[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 72, No. 4, April, 2000]

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An extraordinary count of 230 Horned Grebes, along with 75 Pied-billed Grebes, were seen on 2/12 at Baldwin Lake (KM). White Pelicans were reported from several places in the area, with 200 on 2/22 at West Alton/Lincoln Shields (CM), 78 at Horseshoe Lake on 2/23 (T Be), and 165 at Mark Twain NWR on 2/25 (PB). Twenty-five Great Blue Herons were present on the South Levee Road on 2/16 (JZ). A Sandhill Crane was heard but not seen at Carlyle Lake on 2/9 (KM). Mute Swans were reported at Ellis Bay on 2/3 (KL) and Eagle Lake/Peabody Wildlife Area on 2/6 (Mary Regan). Dennis Bozzay supplied excellent photos of the immature Mute Swan at Busch. Ross’s Geese were seen area-wide, with 2 present along Schoolhouse Road on 2/19 (MT). On 2/17, 15,000 Snow Geese were estimated at Swan Lake/Mark Twain NWR (HW). Greater White-fronted Geese numbered 20 on Schoolhouse Road on 2/20 (FH) and 40 at Ellis Bay on 2/22 (CM). A White-fronted Goose was observed by many at Hampton Lake/Busch (J Mo.). Ross’s Goose, White-fronted Goose and Black Duck were seen at Carlyle Lake on 2/5 (G&TB). Many Hutchinsii race of Canada Geese were observed at Busch/Lake 33 on 2/6 (YH) and on 2/8 (DB; photos). High counts of Pintails included 450 on Schoolhouse Road on 2/20 (FH) and 1,000+ at the Causeway/Horseshoe Lake on 2/22 (T Be). A large concentration of Scaup (400+) were seen at the Granite City Steel pools on 2/7 (B Ru). Wilma Kennell located a Greater Scaup at Riverlands on 2/1. Paul Bauer found 18 duck species at Horseshoe Lake and Schoolhouse Road on 2/20. One hundred Hooded Mergansers were present at Horseshoe Lake/Layton Road on 2/1 (T Be); this is a very good count. Five hundred Common Mergansers were seen in the same location on 2/8 (T Be). Bald Eagles numbered 75 area-wide on 2/6 (FH) and 41 Bald Eagles were found at Riverlands on 2/7 (MT). A Sharp-shinned Hawk was found at MTC on 2/6 (Mike Grant, Doug Corbett). A Cooper’s Hawk was seen at Swan Lake on 2/17 (HW). On 2/27, an adult Red-shouldered Hawk was observed at Busch/Lake 32 (YH). The Barkers found 3 Red-shouldered Hawks at Castlewood on 2/27, including a pair mating. The adult Harlan’s Hawk at Sand Prairie Lane remained into February (T Be) and immatures were seen at Horseshoe Lake on 2/6 and on the South Levee Road on 2/12 (JZ). Rough-legged Hawks were found area-wide: 3 in St. Charles County on 2/2 (J Mo), 1 in Jersey County, Ill. on 2/17 (HW), and an intermediate phase adult at Busch on 2/19 (J Mo). A Merlin dove past their car on Hwy. 94 on 2/16 (Mike Grant, Doug Corbett).

