ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA 
ed in Little Rock, Pulaski 22 Jun-5 Jul (Guy 
Luneau, DS, Samantha Holschbach, K&LN). 
Eastern Kingbirds are well known as relative- 
ly early fall migrants, with numbers on the 
move by early Aug, but an obvious storm- 
grounded migrant flock of 30 in se. Calcasieu 
21 Jul (PEC) provided good evidence for pas- 
sage of transients during mid- to late jul. A 
singing Gray Kingbird at Grand Isle 25 Jun 
(JMM, R. T. Brumfield) was suggestive of lo- 
cal breeding; there are very few prior breed- 
ing/breeding season records, all from New Or- 
leans 1999-2004. 
Two Bell’s Vireos in a developing thicket at 
the “Couch” addition of Chesney Prairie 
N.A. near Siloam Springs, Benton, AR 28 Jun 
OCN, DO, JBr) were the only ones reported. 
An astounding 23 Warbling Vireos in Caddo- 
Bossier 2 Jun (TD, JT) were thought to in- 
volve mostly breeding birds and would be 
the 3rd highest count ever for Louisiana and 
the first summer report of more than 2 per 
day. Thirteen Horned Larks in Richland 25 
Jun QB) was a nice summer count and in- 
dicative of a persisting small breeding popu- 
lation in ne. Louisiana. Providing additional 
circumstantial evidence of an expanding 
breeding population of Tree Swallows in n. 
Louisiana, 1-2 each were noted at L. Clai- 
borne and Homer, Claiborne 1 Jun, 2 were at 
Corney L., Claiborne 6 Jun (all John Dillon), 
and 2 were at Cotile L. (a known breeding 
location) 2 Jun OVH). Three Tree Swallows 
at Gonzales, Ascension 27 Jun (Sue Brous- 
sard) also hinted at the possibility of breed- 
ing in s. Louisiana but could have involved 
early post-breeding dispersers; 4 ads. near 
Hayes, Calcasieu 19 Jul (ph. PEC) and an- 
other at Thornwell 26 Jul (DLD) were early 
fall migrants. Four Bank Swallows at two lo- 
cations in Cameron 14 Jul OVR, BMM) were 
relatively early fall migrants. A rash of 
Louisiana summer Cave Swallow observa- 
tions included 4 still lingering 16 Jun at the 
new colony reported during the spring near 
Vinton, Calcasieu (Colin Dillingham, David 
L. Anderson), one near Ramah 10 Jul (ph. 
DBo), 10 mixed ads. and juvs on the sw. 
coast at Johnsons Bayou 14 Jul OVR, BMM), 
and possible family groups of 3 near Lake 
Arthur and 4 farther e. near Gueydan 19 Jul 
(both in Vermilion-, vt. PEC). At least some of 
these Cave Swallows were likely associated 
with as yet undiscovered breeding colonies 
in sw. Louisiana, although the Ramah bird 
was relatively far e. and associated with hun- 
dreds of migrant Northern Rough-winged 
Swallows. About 20 Cliff Swallows at a 
colony in n. Washington, LA 29 Jun (SS) were 
possibly the first breeders found this far in- 
land in the e. Elorida parishes. 
NUTHATCH THROUGH FINCHES 
Two Brown-headed Nuthatches n. of Gonza- 
les in extreme n. Ascension 14 Jun (SB) were 
at or slightly beyond the s. extent of the 
breeding distribution. An ad. American Robin 
near Rockefeller Refuge headquarters 6-14 
Jun (SWC) was probably a summering non- 
breeder or post-breeding wanderer. Presumed 
breeding Gray Catbirds were once again not- 
ed in extreme sw. Louisiana on the Calcasieu- 
Cameron line s. of Holmwood, with 6 on 1 1 
Jul (DBo); the species is also thought to be in- 
creasing in se. Louisiana, with several noted 
during the period in the interior in Washing- 
ton, and 2 found extremely far se. in the Buras 
area of lower Plaquemines 11 Jul (all DPM). 
Two Bewick’s Wrens (noted as “brown-backed 
form”) e. of Maysville, Benton 1 Jun QCN, 
Doug James, Elizabeth Adam) suggested that 
a few breeders persist in extreme nw. 
Arkansas. A singing Sedge Wren was dehnite- 
ly out of place at L. Fayetteville 6 Jun (MAM). 
Observation of 5 Cedar Waxwings at L. Fayet- 
teville 28 Jun (Karen Garrett, Paula Jugen- 
heimer) was followed by discovery of an in- 
cubating ad. on a nest 5 Jul (HDC, MAM, 
DOu, JoP); the species is a scarce breeder in 
Arkansas, with only a few previous nest 
records from the state’s nw. corner. 
