quite late for Arkansas. Bell’s Vireo reports 
were down from last fall, but the 3 submitted 
were particularly interesting: one at Mt. Se- 
quoyah, Washington 30 Aug (MAM) repre- 
sented a rarely detected fall migrant in nw. 
Arkansas; one at Lafayette 5-6 Sep (b. PEC, 
ph. DP) added to the very few well-docu- 
mented non-coastal Louisiana records of fall 
migrants; and an apparent returnee from the 
previous fal!/winter at Reserve, St. John the 
Baptist 12 Nov4- (Ronald J. Stein, MW, RMG) 
would be the first such case known for 
Louisiana. A Blue-headed Vireo at L. Fayet- 
teville 12 Nov (MAM) was late, especially for 
nw. Arkansas. 
Eighteen Tree Swallows at S.EE 12 Nov 
(K&LN) were relatively late for Arkansas. An 
estimated 1300 Northern Rough-winged 
Swallows along the e. edge of the Atchafalaya 
Basin in Iberville/P ointe Coupee 3 Aug (PAW, 
DPM) was a surprisingly high number of ear- 
ly fall transients. Although there was nothing 
close to a repeat of last fall’s mega-influx of 
Cave Swallows, Regional records continued 
to accumulate, with the observation of 2 at 
“Freshwater City,” se. of Pecan I., Vermilion 2 
Aug (possible local breeders?; ph. PEC), 8-10 
in sw. Jefferson Davis/se. Calcasieu 25 Oct 
(ph. PEC, vt. PAW, RDP, DPM, CCS), and one 
at M.L., Hempstead 2 Sep (CM); the last bird, 
possibly associated with Hurricane Gustav, 
provided Arkansas with its 3rd record and 
the first from fall. Two Bewick’s Wrens in the 
Cherokee City area, Benton 31 Aug OCN) 
were thought to represent local breeders. A 
Winter Wren at L. Fayetteville 4 Oct (HDC) 
was relatively early for the Region and broke 
the previous early date for nw. Arkansas by 
one day. Also very early, or possibly arriving 
for late nesting attempts, were Sedge Wrens 
at Chesney Prairie N.A. 3 Aug and at Pea 
Ridge National Military Park, Benton 24 Aug 
(both JCN). Four Marsh Wrens at N.EU. 24 
Sep (DBo) were probably early migrants, al- 
though a singing individual raises the possi- 
bility of breeding there. A Ruby-crowned 
Kinglet in Claiborne 1 Sep Qohn Dillon) was 
record early for n. Louisiana, but, amazingly, 
there are previous coastal records from as ear- 
ly as 5 Sep. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Little 
Rock, Pulaski 19 Oct (Ed Laster) was rela- 
tively late for Arkansas. As mentioned last 
year, there are surprisingly few fall Gray- 
cheeked Thrush occurrences for Arkansas, so 
a well-described individual at L. Fayetteville 
18 Oct (HDC) was noteworthy. A Swainson’s 
Thrush at New Orleans 9 Nov (DPM) was 
decidedly late, whereas a Gray Catbird in 
lower Plaquemines near Ft. Jackson 9 Aug 
(DPM) was record early for the coast, or pos- 
sibly even suggestive of a rare coastal breed- 
ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
This levitating Black-throated Gray Warbler was a bright spot amidst the Hur- 
ricane Ike devastation at Peveto Beach Woods, Johnsons Bayou, Cameron 
Parish, Louisiana 21 September 2008. Photograph by Dave Patton. 
ing attempt. An amazing count 
of 23 Sprague’s Pipits at Dixie, 
Caddo 22 Nov (TD, CEL) would 
be Louisiana’s 3rd highest total 
ever. An ad. plus 3 juv. Cedar 
Waxwings at L. Fayetteville 11 
Aug, and 2 ads. and 8 juvs. there 
10 Sep (both JCN), were thought 
to represent family groups of lo- 
cal breeders; one at New Orleans 
19 Oct (ph. DPM) was among 
the top ten earliest arrivals ever 
for Louisiana. 
WARBLERS 
THROUGH FINCHES 
This fall’s prevailing pattern of noteworthy 
warbler records was overwhelmingly in favor 
of late stragglers, led off by a Northern Parula 
at Grand Isle 23 Nov (DBo, EJR), Yellow War- 
blers at C.N.F. 19 Oct (ph. DB) and 
B.S.N.W.R. 2 Nov (DPM), a Magnolia Warbler 
at New Orleans 9 Nov (DPM), a Chestnut- 
sided Warbler there 10 Nov (GO), and 2 rare 
Black-throated Blue Warblers at Grand Isle 15 
Nov QTS, MW). An estimated 300 Yellow- 
rumped Warblers in e. Orleans 18 Oct (DPM), 
moving northeastward after a frontal passage, 
was an impressive number for so early. Vying 
for top parulid honors was a Black-throated 
Gray Warbler at Johnsons Bayou 21 Sep (ph. 