Early shorebirds included 3 Lesser Yellowlegs at Busch on 2/19 (JZ) and 1 at Riverlands on 2/21 (P&BJ). On 2/28, the Johnsons also found Least Sandpiper at Riverlands. Killdeer and Snipe showed up throughout the month. The first Woodcock reported was at Busch on 2/6 (YH) and on 2/18, Charlene Malone heard Woodcocks "peenting". The Botany Group flushed 4 Woodcocks at Babler SP on 2/24 (J Mo). Bonaparte’s Gulls were first reported from Horseshoe Lake on 2/22 (T Be), followed by 2 seen at Mark Twain NWR on 2/28 (P&BJ) and 6 more found by Bill Boesch at the Causeway/Horseshoe Lake on 2/29. Lingering large gulls included a Glaucous at Horseshoe Lake on 2/8 (KL) and a Thayer’s at Horseshoe on 2/5 (MT). Another Great Black-backed Gull was seen on 2/10 at Riverlands (G&TB). A Great Horned Owl was seen at the dredge/Horseshoe Lake on 2/20 (FH) and another was seen on St. Louis Co.Waterworks Road on 2/16 (G&TB). Jim & Margot Holsen located the Long-eared Owl that was being seen in Calhoun Co., Ill. on 2/19 and Mike Thelen had an apparent one at Riverlands that same day. Screech Owls were reported from the homes of Wilma Kennell and Connie Alwood. Wilma Kennell also had a Hairy Woodpecker at her home on 2/19. The *Johnsons located their second Northern Shrike of the winter at Horseshoe Lake on 2/6. Another Northern Shrike was seen at Dwiggins Road on 2/11 (CM). Two Ruby-crowned Kinglets were reported, with one at Elsah, Ill. (KL) and one at Busch on 2/6 (YH). A somewhat early Tree Swallow was seen at Horseshoe Lake on 2/22 (B Ru). Two Marsh Wrens were a good find at Little Creve Coeur Marsh on 2/12 (T Bo, BK). On 2/27, two Hermit Thrush were seen at Busch (DB). Jeannie Moe found both Hermit Thrush and Pine Siskin on the Fallen Oak Trail at Busch on 2/9. Bill Boesch found the spring’s first Brown Thrasher on Layton Road/Horseshoe Lake on 2/29. American Pipits were observed at Riverlands on 2/28 (P&BJ).

Several Pine Warblers were reported from Rockwoods at the end of the month, the first on 2/28 (CM) and as many as 4 singing males on 2/29 (Liz & Doug Corbett). Yellow-rumped Warblers were easy to find this winter. Three Leconte’s Sparrows were found at Little Creve Coeur Marsh on 2/12 (BK, T Bo). Savannah Sparrows were reported from Riverlands on 2/1 (Wilma Kennell) and Horseshoe Lake on 2/7 (B Ru). Yvonne Homeyer located 5 Field Sparrows at Busch on 2/6. Two Harris’s Sparrows were a good find near the office of Mark Twain NWR on 2/15 (Lou Hanes, m. ob.). Thirty-five White-crowned Sparrows were also present there on 2/18 (T Be). A Lincoln’s Sparrow was seen at Tower Grove Park on 2/24 (BK); it was either a rare winter visitor or an early migrant. Swamp and Song Sparrows were estimated at 25 each on 2/26 at MTC (J Mo). Eastern Towhee was first reported on 2/27 from Horseshoe Lake (FH) and a Spotted Towhee was found in Calhoun County, Ill. on 2/28 (P&BJ). Sixty + E. Meadowlarks were present along the South Levee Road on 2/16 (JZ). A nice flock of 32 Rusty Blackbirds was seen at Dardenne/Busch on 2/27 (DB).

Comments: These were some late dates that Paul Bauer found the following species: 1/31, Short-eared Owl, St. Charles County; 2/22, 16 Trumpeter Swans, Riverlands; 2/24, only 2 Bald Eagles were seen between Riverlands and Mark Twain NWR. Many of the ducks had migrated out by month’s end. A Canada Goose was seen at Gilbert Lake on 2/15 with a red-marked neck from the shoulder to just below the head (HW). Has anyone heard of this kind of marking? Helen Wuestenfeld reports that the Bald Eagle nest at Gilbert Lake is active. The female Oldsquaw spent January and February at the Causeway/Horseshoe Lake, to the delight of many (Photo, FH). Torrey Berger saw a Cooper’s Hawk kill a sparrow at Busch on 2/11. Jim Teeple accurately described a Northern Goshawk at his feeder on 2/5. Wilma Kennell’s Catbird was still present at the end of the month. Mike Thelen reported 2 foxes on the ice at Ellis Bay on 2/5 and a Mourning Cloak at the Arboretum on 2/27. From 2/21 to 2/24, Mike Brady found the following at Castelwood: Turkey Vulture, E. Phoebe, Fish Crows, Winter Wren, 2 pairs of Red-shouldered Hawks, and Wood Ducks. Dennis Bozzay photographed a very curious Garter Snake at Dardenne/Busch on 2/27.

Please report Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will’s-widows on territory after May 1. Whip-poor-wills are generally declining in the East, whereas Chuck-will’s-widow are expanding their range northward.

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, Keith McMullen, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Bill Rowe, Bill Rudden, John Solodar, Mike Thelen, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented".

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