ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
a first in Arkansas 9 May (ph. K&AR) and Pu- 
laski’s 2nd at Maumelle 11 May (ph. 
K&RaH); part of the same pattern included 
singles in n. Louisiana in Caddo 19 Mar (Lin- 
da Adrion, Pat Lonnecker) and Claiborne 13 
May (ph. JD). Seldom detected in Arkansas, 
especially in Spring, a Common Ground-Dove 
visited C.N.E 1-2 May (ph. DB, RoH, KN); 
one at Alliance, Plaquemines 5 Apr (DPM, 
PAW) was also a good bird for se. Louisiana. 
A Short-eared Owl at C.EH. 28 Mar (ph. JBr) 
was record late for nw. Arkansas and among 
the latest ever for the state. A Lesser 
Nighthawk discovered at Johnsons Bayou 11 
Apr (ph. GB) represented the lone report for 
the season. Eour Common Nighthawks at 
Trinity 1. in the Isles Derniers bar- 
rier island chain, Terrebonne 3 Apr 
(EJR) were record early for the 
coast, and 2 far to the nw. in Cad- 
do the same day (RS) were even 
more surprising; a concentration 
of 87 streaming northeastward 
through Caddo 16 May (RS) pro- 
vided another nice late migration 
data point. Earliest ever for n. 
Louisiana was a Ruby-throated 
Hummingbird at L. Claiborne, 
Claiborne 8 Mar (MEL), and a 
male at Eayetteville 8 Apr (HDC) 
was also record early for nw. 
Arkansas. A Pileated Woodpecker 
in n. Plaquemines 10 Apr (Wendy 
Rihner) furnished yet another 
spring occurrence well s. of the 
species’ normal distribution. 
Much scarcer in spring than fall, 
an Olive-sided Elycatcher was ob- 
served at Johnsons Bayou 17 May 
(PAW, DPM). Thirteen Least Elycatchers at 
C.EP 9 May (DB, RoH) was an excellent 
spring total for anywhere in the Region. A 
Say’s Phoebe spending its 2nd winter near Ka- 
plan, Vermilion, LA remained well into the 
spring and was last observed 7 Apr QVR, 
PEC, DP, JBo, DBo et al.). Small numbers of 
Ash-throated Elycatchers are now routine in 
Louisiana during fall and winter, but there are 
still few spring records. One in New Orleans 
1 Apr (ph. David LHoste, Denise LHoste) had 
likely wintered in the area and provided a 
valuable “last observed” date; another at 
Johnsons Bayou 4-5 May (ph. GB, BMM, 
JVH) was considered a true spring migrant. 
Louisiana records of Great Kiskadee continue 
to pile up. This spring, one was found at the 
White Lake Preserve, Vermilion 14 Apr (MAS, 
ph. PEC; 2 birds suspected, and unconhrmed 
reports of a pair by the preserve stafO; an ap- 
parent migrant was seen briefly at the Oak 
Grove Sanctuary, Cameron 16 Apr (ph. JaS, 
JMM); and a territorial pair was discovered 
near Rockefeller Refuge headquarters, 
Cameron 2 May+ (SWC, ph. DLD, vt. PAW, 
ph. MTP, ph. DBo, vt. MAS, m.ob.). The latter 
birds, Louisiana’s first documented breeding 
pair, were well along on nest construction 2 
May, but the presence of eggs or young could 
not be confirmed during the period. Still ca- 
sual in Louisiana, a Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird 
near the White Lake Preserve 29 May (ph. 
MAS) could not be identihed to species. An- 
nual in spring at Grand Isle but still a Review 
List species in Louisiana, a Gray Kingbird 
(possibly 2) was there 19 Apr (SWC, ph. 
DLD, DPM et al). Eive Western Kingbirds in 
the Alliance-Diamond area, Plaquemines 5 
Apr (DPM, PAW) were considered residuals 
of the flocks that had wintered in that area, 
but one near St. Erancisville, West Feliciana 7 
Apr (ph. MB, Don Thibadeaux), if a migrant, 
would be record early for Louisiana, and 
about three weeks so for the s. interior. Simi- 
larly, 13 Scissor-tailed Elycatchers at Al- 
liance-Diamond 5 Apr (DPM, PAW) and one 
at Grand Isle 11 Apr (DPM, PAW, RDP) were 
considered wintering holdovers, whereas one 
at Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge 25 Mar (ph. 
