and one there 7 Jul QRW) were quite unusual. 
Baird’s Sandpipers in w. Henderson, KY 25 Jul 
(BPa, EHu) and at Kentucky Dam Village S.R, 
Marshall, KY 31 Jul (HC et al.) were the earli- 
est fall migrants reported. One to 2 Dunlins 
lingered at three w. Kentucky locations into 
early Jun, with the latest being one in Fulton 
11 Jun Ohr). A Wilson’s Snipe in Henderson, 
KY 8 Jul (TCC) was early. 
An ad. Laughing Gull was seen at Ken- 
tucky Dam 26 Jun (DR) and 13 Jul (DR, DBr- 
KY). Two Herring Gulls were at Kentucky 
Dam 14 Jul (DR). Least Terns had better 
breeding success along the Mississippi R. and 
lower Ohio R. than in 2008; however, some 
fluctuation in water levels again caused some 
nesting losses. Caspian, Forster’s, and Black 
Terns do not breed in the Region, but nearly 
every year there are a few Jun records between 
normal spring and fall migration periods. 
Caspian Tern reports appearing to suggest ei- 
ther a small summer presence of non-breed- 
ers or a mid-Jun commencement to fall mi- 
gration included 2 at Calvert City, Marshall, 
KY 18 Jun (BPa); one at Steele Creek Park, 
Bristol, TN 18 Jun (LM); one n. of Hickman, 
Fulton, KY 19 Jun (DR); 4 at Obion W.M.A., 
w. Fulton, KY 20 Jun (DR); and 10 at Barkley 
Dam 26 Jun (DR, DBr-KY). Early migrant or 
summering Forster’s Terns included 2 in w. 
Fulton, KY and one at Kentucky Dam, both 26 
Jun (DR, DBr-KY). There were two reports of 
Black Tern during Jun: at least 4 on the Mis- 
sissippi R. near Middle Bar, Hickman, KY 10 
Jun QBr) and 2 in s. Daviess, KY 14 Jun (BLl). 
Black Terns made a noteworthy push through 
the Region 25 Jul, with 3-25 observed at four 
w. Kentucky locales (BPa, EHu) and 117 
counted in Lake, Lauderdale, and Shelby, TN 
ORW) that day. 
CUCKOOS THROUGH FINCHES 
There were only 2 Black-billed Cuckoos re- 
ported: one at Flatwoods, Pike, KY 1 Jun (SF) 
and one heard at Shaker Village, Mercer, KY 
15 Jun (BLe, DP). It was apparent by late Jul 
that many fewer Ruby-throated Humming- 
birds than normal were present in n. Ken- 
tucky, although numbers appeared to be nor- 
mal across the rest of the Region. Cool, rainy 
weather as well as several bouts of severe 
storms in this area were thought to be re- 
sponsible for low nesting success and fewer 
birds. 
A calling Least Flycatcher at Louisville 19 
Jul (BPa) and an Alder Flycatcher heard 
singing softly at Shaker Village, Mercer, KY 30 
Jul (tBPa) were apparently extremely early 
migrants. Continuing the trend of recent 
years, an impressive total of 18 Western King- 
bird nests was photographed in Shelby, TN 
TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY 
during the period; three of these nests in- 
volved a Western Kingbird paired with West- 
ern Kingbird x Scissor-tailed Flycatcher hy- 
brids. In Kentucky, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 
was reported near the former Grand Rivers, 
Livingston nesting territory 12 Jun (PL, fide 
BLi), but no other sightings occurred there 
during the season. In Tennessee, one nest was 
in Marion 14Jun (DJ, JH), at least five were in 
Bledsoe (MG, SWa, SWi), and one was on 
President’s L, Shelby (JRW). 
Loggerhead Shrikes have become very rare 
in all but the westernmost part of the Region, 
so two summer reports from e. Tennessee 
were noteworthy: an ad. with 2-3 young was 
in Washington 10 Jul (RHa) and, for the 3rd 
year in a row, one was in Polk 4 Jun (RHo). 
