[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 73, No. 7, September, 2001] MAY BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerEARLY ARRIVAL DATES: 5/1 Nighthawk, Black-billed Cuckoo SIGHTINGS: An apparent Anhinga was reported on Dabbs Road at MTNWR on 5/19 (CM, IOS group). On 5/12, Tom Bormann located a Least Bittern near HL. Virginia Rail and American Bittern were found at BCA on 4/29 (MAA). Kent Lannert found an American Bittern on 5/1 at the old Collinsville Road golf course, which is now part of the Indian Lake wetlands mitigation area. Another American Bittern was seen, along with a Bald Eagle, along Hwy. 79 on 5/3 (IH). Six Black-crowned Night Herons were observed on 5/12 at Simpson Park in Kirkwood by Judy Reich and four were observed on 5/24 at Des Peres Park by Barbara Estill. Jane Zetta saw Glossy Ibis and Tricolored Heron near HL on 5/10 and Frank Holmes also saw the Glossy Ibis on 5/13. One Sora was seen at Eagle Park on 5/5 (YH). A Wood Duck with 13 babies was seen in FP on 5/13 (WK). A Cooper's Hawk was observed dining on a chipmunk in FP on 5/18 (RK & MAA). Myrna Deaton located Black-necked Stilt at Lot #3, CL, on 5/2. That same location produced 750 Semipalmated Plovers and 2 Sanderlings on 5/10 (KL). On 5/18, Bob Chapel found an assortment of Piping, Semipalmated, Golden and Black-bellied Plover, also at Lot #3, CL. A Hudsonian Godwit was seen at CL on 5/6 (DK) and another was seen at REDA on 5/12 by Judy Reich. Ian Hunt observed Marbled Godwit and Ruddy Tonestones at Lot # 3, CL, on 5/12. Four Whimbrels were spotted at REDA on 5/26 (Josh Uffman). Several Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Short-billed Dowitchers and Peeps stopped over at BCA on 5/11 (Jim Mohrmann). A Woodcock was found in FP on 5/13 (Anthony Floyd of Lubbock, Texas). Dan Kassebaum and an IOS group found adult Red Knot at Lot #3, CL, on 5/19. At that same place, Kent Lannert reported 300 Dunlin and Ruddy Turnstones on 5/15. On 5/11, there was a Reeve at Lot #3, CL (Chris Woods, DK). Late in the month, the following good counts of shorebirds were reported: on 5/21, 3 Red-necked Phalaropes, 2 Sanderlings, and 20 Stilt Sandpipers at CL (P&BJ); on 5/27, 80 Dunlin, 28 Ruddy Turnstones, Spotted & Stilt Sandpipers on Hwy. B in St. Charles County (J Mo); 80+ Dunlin, 37 Ruddy Turnstones at REDA and 18 Black-bellied Plovers at Harbor Point (J&CM). Six Franklin's Gulls were located on Hwy B on 5/28 by Jeannie Moe and Dave Rougles. Black Terns were found in late May in four separate locations: at HL on 5/23, 150 were seen (m. ob.); at REDA, 50 were counted on 5/26 (m. o.b); at CL, 300 were found at CL (m. ob.); and on Hwy. B in St. Charles County on 5/28 (Jeannie Moe and Dave Rougles). A Black-billed Cuckoo was a good find for TGP on 5/1 (RAB, JC). Dennis Bozzay saw a Black-billed Cuckoo at BCA on 5/6 and another visited Margaret Terpstra's back yard in late May. A Nighthawk was sighted by the Barkers at their home on 5/29. A Chuck-will's-widow was heard at the home of Margaret Terpstra on 5/4. An Acadian and a Least Flycatcher were observed in TGP on 5/1 (MAA, N. Solodar). On 5/12, Willow Flycatcher was present at MTC and Alder Flycatcher at LVT (m. ob.). Olive-sided Flycatchers were seen at TGP on 5/17 (T Be), at Hilda Young C.A. on 5/27 (D Bz), and at HL on 5/28 (B Ru). Ian Hunt found a Bewick's Wren at LVT on 5/8. Two Veeries and a Hairy Woodpecker were seen at TGP on 5/5 (D&ND). Another Veery was observed at TGP on 5/12 (YH). A flock of 20+ Cliff Swallows were flying over the Shorebird Area at BCA on 5/26 (JZ, YH). Bell's Vireo was found in two locations: on 5/1 at Weldon Spring C.A. (CA) and on 5/12 at BCA (m. ob.). A female