TEXAS 
Unmistakable was this adult male Yellow-headed Blackbird at Freeport, Brazoria 
County 25 July 2009 providing a first documented summer record to the Upper 
Texas Coast. Photograph by Greg Lavaty. 
24-25 Jul made the first summer report from 
Brazoria in many years QBo). A Ladder-backed 
Woodpecker in Zionsville 24 Jun (DVo) 
marked the first Wasliiiigton record in 25 years. 
A Hairy Woodpecker reported from Hairis 2 
Jun was noteworthy (DDi). 
FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WARBLERS 
A Western Wood-Pewee along the Brazos R., 
Kent 26 jul (AH) was unexpected. An early 
Least Flycatcher was near Sargent, Matagorda 
10 Jul (BFr). Buff-breasted Flycatchers occu- 
pied three apparent territories in the Davis 
Mountains Preserve, Jejfjf Davis (ML), but birds 
were felt to be harder to locate than usual, and 
subsequent surveys yielded no clear evidence 
of breeding success. It was another good year 
for Dusky-capped Flycatcher, which has be- 
come an expected, albeit rare, breeder in the 
upper Davis and Chisos mt. ranges. Four terri- 
tories were in the Davis Mountains Preserve, 
Jeff Davis (ML), and the pair found in the 
spring along the Pinnacles Trail in Big Bend 
N.P., Brewster was reported through 18 Jul 
(BZ). A Brown-crested Flycatcher at Freeport, 
Brazoria 6 Jun (JA, ph. MLi) was acting as if on 
territory but was not relocated. Just on the n. 
edge of expected range, a Brown-crested Fly- 
catcher was in Utley, Bastrop 13 Jun (BFr). 
Well w. of expected breeding range, 2 Eastern 
Kingbirds were observed near Thompson 
Grove, Dallam 14 Jun (AH). Unexpected was a 
nesting pair of Couch’s Kingbirds in San Saba, 
San Saba 1 Jun (ph. ByS) for a first county 
record and perhaps the northernmost breeding 
record in the state. The pair successfully 
fledged at least 2 young. Two Couch’s King- 
birds were in Junction, Kimble 16 Jul (RH), 
while the pair at Webberville, Travis remained 
through early Jun, though successful nesting 
was not noted (m.ob.). For the 3rd straight 
year, a pair of Couch’s Kingbirds nested at Big 
Bend’s Cottonwood Campground, Brewster 
(m.ob.), but more unexpected was a calling 
bird near Marathon, Brewster 27 Jun (DJ). A 
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher just s. of 
Kent near the Culberson/] eff Davis 
line 20 Jul (BZ) was w. of typical 
range. 
Nesting Bell’s Vireos near Jay- 
ton, Kent had successfully fledged 
3 young by 26 Jul (AH) for a suc- 
cessful first county nesting record. 
A Red-eyed Vireo singing at 
Thompson Grove, Dallam 13 Jun 
(BP) represented a rare summer 
record. A Yellow-green Vireo 
graced Port O’Connor, Calhoun 16- 
18 Jun (BFr). Tree Swallows were 
present in good numbers on the 
Upper Texas Coast (hereafter, 
U.T.C.), including the first docu- 
mented nesting record. A pair dis- 
covered in the spring at Brazos Bend S.P, Fort 
Bend fledged 3 young 28 Jun (m.ob.). Else- 
where, two pairs were at Anahuac N.W.R., 
Chambers 24 Jul, each with an apparent de- 
pendent youngster QKe). Four Cave Swallows 
near Floydada, Floyd 18 Jul (AH) represented 
the first for the county. A pair of White-breast- 
ed Nuthatches carrying food along Wolf Cr., 
Ochiltree 18 Jul (AH) suggested a rare local 
nesting attempt. A singing Canyon Wren at 
Independence Park in Gonzales, Gonzales 23 
Jun (BFr) was well away from the normal 
range. This misplaced bird is presumably the 
same individual that was first discovered there 
in Aug 2007. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are rare 
nesters on the U.T.C., and this season more 
than one family group was found along the 
Waller/Gnines line 20 Jun (RW), while up to 3 
individuals were in n. Flarris 1 1 Jul-i- (DDo) 
and may have nested locally. A Wood Thrush 
was in Edinburg, Hidalgo 13-26 Jun (TW) rep- 
resented a rare summer record 
for South Texas. A pair of Brown 
Thrashers was present in Beau- 
mont, Jefferson through the peri- 
od (HJ), and a young bird was 
observed, which suggests local 
nesting. After more than a 
decade-long hiatus of summer 
Brown Thrasher sightings in the 
Central Oaks and Prairies region, 
one was photographed in Waco, 
McLennan 18 Jun (ph. BB), and 2 
were in the same location 21 Jul. 
