TEXAS 
Mississippi Kites are increasing as a nesting species in central Texas. This successful nesting at Sal- 
ado, Bell County (here 4 July 2009) provided a first county record. Photograph by Mike Williamson. 
the 1-610 loop in Houston, Harris this season 
(WR, ph. MS). Gray Hawks found at higher 
elevations than normally expected included 
one in the Davis Mountains Preserve, Jeff 
Davis 4 Jul (ph. ML, RP) and another near 
Boulder Meadow in the Chisos Mts., Brewster 
18 Jul (BZ). Rather bizarre for the location 
and season, a Zone-tailed Hawk was at Polly- 
wog Pond, Nueces 19 Jul (MC). A Ferrugi- 
nous Hawk near Crosby ton, Crosby 16 Jun 
(KH) was well away from the breeding popu- 
lation in the Panhandle proper. Five Ameri- 
can Kestrels at Fort Hood, Bell through 12 Jun 
were presumably a family group and perhaps 
a rare indicator of local breeding (fide CP). An 
imm. Peregrine Falcon hung around Rio 
Bosque Wetlands Park 18 & 29 Jun OS). Ap- 
parent early migrant Peregrine Falcons were 
in the Hegar L. area. Waller 25-26 Jul (DDi, 
SG) and at Salineno, Starr 26 Jul (ECa, MBu). 
RAILS THROUGH TERNS 
Imm. King Rails seen through the period were 
indicative of breeding at John Bunker Sands 
Wetlands, Kaufman (GC, m.ob.). Out-of- 
place Soras included singles at Estero Llano 
Grande S.P., Hidalgo 6 Jun (KO) and near In- 
dianola, Calhoun on the same date (BFr). A 
pair of Purple Gallinules with 5 young at John 
Bunker Sands Wetlands, Kaufman through 
the period (GC, m.ob.) provided a rare breed- 
ing record for n.-cen. Texas. The same area 
had an unprecedented high count of 84 Com- 
mon Moorhens 27 Jun (GC, m.ob.). A Sand- 
hill Crane was a completely unexpected find 
at Richland Creek W.M.A., Navarro 16 Jul 
(TFe). An early Black-bellied Plover was near 
Utley, Bastrop 16 Jul (BFr). A single basic- 
plumaged American Golden-Plover was in a 
rice field in nw. Jefferson on the odd date of 4 
Jul (RW). An injured American Golden- 
Plover lingered at a Hidalgo playa 29 Jun-20 
Jul (DJ). Mountain Plovers are rare breeders 
in the Panhandle, and 2 were located e. of 
Thompson Grove, Dallam 14 Jun (AH). A 
count of 86 American Av- 
ocets at Bryan Beach, Bra- 
zoria 27 Jun (ECa, MBu) 
was a high concentration 
for summer. 
Two Spotted Sandpipers 
at Lake Jackson, Brazoria 
4 Jun (TM, JE) were later 
than usual. A Willet at the 
turf farms on the Brazos R. 
bottoms, Burleson 30 Jul 
(LS, BN) provided only 
the 3rd Jul record for the 
Central Brazos Valley. Six 
Whimbrels in a rice field 
in nw. Jefferson 4 Jul (RW) 
and a count of 13 birds in the same field 6 Jul 
(SMa) were exceptional summer counts. A 
Whimbrel at Corpus Christi, Nueces 21 Jun was 
thought to be an early fall migrant (MC). A 
group of 16 Long-billed Curlews near Dickens, 
Dickens 21 Jun (AH) provided just the 3rd Jun 
record for the South Plains. Marbled Godwits 
were reported in above-normal numbers in the 
Trans-Pecos, with one at Balmorhea L., Reeves 8 
Jun (JP) and 8 at the same location 30 Jun 
(RP), 3 split between McNary Res. and Ft. Han- 
cock Res., Hudspeth 24 Jun QP), and one at Mc- 
Nar}' Res. 3 Jul (JP). Farther e., a Marbled God- 
wit was out of place at John Bunker Sands Wet- 
lands, Kaufman 11 Jul (GC, TR, DDC, DL). An 
exceptionally early juv, Semipalmated Sand- 
piper was at Choke Canyon, McMullen 26 Jul 
(WS), Two White-rumped Sandpipers were at 
Balmorhea L., Reeves 8 Jun (jP). Three White- 
rumped Sandpipers at Yacht Basin Rd., Galve- 
ston 1 Jul (JKe) were notably late; tyqrically only 
injured or sick birds are found in midsummer. 
