Townsend'sWarblers this season,all but one from Jorgensen,Mice Kenitz,Jon Kozak,Thomas E. Arterburn,Sandy Berger, Bill Carrell,Joseph A. its Panhandle,the last in Grant2 Sep(MB). Only Labedz,Kathy Larson, Don Maas,Babs Padelford Grzybowski,Stephen Grzybowski, Berlin Heck, Pat oneTownsend's was reported from Kansas, that in (BPa), Loren Padelford,Don Paseka,lan Paseka, Heck,George Kamp, Marty Kamp, Jo Loyd, Terry Scott9 Sep(TS, SSh), with one 6 Sepin Cimarron, KevinPoague, Larry Randolph, lames A. Sedgwick, Mitchell,Pam Moser,Dan Reinking,Justin & OK (JAG),and 2 there20 Sep(MK, GK,C&SR). W. RossNilcock, David Stage (DSt), Barb Tebble, DonnaRoach, C.&S. Ruby, Jerry Sifter, P. Velte, G. Amongearly arrivals were an Orange-crownedMark Urwiller, ScottWessel, Peter Wickham, Rick White,David Wiggins (DWg). Warblerat Oliver 15 Aug (SJD)and a Canada Wright.OKLAHOMA: David Arbour, James W. Warbler 11 Aug in Douglas,KS (MM, GP). Lingeringwas a NorthernParula 14 Oct in McCurtain,OK (DA, DR, BH). FewBrewer's Sparrows are notedduring fall; thisyear's lot included singles in Cimarron,OK 21 Aug(JWA, JL, JS) and Morton, KS 2 Sep(NS, TC et Texas al.).Quite tardy was a VesperSparrow in Knox,NE 28 Nov-3Dec (MB). Morefrequently observed in recentyears are Nelson'sSharp-tailed Sparrows. About8 werereported from e. Nebraska,all from 30 Sep-14Oct (fideWRS), with two reportsof 3 birdsfrom Kansas13-14 Oct (fideLM). Nine ßAmarillo Sharp-tailedswere flushed at RedSlough 10 Oct =BuffaloLakeI•W.H. (DA). =Muleshoe N.W.R. An ad.male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Finney, Lubbo•_ (-'-'• F_•i•shitaI•agermanN. W.'•7• KS23-25 Nov (ES), was geographically andtempo- • J •' Dallas ] rallyout of place.Perhaps making a patternof Guadalupe- ' ßAbilene sortswere 4 late-ishLazuli Buntings in ScottsBluff, MtnsN.R r••.•_nd•-•,•V NE 22 Sep(AK), No?ton, KS 22 Sep(NS, MRa), Cimarron,OK 24 Sep (JAG, JWA, DWg), and Tulsa '-*'*-Y'•/%. •anAngelo•'• 29 Sep (BC, TM). Also tardy was an Indigo -...... Buntingin Dixon,NE 30 Oct (JJ),the 2nd latest everfor the state.A LesserGoldfinch in Morton,KS 2 Sep(NS et al.) wasa littlen. of most.The only CommonRedpoll noted was in NebraskaCity 23 Bi Bend •' •%øo. • o• •s•anu Nov (LF,CF). ' &• • R•nsas N.• R. Cited observers (area editors boldfaced): KANSAS:Bob Antonio, Dave Bryan, Bill & Nancy • Kingsvill•orpusChri• FalconDam • _ • Laguna Beard,Ken Brunson,Ted Cable,Nick & Kathy BentsenS• • •as•sa N.• R. Sa•a Ana N.•R. Clausen,Mark & ElaineCorder, Barbara Duncan, Bransville MaryDeuser, Tom Flowers, Bob Fisher, Dan Gish, ChetGresham, Matt Gearheart,Leon Hicks, Tyler Hicks,Nancy Highgate, Pete Janzen, Dan Kluza, KerrieKirkpatrick, Linda Loomis, Jean Leonatti Mark W. Lockwood (JLe),Dan Larson, Nick McHugh,Roger McNeill, 67•0 Lancret Hill Drive hisfall was characterized byabove-average rainfall in the eastern half of the state while Lloyd Moore, Jim Nickel, Marie Osterbuhr, Austin,Texas 78745 SebastianPatti, Brandon Percival, Galen Pittman, ([email protected]) the droughtremained unabated in the west. RalphPike, Alexis Powell, Bob Price (BPr), Mark Pacificfronts repeatedly crossed the state,pro- Robbins,Mike Rader(MRa), LeonardRich (LRi), GregLasley ducingheavy rainfall when they interacted with moisture from the Gulf. At Houston's GregSchrott, David Seibel, Scott Seltman, Diane 305 LoganberryCourt Seltman (DSe), Tom Shane,Sara Shane (SSh), Austin,Texas 78745 Bush IntercontinentalAirport, the rainfall total for the fall alone was over 63 cm. This Emaline Scott,Lauren Sill, Art Smalwell,Kamas (õ[email protected]) OrnithologicalSociety (KOS), Max Thompson, was more than 25 cm aboveaverage. As a DonVannoy, Edge Wade, Dave Williams, Wichita Willie Sekula result,temperatures in the eastwere moderate, AudubonSociety (WAS), Gene Young. NEBRAS- 7063 CountyRoad 228 while in the west they were above normal. KA: LaurdBadura, Elliott BedowN, Mark Brogie, FallsCity, Texas 78113 Hardesthit by the droughtwas El Paso,where JamesJ. Dinsmore,Stephen J. Dinsmore,Jeff ([email protected]) the annualrainfall barely exceeded 10 cm,less Drahota,Carol Falk, LaurenceFalk, JoeFontaine, thanhalf the average. RuthGreen, Betty Grennon, Carolyn Hall, Robin Brush Freeman In general,most observers described the fall Harding,Craig Hensley (CHe), Glen Hoge, Wanda 120 North Redbud Trail migrationas lackluster. In manyareas of the Hoge,Helen K. Hughson,Bill F. Huser,Todd ElDin,Texas 78621 state,the lack of summerrains left poor food Jensen,Jan Johnson,Gerry Jorgensen,Jori G. ([email protected]) crops and while many wintering species arrivedon time, they seemedto disappearby 70 NORTH AMERICAH B1RDS Southern Great Plains Texas fall'send. Passageof Pacificfronts early in the ly strongthis fall in the e. half of the state. seasonresulted in somerecord-early dates for Unprecedentedfor the EdwardsPlateau was a a few speciesthat werestopped on their way count of 6 Tricolored Herons at L. Buchanan, southward. Irruptive specieswere hard to Burner3 Aug (TFe). This speciesis an almost comeby throughoutthe state,and therewas regularfall visitorto the Trans-Pecos,and this no repeatof lastantumn's invasion ofmontane yearsingles were at BalmorheaL. 12-25Aug speciesin the west. (MAd, RR) and Rio GrandeVillage 10 Sep-I Oct (LK et al.). ReddishEgret was document- Abbreviations: T.B.R.C. (TexasBird Records ed from the Edwards Plateau for the first time Committee);U.T.C. (Upper TexasCoast). The thisfall, with singlesat Kerrville23 Aug (EB, followingare shortened names for the respec- ph.) and Canyon L., Comal 6 Sep (BN). tive local,county, state, or nationalparks and ReddishEgrets continue to be found in the wildliferefuges, etc.: Alazan Bayou, Anahuac, Trans-Pecoswith surprisingfrequency; this BalconesCanyonlands, Big Bend, Big Bend season'sindividuals include continuing birds Ranch, Brazoria, Buffalo Lake, Matagorda at BalmorheaL., El Paso,and ImperialRes., Island,Packery Channel, Palo Duro Canyon, Pecos,and another was at Fort Stockton,Pecos Quintana, Sabine Woods, Santa Ana, Sea Rim, 17Aug (MAd). Yellow-crownedNight-Herons Trinity River. were reportedfrom scatteredlocations in the Trans-Pecos,with oneat Rio GrandeVillage 2 LOONS THROUGH SPOONBILL Aug (RE),2 at Fort Hancock2 Sep(BZ), and 2 A PacificLoon was at GreenfieldCity L., Hunt, at BalmorheaL. 23 Sep (MAd). An imm. providinga first countyrecord (MWh, KWh). RoseateSpoonbill at McNary Res.31 Aug-5 Up to 3 LeastGrebes were on the KatyPrairie, Oct was an extraordinaryrecord for the El Waller2 Sep,providing a rare recordfor the Paso area. U.T.C.