ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
Not exactly a species that one would expect to show up on 
a Gulf of Mexico barrier island in late June, this immature 
Snow Goose was present just one day, 22 June 2009, at 
Wine Island, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. Photograph by 
EJ. Raynor. 
Dobbs). Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, generally 
rare outside sw. Louisiana, continue to be 
found with some regularity at C.N.E in sw. 
Arkansas, where the summer high count was 
25 on 2Jun (DB); 8 near Winchester 6Jul (DB) 
were thought to be the first for Drew. Although 
the occasional spring/summer straggler Snow 
Goose is almost expected on the mainland, a 
transient imm. at Wine I. in the Isles Berniers 
barrier island chain, Terrebonne 22 Jun (ph. 
EJR) was certainly a surprise. A male Blue- 
winged Teal at C.FH. 17 Jun (MAM, SE) was 
considered an unusual summer visitor in nw. 
Arkansas. An assortment of late puddle ducks 
near Cheneyville, Rapides. LA 6 jun, including 
8 Gadwalls and 5 Northern Shovelers, may 
have involved leftover hunting season cripples 
(Wayne Watkins), but a female Northern Shov- 
eler at Lonoke, Lonoke, AR 26 Jul QD) was con- 
sidered a very early fall migrant. Eive very late 
Surf Scoters were at Rutherford Beach, 
Cameron, LA 5-6 Jun, and 3 remained through 
14 Jun (SWC, ph. DLD). Whether a late spring 
migrant or a summering bird, a first-year male 
Black Scoter at Wapanocca N.W.R., Crittenden 
31 May Qeff R. Wilson, Gail King) was the first 
Arkansas occurrence from between Mar and 
Oct. Up to 15 Ruddy Ducks at Treadway’s Min- 
now Farm, Prairie, AR 26 Jul QD) had likely 
summered in the area. 
A basic-plumaged Common Loon sighted on 
the s. shore of L. Pontchartrain, New Orleans, 
’ Orleans 3 Jul (DPM) was presumably summer- 
ing in the area. Perhaps more interesting was an 
ad. in alternate plumage at L. Cortez, Hot 
Springs Village, Garland, AR 12-27 Jul (Dave 
Specht, Debbie Whitecotton, ph. Carolyn Min- 
, son et al); there are very few previous Jul 
^ records, and only a few other summer records 
involving alternate-plumaged individuals. Re- 
: ports of summering Northern Gannets were 
limited to an ailing imm. on the beach at Grand 
Isle, Jefferson, LA 3 Jul (ph. Christine Schex- 
nayder) and a freshly dead subad. at Holly 
Beach, Cameron, LA 30 Jul (ph. PEC). An imm. 
Brown Pelican at Bald Knob N.W.R. 22 Jul 
(K&LN, Bill Alexander, Robert Pearrow) was a 
first for White, AR and generated yet another 
“anomalous” data point from the deep interior 
of the Region. On the heels of last summer’s 
concentration just n. at Morganza Spillway, 74 
Neotropic Cormorants along the e. edge of the 
Atchafalaya Basin from Ramah to Bayou Sorrel, 
Iberville, LA 23 Jun QVR, CF, JaP) was indica- 
tive of continued eastward expansion of the 
breeding distribution. Last summer’s new state 
high count of 27 Least Bitterns at C.N.E was 
dramatically trounced exactly one year later, 
when 100 were conservatively estimated in the 
area 27 Jun (DB); apparently, the species is 
thriving there. Up to 6 Least Bitterns at Frog 
Bayou W.M.A., Crawford 6-11 Jul OCN. Scott 
Michaud, DO, JBr), including a hedgling 11 
Jul, were also noteworthy breeders for nw. 
Arkansas. An ad. Tricolored Heron near Kelso, 
Desha 8 Jun (DB) was very unusual so early in 
se. Arkansas. Considered scarce in nw. 
Arkansas, 2 ad. and 2 fledgling Yellow-crowned 
Night-Herons at Frog Bayou W.M.A. 3 Jul 
QCN, JBr, DO) and an ad. at Devil’s Den S.P., 
Washington 27 Jul QoP) were of interest. The 
above-mentioned 23 Jun Ramah-Bayou Sorrel 
survey in Louisiana’s s. interior also produced 
unexpected totals of 21 ad. White-faced Ibis, 
46 Plegadis (White-faced or Glossy Ibis), and 
18 Roseate Spoonbills QVR, CF, JaP), Another 
2 ad. White-faced Ibis were documented in ne. 
