I Arizona 
Mark M. Stevenson (Non-passerines) 
Gary H. Rosenberg (Passerines) 
F ollowing a June that was cooler than 
average, summer rainfall began well but 
fizzled out after mid-July, when a ridge 
of high pressure camped out over the state. 
Rare bird highlights included two potential 
first United States records — Gray-collared Be- 
card and Brown-backed Solitaire — and a 
state-second Pacific Golden-Plover. There 
were also multiple Elegant Terns, Rufous- 
capped Warblers, Flame-colored Tanagers, 
and out-of-place Five-striped Sparrows. 
Abbreviations: A.B.C. (Arizona Bird Commit- 
tee), B.W.D. (Bill Williams Delta, L. Havasu), 
G.W.R. (Gilbert Water Ranch), H.R.P. (Has- 
sayampa River Preserve), Las Cienegas (Las 
Cienegas National Conservation Area), 
L.C.R.V. (lower Colorado R. valley), Sweetwa- 
ter (Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH SHOREBIRDS 
Surprising, but not unprecedented in the heat, 
2 Greater White-fronted Geese were in Tempe 
4 Jun (PD). Bufflehead is also casual in sum- 
mer; one lingered at Patagonia L. through 11 
Jun (MMS), one was at Gila Bend through 13 
Jun (PEL), and another was at Sipe White 
Mountain WA. 14-16 Jul (vt. TD); all were 
imms. or females. Up to 2 Common Gold- 
eneyes at Imperial Dam 2-13 Jun (PEL) were 
also casual. A female Common Merganser with 
5 young in Prescott 9-10 Jul (CST) was likely 
a first local nesting occurrence. Ring-necked 
Pheasant is a very local introduced nesting 
species in Arizona; this season, multiple birds 
were heard calling in the Fort Thomas-Eden 
area along the Gila R. (RHu), downstream 
from where they had previously been reported. 
Common Loon is rare in summer. At L. Hava- 
su, up to 4 were on the n. end 1-2 Jun (PEL), 
2 were at B.W.D. 20 Jun (T. Linda), and a very 
worn individual was at B.W.D. 30 Jul (ph. JH). 
Repeating last year’s experience, surprisingly 
high numbers of Eared Grebes were found on 
n. L. Havasu 1-2 Jun (PEL), with day counts of 
310 and 360. Even more surprising, 3 ad. and 
3 half-grown juv. Eared Grebes were found at 
Havasu N.W.R. 12 Jul (DD); there were no pri- 
or L.C.R.V. nesting records. Three ads. were 
found in a different area of the refuge 16 Jul 
(DD). There was a minimal summer influx of 
Brown Pelicans, with one, probably a holdover, 
at Imperial Dam 2 Jun (PEL) and one in Avon- 
dale 5-6 Jul 0- Truan). Neotropic Cormorants 
have been mostly few and localized in se. Ari- 
zona, compared to their explosive expansion 
in greater Phoenix. This season, a few sum- 
mered in unusual areas, with 3 moving around 
Tucson (m.ob.) and one to 2 at Willcox (KK et 
al.). Singles at San Carlos L. 3 Jul (KK, JM) and 
B.W.D. 21-30 Jul (ph. K. Blair) were in areas 
where considered casual. A Green Heron at 
Cameron 1 1 Jun (CL) was the latest spring mi- 
grant on the Navajo Nation ever. Black- 
crowned Night-Heron is a sparse nester above 
the Mogollon Rim, so 6 fledglings with ads. at 
Holbrook 16 Jul (EH) were notable. 
Another noteworthy nesting was a pair of 
Mississippi Kites in an isolated pecan tree at 
Duncan 10 Jun-15 Jul (TC, ph. R. Shantz), a 
first for Greenlee and the upper Gila R. in Ari- 
zona. A Red-shouldered Hawk was at the 
Ahakhav Tribal Preserve near Parker 28 Jul 
(ph. JH); though seldom checked, this location 
has produced several recent records of this 
species. Of note was the absence of reports of 
this species from H.R.P., the only location in 
the state where they have been resident. A 
Gray Hawk continued at H.R.P. through 20 Jun 
(TD), beyond the usual range of the species. In 
the Chiricahua Mts., reports of an ad. and 
imm. Short-tailed Hawk carried through the 
season (m.ob., ph. C. Gregory), but there were 
no reports of nesting. The species was other- 
wise unreported. The season’s only wandering 
Crested Caracara was an individual at Cienega 
Creek Preserve, Pima 27 Jun (A. Sabatine). In 
the Santa Cruz Flats, where they are now es- 
sentially resident, 3 were seen 29 Jun (DJ), and 
one was e. of Picacho Peak 6 Jul (MA). A Sora 
was heard at Laguna Dam 27 Jun (HD), where 
they are not known to nest. The lone summer- 
ing Sandhill Crane was reported again from 
Luna L. through 25 Jul (D. Touret, TC). 
