[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 72, No. 3, March, 2000] JANUARY BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerAbout 12 Pied-billed Grebes were present at Horseshoe Lake until the big freeze at the end of the month. Twenty Double-crested Cormorants were seen at Horseshoe Lake on 1/1 (FH). On 1/9 at Horseshoe Lake, Frank Holmes found a Black-crowned Night Heron. Ross’s Goose was seen at Riverlands on 1/9 (BR, RK) and 11 Greater White-fronted Geese were present there on 1/17 (KL). Mike Thelen found 7 Greater White-fronted Geese at Carlyle Lake on 1/16. David Becher had a very good count of 20 duck species on 1/22 at Riverlands. Two Black Ducks were seen at Riverlands on 1/18 (DB). Wood Ducks were observed at Alton Barge on Ill. Hwy. 143 on 1/22 (DB). On 1/18, there were 100+ Ruddy Ducks at the Horseshoe Lake causeway (T Be). Two sightings of Greater Scaup included one at Horseshoe Lake on 1/24 (B Ru) and one at Lincoln Shields on 1/23 (G&TB). On 1/26, 500+ Common Mergansers and 100 Common Goldeyes were observed at the Dredge/Horseshoe Lake (m. o.b). An Oldsquaw was first reported on Jan. 2 from the Saddle Dam area of Carlyle Lake (DK) and another (immature male) was found at Horseshoe Lake (B Ru, DB). Eleven Bald Eagles were a good count for Horseshoe Lake on 1/30 (FH). A N. Harrier was reported from Bend Road on 1/24 (B Ru) and 8 were present - including 2 males - at Riverlands on 1/29 (YH). An immature Sharpie has been a regular visitor at the Borrow Pit (m. ob.). Wilma Kennell also found a Sharpie on 1/19 at her home. Torrey Berger reported a Cooper’s Hawk at Little Creve Coeur Marsh on 1/9 and another was observed that day at Horseshoe Lake (FH, DB). A Red-shouldered Hawk was prominently perched on the island in Hampton Lake/Busch CA on 1/9 (DB). An immature Harlan’s Hawk was reported from Hazlet Park, Carlyle Lake, on Jan. 2 (JM, DB) and another was found along Hwy. 127 on 1/16 (MT). An adult Krider’s was seen Hazlet SP on 1/9 (DK). Rough-legged Hawks were reported across the area: Jan. 2 at Riverlands (T Be), Calhoun County on 1/6 (G&TB), Carlyle Lake on 1/22 (DK), along Ill. Hwy. 143 on 1/23 (J&CM) and 1/31 on Hwy. C, St. Charles Co. (PB). Thirteen Turkeys were observed at Alton Barge on 1/3 (CM). The first Killdeer of the year were seen at the Borrow Pit on 1/9 (FH) and another was seen at Carlyle Lake on 1/15 (G&TB). The first Snipe was observed on Jan. 1 on Hwy. 143 (T Be) and on 1/17, 11 were present there (KL). Mary and Bob Huber spotted a Snipe at the Missouri Botanical Gardens on 1/30. John Solodar also saw 12 Snipe at Busch CA on 1/7. On 1/22, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER was present at Mark Twain NWR (*HW). Another very early migrant was a FRANKLIN’S GULL at the Borrow Pit on 1/17 (T Be, *JZ). Bonaparte’s Gulls were first found on Jan. 1 at Horseshoe Lake (FH). A first-winter California Gull was a very good find at Carlyle Lake on 1/9 (DK, m. ob.). At the Borrow Pit, Thayer’s Gulls were present on 1/17 (T Be) and 3 were seen on 1/26 (FH). The Barkers also located a Thayer’s Gull at Lock 26 on 1/27. Several Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seen in the immediate area, with up to 4 present at the Borrow Pit on 1/17 (FH). Great Black-backed Gulls were also present, with one at the Borrow Pit on 1/14 (JS) and one at Carlyle Lake on 1/22 (DK). Glaucous Gull was first seen on 1/8 at Carlyle Lake (BK, m. ob.). An immaculate second winter Iceland Gull was seen at the Borrow Pit on 1/26 (JZ). On 1/22, a first winter Black-legged Kittiwake was seen at the Spillway/Carlyle Lake (DK). The large gulls arrived in St. Louis with the cold front on 1/26: Glaucous, Thayer’s, and Great Black-backed all were present at the Borrow Pit (KL). A Long-eared Owl was reported on 1/6 in Calhoun County (G&TB) and they were also seen at Hazlet SP. Three