SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS 
Randolph, Justin Reed O^e), Juanita Rice 
ORi), Justin Rink, Donna Royer (DRo), Larry 
Semo, Jeff Shenot OSh), W. Ross Silcock, 
Kent Skaggs, Dave Stage (DSt), David Stairs, 
Jon Strong, Phil Swanson (PSw), T. J. Walker; 
KANSAS: Nic Allen, Mike Anderson, Henry 
Armknecht, Jeff Calhoun, Greg Friesen, Matt 
Gearheart, Harry & Sharron Gregory, Bob 
Gress, Paul Griffin, Helen Hands, Sarah Harp- 
er, Larry Hesed, Pete Janzen, Lowell Johnson, 
Donnie Kazmaier (DKa),Jon King, Dave Kle- 
ma, Mark Land, Rachel Laubhan, Ron & Lin- 
da Mattson, Cheryl Miller, Lloyd Moore, Dan 
Mulhern, Jay Newton, Nathan Ofsthun, Mike 
Rader, Rick Reeser, Dave Rintoul (DRi), Car- 
olyn Schwab, Scott Seltman, Tom & Sara 
Shane, Terry Swope, Max Thompson, Beverly 
Yates, Gene Young; OKLAHOMA: Bill Adams, 
Linda Adams, David Arbour, James W. Arter- 
burn, Eric Beck, Sandy Berger, Bill Carrell, 
William A, Carter, Mark Cromwell, Andrew 
Crosby, Abby Darrah, Ken Dayer (KDa), Bill 
Difhn, Paul van Els, Matt & Jenny Eoster, 
Brush Freeman, Andy George, Joseph A. 
Grzybowski, Richard Gunn, Jason Heinen, 
Matthew Jung, Deborah Kaspari (DKs), 
Nathan Kuhnert, Jo Loyd, Larry Mays (LMa), 
Jeri McMahon, Kurt Meisenzahl, Kurt & 
Sharon Meizenzahl, Earl & Beth Mercer, Steve 
Metz, Terry Mitchell, Montez Mutzig, Pat 
Muzny, Tim O’Connell, Mark Peterson, Mark 
and Mary Peterson, Sandra Raley, Nancy 
Reed, Justin Roach QRo), Dan Robinson, Pa- 
tricia Seibert, Ron Shepperd, Dennis & Carol 
Stayer, Paula Thomas, Lou & Mary Truex 
(L&MT), Jerry Vanbebber, Nancy Vicars, 
James Waffle OWa), Dora Webb (DWe), Ken 
Williams, Jim Winner, Rebecca Wolff, Doug 
Wood, Jimmy Woodard, Lyndal York. © 
Joseph A. Grzybowski, 715 Elmwood Drive 
Norman, Oklahoma 73072 
(j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net) 
W. Ross Silcock, P. 0. Box 57 
Tabor, Iowa 51653, (silcock@rosssilcock.com) 
Texas 
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D rought conditions continued for much 
of the eastern two-thirds of Texas, 
with the National Weather Service la- 
beling many counties on the Edwards Plateau 
and South Texas Plains as being in an “excep- 
tional” drought, the worst category. These 
conditions severely impact habitats for both 
migrants and breeding birds. On the Upper 
Texas Coast, the dry conditions were only 
moderated by two rainfall events in the latter 
half of April. In that region of the state, the 
drought conditions combined with the effects 
of Hurricane Ike to make many areas of the 
coastal plain in Chambers County and Jeffer- 
son County inhospitable to birds, where habi- 
tats were impacted by dry conditions while 
still trying to recover from saltwater inunda- 
tion and salt-burn. In north-central Texas, the 
dry conditions contributed to numerous grass 
464 
fires that burned tens of thousands of acres of 
wildlife habitat in the counties of Archer, 
Clay, Jack, Montague, and Young. 
There were two separate phenomena noted 
by many observers when characterizing the 
spring migration. The hrst was a clear push of 
western birds eastward that was highlighted 
by much larger-than-average numbers for 
species such as Lark Sparrow, Clay-colored 
Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, and Western Tanag- 
er into the eastern half of the state. This was 
countered by the opposite situation among a 
few eastern species, including Nashville War- 
bler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Indigo 
Bunting, which were in near-record numbers 
in the west, particularly on the South Plains. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH ANHINGA 
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks continued 
their push into ne. Texas, with good numbers 
noted at several locations; 3 near Nazareth, 
Castro 9 May (BP) were quite unexpected for 
the Panhandle. A Fulvous Whistling-Duck 
near Seagoville, Kaufman 26 
Apr (GC, RRa) and another at 
the Ft. Bliss sewage ponds, El 
Paso 23 May (ph. JPa) were 
both a considerable distance 
from known populations. An- 
nual in recent years in El Paso, 
a male Eurasian Wigeon 
stopped over at Tornillo Res. 
21 Mar (ph., tJPa). Up to 6 
Greater Scaup lingered in Kle- 
berg until 17 May (AT). Few 
reports of scoters were re- 
ceived during the period. A 
White-winged Scoter was at 
Drum Pt., Kleberg 16-28 Mar 
(AT, SB), while one in Ayres Bay, Aransas 22 
May was exceptionally late 0Hu> PN et al.). 
The 4 Long-tailed Ducks at Kaufer-Hubert 
Park, Kleberg lingered until 20 Mar (m.ob.). 
Hooded Mergansers nested again at the Heard 
Natural Science Museum, Collin, where a fe- 
male with 4 young was noted 27 May (GG). 
Late Red-breasted Mergansers were on the 
move in cen. Texas 26 Apr, with 2 at Still- 
house Hollow Res., Bell (RP) and 3 at Horns- 
by Bend, Travis (BLy, VE). A Masked Duck 
was discovered at Laguna Atascosa N.W.R., 
Cameron 16 Mar (RSa), where it was joined by 
another individual 10 Apr, with both birds re- 
maining through 30 May (ph., tm.ob.). Pro- 
viding a rare breeding record for n.-cen. 
Texas, 4 ad. and 13 young Ruddy Ducks were 
observed near Seagoville, Kaufman 31 May 
(GC, RRa). 
A Red-throated Loon and a Pacific Loon 
were on L. Tawakoni, Van Zandt 15 Mar (GC, 
BIG). Another Pacific Loon was on L. 
Buchanan, Llano 15-16 Mar (ph. TFe, SWi). 
An unexpected lingering coastal visitor was this White-winged Scoter at Ayers 
Bay near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Aransas County, Texas on 22 May 
2009. Photograph by Patty Nelson. 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
