ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
This recently hatched Snowy Plover chick at Rutherford Beach, Cameron 
Parish, Louisiana 25 July 2009, one of two attended by the female parent, 
confirmed the first July nesting in the state; the previous six records, all 
since 1999, vifere from late April through early June. Photograph by Donna 
L Dittmann. 
the first found there since 1991, and 2 more 
were detected at Bois d’Arc W.M.A., Hempstead 
5 Jul (K&LN). An impressive 300 Common 
Moorhens were tallied at C.N.F. 27 Jim (DB). 
Following the finding of a female Snowy 
Plover with a small chick at Rutherford Beach 
in early May 2009, another female and small 
chick were documented 5 Jun (6th Louisiana 
breeding occurrence; ph. DLD, SWC), and, 
amazingly, a female and 2 small chicks were 
located 25 jul (ph. DLD, SWC) for Louisiana’s 
7th breeding occurrence and hrst record later 
than the first week of Jun. A Spotted Sand- 
piper on the upper Arkansas R. s. of Mulber- 
ry, Crawford 11 Jul (K&LN) was probably an 
early fall migrant; although 
there are a few older breed- 
ing records for Arkansas, 
breeding activity would 
probably be more likely dur- 
ing late May and Jun, and 
fall migrants have been 
recorded as far s. as the 
Louisiana coast by early Jul. 
A Marbled Godwit on the 
coast near Port Fourchon, 
Lafourche, LA 25 Jun (JMM) 
may have been an early fall 
migrant rather than a sum- 
mering bird; 2 at Anderson’s 
Minnow Farm near Lonoke 31 Jul QD, Craig 
Provost, Dale Provost, Delos McAuley) were 
also unusual and relatively early fall migrants 
for Arkansas. Also possibly an early migrant, 
and rare away from the sw. Louisiana coast, 
was a Long-billed Curlew at W. Raccoon L, 
Terrebonne 29 Jun (EJR). Five Whimbrels, 
possibly late spring migrants, were at Ruther- 
ford Beach 5 Jun (SWC, DLD). An assortment 
of late spring migrant shorebirds at C.FH. in 
extreme nw. Arkansas included 30 Semi- 
palmated Sandpipers 3 Jun and 3 present 17 
Jun, an exceptional concentration of 170 
White-rumped Sandpipers 3 Jun, 
and 4 Pectoral Sandpipers 17 Jun 
(all MAM, SE). Interesting early fall 
migrant ad. shorebirds in Lonoke, 
cen. Arkansas included a Willet at 
Lonoke 28 Jul (DBo), a Ruddy 
Turnstone near Kerr 30 Jul 
(K&LN), and up to 9 Sanderlings at 
Anderson’s Minnow Farm 28 Jul 
(DBo, K&LN). A Pectoral Sand- 
piper near Ramah 10 Jul QVR, ph. 
CF) was relatively early for the Re- 
gion and apparently record-early for 
the Baton Rouge area. Except for an 
anomalous record from nw. 
Louisiana 18 Jun 1950, single Wil- 
son’s Snipe along the Red R. in 
Natchitoches 4 Jun QVH) and at the 
Bonnet Carre' Spillway, St. Charles 14 Jul 
(Melvin Weber) would be record-tying late 
spring and record early fall Louisiana occur- 
rences, respectively. 
Laughing Gulls are venturing inland with 
increasing frequency but remain noteworthy 
deep into the interior, e.g., an ad. at Cotile L. 
2 Jun OVH). A first-cycle Lesser Black-backed 
Gull was noted at Rutherford Beach 13 Jun 
(SWC, DLD); considering the dramatic in- 
crease in this species’ status in the Region, 
there are still surprisingly few well docu- 
mented Jun/Jul occurrences. A Forster’s Tern 
in non-breeding plumage at Bois d’Arc 
W.M.A. 5 Jul (K&LN) was thought to be an 
early fall migrant but conceivably could have 
been a summering bird or post-breeding wan- 
derer. Inland Least Terns away from the ex- 
pected major river corridors included an ad. 
