[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 73, No. 6, June, 2001]

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APRIL BIRD REPORT

INTRODUCTION: The land-bird migration this spring has been very slow and quiet. Many people commented on how quiet it was in the parks. The Cypress Circle of TGP has been notably empty. Earlier in the month, though, Harris's Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow and Clay-colored Sparrow were seen in exceptional numbers.

EARLY ARRIVAL DATES: 4/2 Caspian Tern 4/3 Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler 4/4 Wood Thrush 4/5 Whip-poor-will 4/6 Chimney Swift, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Chipping Sparrow 4/7 Solitary Sandpiper 4/8 Prothonotary Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Cliff Swallow 4/9 Bank Swallow, Nashville Warbler, Ovenbird 4/10 Green Heron, Blue-winged Warbler 4/11 White-eyed Vireo, Hooded Warbler 4/13 Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper 4/14 Forster's Tern, House Wren, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Cerulean Warbler, Black-throated Green, Palm, Yellow, Kentucky, Northern Waterthrush, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole 4/15 Henslow's Sparrow 4/16 Spotted Towhee 4/18 Yellow-headed Blackbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4/19 Lark Sparrow 4/20 Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Chuck-will's-widow 4/21 American Bittern, Grasshopper Sparrow, Baird's Sandpiper, Blue Grosbeak, Great-crested Flycatcher 4/22 Virginia Rail, Lincoln's Sparrow 4/23 Least Flycatcher, Summer Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Golden-winged Warbler 4/24 Redstart, Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher 4/25 Blackpoll, Acadian Flycatcher 4/26 Chestnut-sided Warbler, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Sandhill Crane, Blue-headed Solitary Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Mississippi Kite 4/29 Philadelphia Vireo 4/30 Black-billed Cuckoo

SIGHTINGS: Two breeding and one non-breeding Common Loons were seen at HL on 4/1 (DB). On 4/14, Tom Bormann found 3 Eared Grebes and 3 Forster's Terns there. A Glossy Ibis was located at Little Creve Coeur Marsh on 4/27 (Carol Hatton). The Malones found the first Am. Bittern on 4/21 at the Shorebird Area of BCA. A Cattle Egret is always a good find at BCA, and one was seen there on 4/29 (D Bz, YH). On 4/13, the Solodars found 80 N. Shovelers, over 100 Blue-winged Teal, 40 Mallards, 10 Gadwall, and a Vesper Sparrow at Little Creve Coeur Marsh, where the habitat is improving. On 4/8 and 4/9, 400-500 Lesser Golden Plovers were observed at REDA (DB, KL). Jeannie Moe found 1000 Pectoral Sandpipers, about 1000 Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, plus 10 Solitary Sandpipers, at Harbor Point on 4/13. One thousand Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper, Pectoral, Dunlin and a few Pipits in nearby fields, were seen at CL on 4/13 (DK). Doug Corbett found Baird's Sandpiper at REDA on 4/21. There were 4 White-rumped Sandpipers located there on 4/30 (IH). On 4/23, 21 Short-billed Dowitchers and 2 Semipalmated Plovers were observed at REDA (IH). The Solodars found Willets and Short-billed Dowitchers at REDA on 4/24. On 4/26, there were 2 Dunlin and Semipalmated Plovers at the old Collinsville Road golf course (G&TB). Two Laughing Gulls were seen at CL on 4/22 (DK) and 1 was observed at REDA on 4/23 (IH). ). On 4/19, 10 Sora were spotted at Little Creve Coeur Marsh (Mike Nolan) and two Sora were seen at BCA on 4/22 (P&BJ). On 4/29, a Virginia Rail and an American Bittern were seen at BCA (MAA). Jack Foley saw a Mississippi Kite on 4/29. A Goshawk was seen at Busch on 4/15 being actively pursued by a Cooper's Hawk (JZ, m. ob.), and another was seen in Edwardsville on 4/16 (J Mo) and one was at HL on 4/18 (FH). Osprey sightings included: 1 carrying an ornamental goldfish on 4/7 (MAA), 1 at MTNWR on 4/7 (IM), and 2 at Dresser Island on 4/17 (IH). On 4/14, Sharp-shinned Hawks were observed at Castlewood SP, LVT, TGP and BCA (m. ob.). On 4/10, Dennis Bozzay found Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Red-shouldered, and Broad-winged Hawks, plus 2 Barred Owls and Blue-winged Warbler, at Hilda Young CA. Mike Brady observed a Swainson's Hawk at Castlewood SP on 4/26. Paul & Barbara Johnson saw a Broadwinged Hawk and Wormeating Warbler at Castlewood on 4/18 and a Red-shouldered Hawk feeding a snake to 3 young at Shaw Nature Preserve on 4/21. On 4/27, Marc Lund found a Sandhill Crane at REDA (m. ob.; photo, Paul Bauer).

