ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
Although Great Kiskadee is a casual visitor to Louisiana, a relatively high pro- 
portion of records have involved individuals present for weeks, months, or 
even years, as was the case with this bird in extreme northwestern Cameron 
Parish 4 (here 11) November 2008 through the end of the month. Photograph 
by Dave Patton. 
Baton Rouge 12 Sep (DLD, SWC, DBo et al.) 
and one at Cotile L. 13-14 Sep (JVH). Per- 
haps the most notable bird delivered by this 
seasons hurricanes was a Bridled Tern at 
M.L., Hempstead 3 Sep (ph. CM), only the 
2nd for Arkansas and the first documented 
by hard evidence. Hurricane Gustav pushed 
at least 19 Sooty Terns into Arkansas, 2-9 
Sep. Most were ads. and concentrated at 
M.L., Hempstead/Little River, where an ad. 
was first noted 2 Sep, a maximum of 14 (12 
ads., 2 imms.) was tallied 3 Sep, and at least 
one ad. remained through 9 Sep (CM). Else- 
where in Arkansas, another 2 ads. were 
found at L. Chicot, Chicot 2 Sep (K&LN, 
DB), an imm. was located at Lower White 
Oak L., Ouachita 2 Sep (KC), an ad. visited 
Beaver L., Benton 6 Sep QBr, MAM), and at 
least one ad. was seen at L. Dardanelle, 
Pope/Yell 4-7 Sep (LA, ph. K&LN, m.ob.) be- 
fore being found dead on a causeway just in- 
side Logan 8 Sep (Robert N. Weidenmann, 
fide Doug James; *LSUMNS). There were 
only three previous state records, the species 
being last recorded in 2002 after Hurricane 
Lili and, before that, in 1961 after Hurricane 
Carla. In contrast, there were only two Gus- 
tav-generated Sooty Tern reports in 
Louisiana: an ad. at Baton Rouge 1 Sep 
(DBo) and 5 ads. at Cross L. 3 Sep (ph. CEL, 
TD. DBo), with at least one there through 6 
Sep (ph. CEL). Hurricane Ike brought more 
Sooty Terns to Louisiana (but none to 
Arkansas): an ad. at Cotile L. 13 Sep and an 
imm. there 14 Sep (JVH), 8 ads. over s. 
Shreveport 14 Sep (CEL), 2 ads. at Pinola in 
n. Red River 13 Sep (PMD), and an ad. at 
Marco, Natchitoches 15 Sep (JVH). Spikes in 
inland Black Tern numbers were at least par- 
tially due to hurricane influences; most no- 
table were an estimated 470 in Orleans 13 
Sep (DPM) and 110 at Cross L. 14 Sep 
(CEL). Inland Black Skimmers, courtesy of 
Hurricane Custav, included 2 
ads. on the Red R., Red River 3 
Sep (first record for n. 
Louisiana; HH, DBo, ph. J&JT), 
an ad. at the Hempstead/Little 
River section of M.L. 6 Sep 
(CM), and a juv. at the Howard 
section of M.L. 7 Sep (DBr, 
D&SB, ph. CM). An imm. along 
the Arkansas R., Pulaski 14 Sep 
(Guy & Scott Luneau) was 
more likely deposited by the 
remnants of Hurricane Ike; there 
were only five previous records 
for Arkansas. A ratty subad. Par- 
asitic Jaeger at Holly Beach 5 
Aug (ph. Matt Pontiff, Gary 
PontifO added to the surprising- 
ly few well-documented Louisiana records. 
At M.L., Hempstead/Little River, Hurricane 
Custav may have accounted for a cluster of 
jaeger sightings that included a light-morph 
ad. Parasitic plus an unidentified Poma- 
rine/Parasitic 6-7 Sep (ph. CM, DS, CM, PBr, 
SH et al.) and another imm. jaeger sp. 9 Sep 
(CM). A Pomarine Jaeger over L. Pontchar- 
train off New Orleans 13 Sep (PAW, DPM) 
was probably delivered by Hurricane Ike. 
PIGEON THROUGH WOODPECKERS 
Intriguing was a report of a Band-tailed Pigeon 
at Lafayette 26 Nov (K. M. Nehrbass). An ac- 
companying photograph taken with a cell 
phone camera is suggestive but may ultimate- 
ly be deemed inconclusive; there are seven 
prior Louisiana records, none since 1982. An 
Inca Dove at B.S.N.W.R. 28 Sep (vt. DPM) was 
only the 3rd for the New Orleans area. 
