Hi all, Ebird forced me lose some characters (limit 4000 or less) and delete the fourth paragraph below regarding our Prairie Falcon below before posting- so I copied and pasted deleted portion into long form (soon to be sent), then re-entered here. I can certainly understand their point of view. However, finds like this need to be documented exactly as found- no matter how much space is sacrificed!! I was calling off the details mentioned below to Mark during out viewing of the bird. I hope Charlie, Clyde and others can re-find and get further documentation of this bird tomorrow! Due to a sick member of family and other commitments, I won't be able to make it until possibly at a later date. On Wednesday, January 1, 2014 1:37 AM, "do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxx" <do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: Allen/ PRFA location and surrounding areas, Natchitoches, US-LA Dec 31, 2013 7:05 AM - 1:15 PM Protocol: Traveling 12.9 mile(s) Comments: Birded with Mark Priddy. 2 observers, 6 hrs, 10 minutes (0705-1:15 p.m.) 12.9 miles. Mark and I birded portions of I-49, La 485, King Hill Rd and Johnson Chute rd- with aforementioned areas closest to Allen, La. If eventually accepted, the Prairie Falcon may represent a second state record. Although we're certain of the identification, I surely hope that someone can get a photo of the bird to 100% confirm for all. Unquestionably finding 5 SEOW at area previously producing 3-5 was great, too!! Not only counting this list, Mark and I had a total sp list of 89 for the day. Other highlights were well over 100 LESA at the large square pond on Old Bayou Pierre Rd was interesting as none could be found by our group on count day. We also had a single LESA off King Hill for this list. We spent much time early looking for hawks and open-country birds with few thickets visited- then those visited were mostly devoid of life other than WTSP, NOCA and scattered few others. Stopping at Lock 4 on W side of Red River on the way home also produced 300+ AWPE and 6-8 each of SORA and VIRA (made some hopefully outstanding recordings of both spp calling within feet of where we stood!) 2 Common Moorhen (actually low here at this time) and scattered flotillas of LESC and other ducks. 69 species Wood Duck 4 Gadwall 51 American Wigeon 6 Mallard 82 Blue-winged Teal 3 2m, 1 f at crawfish ponds- area formerly frequently birded by S'port BSG. Nice spot by Mark! Northern Shoveler 21 Northern Pintail 17 Green-winged Teal 25 Redhead 38 Large square pond on W side of I- 49- Spanish Lake Lowlands area of RRNWR- with 6 AMWI Ring-necked Duck 11 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 8 White Ibis 29 Turkey Vulture 42 No BLVU! Northern Harrier 11 Red-shouldered Hawk 3 Red-tailed Hawk 65 Including one textbook-plumaged each of krider's adult, juvenile dark morph calurus and juvenile intermediate/dark morph Harlan's, then ad pale morph calurus (entirely dark/ brown throat, tawny/orangish belly and dark/ blackish lower belly- odd latter detail?) RTHA ttoal numbers counted by 1's with at least three groups of 7 observed perched at single locations along I-49. More details later. American Coot 62 Sandhill Crane 133 Initially had 11 on King hill then 3 on Johnson Chute- returning later had 130 on King Hill (120 counted by 10's then separate group of 10 at immediate PRFA location later. Count felt right to conservative. Killdeer 252 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Least Sandpiper 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 8 Short-eared Owl 5 Johnson Chute, same area. Flushed single group of 4 from grassy roost, perched in very close proximity to one another, then another single which was even closer to us after observing the four, then continuing the walk Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 7 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4 Northern Flicker 1 American Kestrel 8 Prairie Falcon 1 Mark Priddy and I observed the bird sitting perched low on Barbed wire fence post facing us/ slightly to side at ~300 yards to our n-e for 2+ minutes wherein comparative size, structure and field marks were plainly seen. Mark was attempting to set up the camera when the bird relieved itself, then promptly relocated to WSW, then S. I followed the bird through scope, which actually briefly flew closer toward our position before continuing low to S, noting the black axillaries of underwing. Directions- if going S on I 49, exit at La 485 (powhatan/allen exit) and go E .3 miles (.1 E if coming from S.). Make left on King Hill Rd and go 3.7 miles. Make right at unnamed gravel gas well rd and go .7 miles. Make right at gas well rd and go .3 miles. Park beyond well on left side. Bird was observed on fence post to N-e, then flying low S-w slightly, then S, whereupon it was lost from view flying toward a large pond with dabbling ducks, etc. This pond can be seen before the turn off from King Orchard somewhat distant on E side of rd. the habitat is open agri/ plowed fields and pasture with scattered stringers of trees and weeds along fencerows. there were 7 NOHA in general area + numerous KILL.We searched for over an hour but were unable to relocate the PRFA. We are absolutely certain of the identification. Good luck to those that