*Texas Review Species: Report and photos to TBRC:Lockwood. Pending
review**

Lazuli bunting 1m 6/08 basin sewage pond m. Boothroyd acc.

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

RARE BIRD RECORDS

JUNE -- JULY 2008

Attached is a list of observations reported by visitors and staff for
the period June 1 - July 31. I\'ve compiled only those observations for
species that are listed as **Rare, Accidental, Hypothetical** or **Not
included** (?) on the park\'s checklist. A \"?sum\" indicates a species
which is documented for the park but not in the summer season.

The summer began hot and dry this year, with little recorded
precipitation until after the summer solstice. By the end of June, the
expected monsoonal pattern finally set in and the region began to
receive frequent afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Hurricane Dolly,
which made landfall on the lower Texas Gulf coast in late July, actually
pushed far inland as a tropical depression and brought several days of
good soaking rain.

**[Station]{.underline}** **[2008 YTD Precip]{.underline}** **[Change
from '07]{.underline}** **[June/July Precip]{.underline}**

Panther Junction 7.94\" - 3.83\" 5.85\"

Chisos Basin 9.33\" - 5.93\" 7.20\"

Rio Grande Village 3.09\" - 7.01\" 2.18\"

Castolon 5.57\" - 5.82\" 3.64\"

Persimmon Gap 4.98\" - 4.32\" 2.07\"

Three review species were reported during the period. A female
**white-eared hummingbird** was observed near the Boot canyon campsites
by Gibbons on July 27, marking the sixth summer in a row that this
species has been reported in the high Chisos. The majority of these
reports have been of adult females, strongly suggesting the possibility
of nesting, although this has yet to be confirmed. **Dusky-capped
flycatchers** were reported in the Chisos again this summer, ranging
from mid-June through mid-July. At least one pair was confirmed in Boot
Canyon, with a possible second pair occupying the area from the
Pinnacles Pass down toward the Pinnacles campsites. This year's
observations follow from the 2007 season when at least two pairs were
reported in the same vicinities. The bird of the season was found and
photographed by Malkolm Boothroyd on June 12, and later relocated by
Lockwood on June 28: a female **flame-colored tanager** in the drainage
of Boot Canyon. Both observers mentioned the possibility of a second
male tanager, but were unable to confirm the fact. The tanager proved to
be elusive for many birders who made the attempt to relocate it, and the
presence of female hepatic tanagers complicated the identification
process. A late July report of a male flame-colored tanager in the same
area was tantalizing but lacked sufficient detail to support the report,
and follow-up visits by other birders failed to confirm the presence of
the male.

A common black-hawk pair at Rio Grande Village was present again at the
same nest site and, as of this writing, apparently successfully fledged
one juvenile, repeating the production for the past two years. The two
pairs of gray hawks (Cottonwood campground and Daniels Ranch) also were
successful this season, each fledging at least one juvenile.