foraging over a crawfish pond near Thorn- 
well, Jcjl/erson Davis, LA 5 Jun (SWC, DLD), a 
small breeding colony (persisting since 2007) 
of 13 pairs with nests/eggs on an expanse of 
concrete at the 1-10 Lacassine exit, Jefferson 
Davis 6 Jun (SWC, ph. DLD), and an aggrega- 
tion of 62 post-breeding ads. and juvs. at An- 
derson’s Minnow Farm 28 Jul (DBo). The dis- 
covery of two nesting pairs of Sooty Terns at 
Raccoon 1. and another pair at Wine 1. 
through the period (ph. EJR, ph. Hannah 
Tetreault, ph. Mark Suchy) represented a 
westward expansion of the breeding distribu- 
tion in Louisiana; perhaps these colonists 
originate from the species’ former stronghold 
on the now nearly obliterated Chandeleur 1. 
chain off se. Louisiana. 
DOVES THROUGH SWALLOWS 
Single Inca Doves in St. Bernard 11 Jun 
(Glenn Ousset), at two locations in St. 
Charles 4 Jul (DPM), and near Slidell, St. Tam- 
many 15 Jul OOC) added to the growing 
number of reports from se. Louisiana; one at 
Burn’s Hill N.A., Franklin 6 Jun would appear 
to represent a first for Izard in cen.-n. 
Arkansas. A Common Ground-Dove was un- 
expected at Baton Rouge 26 Jun (DLD). A 
Black-billed Cuckoo at L. Fayetteville, Wash- 
ington 30 May QoP) was most likely a mi- 
grant. A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird 
near Rockefeller Refuge headquarters. Grand 
Chenier, Cameron, LA 6 Jun (SWC) and po- 
tentially the same bird there 14 Jun (DLD, 
SWC) was a surprise, considering there are 
only a few previous Jun occurrences in the 
coastal zone. Belted Kingfishers e. of Pecan L, 
Vermilion 12 Jul (vt. PEC) and at Grand Che- 
nier 26 Jul (2 individuals; SWC, DLD) were of 
interest, appearing during a late Jun-mid-Aug 
hiatus with few coastal records. An Olive- 
sided Flycatcher at L. Fayetteville 9 Jun 
(HDC) was record late for 
nw. Arkansas and one of the 
latest ever for the state. An 
Eastern Wood-Pewee near 
Rockefeller Refuge head- 
quarters 5 Jun (ph. DLD, 
SWC) was presumably a late 
spring migrant, but one at 
Grand Isle 27 Jun (DPM, 
Phillip A. Wallace) was 
more difficult to categorize; 
there are only a few other 
records of summering birds 
in the coastal zone (New Or- 
leans 1983 and 1993), and 
presumed migrants have never been recorded 
after early Jun or before mid-Jul. A Least Fly- 
catcher e. of Pecan 1. 12 Jul (ph. PEC) tied for 
the 2nd earliest ever fall migrant for Louisiana 
and was the earliest in two decades. The pair 
of nesting Great Kiskadees first discovered 
near Rockefeller Refuge headquarters in early 
May continued through the period; the first 
nest had been abandoned by early Jun, but 
another almost complete nest was located 
about a half km away 26 Jul (SWC, ph. DLD, 
R. Terrill). A rare breeder in cen. Arkansas, at 
least two Western Kingbird nests were locat- 
For the first time, Sooty Terns were found nesting on the barrier islands of Louisiana's central coast, with 
two pairs on Raccoon Island and one pair on Wine Island, both in the Isles Dernieres chain, Terrebonne 
Parish. Formerly, small numbers nested in the Chandeleur Islands off southeastern Louisiana, but the 
species' status there is now uncertain following near-obliteration of those islands by recent hurricanes. Pic- 
tured at left is a two-day-old chick at Wine Island 7 June 2009; at center, a two-month-old juvenile at Wine 
Island 22 July 2009; and at right, an adult at Raccoon Island 8 June 2009. Photographs by (left to right) Mark 
Suchy, E. J. Raynor, and Hannah Tetreault. 
512 N 0 R T H A M E R I C A N B I R D S 