Amy Shutt) would set another early date for 
Louisiana’s s. interior; singles in Desha 29 Mar 
(D6a:SB) and in Phillips 10 May (LA, TM) 
were unusually far e. in Arkansas. 
VIREOS THROUGH PIPIT 
Although Bell’s Vireos are scarce and local, 
but regular, breeders in nw. Arkansas, 3 dif- 
ferent birds found in the Eayetteville area 4-7 
May QCN, DO) were thought to represent mi- 
grants; Louisiana’s only report was from along 
the Red R. at Bossier City, Bossier 30 May (ph. 
Jfr, TD), also an area with a small and local 
breeding population. A Yellow-throated Vireo 
at Tickfaw S.P., Livingston 8 Mar (ph. JaS, Jes- 
sica Evans) was the 3rd earliest ever for 
Louisiana and the earliest in over half a cen- 
tury; other relatively early Yellow-throateds 
included 3 in Cameron 15 Mar OBo, DBo), 
and one in Monroe, AR 20 Mar (David 
Luneau). A Red-eyed Vireo in Caddo 26 Mar 
(RS) was record early for nw. Louisiana. Two 
Yellow-green Vireos, about the 7th and 8th 
well-documented Louisiana occurrences, 
were found at Johnsons Bayou, the first at the 
Baton Rouge Audubon Society Sanctuary 16- 
18 May (ph. GB, vt. DPM, vt. PAW, ph. DP, ph. 
PEC, ph. MTP, ph. DBo, m.ob.), 
the other a few km away 17-18 
May (vt. DPM, vt. PAW, ph. PEC, 
ph. DBo et al.). Several reports of 
Black-whiskered Vireos included 
the obligate 1-2 at Grand Isle, one 
on 19 Apr (EJR, Hannah Tetreault, 
RS) and one on 3 May (ph. GC), at 
least one and possibly 2-3 at John- 
sons Bayou 28 Apr-9 May QVH, 
ph. GB, BMM, ph. TP), and one 
along the Sabine N.W.R. nature 
trail 5-7 May QVH, ph. JPS, NLN). 
Seldom recorded along the sw. 
coast, an American Crow was an 
unexpected sight (and sound) at 
Johnsons Bayou 26 Apr (CP). 
Spectacular concentrations of Tree 
Swallows included estimates of 
one million over the marshes n. of 
Creole, Cameron 5 Apr (BMM) and 
200,000 at C.N.E 15 Apr (ph. DB). 
Reports of breeding or suspected 
breeding Tree Swallows included up to 8 at 
nest holes in snags at two sites on the Miber- 
mel rice farm 9-13 May (HH, BH), 2 ads, at 
Cotile L. 20 May QVH; would be 5th consec- 
utive year at this site), and a possible pair in 
Caddo 30 May (vt. JfH); there are fewer than 
10 previous confirmed breeding records for 
Louisiana. Two Bank Swallows at separate lo- 
cations in Cameron 28 Mar (ph. PEC) were 
quite early; there are few records from before 
mid-Apr. Whether wintering birds that went 
undetected or very early spring migrants, 2 
Cave Swallows were quite a surprise at 
Pontainebleau S.P. on the n. shore of L. 
Pontchartrain, St. Tammany 2 Mar (ph. JBo); 
one at Grand Isle 19 Apr (SWC, ph. DLD et 
al.) was the hrst “hard evidence” occurrence 
there, although there are several prior sight 
reports. Perhaps more anticipated, but still 
mildly surprising, were at least 4 Cave Swal- 
lows presumably breeding under a bridge 
near Vinton, sw. Calcasieu 1 May+ (DEL, 
The highlight of the season in Arkansas was this long-overdue first Gull-billed Tern at Camp 
Nine Farm near Arkansas City, Desha County 26 April 2009, possibly delivered courtesy of 
strong southerly winds. Photograph by Charles Mills. 
VOlUME 63 (2009) 
NUMBER 3 
451 
