Continuing observation of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks at the Arkadelphia Oxidation Ponds, Clark Co 13 Aug verifies suspected reproduction with four young seen. Up to 10 adults have been at this site since 23 May (Renn and Terry Tumlison).

Two Tundra Swans were seen foraging in a field with 10 Trumpeter Swans in the Atkins Bottoms, Pope Co 25 Nov (Jason Martin).

A Eurasian Wigeon was discovered with a mixed flock of ducks at the Judsonia WTP, White Co 20 Nov (Ty Sharrow, Brandon Dunnahoo, Jacob Miranda). Eurasian Wigeon is an infrequent visitor to Arkansas.

A White-winged Scoter was reported at Bald Knob NWR, White Co 10 Nov (Dawna Stirrup). This is the second record for this location. A female Bufflehead was spotted at the Andrew H. Hulsey Fish Hatchery on Lake Hamilton, Garland Co 11 Sep (Kevin Krajcir). Very rare for Arkansas, a Red-necked Grebe was at Craighead Forest Park, Craighead Co 22 Oct (Emily Donahue, Alexander Worm). This is the second sighting of a Red-necked Grebe in NE Arkansas. The first observation was at this location in 2011.

Nine White-winged Doves were on the Big River Trail, Dacus Lake Road, Craighead Co 5 Aug (Cliff and Deon Van Nostrand).

Rufous Hummingbirds occur annually around Arkansas. This fall season two were reported: one at a residence on Buck Road, Alexander, Saline Co 17 Aug (Joshua Reynolds); another on County Road 302, Carroll Co 17 Sep (Deborah Carrigan).

Two juvenile Common Gallinules were found at Merrisach Lake, Conner Levee Road, Arkansas Co 19 Nov (Dottie Boyles, Matthew Janson; Doris Boyles).

One of two Limpkins reported this fall was at North County Road 303, Manila, Mississippi Co 22 Aug (Kent Freeman). The other Limpkin was reported by three different people at Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’Arc WMA, Hempstead Co 16, 17, 24 Oct (Robert Holt, Timothy White, Keith McFaul). Six American Avocets were at the Millwood Lake Dam, Hempstead Co 15,16 Oct (Robert Holt, Timothy White).

A single Upland Sandpiper was noted in the parking lot of the CHI hospital on N. Highway 7 near Hot Springs Village, Garland Co 21 Sep (Jerri L Garcia). Two Marbled Godwits were at Bald Knob NWR, White Co 16 Aug (Michael Linz and Patty McLean, Terry Butler). An early migrating Solitary Sandpiper was at Lake Columbia, Columbia Co 2 Aug (Michael Linz and Patty McLean). A late migrating Wilson’s Phalarope was present at the Nashville Water Treatment Plant, Howard Co 15 Nov (Eric Monaghen, Caden Williams). A rare Red Phalarope was photographed at Lake Dardanelle, Logan Co 17 Sep (Tate Wentz).

An Ibis, Glossy/White-faced, was found at Holla Bend NWR, Pope Co 30 Oct (Kenny and LaDonna Nichols). A Sabine’s Gull, a rare but regular fall transient, in immature plumage was photographed at the Dardanelle Dam, Dardanelle, Pope Co 24 Sep (Kenny and LaDonna Nichols). Two Red-throated Loons were sighted at Norfork Lake, Quarry Use Area, Baxter Co 23 Sep (Michael Linz, Patty McLean). Twenty-two Wood Storks were seen flying over the Arkadelphia Oxidation Ponds, Clark Co 27 Aug (Renn and Terry Tumlison, Glen and Evelyn Good). This is only the second report of Wood Storks in Clark Co.

After some years Brown Boobies reappeared in two locations in Arkansas: fishermen photographed a Brown Booby on the north bank of Lake Maumelle near the dam in Pulaski Co 1 Aug (Karen Gray), a second Brown Booby was photographed near the boat launch on Lake Thunderbird, Sharp Co 11 Sep (Kent Freeman, Shelle and Jay Morgan). Two American White Pelicans were at Lake Columbia, Columbia Co 2 Aug (Michael Linz, Patty McLean). The birds did not appear to be injured so may have lingered into the early fall.

A juvenile Little Blue Heron was found in the Rim Shoals area of the White River, Baxter Co 7 Aug (Heather and Tony Cook). It is unusual to find Little Blue Herons in the Ozark Mountains of Baxter Co. White Ibis are not rare in the southern row of counties in Arkansas, but they are very rare in the NW corner of Arkansas where two were reported at Charlie Craig State Fish Hatchery, Benton Co 1 Aug (Heather Cook). Two White-faced Ibis were seen around the Millwood Dam, Hempstead Co 14 Oct (Robert Holt).

There are three reports of Roseate Spoonbills in Arkansas this fall: two miles east of Ink on AR88, Polk Co 29 Aug (Mitzi Cole fide Joe Neal); at Lake Conway, Faulkner Co 9 Sep (Robert Holt); and at Lake Conway, Faulkner Co 22 Oct (Lance Caldwell, Bruce Caldwell).