A Baird’s Sandpiper at McNary Res., Hudspeth 
24 Jun (JP) made for a very rare regional Jun 
record. Alternate-plumaged Dunlins included 
one on Pleasure I., Jefferson 4 Jul (RW), 2 at 
Anahuac N.W.R., Chambers 25 Jul (CTL), and 
one near Crosbyton, Crosby 28 Jul (KH). 
A Laughing Gull at Welch Park, Burleson 27 
Jun (LS, BVe) made a first summer record for 
L. Somerville and one of few summer records 
for the cen. Brazos Valley. Locally annual in re- 
cent years, 2 ad. Laughing Gulls were at Mc- 
Nary Res., Hudspeth 15 Jul (BZ). Out-of-sea- 
son Franklin’s Gulls included one at Bal- 
morhea L., Reeves 9 Jun QP), one at L. Waco, 
McLennan 11 Jun (EH), 2 at the John Bunker 
Sands Wetlands, Kaufman 27 Jun (GC), and 
one at Belton L., Bell 22 Jul (RP). Four 
Franklin’s Gulls spent the season at Choke 
Canyon, McMullen (WS). A Ring-billed Gull 
lingered in Lubbock, Lubbock through 3 Jul 
(CSt, m.ob.), while 2 summered at Choke 
Canyon, McMullen (WS). Unprecedented was 
a first-cycle Glaucous Gull at Galveston’s East 
Beach, Galveston 5Jun+ (ph. JKe, JBe). 
Following the trend in recent years, a Brown 
Noddy was on Padre Island N.S., Kleberg 10 
Jun (ph., tBSa) and another off Matagorda 27 
Jun (ph., tKLa). No storm-related or other 
known reason accounts for the occurrence of a 
Sooty Tern found alive at College Station, Bra- 
zos 6 Jul (fide KAr). McIntyre tallied 19 Bridled 
Terns in Nueces offshore waters 15 Jun. Rare 
but regular in the Trans-Pecos, a single Least 
Tern was at Balmorhea L., Reeves 8 Jun QP)- A 
Least Tern at L. Waco 14 Jun (EH) provided a 
rare McLennan record. Eight Least Terns, in- 
cluding 3 on nests, were at Richland Creek 
W.M.A., Navarro 13 Jun (DDC, DL). Juveniles 
made up an estimated 25% of 90 Least Terns at 
L. Lewisville, Denton 31 Jul (KL). More unex- 
pected was the discovery of two nesting pairs 
at E.V Spence Res., Coke 29 May (AB). A 
Caspian Tern was at McNary Res., Hudspeth 24 
Jun OP)- A late migrant Black Tern was at L. 
Waco, McLennan 14 Jun (EH). A large migra- 
tion involving an estimated 3500-4000 Black 
Terns moved through the High 1. area, Galve- 
ston 17 Jul (WB). An ad. jaeger at Rollover 
Pass, Galveston 3 Jul was thought to be a Para- 
sitic based largely on size (FC); another, or 
possibly the same bird, was seen from the 
Quintana Jetty, Brazoria 24 Jul (SG). 
CUCKOOS THROUGH WOODPECKERS 
Unprecedented was a wholly melanistic Yel- 
low-billed Cuckoo at Liberty Hill, Williamson 
20 Jul (ph. BM). A Common Poorwill was a 
great find in Someiyell 6 Jun (GC). A Chuck- 
will’s-widow returned for the 3rd consecutive 
year to the Davis Mts., Jeff Davis 1 Jul-t- (RP, 
KB), and also of interest was another at White 
River L., Crosby 12 Jul (AH). Green Violetear is 
now expected annually on the Edwards 
Plateau. One at Ingram, Kerr continued 
through 3 Jun (MI), another was in sw. Gille- 
spie 2-3 Jun (ph., tTC), and one was near 
Leakey, Real 21 Jun-24 Jul (ph. D&SM). Pro- 
viding a first Panhandle record was a Broad- 
billed Hummingbird attending a feeder in Tim- 
bercreek Canyon, Randall 17-25 Jun (BP, 
m.ob.). Broad-billeds were also present in cen. 
Texas near Eldorado, Schleicher 29 Jun+ (ph., 
RF) and in Poteet, Atascosa 29 Jul-2 Aug 
(MGi). At least 5 White-eared Hummingbirds 
were noted through the summer in the Davis 
Mountains Resort, JeJf Davis (KB). A quasi-res- ' 
ident Buff-bellied Hummingbird at a 
Smithville, Bastrop residence was present all 
season (ph. AC, ECe), while another sum- 
mered in nearby Bastrop (ph. LC). A Rufous 
Hummingbird arrived early in Port O’Connor, 
Calhoun 24 Jul (BFr). An imm. male Allen’s 
Hummingbird was banded in Jeff Davis 19 Jul 
(KB). A Red-headed Woodpecker in Richwood 
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NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