A persistently singing Yellow 
Warbler lingered at Copperas 
Cove, Coryell until 12 Jun (RK). 
A late migrant Blackburnian Warbler at Lafitte’s 
Cove, Galveston 6 Jun (TEi) provided the 2nd 
latest record for U.T.C. A pair of Yellow-throat- 
ed Warblers successfully fiedged one young in 
Austin, Travis in mid-Jun (ph. MBe), providing 
a rare nesting record for the county. A lingering 
Black-throated Green Warbler was at Bentsen 
S.P., Hidalgo 7 Jun (DJ); however, much more 
surprising was a male near Boulder Meadow in 
Big Bend N.P., Brewster 18 Jul (BZ). A singing 
Black-and-white Warbler in El Paso, El Paso 19 
Jun was unexpected and may have been the 
same bird found at the same location 26-28 Jul 
(JP). A wandering first-summer male American 
Redstart at Ft, Hood, Bell 17 Jun (ph., ER) was 
well away from breeding areas. A Northern Wa- 
terthrush was at Corpus Christi, Nueces 1 Jun 
(YB). The first migrant Louisiana Waterthrush- 
es noted for the fall included singles at High 1., 
Galveston 23 Jul (DVe) and Lubbock, Lubbock 
25 Jul (AH), A Mourning Warbler at Welborn, 
Brazos 4 Jun Qohn Hale) is the first summer 
record for the county and the 2nd latest for the 
Central Oaks and Prairies region. An early 
Hooded Warbler arrived in Port O'Connor, Cal- 
houn 25 Jul (BFr). A pair of Painted Redstarts 
with an older fledgling in the Davis Mountains 
Resort, JcjfjT Davis 29 Jul (DEn) provided one of 
the few nesting records for the county. A pair of 
Rufous-capped Warblers found along Big 
Bend’s Window Trail, Brewster 17 Jul (ph., tBZ) 
were unfortunately not relocated. A good count 
of 22 ad. Yellow-breasted Chats along with nu- 
merous fledglings at White River L., Crosby 12 
Jul (AH) documented the continued presence 
of the species on the South Plains as a breeding 
species. 
TANAGERS THROUGH FINCHES 
Rare in summer on the U.T.C. , a pair of Sum- 
mer Tanagers was noted sporadically in Hitch- 
cock, Galveston 11 Jun-4 Jul (KAy). A wan- 
dering female Western Tanager was near Cros- 
byton, Crosby 10 Jul (KH). A female Flame- 
colored Tanager was in upper Boot Canyon, 
Big Bend N.P, Brewster 18 Jul (+BZ). The fe- 
male Eastern Towhee that wintered at Corpus 
Christi, Nueces was last reported on the in- 
credibly late date of 1 Jun (YB). A Spotted 
One of the highlights of the season in Texas was this male Evening Grosbeak, it 
made a brief visit to a feeding station in El Paso, El Paso County 15-16 (here) June 
2009 and provided just the second summer record for the state and the first to be 
fully documented. Photograph by Ada Ibarra. 
VOlUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
625 
