ARIZONA 
This Short-tailed Hawk returned for a second winter to ur- 
ban Tucson, Arizona (here 20 November 2008). Photograph 
by Dave Stejskal. 
Parker Dam 25 Nov-r (J. Richmond, ph. LHa, 
DVP). Hooded Mergansers were early in the 
L.C.R.V. on L. Havasu 25 & 28 Oct (PEL, 
BC). Wild Turkeys sometimes wander to the 
lowlands, but 2 at B.T.A. 4 Nov-t- (R. Byrd, ph. 
T. Knight) were unexpected, as there are no 
nearby populations. 
Pacific Loon is rare in the L.C.R.V. and 
sparse elsewhere. Two were very unseason- 
able at L. Havasu City 6 Sep-8 Oct (B. Deppe, 
C. Marantz, ph. S. Myers), and one there was 
still early 27 Oct (PEL). One at Willow L. 15 
& 27-30 Oct (B. Thomen, CST) was consid- 
ered casual, but even more unexpected was a 
group of 7 at Big L. 2 Nov (N. Moore-Craig et 
al.), with 2 remaining 7 Nov (EH). Common 
Loon is casual in the L.C.R.V. before Oct. Up 
to 3 were seen at L. Havasu City 6-30 Sep (B. 
Deppe et al.), and their status as “rare” there 
in Oct did not hold up: 14 were present 19-25 
Oct (PEL, BC), increasing to 27 on the morn- 
ing of 27 Oct (PEL) and 128 on the evening 
of 27 Oct (PEL), a new high count for the 
L.C.R.V; 36 were seen the next day (PEL). 
The peak Nov count at L. Havasu was 43 on 
8 Nov (PEL, BC). Elsewhere, 11 were seen in 
n. Arizona and 5 in s. Arizona, a good show- 
ing. A Horned Grebe was early on n. L. Hava- 
su 19 Oct (PEL, BC), and early numbers there 
built to as high as 7 on 27 Oct (PEL). A West- 
ern Grebe was early at Whitewater 14 Sep (G. 
Klingler). A single American White Pelican at 
Willcox 12-25 Sep (MMS etal.) was early, and 
26 made an unusual sight at the Grand 
Canyon hawkwatch 7 Oct (BG), as there are 
few Grand Canyon records. Brown Pelicans 
are unusual in the state after Aug away from 
the L.C.R.V Two were seen far from there at 
Roosevelt L. 28 Sep (L. LangstafO. In early 
Nov, a remarkable late fall influx of Brown 
Pelicans began with one seen w. of Gila Bend 
3 Nov (RH), followed by 2 at Cluff Ranch 
W.A. near Safford 7 Nov (ph. O. Lowe) and 
singles at Roosevelt L. 8 Nov (TC, MH), 
Tempe 13-17 Nov (A. Thomas), Ocotillo 20 
Nov (S. Doughty), Gillespie Dam 23 Nov (R. 
Haaseth), and Chandler 29 Nov-t (MH). 
Brown Pelicans that stray to Arizona are typi- 
cally imms., but ads. were well represented 
this fall. An ad. Neotropic Cormorant at 
B.W.D. 8 Nov (vt. PEL; BC) was one of few re- 
cent records for the L.C.R.V An early Ameri- 
can Bittern at G.W.R. 22 Aug (MMo) mirrored 
one there the prior Aug. A Great Egret at Wil- 
low L. 8 Aug (MN) was casual. At Watson L., 
21 Snowy Egrets on 27 Aug was a local high 
count (CST). Herons from the south were 
sparse this season, with only a Reddish Egret 
at B.W.D. 15 Aug (ph., tj. Richmond) report- 
ed. Still very sparse, a Glossy Ibis was report- 
ed from Palo Verde 23 Aug (KR, tD. Powell). 
A Plegadis hybrid was reported there the next 
day (MMo). A single Roseate Spoonbill visit- 
ed G.W.R. intermittently 27 Sep-11 Nov (R. 
Catero et al, ph. B. Grice), and what may 
have been the same spoonbill was reported 
from Granite Reef 28 Sep (S. Ganley). 
