NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS ’ 
»i 
The last state in the United States to record Lesser Black-backed Gyll was Mon- 
tana, when this bird was found at Fort Peck 1 1 November 2088. Photograph by 
Chuck Carlson. 
Burke 5 Sep (REM), and a total of 11 addi- 
tional birds was tallied away from the Bad- 
lands. The earliest fall migrant for South 
Dakota away from the Black Hills, a 
Townsend’s Solitaire was in Hughes 8 Sep 
(KM). A Varied Thrush was early 25 Sep at Ft. 
Peck, MT (CC). A rare migrant in e. Montana, 
a Cape May Warbler was in Westby 5 Sep 
(TN). Following two records this past spring, 
another Prothonotary Warbler was seen in 
North Dakota, this time in McKenzie 25 Sep 
(p.a., MH, JH, BR, MS). Out- 
of-range tanager reports in- 
cluded a Western Tanager in 
Stanley, SD 8 Sep (p.a., KM) 
and a very late Summer Tanag- 
er 5 Nov in Grand Forks, ND 
(p.a., DOL). 
A late Chipping Sparrow 
was photographed in Grand 
Forks, ND 27 Nov (DOL). 
Vesper Sparrows were tallied 
in Nov in all three states; one 
was in South Dakota 9 Nov in 
Charles Mix (KM); 2 were in 
North Dakota 12 Nov at Ar- 
rowwood N.W.R. (PRS); and a 
single was in Phillips, MT 27 
Nov (SD). Some other late-lingering spar- 
rows in South Dakota were a Le Conte’s 
Sparrow 1 Nov in Clay (DS), a Lincoln’s 
Sparrow 9 Nov in Charles Mix (RM), and a 
Swamp Sparrow 11 Nov in Hughes (KM). A 
Bullock’s Oriole was late 17 Nov in Lawrence, 
SD (p.a., JLB, RDO). Four Pine Grosbeak re- 
ports for North Dakota made a good number 
for recent years. White-winged Crossbills 
staged a minor invasion in Oct-Nov in 
North Dakota, with 1 1 reports. A high of 40 
was noted at Denbigh Experimental Forest, 
McHenry 24 Oct (REM). The only South 
Dakota report was from 28 Oct in Pennington 
(DS). Now extremely rare in North Dakota, 
an Evening Grosbeak was in McHenry 8 Nov 
(GAE). There were two Nov reports from 
Lawrence, SD in the Black Hills. 
Contributors (state editors in boldface): 
MONTANA: Chuck Carlson, John Carlson, 
Larry Carter, Steve Dinsmore, Jack Lefor, Jeff 
Marks, Ted Nordhagen, John Nordrum, Mike 
Schwitters. NORTH DAKOTA: Keith R. 
Corliss, DeanJ. DiTommaso, Corey D. Elling- 
son, Gary A. Eslinger, Eve E. Freeberg, Joanne 
Hubinger, Mark Hubinger, Dave O. Lambeth, 
Sherry D. Leslie, Ron E. Martin, Betty Rain- 
water, Dean W. Riemer, Paulette R. Scherr, 
Mike Snable, Dan N. Svingen. SOUTH 
DAKOTA: Doug Backlund, Jocelyn L. Baker, 
Doug Chapman, Roger N. Dietrich, Robert C. 
Druckrey Bill E Huser, Kent C. Jensen, Todd 
Jensen, Ron Mabie, Kenny Miller, Ricky D. 
Olson, Jeffrey S. Palmer, Sand Lake Staff, 
Scott Stolz, Dave Swanson. O 
Ron Martin, 16900 125th Street SE 
Sawyer, North Dakota 58781-9284, (jnTiartin@srt.com) 
Southern Great Plains 
Joseph A. Grzybowski 
W. Ross Silcock 
T he character of autumn in the Great 
Plains is often decided by rainfall pat- 
terns in the Region. Fall 2008 was nei- 
ther exceptionally wet nor dry, though such a 
statement does not hold true across all three 
states. Cimarron County, Oklahoma, for in- 
stance, continued very dry. By contrast, the 
remnants of two hurricanes (Gustav and Ike) 
passed through southeastern Oklahoma, 
bringing abundant rains. In general, however, 
it was perhaps a modest season for often-fea- 
tured groups such as herons, gulls, and war- 
blers, but shorebirds were drawn in some 
numbers to' the dependable water of Salt 
Plains in Oklahoma, and Lesser Goldfinches 
made headlines in the Nebraska Panhandle. 
Water conditions were sound enough for 
Black-necked Stilts to continue consolidating 
their presence in the Region, but water levels 
were not optimal for most other water and 
marsh birds. 
Abbreviations: Cheyenne Bottoms 
(Cheyenne Bottoms W.M.A., Barton, KS); 
Hackberry Flat (Hackberry Flat W.M.A., Till- 
man, OK); Hultine (Hultine Waterfowl Pro- 
duction Area, Clay, NE); McConaughy (L. 
McConaughy Keith, NE); Quivira (Quivira 
N.W.R. , Stafford, KS); Red Slough (Red 
Slough W.M.A., McCurtain, OK); Salt Plains 
(Salt Plains N.W.R., Alfalfa, OK); Sooner L. 
(in Pawnee/Noble, OK). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH 
WOOD STORK 
A Black-bellied Whistling-Duck found its way , 
n. to Reno, KS 23 Aug (THi, SB). Six Black- 
bellieds dallied at Red Slough until 26 Oct 
(DA). Carryover summer vagrants included a 
Greater White-fronted Goose in Madison, NE i 
24 Aug (MB) and a Cackling Goose in Lin- ; 
coin, NE 30 Aug (MB, DSt). Two unmarked | 
juv. Mute Swans were in Sarpy, NE 1-23 Nov I 
(JWH, PS, DL). Migrant swans (away from w. n 
Nebraska) included 2 Trumpeters (one ad., 
one imm.) at Quivira 1 Nov (MT) and 2 Tun- 
dras there 21 Nov (MBl). Two Mottled Ducks 
were at Red Slough 5 Aug (DA), and one was 
at Quivira 21 Aug (THi, SB). A female Green- i* 
winged Teal with 2 young at Hultine 23 Aug 
QGJ) provided only the 2nd evidence of 
breeding in Nebraska. The 2-3 Canvasbacks 
in Lincoln, NE 4 (TJW) & 27 Aug QGJ) like- 
ly summered there. The same may have been j 
true of 2-3 Ring-necked Ducks in Dawson, NE ^ 
29 Aug-12 Sep (TJW, LR, RH, WF). For ; 
whatever reason, Sooner L. attracts Greater 
Scaup: 380 were counted there 28 Nov QWA, I' 
JT). It is hard to locate as many as 10 any- 
where else in the Region. The usually small ' 
112 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