Louisiana’s Ouachita W.M.A. , Ouachita 
7 Jun (ph, JBe); it remains unclear 
whether these ad, Plegadis in the inte- 
rior represent breeders or post-breed- 
ing dispersers. Relatively early Wood 
Storks in Arkansas included 25 at 
Woodard L., Ouachita 8 Jun (Kelly 
Chitwood, Carrie Davis) and 4 at Raft 
Creek Bottoms W.M.A., White 25 Jul 
(K&LN); 730 in the Ramah area 10 Jul 
QVR, CF, JH) was also an excellent 
count for midsummer. 
breeding occurrence for Louisiana and the 3rd 
away from the Holly Beach area of Cameron. 
Another ad. White-tailed Kite observed in 
Rapides 7 Jul (Steve Shively) was also an un- 
usual find during summer in the Louisiana in- 
terior. Until fairly recently, Louisiana’s winter- 
nesting Bald Eagle population would relocate 
to n. latitudes for the summer months, but 
summer records are slowly accumulating, indi- 
cating a shift in seasonal presence. This sum- 
mer, an ad. was noted at Cotile L., Rapides 
through the period Q^H), and another was 
found along Thompson Cr., East Feliciana 6 
Jun (Mark Skinner, JVR, D. Prowell, V. Bay- 
less). A male Northern Harrier, either a very 
late migrant or possible rare breeder, seen 
about 16 km e. of Malvern, Grant 7 Jun (Cody 
Fields), was apparently the first Jun occur- 
rence in Arkansas in almost 30 years. Addi- 
tional Sharp-shinned Hawk breeding records 
generated from Arkansas this summer includ- 
ed a pair with a fledgling 1 1 km s. of Hector 19 
Jun, and a nesting pair 8 km n. of Hector 25 
Jun (both Pope, both Leif Anderson). Although 
now considered a scarce but increasingly well 
established breeder in sw. Louisiana based on 
circumstantial evidence, the state’s long-over- 
due first confirmed active nest of Swainson’s 
Hawk, containing a large chick attended by an 
ad, at Holmwood, Calcasieu 9 Jun (ph., vt. 
Michael A. Seymour, Nicole F Lorenz, Blain 
Cerame; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and 
Fisheries) was cause for celebration; an ad. in 
St. Martin 19 Jul (Gary Broussard) was some- 
what farther e. than expected. An ad. Swain- 
Swainson's Hawks have obviously become established as a breeding bird 
in southwestern Louisiana over the past several decades, but an active 
nest had never been found — that is, until 9 June 2009, when this poorly 
concealed platform with one large chick and attending adult was discov- 
ered at Holmwood, Calcasieu Parish. Photograph by Michael A. Seymour. 
OSPREY THROUGH TERNS 
A nesting pair of Ospreys at L. Con- 
way, Faulkner 1 Jul (DS) marked the 
10th consecutive year of breeding at 
the site. Swallow-tailed Kites at Provencal, 
Natchitoches, LA 12 Jun QH) and at L. Fayet- 
teville 28 Jul (MAM) were well outside known 
breeding areas. An ad. White-tailed Kite and 2 
recently fledged young near a nest s. of DeRid- 
der, Beauregard were confirmed 11 Jun (ph. 
Matthew T. PontifO; the finders (Kerney & 
Maxie Sonnier) report that the pair fledged 3 
young from the nest. This is the 7th confirmed 
son’s near Vaughn, Benton 10 (MAM, JoP, 
DOu) & 28 Jul (JCN) provided circumstantial 
evidence of continued breeding in this area of 
nw. Arkansas. American Kestrels near Pearl 
River, St. Tammany 3 Jun QOC) and at Baton 
Rouge, East Baton Rouge 28 Jun (]H) were sug- 
gestive of rare s. Louisiana breeding attempts. 
Almost always mentionable in Arkansas, 1-2 
Purple Gallinules at C.N.E 24Jun-F (DB) were 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
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