ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
Representing Arkansas's second occurrence, this female 
Broad-billed Hummingbird was found at Conway, Faulkner 
County 21 (here 23) November 2008 and remained through 
the winter. Photograph by Robert Herron. 
(TB), and 2 in Crittenden 4 Nov (Gail King); 
apparently, these mark the first Arkansas re- 
ports since 2002. Six Yellow Rails found dur- 
ing a relatively early second-cutting of rice at 
Thornwell 11 Oct (SWC, ph. OLD, David L. 
Anderson, PEC, DP, BMM) would suggest 
that substantial numbers arrive as far s. as sw. 
Louisiana by at least the beginning of Oct. 
Hurricane Ike's surge inundated marshes in 
the B.S.N.W.R. area e. of New Orleans, forcing 
Clapper Rails into the open and resulting in a 
remarkable 41 counted there 13 Sep (DPM, 
PAW, RDP). A hunters report of a King Rail at 
Frog Bayou W.M.A., Crawford 4 Oct (David 
Krementz, jide JCN) was intriguing, as there 
are only a few older records for nw. Arkansas. 
The most interesting result of several hours 
spent watching a relatively late “first cut” rice 
harvesting operation near Thornwell 26 Aug 
(SWC, DLD) were about 20 Soras; there are 
only a few previous state records (of single in- 
dividuals) for late Jul-Aug. An estimated 330 
Common Moorhens (about evenly divided 
between ads., imms., and chicks) at Grassy L. 
17 Aug (DS, SH) was the 2nd highest state 
count and indicated that the species is thriv- 
ing at this stronghold in sw. Arkansas. Six ad. 
Sandhill Cranes at B.K.N.W.R. 1 Nov (David 
Ray) were relatively early for this rare 
Arkansas visitor and represented only the 2nd 
local, and 3rd county, record. 
SHOREBIRDS 
Two Piping Plovers near Kelso, Desha 1 Aug, 
one at S.EE 29 Aug (both K&LN), and one at 
New Orleans 17 Aug (vt. PAW) added to the 
relatively few previous detections of fall mi- 
grants away from the immediate coast; inter- 
estingly, there are nearly ten times more in- 
land fall records from Arkansas than from 
Louisiana. A color-marked Piping near Port 
Fourchon, Lafourche 23 Aug (MW) had been 
banded as a chick at L. Diefenbaker, 
Saskatchewan in 2002 (fide C. L. Gratto- 
Trevor), and another marked bird in Cameron 
12 Oct (ph. DP, PEC, BMM) had been banded 
as a chick in North Dakota in Jul 2008 (fide 
Jennifer Stucker); the Plains population is the 
primary source of Louisiana winterers. A 
Semipalmated Plover at S.EU. 3 Aug (DPM), 
2 near Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge 2 Sep 
(DBo), one at Arkadelphia, Clark 26 Oct (also 
late for Arkansas; Karen Holliday, Joyce Jones, 
KC, Craig Provost, ph. Dale Provost) and 16 
at New Orleans 7 Nov (PAW, DPM) were all 
found in areas where there are few previous 
fall records; 9 at Crowley, Acadia, LA 25 Oct 
(DBo) were geographically more expected but 
marginally late. Inland reports of American 
Avocets have been on the rise but are also ex- 
tending later into the season, e.g., an unusu- 
ally large flock of 28 near Fayetteville 26 Oct 
(ph. JBr, MAM), one at C.N.E 2 Nov (D&SB), 
7 at S.EU. 9 Nov (ph. DBo), and one at 
Shreveport 23 Nov (ph. J&JT). 
A slightly belated report of a Whimbrel at 
M.L., Howard 26-27 Jul (CM, DS) was appar- 
ently only the 3rd fall record, and the first 
from Jul for Arkansas, and the 2nd local 
record. An ad. Ruddy Turnstone n. of Lake Vil- 
lage 1 Aug (K&LN) was this fall’s only report 
from the interior. A juv. Red Knot was a nice 
find at T.EE 11-12 Sep (ph. KN, DB); as with 
Piping Plover (above), there are about ten 
times more fall records for Arkansas than for 
Louisiana (excluding records from “slightly 
inland” in se. Louisiana). Standing out among 
the nine interior sightings of Sanderlings (in- 
volving 28 individuals, all in Arkansas) was an 
ad. at C.EH. 8 Aug (relatively few fall records 
for nw. Arkansas; MAM, DO, JBr) and differ- 
ent fiocks of 8 at Dardanelle lock and dam. Yell 
6 Sep (ads.; K&LN) and 15 Sep (juvs.; K&LN, 
DSi). Three White-rumped Sandpipers made 
an exciting discovery at B.K.N.W.R. 9 Sep (ph. 
