[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 75, No. 8, October, 2002] AUGUST 2002 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerFive pairs of Yellow-crowned Night Herons fledged 25 young this summer at Wilson Park, Granite City, IL. Last year, they abandoned their nests and no young were fledged. According to a New York Times article, 25% of feeders are being watched by hawks. For example, over the past 10 years, more Cooper's Hawks are breeding in urban and suburban areas, including parks. Please report hawks, including Kestrels, at your feeders. Sightings. Pied-billed Grebes and Am. Coots bred at Eagle Park (FH). On 8/8, Sherry McCowan found 6 immature Yellow-crowned Night Herons at Indian Lake (formerly Collinsville Golf Course). About 275 Great Egrets were seen at Mel Price Dam on 8/28 (FH). On 8/22, Missy Chouteau found a Plegadis ibis at REDA, which was later identified by Tom Bormann as a Glossy. Five hundred Blue-winged Teal were counted at HL on 8/20 (FH). Dave Rogles reported a Piping Plover, 2 Black-bellied Plovers, 5 Western Sandpipers, and 12 Stilt Sandpipers at REDA on 8/12. Six Black-bellied Plovers, 3 Wilson's Phalaropes, and 11 Sanderlings were found at Two Rivers on 8/10 (MB). On 8/12, Mary Ann Auer hotlined a Red Knot from HL (m. ob.) and on 8/16, 2 were found there (DK, FH). Another Red Knot was located at REDA on 8/30 (JU). Two Baird's Sandpipers and a Sanderling were seen at Chain of Rocks on 8/10 (CA, RW). A White-rumped Sandpiper was reported from HL on 8/17 (Michael Retter). On 8/4, an Upland Sandpiper and Buff-breasted Sandpipers were found at HL (J&CM). On 8/17, another Upland was found there (G&TB). Nineteen species of shorebirds were seen at Two Rivers on 8/3, including Avocet, Black-bellied Plover, and Wilson's Phalarope (MB). Dan Kassebaum found 22 species of shorebirds at CL on 8/18 and 2 Neotropic Cormorants. A King Rail with 4 young were seen at Prairie Slough (BS). Five Franklin's Gulls and a Peregrine Falcon were observed at REDA in early August (J&CM). Charlene also had a Laughing Gull there on 8/14. On 8/31, a first-year Laughing Gull was found by David Becher and the Saturday Group (m. ob.). A Herring Gull summered at REDA (DR, FH). Two Least Terns were seen at HL on 8/10 (CA, RW) and on 8/12, 4 adults and 2 juveniles were seen there (CM). The Malones found 9 Forster's Terns at Clarence Cannon on 8/11. Black Tern sightings included 12 at HL on 8/12 (SM), 30 at HL on 8/13 (FH), and 30 at HL on 8/18 (CM). Mississippi Kite sightings included 3 at TGP on 8/17 (SM), another on 8/25 (SM), and 1 in Webster Groves on 8/25 (SG, DRab). Frank Holmes found a Sharp-shinned Hawk at HL on 8/18 and Cooper's Hawk
was seen there on 8/17 (MT) and on 8/25 (FH). Nighthawks have been rather
scarce this summer, but 45 were seen in Madison Co., IL, on 8/18 (FH).
Hummingbirds have been reported in very good numbers, from mid-August
on throughout the entire area. Six Western Kingbirds and 3 Bell's Vireos
were found in East St. Louis on 8/8 (T Be). Mike Thelen reported Bell's
Vireo there on 8/31. Torrey also reported that the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers
nesting near Washington, MO produced a second brood. Sedge Wrens were
observed at REDA on 8/20 (G&TB), on 8/28 at Prairie Slough (JJ, DH),
on 8/29 at the end of Bend Road, HL (RG, D Bz), on 8/31 at Two Rivers
(D Bz), and on 8/31 at REDA (MT). A singing Bell's Vireo was heard at
Calvary Cemetery on 8/31 (KP). The fall songbird migration has been rather
slow. Highlights include a Chat & N. Parula in TGP on 8/15 (JZ),
a Nashville & 2 Black-and-whites at Castlewood on 8/17 (MB), 2 N.
Waterthrush, a Palm, and a Black-throated Green on 8/25 at Stump Lake
(MB), 2 Canada Warblers & an Ovenbird at TGP on 8/25 (SM), a Redstart
and Wilson's Warbler on 8/25 (T Be). On 8/31, a Mourning Warbler, a Black-and-white,
and a Redstart were found in TGP (MT, BR & class). A typical day at HL on 8/7 included 1,000+ Pecs, 3 Semi-palmated Plovers, 8 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Stilt Sandpiper, 1 Sanderling, 1 W. Sandpiper, 20 Least Sandpipers, 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and 1 Wilson's Phalarope (T Be). A typical day at Clarence Cannon on 8/28 included Sora, Least Bittern, 2 Black-bellied Plovers, 15 Solitary Sandpipers, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 20 Lesser Yellowlegs, 30 Pecs, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper, and more (JJ, DH). A typical day at REDA on 8/31 included several Pelicans, Black-bellied Plover, Red Knot, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, 25+ Ring-billed Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, and 2 Caspian Terns (D Bz, YH, BR, MT, G&TB). Comments: On 8/25, Mark Mittelman observed a Turkey eating a sparrow. Turkeys could pose a threat to the breeding success of warblers with low nests or nests on the ground, such as Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Kentucky, Black-and-White, Common Yellowthroat and more. This could be especially problematic if there were too many Turkeys in one area and their preferred food supply was not sufficient for all. Anne McCormack heard a Kestrel calling as it flew repeatedly over her yard in Kirkwood; it is undoubtedly breeding nearby. Wilma Kennell observed a Catbird in her U. City yard on 8/27. Josh Uffman had a Cooper's Hawk perched in his yard in Ferguson. Contributors: Mary Ann Auer, Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Missy Chouteau, Ron Goetz, Sue Gustafson, Donald Hays, Yvonne Homeyer, Frank Holmes, Jim Jackson, Dan Kassebaum, Wilma Kennell, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Sherry McCowan, Kraig Paradise, David Rabenau, Dave Rogles, Bill Rowe, Bruce Schuette, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Rad Widmer, Jim Ziebol. An asterisk means "documented". Abbreviations: Busch Conservation/Wildlife Area, BCA; Carlyle Lake, CL; Forest Park, FP; Horseshoe Lake, HL; Little Creve Coeur Lake, LCCL, Lost Valley Trail, LVT; Marais Temps Clair, MTC; Riverlands, REDA, Tower Grove Park, TGP. |