Tennessee&Kentucky 1000 Northern Pintails in w. Hen- breastedMerganser on theOhio R., Campbell, derson, KY 1 Mar (CC) and 546 KY 20 May (FR). Ruddy Ducks--a new state high A Red-necked Grebe and 2 Western count--atL. Peewee,Hopkins, KY Grebeswere at PacePoint 5 Mar (CS, MWe); 26 Mar (AM). Rarities were limited the Westernslingered through at least9 Mar to a Fulvous Whistling-Duck a (MT, MWe) and werelikely the same2 that veryrare vagrant to theRegion--in wereoriginal]y found at BrittonFord 23 Dec Robertson,TN 19 Apr-19 May (JRW). One to 2 Red-neckedGrebes were at (MMu, m.ob.)and a pair of Cinna- Owensboro,Daviess, KY 26-29Mar (ph. SA); mon Tealat Sauerheber8 Apr (ph. one wasabove Kentucky Dam 29 Apr (ph. DR, KOS)-10 Apr (DAy). Two re- HC, KOS) through7 May (JBr,BY, MY), ports of hybrids from Kentucky wherea WesternGrebe was noted6 May wereof interest:an imm.goose that (tJBr). An Eared Grebe at S. Hoiston L. 30 ChrisSloan I BrainardPalmer-Ball, Jr. exhibited intermediate characters between Apr (RC) waslate. Ross'sand Snowin Warren,KY 21 Mar-Apr An earlyAnhinga was unusual away from hespring 2006 season was one of high- 20 (ph. DR) anda maleteal possessing char- the MississippiR. in Fayette,TN 30 Mar ly variableweather conditions. While acters of both Green-winged and Blue- (RDn). Numbers of northbound Double- thenorthern portion of theRegion ex- winged,in the companyof ca.6 of the latter crestedCormorants appeared to be reducedin periencedrdatively normal rainfall, much of at Sauerheber18 May (BP). Kentuckythis spring.Approximately 6004- southernKentucky and Tennessee were quite The winteringflock of TundraSwans at American White Pelicans were still on L. dry,especially during April. Overall, tempera- Sauerheberlingered into early Mar, with 7 last Barkley,Tr/gg, KY 3 Mar (KBr).American Bit- tures were warmer than normal, with an ab- reportedthere ll Mar (BP,CC). A second- ternswere reportedin above-averagenum- normallywarm month of April bringingan yearmale Surf Scoter was at CaneCreek Park, bers,mostly from e. Tennessee,with 8 report- earlyonset to spring.In contrast,much of the Putnam,TN 23 May (SJS).A White-winged ed fromsix locations5 Mar-23 Apr;a count middleof May wascooler and wetterthan of 5 at Sauerheber8 Apr (DR, KOS)rep- normal.The earlyseason warmth resulted in resenteda newhigh count for Kentucky. anearly emergence of leaves,making for diffi- LeastBitterns arrived at StandiferGap, cult passerineviewing conditions. The cool, wherethey breed in largenumbers, 14 wet periodin mid-Maywas severe enough to Apr (DPa); up to 2 wereat KykerBot- causesome mortality and nestingfailure in toms,Blount, TN, wherethey are unusu- severalspecies. Most remarkable was an ap- al, 13 May+ 0eA et al.); and one to 3 parentlyfairly widespreaddie-off of Purple werereported from threeKentucky lo- Martinsacross central and western Kentucky. calesin May (BP,DR). SingleTricolored In partdue to the lackof early-seasonflood Herons--alwaysrare in the Regionbut watersto createhabitat, shorebird migration especiallyin spring--wereat Old Hicko- was relativelyunspectacular in mostareas. ry L., Sumner,TN ! May (tCG) and Chickasaw N.W.R., Lauderdale,TN 21 Rarity highlights included a Fulvous Thispair of Cinnamon Teal was present inHenderson County, Ken- Whistling-Duck,Gull-billed Tern, and Varied tucky8 (here)through 10 April 2006. Photo•]raph byDavid Roemet. May (MTOS).A White Ibiswas at Brain- Thrushin Tennesseeand a pair of Cinnamon erd Levee,Hamilton, TN 27 May (KW). Teal,Swainsong Hawk, and continuing Varied Scoterwas at S. Hoiston L. 13 Mar (WC, LaM, Therewere two reportsof GlossyIbis in Ten- Thrushand Spotted Towbee in Kentucky. CP). The only seotersreported from Ken- nessee:6 at StandiferGap 2 May (DAb, DPa) tuckywere single female/imm. Black Scoters and 2 at Chickasaw N.W.R., Lauderdale 21 Abbreviations:Barkley Dam (13arkleyDam, on the OhioR., oneat Louisville5 Mar (ph. May (DPr, MTOS). Livingston/Lyon,KY); Britton Ford (in Big BY, MY), and one near the Daviess/Hancock NestingOspreys continue to returnto Ken- SandyUnit, TennesseeN.W.R., Benton, TN); line6 Mar (DAy).Female Hooded Mergansers tuckyearlier and earlier;this year, birds ap- Ensley (Ensley Bottoms, including the with broodsin Boone(LeM, JC, KaC), Ohio pearedon L. Barkley,Trigg 7 Mar (HC), a new EARTHComplex, in sw.Shelby, TN); Ken- (RDn),and Rowan (SJS, BSt et al.) all repre- record-earlydate. Single Mississippi Kites in tuckyDam (at n. end of Kentuckyk., Liv- sentedfirst county breeding records in Ken- Knox,TN 13 May (SH) and Monroe,TN 18 ingston/Marshall,KY); KentuckyDam Village tucky May (wJ) wereunusual away from the Mis- (KentuckyDam Village State ResortPark, Tardywaterfowl included a maleGadwall sissippi floodplain. An ad. Northern Marshall,KY); PacePoint (PacePoint, Big at KentuckyDam 25 May (DR); a pair of Goshawk,always rare in the Region,was re- SandyUnit, TennesseeN.W.R., Henry, TN); NorthernShovelers at Sauerheberthrough 19 portedfrom Blount, TN 1 Apr (CM et al.). A Radnor(Radnor L. StateNatural Area,David- May (DR); an injuredmale Northern Pintail light-morphad. Swainsoh's Hawk at Sauerhe- son, TN); Sauerheber (Sauerheber Unit at KentuckyDam through 25 May(DR et al.); ber 8 Apr (ph. DR et al.) will becomea first SloughsW.M.A., Henderson, KY); S. Hoiston a femaleRing-necked Duck in Rowan,KY 20 confirmedrecord for Kentuckywhen accept- L. (Sullivan,TN); StandiferGap (Standifer May (GR);a femaleGreater Scaup in w. Ful- ed by its B.R.C.There were several reports of GapMarsh, Hamilton, TN). ton,KY 5 May (ph.HC et al.);a Buffieheadin w. formsof Red-tailedHawk in Kentucky,the Hamilton,TN 23 May (KeC, DJ, KW); a fe- mostnoteworthy of whichwere 2 ad.Harlan's WATERFOWLTHROUGH FALCONS maleCommon Merganser at MiddlebrookL., Hawksin w.Hopkins 12 Mar (ph.BP) and an Overall,waterfowl migration was modest. Sullivan, TN 21 Mar (RK) and 5 above ad. dark-morphcalurus over e. Jefferson30 The only notablepeak countswere for ca. BarkleyDam 25 Mar (BP);and a femaleRed- Mar (MMn). A juv. GoldenEagle was found VOLUME 60 (2006) NUMBER 3 385 •ENNESSEE&KENTUCKY Dunlinsin w.Henderson, KY 19May (DR). mons(BP), both representing new state high Black-neckedStilts are rarevagrants away counts. Small numbers of Black Terns were from the MississippiR., so one in Cumber- notedat scatteredKentucky locales 30 Apr-25 land,TN 29 Apr (]&AM) was noteworthy May An ad. Gull-billed Tern at Kingston Evenmore surprising, because of the possi- SteamPlant, Roane, TN 26-27May (tTW, JC) bility of breeding,was a pair at DuckRiver furnishedthe Region's 3rd record. Unit, TennesseeN.W.R., Humphreys, TN 17 ThreeBlack-billed Cuckoos were reported