SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS 
These Mottled Ducks at Red Slough Wildlife Management Area in McCurtain County, 
Oklahoma 21 July 2009 are part of an strengthening if localized pattern of occurrence 
there. Photograph by Berlin Heck. 
ry (Hackberry Flat W.M.A., Tillman. OK); 
Quivira (N.W.R., Stafford, KS); Red Slough 
(Red Slough W.M.A., McCurtain, OK); Salt 
Plains (Salt Plains N.W.R., Alfalfa, OK). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH IBISES 
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are expected 
at Red Slough, where 1-4 were present 
through the period (DA); additionally, Black- 
bellieds appeared w. to Hackberry, where 1-2 
were seen 1-16 Jun (L&MT, LH), with 2 n. to 
Pratt. KS lOJul (DP) and 2 to Woods. OK 13 
Jun (jW). Greater White-fronted Goose, an 
Arctic breeder, was clearly extralimital at Red 
Slough 2 Jun (DA), with 4 at Cheyenne Bot- 
toms 5 Jun (MR). Trumpeter Swan is restrict- 
ed as a Regional breeder to the w. Sandhills of 
Nebraska; ads. with 2 flightless young in Buf- 
falo. NE (ES, fide MSt) were extending the 
range southeastward, as were 3 ads. in Dou- 
glas. NE 6 Jun 0GJ< JLL), where considered 
vagrants. A Gadwall at Salt Plains 29 Jul 
(JWA, KW) was southerly. Most Mottled 
Duck reports in the Region come from Red 
Slough, where up to 2 were seen through the 
period (DA), and from Quivira, where a sin- 
gle was noted 5 Jul (JK, WCT, NA, MG). Less 
expected were 2 Mottleds in Sumner. KS 14 
Jul (MT). Up to 3 Cinnamon Teal at Hackber- 
ly through 8 Jul (L&MT, LH) and 3 at Quivi- 
ra 7 Jun (SS) were pleasant summer surprises 
at those locations. Similarly unseasonable 
were a Greater Scaup 21 Jun (PJ) and an ad. 
male Common Merganser 27 Jun in Sedgwick. 
KS (JCa, PJ) and 2 Green-winged Teal at 
Hackberry 1 Jul (L&MT). Slightly out of 
summer range was a Ruddy Duck in Oklaho- 
ma. OK 11 Jun (MJ). 
Difficult to locate in its ne. Nebraska range, 
2 Gray Partridge in Knox 4 Jun-22 Jul (MB) 
were the observers hrst there in three years; 
another was noted in Antelope 21 Jul (MB). 
Survey routes in n.-cen. Dawson, NE located 
two Sharp-tailed Grouse 
leks (TJW); these are the 
southernmost known in 
sw. Nebraska. A still 
healthy population of 
Greater Prairie-Chickens 
occurs in a few counties 
of sw. Nebraska (TJW). 
Mild winters have helped 
Northern Bobwhite pop- 
ulations surge in n. and 
w.-cen. areas of Nebraska 
(TJW). Common Loons 
are appearing more fre- 
quently as summer va- 
grants, this season with 5 
at three Nebraska loca- 
tions, all 12 Jun (JT, LE), 
singles in Mitchell, KS 7 Jun (HA) and in Jef- 
ferson. KS 23Jun (BW), and 1-2 in Oklahoma, 
OK 22 Jul (BD). As with Ruddy Duck, Eared 
Grebe breeds on occasion s. of Nebraska; a 
colony with 46 nests was located in Kearny, 
KS 6 Jul (T&SS, DLS). Rare anywhere in the 
Region, a Brown Pelican was noted at several 
separate locations in Oklahoma and Canadian. 
OK 29 Jun (PV) through 28 Jul (BD et al). 
Neotropic Cormorants in w. Oklahoma and 
Kansas continue to pioneer, with up to 5 at 
Cheyenne Bottoms 14Jun-26Jul (MR, JK et 
ah), another at Quivira 14 Jun (PJ), 1-2 north- 
ward to Phillips, KS 26 Jul (HA), and several 
noted breeding at the Salt 
Plains 17 Jun QWA, JAG, 
RS, SM). 
