SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS 
As observers learn where to look, more 
Sprague’s Pipits are found; a count of 25 was 
obtained Lancaster, NE 7 May (LE). 
WARBLERS 
Ten Blue-winged Warblers reported along the 
e. edge of the Region 27 Apr-1 1 May includ- 
ed 3 males at Nickel Preserve, Cherokee, OK 
(jW et al). Nine Golden-winged Warblers 
were found in the e. third of the Region (fide 
WRS, LM, BH). Westerly Tennessee Warblers 
were in Garden 16 & 23 May (CG). Northern 
Parula, another species extending its range, 
was widely reported: 17 were in Sarpy, NE 23 
Apr OR), with others westerly in Garden, NE 
30 Apr-24 May (CG) and in Tillman, OK 5 
May (L&MT). Also westerly were a Chestnut- 
sided Warbler in Sioux, NE 29-31 May (HKH) 
and a Magnolia Warbler in Sheridan, NE 18 
May (BP). A Chestnut-sided in Oklahoma, OK 
23 Apr (MJ) was early. A surprising four re- 
ports of the rare Black-throated Blue Warbler 
included singles in Stafford, KS 25 Apr (ML, 
m.ob.), a bit westerly, and in Sedgwick, KS 30 
Apr (PG) and 4 May (NO), vrith another to 
the w. in Cimarron, OK 9 May (DR, SM; ph.). 
A Black-throated Gray Warbler in Sioux, NE 5 
May was a Regional rarity (tRE). Westerly 
were a Black-throated Green Warbler in Till- 
man, OK 5 May (L&MT), a male Blackburn- 
ian Warbler in Sioux 27 May (RE), and a male 
Hooded Warbler 8 May in Cimarron, OK (DR, 
SM). Blackburnian Warblers were generally 
more commonly reported in e. Oklahoma 
(fide JAG). Yellow-throated Warblers seemed 
more common at range-edge locations, with 
10 in Sarpy, NE 23 Apr (RE), 6 in Cherokee, 
KS 7 Apr (MG, ML, NA), 6 in Johnston, OK 29 
Mar (DW et al.), and one westerly in Cleve- 
land, OK beginning 18 Apr (LMa, NK, m.ob.); 
more clearly extralimital were singles in 
Cimarron, OK 17 Apr (DR; ph.) and in Sheri- 
dan, NE 26 May (CG). Palm Warblers, un- 
common migrants in the Region, were report- 
ed 15 Apr-12 May in Nebraska (8-11 birds; 
fide WRS) and in e. Oklahoma 18 Apr-9 May 
(8 birds; jide JL). A Bay-breasted Warbler in 
Carter, OK 10 May (BE) was westerly; anoth- 
er was reported in Sarpy, NE 14 May QR)- 
Blackpoll Warblers were numerous, including 
14 at an Omaha, NE park 23 May (JWH, JS); 
another was early in Pontotoc, OK 22 Apr 
(WAC). Westerly was a Cerulean Warbler in 
Stafford, KS 25 Apr (ML, m.ob.); others were 
in Wagoner, OK 2 May (SR), and 3 in se. Ne- 
braska 12-30 May (WRS, JR). The first Black- 
and-white Warbler for the season was in Mc- 
Clain, OK 15 Mar (PM). Prothonotary War- 
bler, also expanding northward, was reported 
this season in Sarpy, NE 24 Apr+ (JR, m.ob.) 
and in Washington, NE 9 May (L&BP); anoth- 
er was westward in Sedgwick, KS 24 Apr (JC, 
SH). Also westerly was a Worm-eating War- 
bler in Sedgwick, KS 2 May (PG). Breaking an- 
other arrival record was a Louisiana Wa- 
terthrush 10 Mar in LeFlore, OK QWa). One 
of the Region’s rarest regular migrants, a Con- 
necticut Warbler was in Sarpy, NE 21 May 
(]R), the only one reported. Far westerly were 
a Kentucky Warbler in Cimarron, OK 25 Apr 
(DR) and Hooded Warblers in Scotts Bluff, NE 
30 Apr-3 May (KD, ph.) and Cimarron, OK 
1 1 May (DR, ph.); 5 additional singles were w. 
to cen. Oklahoma 29 Apr-14 May (JW, NV, 
TM, MM, RG). Slightly early was Canada 
Warbler at Red Slough 28 Apr (DA). A Yel- 
low-breasted Chat in Dixon, NE 21 May QJ) is 
among few now reported in e. Nebraska. 