PEC, BMM, ph. DP), only the 4th ever Sep 
record of this rare Louisiana transient. A 
Black-throated Green Warbler at Shreveport 9 
Aug (TD) was the 5th earliest record for 
Louisiana. Late Yellow-throated Warblers, all 
thought to be of subspecies albilora, included 
one at Baton Rouge 18 Oct-18 Nov QVR, JS, 
JH, SWC), 2 separate individuals at New Or- 
leans 9-26 Nov (DPM), and one at Grand Isle 
23 Nov (DBo, EJR). Prairie Warblers are sel- 
dom detected as fall migrants in s.-cen. 
Louisiana, so singles at Baton Rouge 2 (DBo) 
& 26 Oct OVR) were of interest. Palm War- 
blers set some new early arrival dates in some 
regions of the Bayou State, with one at 
Barataria National Preserve, Jefferson 17 Sep 
(DPM) record early for anywhere in s. 
Louisiana, and another at Plaucheville, 
Avoyelles 20 Sep QS) record early for the s. in- 
terior. A Blackpoll Warbler at the Louisiana 
State University campus in Baton Rouge 26 
Oct OVR) was not too far from where the first 
Louisiana fall specimen was obtained back in 
1965; there are still only a few dozen fall oc- 
currences for the state, and only about five 
hard-evidence records. Rounding out the list 
of most-mentionable late warblers was a Pro- 
thonotary at L. Fayetteville 19 Sep (late for 
Arkansas and latest ever for the nw. corner; 
MAM), an Ovenbird at Grand Isle 15 Nov 
QTS, David Sylvest), and a Northern Wa- 
terthrush at New Orleans 28 Nov (DPM). A 
Mourning Warbler at Shreveport 21 Aug (TD) 
was early. 
Ten Scarlet Tanagers at the Cave Mountain 
area, Newton 17 Sep O^N) was a very re- 
spectable day total and might even be com- 
petitive for the Arkansas fall high-count 
record. An ad. male Scarlet in Washington, LA 
18 Nov (CCS) was an extremely late straggler, 
as was a Summer Tanager at Cabot, Lonoke, 
AR 23-28 Nov (K&LN). A Summer Tanager 
at K.C.G.O.M. 4 Nov (ph. BM) tied the late 
date for a trans-Gulf migrant; an ad. male at 
Baton Rouge 27 Nov (DBo) was most likely 
wintering. Clay-colored Sparrows are scarce 
but regular mid-fall migrants through w. por- 
tions of the Region, but one in Metairie, Jef- 
ferson 16 Oct (ph. Beth Wiggins) and another 
at K.C.G.O.M. 3 Nov (ph. BM, LO) were un- 
expected visitors, the latter possibly having 
overshot the mainland; individuals near 
Fayetteville 1 Nov (MAM) and at Siloam 
Springs, Benton 13 Nov QCN) were very late, 
there being only a few older Arkansas records 
from Nov-Dec. A juv. Grasshopper Sparrow 
at W.WP 6-19 Aug had first been noticed in 
Jul (AD, MAM), suggesting a rare local breed- 
ing event in nw. Arkansas; one at K.C.G.O.M. 
10 Nov (along with a White-crowned Spar- 
row there 7 Nov) were most likely mainland 
overshoots (ph. BM, LO). Nelson’s Sharp- 
tailed Sparrows are only rarely detected in the 
Region’s interior, so sightings of singles far in- 
land at W.W.R 10 & 15 Oct (both JCN) and 
up to 2 at B.K.N.W.R. 31 Oct-2 Nov (DB, DS, 
SH) were noteworthy; 10 in uncut rice near 
Thornwell 26 Nov (SWC) were presumably 
trying to winter in this “substitute” habitat 
due to Hurricane Ike’s devastation of the 
species’ preferred salt and brackish marshes 
on the immediate coast. A Swamp Sparrow at 
S.EU. 4 Oct (DBo) was among the top ten ear- 
liest ever for Louisiana, and a Song Sparrow at 
B.S.N.W.R. 19 Oct (PAW) was a new early 
VOlUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
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