TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY 
son at Roan Mt., Carter, TN, and a pair was 
feeding 3 nestlings there 12 May (RiK); one 
was also gathering nest material in Cocke, TN 
2 May (MS). In Kentucky, evidence of breed- 
ing was limited to the observation of two pairs 
gathering nesting material in e. Fayette during 
the 2nd week of Apr (DSv). Evening Gros- 
beaks have become a rarity in the Region, so 
10 at Big Cypress Tree S.P., Weakley, TN 24 
Mar (DWk) were quite noteworthy. 
Cited contributors (subregional editors in 
boldface): Terry Anderson, Jane Bell OBe), Pat 
Bell, Carol Besse (CBe) Rob Biller, Kathy 
Bivens, David Brown, Horace Brown, John 
Brunjes QBr), Carolyn Bullock (CBu), Kevin 
A. Calhoon (se. Tennessee) (KAC), Joe 
Caminiti OCnt), Kathy Caminiti (KCm), Joan 
Carr QCr), Phillip Casteel (middle Ten- 
nessee), David Chaffin (DCn), Hap Cham- 
bers, Don Chestnut (DCt), Wallace Coffey, 
Kathy Cohen (KCo), Charlie Crawford, 
Roseanna Denton, Jerry Drewry, Melissa 
Easley, Dee Eiklor, Glen Eller, Scott Freidhof, 
Paula Geis, Robert Gooch, Barbara Groening, 
Wendell Haag, Don Hanks, Erin Harper 
(EHa), Robert Head, John Henderson OHe), 
Kate Heyden, Audrey Hoff, Bob Howdeshell, 
Tom Howe, Eddie Huber (EHu), Jennifer Hu- 
ber OHu), Daniel Jacobson, Linda Kelly, Gail 
King (GKi), Wendell & Ginny Kingsolver, 
David Kirschke, Rick Knight (ne. Tennessee) 
(RiK), Roy Knispel (RoK), Tony Lance, Chris 
Leffler, Bill Lisowsky James Lundberg, Don 
Martin (DMt), Larry McDaniel (LMcD), Lee 
McNeely (LMcN), Tom McNeil, Mike Miller 
(MMi), Mark Monroe (MMo), Calvin Mont- 
fort, Nancy Moore, Evelyn Morgan, Daniel 
Moss (DMo), John Moyle, Judy Nethery, 
Charles Nicholson, Ken Oeser, Brainard 
Palmer-Ball, Jr. (BPa), David Patterson (DPa), 
Gayle Pille, Dick Preston (w. Tennessee), Bill 
Pulliam (BPu), Scott Record, Frank Renfrow, 
Virginia Reynolds, Tommie Rogers, David 
Roemer, Jeff Rowe, Georgann Schmalz, 
Damien Simbeck (DSi), Michael Sledjeski, 
Chris Sloan, Scott Somershoe (SS), Stephen J. 
Stedman (SJS), David Stone (DSn), Joe Stone 
QSt), Del Striegel (DSr), Tom & Carol Stroud, 
David Svetich (DSv), Joe Swanson OSw), Mar- 
ilee Thompson (MTh), Mike C. Todd (MCT), 
Allan Trently, Tom Uhlman, Mike Vessels, Ma- 
jor Waltman, Christopher Welsh, Darrel 
Wilder (DWi), Dawn Wilkins (DWk), Ginger 
Williams, Jeff R. Wilson, Libby Wolfe, Ben 
Yandell, Mary Yandell, Stanley York, Jr. © 
Chris Sloan, 224 Hicks Road 
Nashville, Tennessee 37221, (chris.sloan@comcast.net) 
Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. 
Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission 
801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 
(brainard.palmer-ball@ky.gov) 
Alabama & Mississippi 
Florence Wheeler 
I Dam 
/Musde 
f Shoals 
^mWheelerNWR ' 
Decatur 
/ Bankhead NF Quntersville 
B Grenada L 
Columbus/ 
Oktibbeha County^ i * 
Noxubee 
. NWR 
Jackson 
Mississippi 
\ Miss. Sandhill 
. Crane NWR 
Gulf-\ “ 
Marion 
• Birmingham 
Tuscaloosa •Harpersvilte \ 
ALABAMA 
Auburn® I 
• Montgomery 
Eufaula NWRm. 
