ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
Although Great Kiskadee nests are not unprecedented in Louisiana, the few re- 
ported in the past have been constructed by lone individuals. A pair completing 
construction of a nest near the Rockefeller Refuge headquarters, Grand Chenier, 
Cameron Parish 2 May 2009 (here) and later thus represented the first confirmed 
breeding attempt in the state. Photograph by Donna Dittmann. 
JMMJVH, ph. TF). 
Testifying to the species’ remarkably early 
spring departure from the Region, a Brown 
Creeper at Corney L., Claiborne 4 Apr QD) 
ranked as one of the latest ever for Louisiana. 
More intriguing was a “late” individual at 
Grassy L., Hempstead 19 Apr (CM, JCN); there 
is a previous record of 2 there in early jun 
1974, and there are a few other late spring and 
summer records from cypress swamp habitats 
in Arkansas, including confirmed breeding in 
Monroe in 2004. A Winter Wren at Grand Isle 
28 Mar (Melvin Weber) was also very late, es- 
pecially for the immediate coast. Separate Be- 
wick’s Wrens at Fayetteville 13 (MAM) & 19 
Mar (MAM, HDC) were considered transients, 
but 4, including a possible pair, in the 
Maysville/Gravette area, Benton 21 May-r were 
more likely local breeders; the latter birds 
were thought to be brown-backed “western” 
birds rather than reddish-backed “eastern” 
birds QCN, Sarah Thompson). A Marsh Wren 
at C.FH. 2 May (MAM, JBr) was considered a 
rare spring transient in nw. Arkansas. Veery is 
considered a rare migrant in nw. Arkansas, so 
singles at Fayetteville 4 & 20 May (MAM) 
were of interest. Two American Pipits at 
W.W.P, 10 May represented the latest for 
Arkansas in several decades; another at Fayet- 
teville 3 May (both MAM) was late as well. 
WARBLERS THROUGH DICKClSSEL 
Early Blue-winged Warblers were noted at Ba- 
ton Rouge 25 Mar (DFL), at New Orleans 28 
Mar (Craig Mineo), and at Crossett, Ashley 3 
Apr ONel); a singing male was on territory at 
N.L.T. by 18 Apr QAG). Six Golden-winged 
Warblers associated with the fallout at C.FR 9 
May (DB, RoH) may represent a record count 
for Arkansas. A “golden-winged” Blue- 
winged Warbler (i.e., a Blue-winged x Gold- 
en-winged backcross hybrid) was at Johnsons 
Bayou 16-17 Apr (Brian J. 
O’Shea, ph. BMM). Tying the 
record-late date for Louisiana 
was an Orange-crowned War- 
bler in Caddo 10 May (RS, Bill 
Wood); one at Grand Isle 26 
Apr (ph. EI&CJ) was also very 
late, especially for the coast. 
Conversely, a Yellow Warbler 
at Johnsons Bayou 28 Mar (ph. 
PEC, JVH) established a new 
early arrival date for Louisiana; 
19 at Eayetteville 19 May 
(MAM) were somewhat late 
and provided an impressive 
spring count for the interior. 
The impressive warbler fallout 
at C.EP 9 May produced 27 
Chestnut-sided and 36 Magno- 
lia Warblers, both of which are 3rd highest 
spring counts ever for Arkansas (DB, RoH). 
Early Magnolia Warblers included one at 
Johnsons Bayou 12 Apr (a new record arrival 
date for Louisiana; BMM, PEC) and one at 
Grand Isle 18 Apr (DBo). Always exciting to 
find in the Region, a nice assortment of Cape 
May Warblers was highlighted by a record- 
early individual at Grand Isle 28 Mar (ph. 
GC); more typically timed migrants included 
one at Grand Isle 18-19 Apr (DPM, m.ob.), 3 
there 26 Apr (EIJ), one at Johnsons Bayou 30 
Apr-2 May (EIJ, PAW et al.), one at Eayet- 
teville 2 May (HDC), 2 there 19 May (MAM), 
and 2 at Millwood L., Hempstead 3 May (CM). 
Two Black-throated Blue Warblers were 
found in Arkansas, a female at Crossett 3 May 
(JNel), and a male in Pope 8 May (LA); in 
Louisiana, one was at Grand Isle 21 Apr (ph. 