It is unusual to find two Swallow-tailed Kites together as was observed as they flew around South Warren, Bradley Co 3 Aug (Hunter Adams). A rare event was the sighting of four Swallow-tailed Kites flying along Arkansas Hwy 17 between St. Charles and Ethel, Arkansas Co 29 Aug (Matthew Janson, Charles Sloan, Arthur Hitchcock). A single Swallow-tailed Kite was seen at an unspecified location in Arkansas Co 1 Sep (Timothy White). A pair of Swallow-tailed Kites were seen flying over a soybean field north of Kelso near the junction of AR-1 and Expy Station Loop Rd, Desha Co 4 Sep (Ruth Rowe, Jake Marquess). A juvenile Swallow-tailed Kite was seen flying along I-40 between exits 271 and 275, West Memphis, Crittenden Co 4 Sep (Christian Herzog).

Three Golden Eagles were captured and fitted with transmitters to determine their flight patterns in the Ozark Highlands and the Boston Mountains in the Ozark NF, Stone Co 10, 11, 20 Jan (Rebecca Peak).

Swainson’s Hawks were observed in Western Arkansas, Kebler Bottoms, Crawford Co 20 Aug (Roger Massey) and at Sunnymede Park, Fort Smith, Sebastian Co 14 Sep (Jerry Wofford). Rough-legged Hawks are occasionally seen in NW Arkansas as was this one reported at Woolsey Wet Prairie, Washington Co 2 Nov (Jim Landrum). The first record of a sighting of a Merlin in Pike County was at the College Hill Cemetery, 14 Feb (Tim Ballard).

Three late fall flycatchers were reported: an Acadian Flycatcher at Dry Lake, Dale Bumpers White River NWR, Arkansas Co 10 Oct (Matthew Janson); a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at the Andrew H. Hulsey Fish Hatchery, Garland Co 10 Sep (Kevin Krajcir); at the Lodge at Mount Magazine SP, Logan Co 3 Oct (Steve and Jake Flood).

Say’s Phoebe, an annual visitor, was reported in two counties: the first at Cook’s Landing, Little Rock, Pulaski Co 15 Oct (Karen Holliday, Delos and Hazel McCauley); the second at the Stuttgart Municipal Airport, Stuttgart, Prairies Co 25 Nov (Glenn Wyatt).

A late migrating Bell’s Vireo was sighted in the Dewitt City Park, Arkansas Co 23 Sep (Matthew Janson).

During a breeding bird survey a Loggerhead Shrike, rare breeder in the Eastern Ozarks, was noted in Yellville near Eros, Marion Co 3 Jul (Adam Schaffer).

Very rare in eastern Arkansas, a Cave Swallow was seen in a mixed flock of swallows at Mud Lake, Desha Co 4 Sep (Ruth Rowe, Jake Marquess).

A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, which occasionally over-winter, was observed foraging with a mixed flock of birds at Lake DeSoto, Garland Co 13 Nov (Michael Cameron).

An early arriving Winter Wren was at the Bell Slough WMA, Faulkner Co 26 Sep (Michael Linz, Patty McLean).

A lingering Wood Thrush was photographed at the Dry Lake; Dale Bumpers White River NWR, Arkansas Co 10 Oct (Matthew Janson).

A very rare Gray-headed phenotype of the Dark-eyed Junco was photographed on Barton Street in Little Rock, Pulaski Co 14 Nov (Ariana Remmel).

Rare for NW Arkansas, a Henslow’s Sparrow was seen at Woolsey Wet Prairie, Washington Co 30 Oct (Joanie Patterson, Donald Ouellette).

Three Spotted Towhees were seen in three different counties: Bryant, Saline Co 18 Oct (Rick Gray); War Memorial Park, Little Rock, Pulaski Co 21 Oct (Devin Moon); Lake Elmdale, Washington Co 30 Oct (Gramm Bertram).

The population of Great-tailed Grackles continues to grow with 344 counted at the Prescott, Love’s Travel Station, Nevada Co 16 Oct (Devin and Jennifer Moon). No more than five years ago only five or so Great-tailed Grackles were being observed at this location.

An Orange-crowned Warbler was only the second August record for Arkansas when it appeared in a backyard in Centerton, Benton Co 29 Aug (Jaque Brown). A Cape May Warbler, female, was noted on Wiggle Worm Road, Faulkner Co 8 Oct (Emily Donahue, Alexander Worm). A Cerulean Warbler is not often found in Eastern Arkansas never-the-less one was seen on the Heritage Trail in Cherokee Village, Sharpe Co 15 Sep (Michael Linz, Patty McLean). A Palm Warbler, a species that often over-winters, was observed in a backyard in Centerton, Benton Co 13 Sep (Jacque Brown). Right in the middle of a mixed flock a Yellow-throated Warbler popped up at the Fayetteville Country Club, Washington Co 21 Nov (Todd Ballinger). This is a very late date for a Yellow-throated Warbler to be in Arkansas.

A lingering Blue Grosbeak was at the Ranch North Woods Preserve, Little Rock, Pulaski Co 8 Nov (Doug Zollner).

Report processed by Jose Ramirez-Garofalo, 01 May 2023.