Short-eared Owls were found along 2000N Road, Carlyle Lake, by Mary Reagan on 1/18. Great Horned Owls were located at Hwy. 143 & 127 on 1/16 (J&CM) and one was also observed on Hwy. 127 & 50 (MT). On Jan. 1, a Screech Owl was found at Tower Grove Park (G&TB). Northern Saw-whet Owls were present all month at Hazlet SP, with a high count of 3 (DK). Mike Brady found an Eastern Phoebe on 1/5 at Carlyle Lake. On 1/6, 1000 Horned Larks were estimated on Emerald Rd./Carlyle Lake (J Mo). A Winter Wren was located near the Dredge/Horseshoe Lake on 1/1 (FH) and another was seen there on1/29 (MB). Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were seen on Jan. 2 at Tower Grove Park (Bob McFall) and Busch CA (JS), and again on 1/30 (Wilma Kennell at her home). Red-breasted Nuthatches continue to be abundant area-wide. Several Golden-crowned Kinglets were found in Tower Grove Park on 1/4 (JZ). Hermit Thrush were found at the Borrow Pit on Jan. 2 (T Be) and at Busch on 1/7 (JS). Dennis Bozzay noted thousands of Robins feeding on Hackberries at Busch on 1/9. Hermit Thrush, Purple Finch and Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen at Busch on 1/12 (J Mo). On 1/22, a GRAY CATBIRD was found in her yard by Wilma Kennell. This is a very unusual bird for winter. Bob Kleiger reported up to 20 LeConte’s Sparrows at Little Creve Coeur Marsh on 1/8. They also were seen in abundance at Carlyle Lake. On 1/30, Savannah Sparrows were located at Horseshoe Lake (FH) and Riverlands (DB). Fourteen American Tree Sparrows were counted along Layton Road/Horseshoe Lake on 1/17 (T Be). As many as 20 Swamp Sparrows were also seen at Little Creve Coeur Marsh on 1/7 (T Be). Purple Finch were recorded at Busch CA on 1/7 (JS) and on 1/13 (G&TB). Two Pine Siskins were at his home on 1/17 (Dick Coles). A Snow Bunting was found on 2000 N Road on 1/18 mixed in with many Lapland Longspurs and Ring-billed Gulls (Mary Reagan). A huge flock (300+) of Lapland Longspurs were found in fields along Bruns Road on 1/30 (FH), and several were also seen at Riverlands that same day (BK). Comments: An apparent hybrid duck (Green-winged Teal x Gadwall) was photographed at Horseshoe Lake on Jan. 1 (*FH). An unusual gull, hotlined on 1/26 at the Borrow Pit, was apparently a leucistic Herring Gull. Fifteen Trumpeter Swans were seen at Riverlands on 1/16 (JM). All 3 Merganser species were reported from Riverlands on Jan. 1 (G&TB). Fifty to 100 Grackles were reported at his feeder (RK); such large numbers are highly unusual in winter. A Red-tailed Hawk wintered on the Washington University campus this winter. Carolina Wrens were seen in January at the homes of Jeannie Moe and Wilma Kennell. A partial albino Robin was observed on 1/14 at Bend Road (J Mo). The Dwiggins Road Northern Shrike was last seen on 1/17. Frank Holmes observed a Bald Eagle force a Ring-billed Gull to the ice five times before killing it. Torrey Berger had Pine Siskins and Fox Sparrows at his feeder on 1/29. Torrey Berger also commented on the low number of White-crowned Sparrows this winter. A Turkey Vulture was spotted by Torrey Berger on I-55 at Ill. Hwy. 32 on Jan. 1. An unusual sighting for January was 2 Leopard Frogs and 1 Garter Snake at Horseshoe Lake on Jan. 1 (DB). A Ferruginous Hawk was observed at Prairie State Park on a Christmas Count. They have been seen there regularly in the past few years; it’s amazing what a small amount of good habitat will attract. CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Tom Borman, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Dick Coles, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Randy Korotev, Kent Lannert, Jim & Charlene Malone, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Bill Rowe, Bill Rudden, John Solodar, Mike Thelen, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An askerisk means "documented". |