Apr and 24 May (ph. CFr). Willet migration from three middle and w. Tennessee counties was highlightedby a flock of 75 at Ft. 3-17 May;in Kentucky,one to 2 werereport- LoudounL., Loudoun,TN 30 Apr (KDE); 18 edat 11 locales28 Apr-26May Extraordinar- at KentuckyDam Village 29 Apr (HC, KOS); ily earlywas a flightlesshatchling Eastern Thislight-morph adult Swainsoffs Hawk over western and 11 at ReelfootL., Lake/Obion,TN 8 May Screech-Owlturned in to a raptorrehabilitator HendersonCounty 8 April 2006 provided a long-overdue (RK). A flock of 20 Marbled Godwitsin Muh- 19 Mar (JH);the bird originatedfrom Camp- firstconfirmed record of the species for Kentucky. lenberg21 Apr (ph. RDn) representeda new bell,KY and likely hatched around 1 Mar (fide PhotographbyDavid Roemet. high countfor KentuckyTwo to 5 Western JH). A pairof GreatHorned Owls successfully electrocutedin Owen,ICY in earlyApr (BSn, Sandpipers--generallyrare and occurring nestedin a Great Blue Heron heronry in fide BSm).Merlins were reportedin much acrossonly the w. portionof the Regionin Kingsport,Sullivan, TN (MK, m.ob.);perhaps lowernumbers than during the previous year spring--werereported on threeoccasions at understandably,the heronsdid not occupy in Tennessee,with only 2 reported3 & 29 two w. Kentuckylocales 9 Apr-2 May (HC, any nestswithin 15-20m of the owl nest.A Apr;in Kentucky,4 reported at threelocales 1 CC, ph. BP). At least2 Baird'sSandpipers at fewSbort-eared Owls lingered through 18 Mar Mar-7 May (m.ob.) was fairly typical.Pere- BrainerdLevee, Hamilton, TN 17-21 May in Bledsoe,TN (m.ob.)and 2 Apr in Greene, grine Falconnumbers were averagein Ten- (BWa,CFg, JJ, tKC et al.) werenoteworthy TN (BBr,m.ob.). Single Chuck-willg-widows nessee;in Kentucky,only 3 birdswere ob- not onlyfor theirpresence so far e. but also in Hickman,TN (MD) andJackson, TN (NSL) servedin non-breedingareas 10 Apr-11 May for so late in the season. One to 2 Wilson's 14 Aprwere unusually early (EM, GL, DR). Phalaropeswere reportedat four Kentucky locales22 Apr-27 May FLYCATCHERSTHROUGH FINCHES RAILSTHROUGH NIGHTJARS Twoto 5 FrankliftsGulls were at Kentucky Olive-sidedFlycatchers were reported from e. Kentucky'sonly King Rail was a bird heardat DamVillage 11-15 May A LaughingGull was Tennesseein above-averagenumbers; one to 2 Sauerheber8 Apr (DR, KOS).Virginia Rail at Mud I., Shelby,TN 11 Mar (JRW);one to 5 werereported from four Kentucky locales 19- numbersat StandiferGap peaked 14 Apr with wereat KentuckyDam Village 30 Apr-25May, 26 May (MWa, DR, RDv,BP). An Alder Fly- 5 (DPa). Seven pairs of Virginias were with oneand 3 at theFalls of theOhio, Jeffer- catcherwas at ShelbyBottoms, Nashville, TN seen/heardat twoMuhlenberg, KY sites during son,KY 1 (BY,MY) & 24 May (ph.AG, BE), 14 May (TW,JC); oneto 5 werereported at May,although the only evidenceof nesting respectivelyThe seasonglast Thayer'sGull eightlocales 14-27 May in Kentucky.Yellow- that could be found included defensive call- wasa first-yearbird at BarkleyDam 15 Mar bellfedFlycatchers made their usual mid-May ing and an emptynest (BP); the specieshas not beenconfirmed breeding in the state.A CommonMoorhen at KykerBottoms, Blount, TN 13-29 May (JW,JeA et al.) was uncom- monfor theRegion; the only reports for Ken- tuckywere at traditionalbreeding locales in Henderson(CC) and Union (BP).