Jim Jackson saw a Eurasian Collared Dove at MTC on 4/20. Two Whip-poor-wills were reported at TGP: one on 4/5 (JC) and one on 4/20 (RAB). Ian Hunt found a Chuck-will's-widow at TGP on 4/20. A Loggerhead Shrike, rarely seen any more, was seen in St. Charles County on 4/17. (IH). The first Chimney Swift was reported by Frank Holmes at his home in Madison Co. on 4/6. The Barkers saw a House Wren and Great Crested Flycatcher at TGP on 4/21. Don and Cheryl Delashmit reported the return of a pair of Bewick's Wrens to their home in Franklin Co. on 4/18. Winter Wrens were observed throughout the month at TGP. (RAB). On 4/24, Sedge Wren and Vesper Sparrow were located at BCA. (IH). A late Brown Creeper was seen at TGP on 4/24 (P&BJ). A very early Wood Thrush was seen at Emmenegger Park on 4/4 (RG). A Wood Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler and 35 Ruby-crowned Kinglets were reported at TGP on 4/14 (IH). Lost Valley Trail was productive on 4/11, with 6 Yellow-throated Warblers, several N. Parulas, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Barred Owl dining on a mouse (YH, JZ, video). Cerulean Warblers have been reported at LVT (P&BJ), Castlewood S.P., Tyson (DColes), and Meramec S.P. (Bill Miles). Nick Barber saw a Bank Swallow, Nashville Warbler and Ovenbird at TGP on 4/9. On 4/14, Jackie Chain and the Saturday Group found Kentucky Warbler at TGP and Palm Warbler at HL. Hooded Warbler and White-eyed Vireo were observed at Rockwoods on 4/11 (J Mo). On 4/22, Hooded and Prairie Warblers were seen at TGP. (SW). Worm-eating and Prothonotary Warblers, plus a Barred Owl, were located at Castlewood on 4/7 (MT, MAA). Randy Korotev found 19 warbler species at Forest Park between 4/20 and 4/23, including one male Cerulean and a Prothonotary. The Thursday Group observed 2 Scarlet Tanagers at TGP on 4/19. A Spotted Towhee made an appearance at TGP on 4/16 (NB, BK, G&TB).

A Chipping Sparrow was seen at Tyson on 4/6 (Jane Walker). Henslow's Sparrows have returned to BCA for the second year in a row, but it is too early to know if they will stay to breed there as they did last year. Three Henslow's were found by Paul Dunbar on 4/14, 4 were seen by Dave Becher on 4/21, and 10 were found by Jeannie Moe on 4/22, and several were seen on 4/28 by Anne McCormack and Kevin Renick. A Henslow's was also sighted at TGP on 4/26 (PD, Bob & Martha Gaddy, Jackie Chain, m. ob.). Clay-colored and LeConte's Sparrows were seen at BCA on 4/22 (MT, D. Rogles). On 4/19, 2 Lark Sparrows and 10 Sora were spotted at Little Creve Coeur Marsh (Mike Nolan). A Gambel's race of White-crowned Sparrow was filmed by Jim Ziebol along the South Levee Road on 4/19. On 4/8, 12 immature Harris's Sparrows were found at Weldon Spring (MT, MAA, SW). Clay-colored Sparrow, 2 adult Harris's Sparrows, Swmp, Lincoln and White-crowned were observed in and near BCA (AM, KR). Dan Kassebaum found a Smith's Longspur near CL on 4/21. An early Rose-breasted Grosbeak was spotted at Hunter's Ford (DR). Blue Grosbeak was seen in Forest Park (RK) and at LVT (DCorbett) on 4/22. On 4/23, at TGP, Indigo Bunting, Summer Tanager, Least Flycatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a record early Golden-winged Warbler were seen (JC, RAB, Gail Ahumada). On 4/28, 20 species of warblers, including Blackburnian, were seen in TGP, along with Blue-headed Vireo (m. ob.). Randy Korotev found a record bird for Forest Park: a BOBOLINK seen there on 4/28. Several Bobolinks were observed along Powers Road on 4/30 (CA, m. ob.). Ian Hunt saw 5 Rusty Blackbirds at REDA on 4/6 and he also found a male Yellow-headed Blackbird at Spanish Lake Park on 4/18. Lou Hanes had a Yellow-headed Blackbird at his home.

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

COMMENTS: The Neotropical Cormorant reported last month should have been a Double-crested Cormorant. Jack Harris observed a Cooper's Hawk in his yard and Ron Goetz found a pair nesting at Powder Valley. Backyard birds at Wilma Kennell's included Blue-winged Warbler with Ruby-crowned Kinglets on 4/13, White-eyed Vireo on 4/18 and 2 Nashvilles and 1 Ovenbird on 4/25. The Catbirds that have nested in her yard also returned. Barbara Lawton found Great Egrets nesting in Simpson Park. Dennis Bozzay observed N. Waterthrush, Nashville and Ruby-throated Hummingbird (bathing in the spray of the hose held in his hand) at his yard on 4/30 Doug Corbett found a Brewster's Warbler at LVT on 4/20. Nick Barber observed Palm, Orange-crowned, Summer Tanager and Peregrine Falcon the week on 4/15 on the SLU campus. Mike Thelen reported that David Rogles and the New Melle Fire Dept. extinguished a fire near the Shorebird Area in BCA. Dick Coles reported nesting Red-shouldered Hawks and Broadwinged Hawks at his home in Eureka. Margie Richardson found a Winter Wren, Red-eyed Vireo and Lincon's Sparrow at her home. Both she and Sue Gustafson had a Prothonotary Warbler in their yards (rarely seen in urban areas).

CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, Mary Ann Auer, Bob Bailey, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, Viola Buchholtz, Jean Cook, Dick Coles, Doug Corbett, Paul Dunbar, Bob & Martha Gaddy, David Garcia, Ron Goetz, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Ian Hunt, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Randy Korotev, Kent Lannert, Vivian Liddell, Carol Loewe, Marc Lund, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, Irene Mondhink, David Rabenau, Kevin Renick, John Solodar, Mike Thelen, Steve Whitworth, Rad Widmer, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented".

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