[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 74, No. 2, Jan., 2001]

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DECEMBER BIRD REPORT

By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer

The weather in December was atypical, with two powerful cold fronts on the 11th and 16th, bringing deep snow cover and bitter cold temperatures for the last half of the month.

The Barkers reported a Western Grebe at REDA on 12/3. Three Eared Grebes were sited at CL on 12/10 (DK). A Great Egret was seen near Sand Prairie Lane on 12/20 (T Be). Scoters were reported from REDA on 12/2, including 8 Black Scoters (DB) and 3 Surf Scoters (PB). A male Oldsquaw was still being seen there early in the month. Duck counts included 1500 Gadwalls, 1000 Mallards, 150 Lesser Scaup, 100 Hooded Mergansers, 100 Goldeyes, 12 Ruddy Ducks, and 3 Pied-billed Grebes at Layton Road on 12/5 (T Be). Bill Rowe estimated 2000 Canvasbacks and 1000 Goldeneyes, with a few Ruddies and Greater Scaup, at REDA on 12/17. Two Cooper's Hawks were seen flying at eye level near his home on 12/25 (MT) and one was seen on 12/1 off of Clayton Road (YH). An adult Red-shouldered Hawk was observed near Granite City on 12/7 (JZ). An adult Krider's Red-tailed was beautifully described by Wilma Kennell and others at REDA on 12/11. A Rough-legged Hawk was seen on 12/23 at REDA (Bill Ford, MT, J Mo). A dark-phase Rough-legged was also there from 12/17-12/23 (BR, MT). Jim Jackson reported many Kildeer still in the area in early December.

Thirteen Bobwhite were spotted on Layton Road on 12/5 (T Be) and 32 were reported near REDA on 12/23 (J Mo). Many Herring Gulls were present at REDA by 12/7 (T Be) and one of the first Lesser Black-backed sightings was there that day (CM, m. ob.). A Black-legged Kittywake was seen at REDA on 12/8 (KL, m. ob.). December 12 was a good day for gulls at REDA: 2 Lesser Black-backeds, 3 Glaucous, 1 Thayer's (T Be). An adult Glaucous Gull was seen at the Chain during Christmas week (BR). Three Short-eared Owls were observed at CL on 12/10 (DK). Great Horned Owl sightings included one at REDA on 12/7 (T Be), 1 at REDA on 12/14 with a Short-eared Owl (CM), 1 present at his home (JH), and 2 in Webster Groves (SG, DR). A Barred Owls was found on the Katy Trail on 12/7 (J Mo and Botany Group). A Ruby-crowned Kinglet seen on Layton Road on 12/16 was really wishing it was in the Rio Grande Valley (JZ). Tom Borman reported 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches and a Purple Finch at the Fallen Oak Trail feeders, BCA, on 12/2. Multiple sightings of Hermit Thrush included 1 at Tyson on 12/10 (A Mc), 4 at his home on 12/12 (Mark Peters), 1 at St. Louis Univ. on 12/16 (Nick Barber), 1 at HL on 12/20 (T Be), 1 at Hilda Young CA on 12/26 (SG, DR) and many on area Christmas Counts. Also on 12/10, Torrey Berger reported 1000 Robins at BCA near the Headquarters. A Brown Thrasher was found along Bend Road, HL, on 12/16 (JZ).

Yellow-rumpeds were observed on 12/6 at Little Creve Coeur Marsh (WK) and several at BCA on 12/10 (T Be). Several LeConte's Sparrows were still present, along with Savannahs, at HL on 12/10 (FH). Western Meadowlark was sighted on Dwiggins Road on 12/16 (T Bo, KL). Lapland Longspurs were first sighted in the area on 12/15 at Bischoff Road (FH), at the REDA feeders on 12/16 (with Horned Larks) (DB), and by 12/18, over 100 at the Cahokia Mounds (T Be). The highest count of Lapland Longspurs was over 1000 in St. Charles Co. on 12/16 (T Bo, KL). On 12/13, Chris Woods heard 2 Snow Buntings at REDA and by 12/23, Snow Buntings had been observed at the REDA feeders (G&TB, m. ob.). Richard Wagner reported a male Yellow-headed Blackbird visiting his feeder in Millstadt, Ill. around 12/16.

CHRISTMAS COUNT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Carlyle Lake, 12/23: Snow Bunting, thousands of Lapland Longspurs, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Thayer's Gull, Phoebe, LeConte's Sparrow, Rough-legged Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Hermit Thrush and Brown Thrasher.
  • Collinsville Circle, 12/23: Snow Bunting, Harris's Sparrow, 2 Hermit Thrush, Harlan's Hawk, Krider's Hawk, 10 Pied-billed Grebes, 40 Great Blue Herons.
  • Busch CA, 12/30: Harris's Sparrow, 8 Hermit Thrush, many Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Thrasher, female Spotted Towhee, E. Towhee, 2 Winter Wrens, hundreds of Fox Sparrows, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks.
    •

    COMMENTS: In late November, Charlene Malone has 4 young Pheasants at REDA. On 11/20, Jim Jackson found 2 Kildeer and a Black-bellied Plover in Washington, Mo. Dennis Bozzay had a Hairy Woodpecker and 4 Eurasian Tree Sparrows visiting his yard; the sparrows spend the night together in a bird house. Wilma Kennell observed a partial albino Grackle and a Field Sparrow on 12/18 at her home. Of the 3 Rufous Hummingbirds wintering in the St. Louis area, the one at Anne McCormack's home was last seen on 12/16. Also on 12/16, Lanny Chambers banded another immature Rufous in Glencoe, Mo. On 12/14, Anne McCormack added another yard bird to her list: a Bald Eagle flying overhead.

    ABBREVIATIONS: Busch Wildlife = BCA; Carlyle Lake = CL; Horseshoe Lake = HL; Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge = MTNWR; Marais Temps Clair = MTC; Riverlands = REDA; Tower Grove Park = TGP.

    CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Tom Bormann, Sue Gustafson, Jack Harris, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Jim Jackson, Dan Kassebaum, Wilma Kennell, Kent Lannert, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, David Rabenau, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented".

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