A Harris’s Hawk in Patagonia 30 Oct (A. 
Zeltzer, MB) was rare and out of habitat. Red- 
shouldered Hawks continued to be reported in 
small numbers. One electrocuted at Meadview 
was brought to a rehabilitator 2 Oct (ph. T. 
Stephens), one was at Cibola N.W.R. 7 Nov 
(vt. PEL), and one was s. of Parker 7-8 Nov 
(vt. PEL). Gray Hawks again lingered in nest- 
ing areas beyond typical dates, with several 
present until late Oct and singles at Arivaca L. 
31 Oct-15 Nov (D. Dunford), freshly dead at 
Muleshoe Ranch 14 Nov (E & L. Sockness) 
and at Patagonia 15 Nov (B. Bates). Short- 
tailed Hawks were again present in the Sky Is- 
lands, with one in upper Carr Canyon 1 Aug 
(ph. J. P. Smith), a juv. in the high Chiricahua 
Mts. 8-11 Aug (ph., tCDB, ph. G. Smith) in- 
dicating another nesting, and one in upper 
Madera Canyon 13 Sep 0 - Hecimovich, ph. 
DS) providing the first record for the Santa 
Rita Mts. Odd sight reports of Short-tailed 
Hawks from near Hereford 2 Aug (tB. & K. 
Fisher) and n. to Black Canyon City 4 Aug 
(tC. Wood) will be reviewed by the A.B.C. 
Odd but certain was an imm. Short-tailed re- 
turning to winter in urban Tucson 20 Nov-i- 
(ph. DS et al.) for a 2nd year. For the first 
time, Zone-tailed Hawks were found nesting 
along the upper San Pedro R. at St. David 9 
Aug-2 Sep (R. Behrstock, ph. SH). Crested 
Caracaras continued to be found in the Santa 
Cruz Flats, with up to 8 reported. Singles wan- t 
dered to Green Valley 26 Aug (NC), Patagonia <■ 
8 Nov (C. van Cleve), Casa Grande 13 Nov > 
(M. Weber), and Nogales 20 Nov (J. Levy). ^ 
RAILS THROUGH WOODPECKERS 
An imm. Purple Gallinule at Sweetwater 27 
Aug-5 Sep (ph., tPK; D. Smyth) was the 3rd I' 
to be found there yet one of few recent state 
records. Abundant pondweed growing at 
B.W.D. following the exotic mussel infestation j 
of L. Havasu attracted more than 13,000 [ 
American Coots to B.W.D. 24 Oct (K. Blair), i. 
Three Sandhill Cranes passing the Grand i 
Canyon hawkwatch 23 Oct (B. Gatlin) pro- !! 
vided the 2nd local report. By 15 Nov, 100 
Sandhill Cranes had arrived in the Arlington || 
Valley, where they have wintered recently (MH I! 
et al). Numbers rose above 300 by the end of ,! 
the season (TC). Black-bellied Plover is a rare jl 
migrant; individuals were at Many Farms L. 9 
Sep (GHR) and Dome Valley 14 Oct (vt. PEL), j 
Casual migrants, single American Golden- 
Plovers were at Whitewater 25-26 Sep (P. i 
Walsh, ph. AC) and Santa Cruz Flats 24-26 
Oct (ph. A. & D. Klaiber). A Northern Ja^ana 
at Patagonia L. 7 Oct (ph. MB) furnished the 
5 th Arizona record overall and the first in juv. 
plumage. After going unreported for seven 
months, an ad. jagana was seen again at Casa 
Grande 8 Nov-i- (KR, ph. J. Watson). Ruddy ; 
Arizona's fifth Northern Japna, and first juvenile, was at 
Patagonia Lake 7 October 2008. Photograph by Matt Brown. 
Turnstone is less than annual in Arizona; one 
was at Willcox 26 Sep-2 Oct (R. Messenger, 
ph. D. Beaudette, T. Ryan). An even dozen 
Semipalmated Sandpipers were reported 10 
Aug-5 Oct. A Baird’s Sandpiper was extremely 
late at Whitewater 30 Nov (WR). A Stilt Sand- 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
132 