Cerulean Warbler was seen in TGP on 5/4 (Ian Hunt); this species is rarely seen in migration, probably a result of the fact that its population has decreased by 90% in the Midwest since the 1970s. On 5/19, Cerulean and Worm-eating Warbler were observed at West Tyson Park (DR) and a male Cerulean was heard singing at Rockwoods on 5/24 (D Br). There were several Bay-breasted and Black-throated Green Warblers at TGP on 5/3 (NB). On 5/15, at TGP, two Mourning Warblers (Mick Richardson) and Canada and Wilson's Warblers were observed (T Be). Hooded, Black-throated Green, Magnolia and other warblers were seen at Wilson Park (FH). On 5/6, 23 warbler species were found at TGP (Mo. Aud. Soc, m. ob.). Connecticut Warbler was found in several places the weekend of 5/19/20: one was heard at Shaw Nature Reserve on 5/19 (DB), one was found at TGP on 5/20 (BK), and one was heard at LVT on 5/20 (YH). At the end of May, Mourning Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Least Flycatcher were seen in TGP (IH). Grasshopper Sparrow was reported twice: on 5/3 at Clarence Cannon (IH) and on 5/10 on Bruns Road (Th. Group). A Lark Sparrow was seen at the Katy Trail Access on 5/13 (J. Mo) and on the Blue Grosbeak Trail on 5/28 (YH). A possible Bachman's Sparrow was observed by Helen Wuestenfeld at her feeder on 5/5. On 5/12, LeConte's, Henslow's, and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows were all observed at the Shorebird Area of BCA (m. ob.). Although Henslow's Sparrows were seen in various locations in BCA in April and May, they did not remain into breeding season as they did last summer. Dickcissels arrived throughout the area around 5/5. One was found in BCA on 5/26 (YH). Blue Grosbeak was seen at HL near the Borrow Pit on 5/5 (FH). Again this year, Dan Kassebaum located Painted Bunting in East St. Louis near the Casino on 5/10. COMMENTS: Dan Kassebaum had 153 species in Clinton County, Ill. on 5/6, including Hudsonian Godwit, Black-bellied Plover and 100 American Pipits. Across from Tower Grove Park, three Locust trees on Gurney Court drew 15 warbler species including Cape May, Bay-breasted and Yellow Warblers, Philadelphia, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Clay-colored Sparrow and more! We are pleased that our visiting Missouri birders were on hand for our best landbird migration day of the spring, which included many Cape Mays. According to Connie Alwood, there were only two "good" days for Neotropical migrants all spring. Wilma Kennell found Mourning, Redstart, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Tennessee, Nashville, Wilson's and Black-throated Green warblers in her yard on 5/14 and 5/15, all at her dripper. Jane Walker had a Mourning Warbler on 5/20 and a Wilson's a few days before. Hedda Edwards from Colorado found a possible hybrid oriole at Carlyle on 5/28. Jeannie Moe found a partial albino Cowbird on the Katy Trail parking lot on 5/13. A Great-crested Flycatcher was eating insects on the ground on 5/30 at Dennis Bozzay's home in Crestwood. Margaret Terpstra's Black-billed Cuckoo was a great yard bird. CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, Mary Ann Auer, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, David Bruns, Jackie Chain, Dick Coles, Doug Corbett, Dale & Nancy Delaney, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Ian Hunt, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Wilma Kennell, Bob Kleiger, Randy Korotev, Kent Lannert, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, David Rabenau, Bill Rudden, John & Nancy Solodar, Mike Thelen, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented". 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. |