try relocating this awesome bird!! More details of the observation. The bird was first noted at approx 300 yards to the Northeast of our location standing on a standard wooden fencepost a little over 4' high- this within a shorter-grass area of cattle pasture. It stood facing us, slightly to the side (bird facing ~S-w) and seen to be somewhat larger than an American Crow. Although quite distant initially through bins, the overall paleness and brown cast to the bird above and narrow falcon-like shape was striking. I immediately jumped toward the back of the truck and removed the spotting scope, zoomed to 60x and had the bird filling at least 1/3 to 1/4 of the viewing field. Immediately, the single, narrow, rectangular and distinct dark smudge of moustache was observed protruding below into face- narrow but blunt and squarish at bottom. The contrasting white auriculars behind the moustache was also distinctive and was open and white behind eye. A large dark patch at rear and below and behind eye at rear auriculars was also observed with white jutting from below in a narrow crescent almost fully setting this patch off from the back/ sides of the head from below. The bird had a thin, whitish supercilium above the eye to just behind, firmly offsetting the crown which was faintly darker than portion of sides of wings and back that could be seen- also thin dark postocular stripe continuing behind eye and diffused into darker portion behind head. My attention was then drawn to the breast which was whitish in the center with very thin, spaced brownish streaks at center, with a thin area of darker, heavier and almost blackish blotches observed at sides of breast, continuing below into breast and visible against folded wing. The bird turned slightly, more sideways to our viewing position- at which point the pale brownish back was seen even better- somewhat irregularly smudged with pale buff edging- but again, overall strikingly pale. The right wing facing us was drooped somewhat briefly, then straightened and tail was briefly seen to protrude noticeably beyond the primary tips, although this portion of view was brief- bird was also then standing more "at ready" and horizontal. A wing was lifted very briefly but enough to give a quick shot of the dark axillaries. I wasn't quite sure but thought I'd seen the yellow cere. However, I missed an important detail while trying my best to eliminate tundrius PEFA by other structural details and marks which struck Mark immediately as he looked at the bird through the scope- the bright yellow feet, which confirmed the bird as an adult! The bird then lifted it's tail briefly and forcefully ejected whitish excrement before pushing off and flying slightly in our direction before correcting only very slightly and flying South. I followed the bird from the perch across it's nearly missile-straight trajectory very low over ground and again noting the contrastingly dark, almost blackish armpits the entire time bird was in flight with strong, quite shallow wingbeats- until bird was moving more away than to side from my scoping position. The blackish of axillaries seemed to protrude into underwing coverts somewhat but growing dimmer there. The extent of darkish coloration into underwing coverts was hard to see with bird flying so low. I lost the bird low over taller weeds as it flew S toward a willow-lined bed-pan/ horseshoe shaped pond containing MALL, NOPI, NOSH and GWTE. We waited, scoped and searched for over an hour, driving up and down the roads before leaving. A juvenile intermediate/dark morph harlan's RTHA was also seen in the immediate area. Numerous KILL, 2 Lapland Longspurs, 1 HOLA and several SASP, EAME and others were there/nearby. We tried again to relocate the bird for over an hour later in afternoon but were unsuccessful. However, our latter count of Sandhill Crane upon returning was 130, not 11 as previously found and we also added a calling Sprague's Pipit! Eastern Phoebe 4 Loggerhead Shrike 6 Blue Jay 8 American Crow 118 No fish- heard elsewhere. Horned Lark 4 3,1 Carolina Chickadee 3 Tufted Titmouse 2 Sedge Wren 1 Carolina Wren 3 House hear elsewhere for day Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Eastern Bluebird 7 Hermit Thrush 1 American Robin 3 Northern Mockingbird 10 European Starling 2 American Pipit 347 Single group of 300+ largest group I've seen in a LONG TIME!!- on King Hill, approximately 2 miles S-w of PRFA location. Sprague's Pipit 1 PRFA location- definite, somewhat tinny "skleet" flight calls. Heard clearly upon our return to search for PRFA Lapland Longspur 5 2,1,2- missed prev on Natch CBC Eastern Towhee 1 female Chipping Sparrow 1 Vesper Sparrow 8 Savannah Sparrow 185 Le Conte's Sparrow 3 Fox Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 13 Swamp Sparrow 2 White-throated Sparrow 47 White-crowned Sparrow 40 Northern Cardinal 26 Red-winged Blackbird 314 Eastern Meadowlark 16 Western Meadowlark 30 Single group. King Hill just S of posted entry gate toward Messenger Farms. Rusty Blackbird 1 fem Brewer's Blackbird 252 Common Grackle 1910 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 American Goldfinch 3 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16152608 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Good birding, Terry