GC), and 2 were there 27 Apr (ph. EI&CJ); 
this species is quite rare in spring, especially 
in the interior. An early Black-throated Green 
Warbler in Claiborne 25 Mar QD) fit the fair- 
ly well established pattern of early arrival 
records mainly detected in the n. interior 
rather than on the coast. An apparently terri- 
torial male at Cherry Bend, Ozark N.E, 
Franklin to 22 May QCN, JBr, DO) provided 
more evidence of a small breeding population 
in the Ozarks Region of nw. Arkansas, and 22 
at C.EP. 9 May (DB, RoH) made a record 
spring count for Arkansas. Eor the 3rd con- 
secutive spring, C.EP. furnished a nice burst 
of Blackburnian Warblers, this year 20 on 9 
May (DB, RoH). A territorial male Prairie 
Warbler was record early on the breeding 
grounds in Livingston 21 Mar (CF, JaS), and 
another was relatively early in Claiborne 5 Apr 
(ph. JD). A Palm Warbler at Grand Isle 10 
May (vt. PAW, DPM) ranked among the latest 
ever for Louisiana, and a Blackpoll Warbler at 
Baton Rouge 19-21 May (vt. JfH) established 
a new late spring record for the Louisiana in- 
terior. A count of 23 Blackpolls at Fayetteville 
19 May (MAM) narrowly missed setting a 
new high for Arkansas, and 1 1 in Sebastian 1 1 
May (BB) was a good number as well. Al- 
though found breeding there in 1994, up to 
12 territorial male Cerulean Warblers at the 
Cherry Bend area 24 Apr+ QCN) was an ex- 
cellent concentration of this declining 
species. An Ovenbird accidentally netted at 
Baton Rouge 29 Mar (ph. Matt Brooks) was a 
day earlier than previously recorded for the 
Louisiana interior and one of the earliest ever 
for the state. A Northern Waterthrush at Oak 
Grove 15 Mar (JBo, DBo) was “too early” for 
a migrant and had probably wintered in the 
area; one at Johnsons Bayou 7 Apr (DBo) was 
more likely a legitimate early spring migrant. 
A singing Louisiana Waterthrush in Caddo 9 
Mar (Larry R. Raymond) and another at Cor- 
ney L. the same day (vt. JD) became the earli- 
est spring occurrences ever for Louisiana; one 
at N.L.T. 8-10 Mar QAG) was also possibly 
earliest ever for Arkansas; and another at 
Fayetteville 12 Mar (HDC) was also quite ear- 
ly. A Wilson’s Warbler at Fayetteville 31 May 
(HDC) was one of the latest ever found in 
Arkansas in spring. A Yellow-breasted Chat at 
Baton Rouge 2 Apr QaS, JVR) was about the 
4th earliest spring record for the state. 
A wintering male Scarlet Tanager discov- 
ered at Harahan, Jefferson 21 Feb remained 
through at least 5 Mar and, amazingly, was 
joined by a Western Tanager 2-9 Mar (ph. 
Cathi DiSalvo, ph. Beth Wiggins)! Chipping 
Sparrows near Milton, Lafayette 25 Apr and 
24 May (EIJ) were, surprisingly, the latest ever 
for Louisiana’s s. interior away from the 
breeding distribution. Up to 26 Clay-colored 
Sparrows were at Johnsons Bayou 5 Apr, with 
2 still present as late as 19 Apr (ph. PEC, ph. 
BMM, DP); such numbers are unprecedented 
for Louisiana, especially in spring, when the 
species is considered casual. A Clay-colored 
Sparrow at Cabot 7 May (LN) was unusually 
far e. in Arkansas, and 7 in Benton 8 May 
QCN) was a high (but not unprecedented) 
number for nw. Arkansas. Single Grasshopper 
Sparrows detected at Johnsons Bayou 5 Apr 
(ph. PEC, BMM, DP) and at Oak Grove 17 
Apr (ph. PEC) were suggestive of spring mi- 
grants on the coast; one at Fayetteville 5 Apr 
(MAM) was earliest ever for nw. Arkansas. 
Two singing Henslow’s Sparrows at Flanigan 
Prairie N.A., Franklin 25 Apr (KN) were pos- 
sibly representatives of the small breeding 
population there. Representing a new spring 
high count for Arkansas, 24 Lincoln’s Spar- 
rows were at Fayetteville 3 May (MAM). 
Three Harris’s Sparrows in DeSoto 26 Apr 
(HH, Pat Hervey) and a Dark-eyed Junco at 
452 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