Exceptional was a second-year male Pacific 
Golden-Plover at Willcox 26-27 Jun (ph. 
MMS; ph. RT, GHR, JM; WR). This is only the 
2nd Arizona occurrence, and the species is not 
expected in the lower 48 states in summer. 
There were again few reports of Snowy Plover, 
with one in Dome Valley 19-20 Jul (GMcC, 
PEL) and another near Gila Bend 30 Jul 0 - L. 
Dunn, GMcC); both were at dairy wastewater 
ponds. A tally of 500 Black-necked Stilts in 
Glendale 25 Jul (TC) was impressive for Ari- 
zona; though they nest in the area, many were 
likely migrants. American Avocet is a rare 
nesting species in n. Arizona, so two clutches 
hatched at Holbrook in Jul (EH) were of in- 
terest. Multiple juv. Spotted Sandpipers along 
the Gila R. in the Fort Thomas-Eden area 27 
Jun (R. Hunt) suggested a newly found nest- 
ing area. A Lesser Yellowlegs at Willcox 4-7 
Jun (RH et al.) was between expected migra- 
tion dates. Early Marbled Godwits were at 
Prescott 19 Jun (S. & S. Burk) and Willcox 20 
Jun (J. Ulreich, ph. GHR). A Sanderling was 
casual at San Carlos L. 25 Jul (PN. DJ). The 
first southbound Semipalmated Sandpiper was 
on the early side at Willcox 2-3 Jul (ph. DS). 
A Western Sandpiper was a late spring mi- 
grant at Willcox 4 Jun (R. Fray), and a Least 
Sandpiper at Glendale 14 Jun (TC) provided 
the first mid-Jun report for Maricopa. White- ! 
rumped Sandpiper is a casual late spring mi- 
grant, with only one prior record of multiple ' 
individuals (3), so a flock of 13 at Willcox 3- 
5 Jun (ph. GB; JM, DS, RH) was stunning. 
This nearly doubles the total number ever 
documented in Arizona. A Baird’s Sandpiper 
in Dome Valley 19-20 Jul (GMcC, PEL) was j 
very early there, while one at the Grand 
Canyon South Rim 25 Jul (ph. BG) was the 
park’s 2nd record. Three Stilt Sandpipers at 
Sunsites, Cochise 6 Jul (KK) were very early. 
GULLS THROUGH KINGFISHERS 
Single Franklin’s and Bonaparte’s Gulls at San 
Carlos L. 3 Jul (KK, JM) were unexpected in 
summer. Up to 6 California Gulls at n. L. 
Havasu 1-2 Jun (PEL) added to the few early 
summer reports from the L.C.R.V. It was an 
eventful summer for terns in Arizona. The 
state’s first nesting of Least Terns that began at 
Glendale in late spring continued, with one 
pair fiedging one young on 10 Jul while the 
other pair’s nest failed (M. Herring, TC); de- 
tails will be published elsewhere. Otherwise, 
single Least Terns were at Lake Havasu City 1 1 
6 22 Jun (ph. JH) and Sweetwater 14 Jun (O. 
Harvey et al). A subad. Black Tern at Sweet- 
water 16 Jun (MMS) was between migrations, 
while 2 at Willcox 4 Jul (C, West) and 2 at 
Sunsites 1 1 Jul (KK) were early migrants. Out- 
standing was a first-year Arctic Tern at n. L. 
Havasu 1 Jun (tPEL); the most recent accept- 
ed Arizona record is from 1993. A late 
Forster’s Tern was at Prescott 4 Jun (S. Burk), 
and an early individual was at Arlington W.A. 
20 Jun (T. Hildebrand t). An unprecedented 
abundance of Elegant Terns was found 7 Jul, 
634 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