Mobile/Tensaw Delta 
\ 
Gulf Is. Natl. 
Seashore (MS) 
LEHERED ALABAMA 
GULF COAST SITES: 
A = Gulf Shores 
B = Ft. Morgan 
C = Dauphin I. 
D = Bayou La Batre 
GULF OF MEXICO 
Steven W. McConnell 
B irders in the held this spring generally 
found temperatures 1.0 to 1.5° C above 
normal across our Region. Rainfall 
amounts were more or less normal except for 
the opposite ends of Alabama. 
During March, on the coast. Mobile accu- 
mulated 13 cm above average, while in the 
Tennessee Valley, Huntsville recorded 4 cm 
below normal. A stationary front late in the 
month was responsible for more than 50% of 
the Mobile excess and produced excellent 
fallout conditions at the coastal traps like Fort 
Morgan, where many of the Hummer/Bird 
Study Group’s banding nets had to he closed 
in order to keep pace with the rate of cap- 
tures. The situation reversed itself in April 
and May: Mobile was 10.5 cm below normal 
in rainfall, while Huntsville was 15.8 cm 
above. The coastal total was indicative of fast- 
moving, relatively dry fronts that did little to 
bring migrants down to humans’ eye level. A 
strong front 6-7 April brought a hnal cold 
snap to northern Alabama, apparently caus- 
ing many early migrants to change their feed- 
ing and possibly migratory patterns. A wet 
front lingered over and just north of our Re- 
gion 1-3 May, bringing several interesting 
“storm” birds down from the clouds to enjoy. 
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks once again 
headlined our Region’s rarity parade. In addi- 
tion, the season provided several truly rare 
sightings, most with excellent photographic 
documentation. Mississippi logged its hrst 
confirmed nesting record of White-faced Ibis. 
A fantastic series of rarities found by Alabama 
birders included a probable adult Kelp Gull 
(potential first record), a Black Swift (second 
record), and an immature Fork-tailed Fly- 
catcher (fourth record). 
Abbreviations: Dauphin (Dauphin I., Mobile, 
AL); Delta (Mississippi Delta of nw. and w- 
cen. Mississippi); Ft. Morgan (Fort Morgan 
State Historical Park, Baldwin, AL); G.C. 
(Gulf Coastal region, s. Alabama; not “golf 
course”); Grand Bay (Grand Bay National Es- 
tuarine Research Preserve, Jachson, MS); I.C.R 
(Inland Coastal Plain region of s.-cen. Ala- 
bama); M.R. (Mountain region of n. Ala- 
bama); Noxubee (Noxubee N.W.R., Nox- 
ubee/Oktibbeha/Winston, MS); Ross Barnett 
(Ross Barnett Res., Rankin/Madison, MS); Sea- 
man (Seaman Rd. lagoons, Jackson, MS); T.V 
(Tennessee Valley region of n. Alabama); 
T.V A. (Tennessee Valley Authority); Wheeler 
(Wheeler N.W.R., Limestone/Morgan/Madison, 
AL); Yazoo (Yazoo N.W.R., Washington, MS). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH STORK 
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck sightings con- 
tinue to accumulate from across our Region, 
where the species was considered a true rarity 
not that long ago. Nine reports were received 
from Mississippi observers, mainly at Delta or 
coastal locations, with a maximum of 18 seen 
14 May at Pascagoula, Jacksoti, MS QNW). Al- 
abama observers recorded their 8th through 
10th state records; a maximum count of 8 
came from Mobile, Mobile/Baldwin 21 May+ ^ 
(KG, ph. BS, CH). A flock of 3-5 on Dauphin 
19-29 Mar (KM, RW) provided Alabama’s ear- 
liest record ever. A late Greater White-fronted 
Goose frequented a private lake just n. of 
Grand Bay, Mobile, AL 18-24 Apr (ECS, BKF, 
m.ob.). Two reports for tardy Snow Geese in 
Mississippi included 13 at Dutch Brake, Sun- 
jlower 12 Apr (RH) and one until 23 May at 
Tupelo, Lee (ph. WP). Ross’s Geese are now 
444 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