(BH). Aechmophorusgrebes continue to increasein numbers,particularly in the w. WATERFOWLTHROUGH RAPTORS Trans-Pecos.Clark's Grebes nested in unprece- SixFulvous Whistling-Ducks at Bastrop on 12 dentednumbers at McNaryRes., Hudspeth, Aug (BFr) wasa largenumber for the Austin with up to eight pairs with young 29 Oct area. Extremelyearly were 8 CanadaGeese in Thisfemale Acom Woodpecker in McAIlen,Texas amongup to 70 otherindividuals (BZ, JPa,JZ). Angelina27 Aug(GG); the possibility of these 6-10 November2001 providedan unexpected Paton countedup to 142 on reservoirsin El being fetal cannot be ruled out. A female firstrecord for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The Pasoand Hudspeth 11 Nov,including up to 20 Gadwall with young was discoveredat closestpopulations of this montane species are juv. Clark's. Lubbockon 12Aug (AF), providing a veryrare in the SierraPichacos in northeasternMexico, Sixty+Cory's Shearwaters off PortAransas, breeding record for the South Plains. A about160 km away.Photograph by Steve Aransas21 Oct wasan unusuallylarge number Harlequin Duck was spottedflying with a Bentsen. (SWe).American White Pelicansare regular groupof LesserScaup at L. Worth 23 Nov (• migrantsthrough the w. half of the state,but ph., MR); if acceptedit wouldbe the 3rd for Wells(BCr) was farther n. thanexpected, but a counts of 60 at Midland and over 300 at Texas. Surf Scoters are almost annual in the roostof over150 near McAllen, Hidalgo was Buffalo L., Randall in Oct were remarkable. Trans-Pecosbetween late Oct and earlyNov; truly spectacular(LM). Two very early Bald Brown Pelicans have been found in the Trans- this fall found up to 3 at TornilloRes. 26-29 Eagleswere found in Bailey25 Aug (RSm).A Pecoswith increasingfrequency in the fall. Oct (JZ,MS, BZ) andone at McNaryRes. 4-14 Harris'sHawk at Canyon,Randall 5-6 Oct This season,singles were at Tornillo Res.,El Nov.Long-tailed Ducks are annual but always (KW et al.) provideda rare Panhandlerecord. Paso16 Aug,Balmorhea L., Reeves4 Sep,and noteworthyin Texas;singles were at S. Padre1 Equally unexpectedwere singleHarris's at McNaryRes., El Paso8 Sep.Wandering Brown Nov (WC) and Aransas 30 Nov (RWe). Smith Pt. 17 Sepand 7 Nov. Fartherw. than Pelicanswere also present at L. Worth, Tarrant Hooded Mergansersappeared in Texason normal were Red-shouldered Hawks at and L. Tawakoni, Rains 5 Nov-2 Dec. recordearly dates, including singles at Greenbelt Midland24 Aug (RMS) and Lubbock 1-19 Sep MagnificentFrigatebirds lingered until 15Nov L., Donley8 Aug(BiM, JHu)and Balmorhea L. (RK et al.). A record total of 103,603 Broad- at Galveston,providing only the 3rd Nov (RK) and Buffalo L. (EK), both 25 Aug. wingedHawks was recorded on the SmithPt. recordfor the Region(RWe). Providinga first summer/early fall record for the Hawk Watch, while on the other end of the Bitternsare rarelyreported from the w. haft Nacogdochesarea were 2 hens10-25 Aug (DWo stateone was at BigBend on 19Aug (MF) and of the state, but this fall an American Bittern et al.).An injuredCommon Merganser lingered 3 in El Paso 19-27 Sep (JPa,JZ, MS, BZ). wasat BalmorheaL. 25 Aug(RK) andsingle throughthe summer and fall at TornilloRes. Broad-wingedHawks were seen in above-aver- Leastswere at Ralls,Crosby 2 Sep (RK), Big A count of 74 Swallow-tailed Kites was agenumbers on the High Plains,with a high Bend22 Sep(MF), Lubbock21 Oct (AF) and recordedat the SmithPt. Hawk Watchduring countof 4 at Lubbock29 Sep(AF). Falling into BalmorheaL. 12Oct (DHe).A gatheringof 37 the fall, well abovethe expectednumber. A an establishedpattern of fall occurrencese.