[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 72, No. 8,October, 2000] AUGUST BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerAbbreviations: Busch = BCA, Horseshoe Lake = HL, Riverlands = REDA, Carondelet Park = CP, Carlyle Lake = CL, Castlewood State Park = CSP, Lost Valley Trail = LVT, Tower Grove Park = TGP, Forest Park = FP, Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge = MTNWR, Marais Temps Clair = MTC, Rockwoods Reservation = RKWD. A Tricolored Heron was located by Steve Bailey at MTNWR on 8/4. A White-faced Ibis was seen at the HL boat launch on 8/18 (DK). Good counts for August's herons and egrets included 425 Great Egrets, 225 Snowy Egrets and 300 Little Blue Herons at the boat launch at HL on 8/2 (FH). Mike Thelen counted 1,017 Little Blue Herons flying into a roost in north St. Louis County on 8/11. On 8/20, an immature Yellow-crowned Night Heron and 2 Spotted Sandpipers were located at Clarence Cannon (RAB). About 330 ducks were counted at HL on 8/7 and during the month, up to 20 Blue-winged Teal, a few Shovelers, Pintails, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks, and Ring-necked Ducks were also observed there. Four hundred + gulls were also seen at various times at the boat launch. Dan Kassebaum had a juvenal Bonaparte's Gull at CL on 8/11. Franklin's Gulls appeared at HL on 8/12 (G&TB) and on 8/20 (MT). Two Least Terns were seen on 8/7, one on 8/9, and one on 8/29 at HL (DB, BR, FH). Eighty-six Black Terns were also seen at HL in the late afternoon on 8/6 (JZ, YH). Mississippi Kites were seen throughout the area. On 8/9, Randy Korotev observed an adult Kite feeding an immature Kite in a University City backyard. Barbara Estill had 2 Kites in her yard on 8/13; these two and a third remained in the area until the end of the month. On 8/22, 3 Mississippi Kites were seen at Larson Park (DR). Mike Thelen observed a N. Harrier on 8/27 near HL. An Osprey was seen on 8/26 at MTNWR (HW). A first-year Bald Eagle and an immature Red-shouldered Hawk were observed at the HL boat launch on 8/6 (MT) and he also sighted an Osprey near Golden Eagle Ferry on 8/6. The first Sharp-shinned Hawk reported this fall was also seen by Helen that day. Two Cooper's Hawks were seen at various times along Layton and Bend Roads, HL, during mid-August (FH, YH) and one was also observed on 8/7 at Lost Valley Train (DR). On 8/4, a very vocal Red-shouldered Hawk was seen at Tyson (SG). The Johnsons observed a Broad-winged Hawk in TGP on 8/20. A Merlin was seen from the boat launch, HL, on 8/17 (DK). Three Piping Plovers, a Black-bellied Plover, and 3 Wilson's Phalaropes were very good finds at HL on 8/6 (G&TB, m. ob.). The Barkers also had 2 Black-bellied Plovers and a Lesser Golden Plover on 8/11 at HL. On 8/19, Paul Bauer found a Ruddy Turnstone at Teal Pond, REDA. The Malones found a Marbled Godwit at HL on 8/12 (m. ob.). A few Baird's Sandpipers and a Western Sandpiper were seen there on 8/18 (DK, CA). The highlight of the shorebird migration was a Red Knot at HL on 8/18 (DK, KL, JZ). Dan Kassebaum also found a Red-necked Phalarope there on 8/17. Buff-breasted Sandpipers were seen at HL from 8/17 through the end of the month (DK, G&TB, m. ob.). David Rabenau and Sue Gustafson found Great Horned Owl several times at Hunter's Ford. There was a strong movement of Nighthawks after 8/20, with 100+ seen east of St. Clair, Mo. on 8/21 (BE), 40 seen near Washington Univ. on 8/27 (YH), 100+ seen near her home on 8/27 (VB), and 29 seen that day at the Borrow Pit, HL (MT). Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were not reported in very good numbers this fall. Flycatcher reports included a Western Kingbird at HL on 8/24 (JZ), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at CL on 8/19 (DK), Olive-sided Flycatcher at TGP on 8/20 (P&BJ), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at BCA on 8/24 (JZ, J Mo), and Least and Yellow-belled Flycatchers at TGP on 8/24 (BR). Helen Wuestenfeld and others observed a Marsh Wren at MTNWR on 8/29. Some early migrant warblers included Black-and-white at HL on 8/24 (JZ, YH), Blackburnian at TGP on 8/19 (BR), 2 Canadas at TGP on 8/20 (P&BJ), 3 Canadas at TGP on 8/20 (MT), 1 Canada on 8/28 (JC), a Blackpoll on 8/17 at TGP (Th. Group), and a Chat was at the bubbler, TGP, on 8/18 (T Be). On 8/26, a Red-tailed Hawk, Magnolia, Black-and-white, Nashville, and Blue-winged Warblers, a female Summer Tanager and 3 E. Kingbirds were seen in TGP (RAB). The Painted Buntings and 4 Blue Grosbeaks were observed on 8/5 in East St. Louis (Bob Chapel). The Painted Buntings were last seen on 8/11. COMMENTS: An apparent immature Shelduck, a very large Eurasian duck, was seen by Torrey Berger and others at HL on 8/14. The shorebird migration was typical, except for low numbers of Greater Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpiper, both Dowitchers, Sanderling, Western and the peeps in general. Vagrant birds may be exciting but they don't really mean anything in the total scheme of migration, in other words, they don't have any ornithological significance. Good backyard birds: all the mimic thrushes breeding in Kraig Paradise's yard, breeding Great-crested Flycatchers at Connie Alwood's, and a flock of Ringed Turtle Doves is still doing well in south St. Louis, including up to 20 individuals at one of the 2 original sites where they have been seen since 1985. CORRECTION: In the May report, the 14 Wilson's Phalaropes and the Hudsonian Godwit were located at MTNWR. CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Borman, Dennis Bozzay, Viola Buchholtz, Jackie Chain, Barbara Estill, Sue Gustafson, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Kent Lannert, Jim & Charlene Malone, Jeannie Moe, David Rabenau, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, Linda Virga, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented". |