KN); there are about 15-20 previous Arkansas 
fall records of this exceptionally rare autumn 
transient. An alternate-plumaged Dunlin near 
Kelso, Desha 10 Aug (DB) was extraordinarily 
early and presumably summered s. of the 
breeding grounds; fall migrants do not typi- 
cally appear until late Sep-early Oct and are 
usually in basic plumage. The appearance of 2 
Short-billed Dowitchers near Baton Rouge 2 
Sep (DBo) was possibly related to Hurricane 
Gustav. An estimated 2000 Long-billed Dow- 
itchers at S.EE 12 Nov (K&LN) was an un- 
precedented number so late and so far n. and 
represented Arkansas’s 2nd highest fall count 
ever. A Red-necked Phalarope was at S.EE 25 
Aug (KN, DB, DBr); the species is rare but al- 
most annual in fall in Arkansas. 
GULLS THROUGH JAEGERS 
Although the species is, in general, being 
found inland with increasing frequency, a 
modest pulse of inland Sep Laughing Gull re- 
ports obviously coincided with Hurricanes 
Gustav and Ike; most noteworthy were sepa- 
rate birds at L. Dardanelle, Pope/Yell 4 Sep 
(ad.; LA) and 6-12 Sep (juv; K&LN et al.), 
and 7 at M.L., Little River 6 Sep (DS, CM, PBr, 
SH). An ad. Laughing Gull at Russellville, 
Pope 1-29 Nov (K&LN) was speculated to be 
the same individual that has wintered there 
since 1998. Franklin’s Gulls at New Orleans 8 
Nov (DPM), Grand Isle 23 Nov (DBo, EJR), 
and Venice 30 Nov (vt. PAW, DPM), were all 
late and unusually far east. Incredibly early, 
and providing the 18th Arkansas record, was 
an imm. Little Gull at L. Dardanelle, PopcPYell 
14 Sep (K&LN, DS, DB, LA, DSi et al.); ex- 
cept for a record 15 Oct 1986, all other state 
occurrences are from Dec-Mar. An imm. 
Black-headed Gull on Cross L. 30 Oct (ph. 
CEL) would be a long overdue Louisiana first 
(p.a.). An ad. California Gull near Cameron 1 
Nov (ph. DBo) was the only report; the 
species has proven of annual occurrence in 
the Cameron area. A “classic” first-cycle 
Thayer’s Gull collected along Holly Beach, 
Cameron 2 Nov (BMM, *PEC, DPM) repre- 
sents the earliest (and only 2nd) fall record 
for Louisiana. Multiple sightings of a juv. 
Sabine’s Gull at L. Dardanelle, Pope/Yell 4-14 
Sep (K&LN et al.) may have pertained to a 
single individual; an amazing season total of 5 
at M.L., Hempstead included 3 juvs. 9-10 Sep, 
a gray-headed ad. 14 Sep (only the site’s 2nd), 
and another juv. 16-18 Sep (CM). 
Single Royal Terns at C.EH. 4 Sep (Doug 
James) and at M.L., Little River 16 Sep (CM) 
were almost certainly connected to Hurri- 
canes Gustav and Ike, respectively; there 
were only three previous occurrences for 
Arkansas. In Louisiana, inland Royals were 
relatively few; the only ones tied to Gustav 
were 4 at Baton Rouge 1 Sep and another 
there 2 Sep (ph. DBo), and Ike could only 
account for about 10 at Baton Rouge 12 Sep 
(ph. DLD, SWC, ph. DBo et al.), singles on 
the Red R., Bossier/Red River 13 (TD, PMD) 
& 14 Sep (HH), and 4 at Cotile L. 14 Sep 
(JVH). Elevated numbers of Sandwich Terns 
on the larger se. Louisiana lakes 1-13 Sep, 
e.g., maxima of 15 at L. Pontchartrain, New 
Orleans 2 Sep and 120 at L. Salvador 9 Sep 
(DPM), were assumed to be hurricane-relat- 
ed birds. Two Sandwich and 2 Common 
Terns at Grand Isle 20 Nov (ph. DLD, SWC) 
were late; small numbers of Commons were 
reported inland coincidental with Gustav 
and Ike. Anomalous Least Tern sightings, 
presumably courtesy of Ike, included 17 at 
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