Pictorial Highlights 
1 • This juvenile Little Stint at St. Paul Island, Alaska 3-9 (here 3) September 2008 exhibits the classic field 
marks that separate it from other juvenile stints, including blackish centers and strong rufuos fringes to all 
the wing coverts and tertials, the longish, thin bill, strong white "braces" on the dorsum, and rusty shading 
over dark shafts on the shoulder. Photograph by Scott Schuette. 
2 • The outstanding discovery of the season in Arkansas was this Least Grebe at the famous Craig Fish 
Hatchery near Centerton, Benton County 3-7 (here 4) August 2008. Photograph byJacque Brown. 
3 • This male Cassin's Finch visited a Ketchikan feeder 24 October 2008. Characteristics that separate this 
species from the similar Purple Finch include the highly contrasting scarlet cap, long crown feathers, long 
and heavy bill with straight culmen, obvious pale lower eye arc, relatively pale rose wash on chest and 
flanks, and lack of bold flank streaks. Photograph by Steven C. Heinl. 
4 • This Jack Snipe was photographed at Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska 4 June 2008; the species is 
quite rare here at any season. Photograph by Gavin Bieber. 
5 • The same remote North Slope homesite that produced a Common Cuckoo also supported this fresh Purple 
Finch 30 September (here) through 6 Ocober 2008. This may have been this site's second record in fall, but 
these photographs provide a first documented record for Northern Alaska. Photograph by Janies Helmericks. 
6 • Most of the Arkansas & Louisiana region's Yellow Rail records have been made during the mid- to late au- 
tumn rice harvesting operations, in Louisiana, "second crop" rice is seldom cut earlier than late October. This 
Yellow Rail, one of six spotted during unusually early harvesting activity atThornwell, Jefferson Davis Parish 
1 1 October 2008, added to the very few records from late September through early October. Photograph by 
Donna L Dittmann. 
7 • Yet another rare bird found at Millwood Lake in southwestern Arkansas, this Chestnut-collared Longspur 
was at the Okay Levee, Howard County 19 (here) and 20 October 2008, providing the state's sixth occurrence 
(and first since 1 983) and the second from fall. Photograph by Charles Mills. 
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NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