Least Bitterns were report- 
ed nw. of typical range in Gar- 
den, NE 18 Jul (LR, RH) and 
Cheriy, NE 25 Jun (MS) and 
w. of typical range in Oklaho- 
ma at Hackberry through 21 
Jul (BS, m.ob.); one in Tulsa 9 
Jun (JL et al.) was still note- 
worthy. Some 142 Great 
Egrets in Tulsa, OK 16 Jun QL, 
JB, JCr) made a fine count. 
The only Little Blue Heron for 
Nebraska this season was far 
nw. of typical areas in Scotts 
Bluff 21 Jun (KD). Tricolored 
Herons, now breeding at the Salt Plains QWA, 
RS et al), and appearing regularly in se. Okla- 
homa, particularly Red Slough (DA, BH et 
al), are also being seen more regularly in cen. 
Oklahoma (BD) and as far n. as Quivira, 
where one was seen 7 Jun (BSa). Amazing 
numbers of Cattle Egrets were reported: 
20,000 at Salt Plains 17 Jul (fide RW) and 
5000 at Cheyenne Bottoms, also 17 Jul (JK, 
LSG, MA). Two juv. Yellow-crowned Night- 
Herons made it n, to Seward, NE 14 Jul QC, 
SSc) and to Lancaster, NE 24 Jul (LE). An ad. 
and 7 young Yellow-crowneds were at a nest 
in Shawnee, KS 22 Jun (CM). Only 2 White 
Ibis were reported away from Red Slough: an 
imni. as far n. as Quivira 11 Jul (NO) and one 
in Lincoln, OK 10 Jun (VC). The only Glossy 
Ibis reported this season were up to 10 at Salt 
Plains (RS, JWA et al.) and one at Hackberry 
1 Jun (L&MT). Among the Salt Plains 
Glossies were as many as 4 Glossy Ibis x 
White-faced Ibis hybrids QWA et ah, RS). An 
excellent Regional tally, 1200 White-faced 
Ibis were counted at Cheyenne Bottoms 17 
Jul OK, LSG, MA); nesting is now expected in 
w. Nebraska s. to the Salt Plains, with summer 
vagrants s. to Hackberry (L&MT, VC, m.ob.). 
OSPREY THROUGH TERNS 
An Osprey, banded and hacked in South 
Dakota, appeared in Sarpy, NE 22-28 Jul 
(MBB, m.ob.); there were hve additional re- 
ports of the species in the Region (fide JWA, 
fide LM, fide WRS), including a pair that nest- 
ed unsuccessfully in Scotts Bluff, NE (KD). A 
surprise was the re-appearance of a lone 
White-tailed Kite at exactly the same location 
(and perch) as last year in se. Lincoln, NE 22 
Jun-2 Jul (TJW, PD; ph.). Summer Bald Ea- 
gles are becoming routine in the Region, as 
more individuals are breeding. Rare in sum- 
mer, a Sharp-shinned Hawk was in Caddo, OK 
23 Jun OAG). Exciting for Nebraska was the 
presence of 3 Red-shouldered Hawks at the 
Lancaster site (LE) where breeding was hrst 
noticed last year; a juv. with an ad. in Nema- 
ha/Richardson 29 Jul (L&BP) also suggests 
breeding. Two Broad-winged Hawks were 
known at least to have attempted breeding in 
North Platte, where a pair was successful in 
2008 (TJW). Two juv. Broad-winged Hawks 1 
Jul in Comanche. OK were products of a west- 
erly nesting effort hrst located 15 May (VF). 
A Peregrine Falcon was at Salt Plains 29 Jul 
This immature Brown Pelican 29 June at Lake Hefner, Oklahoma was the only one 
found in summer 2009 in the state and remained in the area through the period. 
Photograph by Patricia Velte. 
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NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