CARDINALS THROUGH FINCHES 
An ad. male Summer Tanager made it to Gar- 
den, NE 15 May (CG) and another to Boone, 
NE 30 May (D&CN); numbers of this expand- 
ing species are clearly on the rise. An early 
Western Tanager was easterly in Omaha, NE 
28-30 Apr (EM). A first for Oklahoma was a 
male Hepatic Tanager in a yard in Cimarron, 
OK 24 Apr (DR, ph.). An Eastern Towhee in 
Buffalo, NE 22 Mar QSh) was early at that w. 
location. Cassin’s Sparrows appeared in Okla- 
homa, OK 22 Apr (LMa); one in Payne, OK 27 
Apr was found in town (TO), certainly a mi- 
grant. A Rufous-crowned Sparrow in Harper, 
OK 11 Apr (SM) was slightly beyond usual 
range. Extremely late was an American Tree 
Sparrow in Kearney, NE 20 May (KS), whereas 
6 Clay-colored Sparrows in Comanche, OK 25 
Mar (L&MT) were early. A Brewer’s Sparrow 
was a little easterly in Dundy, NE 21 May 
(WM). Four Lark Buntings were as far e. as 
Fillmore, NE 10 May QGJ). Singing Baird’s 
Sparrows were located in Box Butte, NE 17 May 
(AB) but not subsequently and 4 were in 
Sioux, NE 18 May (AB). An Oregon Junco 
(meamsi) in a Scotts Bluff, NE yard 29 Apr 
(KD) was record late for this taxon in Nebras- 
ka; a rare Gray-headed Junco in Sioux 7 May 
(HKH, ph.) was the 8th documented record for 
Nebraska. A record-late Lapland Longspur in 
Madison, NE 10 May was in alternate plumage, 
although apparently in poor health (MB). 
Two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks appeared at a 
Comanche, OK feeder 14 May (D&CS, 
L&MT). Black-headed Grosbeaks appeared 
more commonly in e.-cen. parts of all three 
states; 1-3 were in Cleveland, OK 7-11 May 
(M&JF, NR), one in Tulsa 7 May (KW), one in 
Johnson, KS 14 May (TS, ML, MG), one in Fill- 
more, NE 22 May (male; JRi). An Indigo 
Bunting in Keith, NE 16-19 Apr (JO, ph.) was 
2nd earliest on record for the state. Dickcissels 
were notably westward in Nebraska, with re- 
ports from Lincoln (TJW) and Logan (LR, RH) 
by the end of the period; a group of 350 on 6 
May in McClain, OK was impressively noisy 
QAG). This was also an outstanding season for 
Bobolinks moving through the Region, begin- 
ning in late Apr. Early was one in Dixon, NE by 
2 May (JJ); good counts included 100 in Sedg- 
wick, KS 9 May (NO, BG) and 125 in Sheridan, 
NE 18 May (BP). The Flint Hills of Kansas 
clearly host staging Brewer’s Blackbirds: 
38,500 were in Butler, Elk, and Greenwood 11 
Apr (GY). A lone Cassin’s Finch was reported 
from Cimarron, OK 16 Mar (AD). Red Cross- 
bills kept a low profile, with only four reports 
totaling 19 birds from Nebraska (fide WRS) 
and Kansas (fide LM). White-vringed Cross- 
bills at feeders in Riley, KS 22 Mar (DRi) and 
Sedgwick, KS 22 Apr (CM, R&LM) were not 
unexpected, given the mass movement of the 
species through the continent during the pre- 
vious winter. Pine Siskin was the only “winter 
finch” present in good numbers this spring, as 
indicated by the 400+ banded at a Cowley, KS 
residence (MT). Lesser Goldfinch is appearing 
well e. in the Region, including a black-backed 
male in Douglas, NE 20 May (DSt) and a single 
bird in Wyandotte, KS 3 Mar (BY). Other 
Lessers were in Sedgwick, KS 2 Mar (PG) and 
Stephens, OK 4 May (LA). 
While a few Lazuli Buntings normally appear in 
cen. and e. locations in the Region in most spring 
seasons, this year saw a virtual invasion, most prominent 
in Oklahoma. More than 25 were reported in cen. regions, 
including one feeder in Cleveland, OK that hosted 13—9 
males and 4 females — 11 May (DKs); 19 more were re- 
ported in ne. Oklahoma [fideil); seven reports came from 
e. Nebraska {fide WRS); and 9 were reported from e. 
Kansas (Ude LM). A territorial Lazuli Bunting was located 
in the Wichita Mts., OK 27 May (JAG), and a Lazuli Bunting 
X indigo Bunting hybrid was found mated with an ap- 
parent Indigo there 21 May (JAG). 
Cited observers: NEBRASKA: David Alcock 
(DAI), Laurel Badura, Andrew Bankert, Debra 
Beck, Elliott Bedows, Gail Bleidt, Mark Bro- 
gie, Kathy Cohen, Kathleen Crawford-Rose 
(KCR), Kathy DeLara, Stephen J. Dinsmore, 
James E. Ducey Paul Dunbar, Rick Eades, 
Larry Einemann, William Flack, Cory Grego- 
ry, Greg Grove, Joe Gubanyi, Tim Hajda.John 
W. Hall, Robin Harding, Dave Heidt, Glen & 
Wanda Hoge, Helen K. Hughson, Jan John- 
son, Dee Jordan, Joel G. Jorgensen, Alice 
Kenitz, Clem N. Klaphake, Roger Lawson 
(RLa), Dan Leger, Wayne Mollhoff, Elizabeth 
Molloy Steve Morris (SMo), Don & Colleen 
Noecker , Jim Ochsner, Edward O’Donnell, 
Ryan O’Donnell, Loren & Babs Padelford, 
Don & Jan Paseka, Becky Potmesil, Lanny 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
463 