Several significant Purple Martin 
roosts were detected on National 
Weather Service radar images dur- 
ing late Jul, with two confirmed in 
Kentucky: thousands on the nw. 
side of Campbellsville, Taylor 30 
Jul (NO and 15,000-25,000 on 
the nw. side of Lexington, Fayette 
during the last week of Jul (PD, 
JideJWi). An apparent Tree Swal- 
low X Barn Swallow hybrid was at 
Louisville 29 Jun-3 Jul (BPa, ph. 
EHu). A Cliff Swallow nesting 
colony along Drakes Cr., Simpson, 
KY (DR) represented a county 
first. A Sedge Wren in Union, KY 
25 Jul (BPa, EHu) was the only 
one reported. A Swainson’s 
Thrush and 6 Hermit Thrushes 
were at Mt. LeConte, Great Smoky 
Mountains N.R, Sevier, TN 14 Jul 
(AL); this is the 2nd summer 
record there for Swainson’s 
Thrush and only the 3rd for Ten- 
nessee. Four to 5 Hermit Thrushes were at 
Roan Mt. through the season (RK, AL), and 
up to 3 were at Unaka Mt., Unicoi, TN 3 & 6 
Jun (RK, AL). 
Atlas work for Golden-winged Warblers 
conducted by the Kentucky Department of 
Fish and Wildlife Resources resulted in re- 
ports of 13 territorial birds at four sites (two 
in Bell and two in Harlan) during late May 
(DBa, LP, JSt, SV), as well as a singing male at 
Flatwoods, Pike 1 Jun (SF). Up to 4 singing 
male Magnolia Warblers were at Roan Mt. 1- 
23 Jun (RK); 5 singing males were at Unaka 
Mt., Unicoi, TN 3 Jun (RK). A significant 
amount of research was conducted on the 
breeding population of Bachman’s Sparrows 
at Ft. Campbell this season, with 16 ads. and 
3 juvs. observed in Trigg, KY and 6 ads. ob- 
served in Stewart, TN (DMo, EHo). Many of 
these birds were banded as part of research 
being conducted by the University of Ten- 
nessee. Breeding Savannah Sparrows appear 
to be strengthening their toehold in ne. Ten- 
nessee; two to three pairs were at each of two 
sites in Washington (RK), single singing 
males were at two sites in Johnson 13 & 16 
Jun (ML, TM), 3 singing males were in Ham- 
blen 4 Jul (DMi), one was in Greene 3 Jul 
(DMi), and as many as 7 singing birds total 
were at two sites in Cumberland (JM, EL). A 
singing Savannah Sparrow was present at 
Christine, Adair, KY 23 Jun (RD) for the 2nd 
year in a row. A Lark Sparrow in Crockett, TN 
29 Jul (CF) represented a new summer loca- 
tion. In general, this species appears to be in- 
creasing as a breeder in localized areas in the 
cen. part of the Region. Quite unexpected 
were 2 singing Vesper Sparrows in w. Hender- 
son, KY 18 Jul (BPa, MA), with at least one 
still there 21 Jul (ph. CC); one to two pairs 
were at Roan Mt., a traditional breeding lo- 
cale, 1 & 10 Jun (RK). Several Bobolinks 
were heard at Shaker Village, Mercer, KY 12 
Jun QBr) and 30 Jul (BPa); a pair with 2 
fledglings in Washington, TN 22 Jul (RK, 
m.ob.) furnished at least the 2nd confirmed 
breeding at this location. Following the 
heavy spring flight of Pine Siskins, there were 
two reports during Jul: one at a feeding sta- 
tion near Caney nw. Magoffin, KY during the 
first 10 days of Jul (DHe) and one at Shaker 
Village, Mercer, KY 9 Jul (ph. KH et al.). 
Corrigendum: The Swainson’s Thrush report- 
ed 1 Jun 2008 in Greene, TN (North American 
Birds 62: 570) was in fact a Swainson’s 
Warbler. 
Following the heavy Pine Siskin flight of winter 2008-2009, small numbers lin- 
gered in the Tennessee and Kentucky region into early summer. This was one 
of two birds reported in Kentucky during July (here captured at a MAPS band- 
ing station in Mercer County, Kentucky, 9 July). Photograph by Dan Stoelb. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
607 