Strangely (but a developing trend), the only 
Burrowing Owls of the fall were found on 
structures in the Gulf of Mexico: 3 were seen 
and one was photographed about 220 km ssw. 
of Port Eourchon, Lafourche 19 Nov (ph. Capt. 
Nathan Webster), and one or 2 were reported 
at K.C.G.O.M. 5-15 Oct (p.a.; BM). A freshly 
dead Short-eared Owl near Kaplan, Vermilion 
9 Nov (GB; *LSUMNS) was relatively early 
and the only one reported during the fall. A fe- 
male Broad-billed Hummingbird at Conway, 
Faulkner 21 Nov-i- (Rosemary Scott, Herschel 
Raney, Pam & Scott Markham, ph. RH, m.ob.) 
was the 2nd for Arkansas; an imm. male at Ba- 
ton Rouge 17 Oct.-t- (Sally & Mike Allen, 
Kevin Morgan, b. Nancy Newfield) was the 
only Louisiana report. Although certainly not 
unprecedented, an ad. male Ruby-throated 
Hummingbird in White, Arkansas 30 Oct-9 
Nov (Steve & Sheran Herrin) was late, espe- 
cially so lar north. A banded ad. male Calliope 
Hummingbird in St. Tammany was returning 
for its 3rd winter (ph. Noel Peyton). A Yellow- 
bellied Sapsucker near St. Gabriel 26 Sep 
OVR) tied the 2nd earliest arrival date ever for 
Louisiana. A bird superficially resembling an 
ad. male Red-naped Sapsucker at Grand Isle 
23 Nov (ph. DBo, EJR) was subsequently de- 
termined to show other plumage characters 
more consistent with Yellow-bellied Sapsuck- 
er and was thus downgraded to Yellow-bellied 
X Red-naped hybrid/intergrade. Similar prob- 
lematic individuals have occasionally turned 
up in the past and have usually been catego- 
rized as “Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers with red 
on the nape.” There are still only two accept- 
ed Red-naped records for Louisiana, an imm. 
male and an ad. female, both found on Grand , 
Isle. A Pileated Woodpecker near Ft. Jackson i 
12 Oct (DPM, PAW, RDP) would be about the ■ 
3rd record of the species wandering this far s. i: 
into lower Plaquemmes. 
FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WAXWING ; 
Olive-sided Flycatchers at Grand Isle 23-24 
Aug GTS, ph. MW, vt. PAW, DPM) and New ; 
Orleans 20 Sep (vt. PAW) were in the se. 
coastal zone, where reported much less fre- ' 
quently than in sw. Louisiana. Late Eastern , 
Wood-Pewees were encountered at B.S.N.W.R. 
2 Nov (DPM) and at Grand Isle 15 Nov (ph. |:j 
JTS, MW). Rare se. Louisiana Vermilion Fly- ji 
catchers included very early females at New : 
Orleans 29 Sep (GO) and near Thibodaux, . 
Lafourche 30 Sep (EJR), and a more typically ' 
late male at B.S.N.W.R. 23 Nov (DPM). A ! 
voice-confirmed Alder Flycatcher at Chesney 
Prairie N.A., Benton 8 Aug (MAM, DO, JCN) 
added to the few solid records for nw. 
Arkansas, and up to 15 per day along the Red 
R. at Shreveport 9-17 Aug (TD) was a good 
showing for n. Louisiana and so early. A Say’s 
Phoebe nw. of Kaplan, Vcnnilion 9 Nov+ (GB, 
ph. DBo) was presumably the same individual 
that spent the previous winter at the same lo- 
cation; this would be the first known instance 
of a “returnee” in Louisiana. Still a very rare 
bird in Louisiana, a Great Kiskadee was 
found near Klondike, extreme ne. Cameron 4 
Nov-r Games W. Beck, ph. RMG, ph. DP, DBo, 
ph. DLD, SWC et al.). There were only two 
reports of Ash-throated Flycatchers: near 
Johnsons Bayou, Cameron 25 Oct (ph. PEC, 
ph. DPM, ph. RDP, PAW, CCS) and at New 
Orleans 9 Nov (DPM). Single Scissor-tailed i 
Flycatchers near Fayetteville 1 Nov (MAM), 
at Lonoke, Cabot 2 Nov (K&LN), in se. Cle- 
burne 1 Nov (TB), and 2 near Holla Bend I 
N.W.R., Yell 16 Nov (K&LN) were all late; 20 ! 
(plus 10 Western Kingbirds!) at Diamond, i 
Plaquemines 30 Nov (DPM, PAW) were in the 
same area where a mixed flock of Tyrannus 
spent the previous winter. A White-eyed 
Vireo in Newton 25 Nov Gack Stewart) was 
104 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