A male Northern Parula at Oak Grove, 
Cameron, LA 6 Jun (SWC) was more likely a 
prospecting breeder rather than a late mi- 
grant; small numbers regularly breed just e. in 
the Grand Chenier area. Yellow Warbler is 
one of our earliest fall migrant passerines, but 
one at Johnsons Bayou 14 Jul QVR, BMM) 
was the earliest found in Louisiana in several 
decades. Prairie Warbler is another relatively 
early fall migrant, but there are still few well- 
documented Jul records from the coast; thus, 
3 near Oak Grove 26 Jul (ph. PEC) were of in- 
terest. A Prairie at L. Fayetteville 9 Jul (HDC) 
was unusual for the area and may have also 
been a very early migrant. A female American 
Redstart at Oak Grove 6 Jun (SWC) was pre- 
sumably a late spring migrant and one of the 
latest ever found on the coast; one in Red Riv- 
er 9 Jun (ph. JT, TD, RS) provided a rare ear- 
ly summer record for nw. Louisiana. A female 
Prothonotary Warbler away from suitable 
breeding habitat at Lafayette 28 Jun (PEC) 
was suspected of being “drought displaced;” 3 
“weakly singing” males on the coast near 
Rockefeller Refuge headquarters 26 Jul 
(SWC, DLD) were considered relatively early 
migrants, as none had been detected at the 
site during Jun. 
Indicative of a rather late breeding attempt, 
a pair of Lark Sparrows were feeding a fledg- 
ling near Harrison, Boone, AR 3 Jul (Sheree & 
Hank Rogers); 2 at Chesney Prairie N.A. 12 
Jul (Bob Caulk, Andrew Scaboo et al.) were 
considered early fall migrants, as the species 
is not known to breed in the area. Exception- 
ally late male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were 
encountered in Webster, LA 2 Jun (RS) and at 
Harrison 19 Jun (Sally Jo Gibson). Up to 2 
territorial male Indigo Buntings near Rocke- 
feller Refuge headquarters 5 Jun-26 Jul 
(SWC, DLD) represented only the 2nd such 
occurrence for the immediate coast. Normal- 
ly absent as a breeder on the immediate coast, 
up to 3 territorial male Dickcissels along 
Rutherford Beach 5-14 Jun (SWC, DLD), 8 n. 
of Grand Chenier 14 Jun (SWC, DLD), 6 in 
the Johnsons Bayou area 14 Jul (JVR, BMM), 
and one s. of Gibbstown, Cameron 26 Jul 
(SWC, DLD) were likely utilizing temporarily 
favorable habitat created as a result of recent 
hurricane impacts. Representing a flrst breed- 
ing record for East Baton Rouge, a male and 2 
female Boat-tailed Crackles were noted just s. 
of Baton Rouge late May-mid-Jun; on 13 Jun, 
one female was feeding 2 fledglings, and the 
other was carrying food to a presumed nest in 
an ornamental palm tree QVR et al.). Another 
ad. female Boat-tailed accompanied by a juv. 
near Ramah 10 Jul QVR, CF) also suggested 
breeding at or near that inland site. The first 
found on the sw. coast in about 10 years, a 
singing male Shiny Cowbird was observed 
briefly at the Oak Grove Sanctuary, Oak 
Grove, Cameron 6 Jun (ph. DLD, SWC). Fur- 
ther evidence of a breeding presence of 
Bronzed Cowbirds in the Baton Rouge area 
included 2 males near St. Gabriel 28 Jun 
QVR) and another in Ascension 3 Jul (Lindsay 
Seeley); likewise, several in Cameron, includ- 
ing a pair at Cameron 14 Jun (SWC, DLD), a 
female or imm. at Johnsons Bayou 14 Jul QVR, 
BMM), one at Creole 19 Jul (ph. PEC), and at 
least 6 near Sweet Lake 26 Jul (ph. PEC) were 
indicative of low-level breeding in extreme 
sw. Louisiana. 
Initialed observers (subregional editors in 
boldface): Dick Baxter, Joyce Bennett QBe), 
Devin Bosler (DBo), Jacque Brown QBr), 
Steven W. Cardiff (Louisiana), H. David 
Chapman, Paul E. Conover, Jennifer O. 
Coulson, Terry Davis, Jim Dixon, Carol Foil, 
Jeff Harris, Jay V. Huner, James M. Maley, 
Michael A. Mlodinow, David P. Muth, B. Mac 
Myers, Joseph C. Neal (Arkansas), Kenny 
Nichols, LaDonna Nichols, David Oakley, 
Donald Ouellette (DOu), Jane Patterson 
0aP),Joanie Patterson QoP)' E- J- Raynor, J. 
Y Remsen, Dan Scheiman, Rosemary Seidler, 
Jeff Trahan. 1$ 
Steven W. Cardiff, 435 Pecan Drive 
St. Gabriel, Louisiana 70776, (scardif(S)gmail.com) 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
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