[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 75, No. 10, Dec., 2002] OCTOBER 2002 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerSightings. The first appearance of Common Loon was at HL on 10/20 (FH, Sunday Birding Group). Frank also had an apparent Pacific Loon on 10/29 at HL. A Western Grebe was found at HL on 10/11 (K Mc, G&TB) and Keith also found 2 Eared Grebes at CL on 10/5. The first Horned Grebes were reported at REDA on 10/20 (D Ro). White Pelican sightings included 2 flocks of 400 each on 10/7 at Mark Peters' property in Jefferson County, 1000 at HL on 10/27 (FH), and 100 circling over the Central West End on 10/31 (Mary Huber, Patty Wilson). Late heron and egret sightings included Little Blue Heron and Cattle Egret at HL on 10/6, 9 Snowy Egrets at HL on 10/13 (FH), and a Green Heron at BCA on 10/4 (YH). On 10/20, the Sunday Birding Group found 50+ Great Egrets at Canteen Lake and the Cahokia Canal. Scott Schuette found a White-faced Ibis on 10/19 at Clarence Cannon. On 10/27, 2 Avocets and 18 Greater Yellowlegs were found at the Borrow Pit, HL (FH). Scoters were observed early and in very good numbers. On 10/1, 2 Black Scoters were seen at REDA (PB), 2 White-winged Scoters were found on 10/1 at HL (K Mc, FH), Surf Scoters were first found on 10/25 at REDA (CM) and on 10/27, Surf Scoters and another White-winged Scoter were reported at Creve Coeur Lake (D Ro). A high count of 23 Franklin's Gulls were seen at the Borrow Pit, HL, on 10/20 (FH). A first year Laughing Gull and an adult Herring Gull, both present at REDA since August, were last reported in early October. On 10/26, Dave Rogles reported 50 Bonaparte's Gulls, along with 3 Common and 2 Forster's Terns, at REDA. Bill Rowe hotlined a first-year Little Gull from CL on 10/26; a Lesser Black-backed Gull was also found there. A late sighting of Forster's Tern was at REDA on 10/29 (CM, FH). Connie Alwood scoped an adult N. Goshawk on 10/24 in Ferguson. The Barkers also found a Goshawk at REDA on 10/26. A Cooper's Hawk was being seen regularly near the Jack Van B. pond in TGP (SM). Late Broad-winged Hawk sightings included 10 in Forest Park on 10/4 (MAA), 6 at BCA on 10/5 (YH, JZ), 45 on 10/7 at Mark Peters', and an unbelievable 300 on 10/31 over St. Louis City (Larry Wells). A Harlan's Hawk and a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk returned to the Levee Road on 10/14 (JZ). Torrey Berger reported that the Harlan's Hawk at Sand Prairie Lane returned for a 5th year on 10/31. This was a very good year for Merlins. The one at Mark Peters' prairie lingered until 10/2, one was seen in full soar in TGP on 10/7 (JZ), one was found at LCCL on 10/6 (NB), and on 10/12, Dennis Bozzay found one at H. Young CA. It has been many years since a Prairie Falcon has been reported in the immediately St. Louis area, and one was found at LCCL on 10/26 (D Ro, m. ob.). On 10/8, Margy Terpstra found 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoos at TGP and a late one was seen in Ladue on 10/30 (JS). The first Short-eared Owl of the fall was seen at REDA on 10/19 (JU, D Ro). A Barred Owl was seen in the Gaddy Bird Garden of TGP on 10/10 (T Be) and on 10/11 (SM). Jackie Chain and the Thursday Birding Group enjoyed watching a Eurasian Collared Dove in St. Charles County on 10/24. A late Ruby-throated Hummingbird was observed at Mike Thelen's home on 10/21. On 10/8, a Red-breasted Nuthatch was found in TGP (T Be). Phoebes were being seen in the area all month, including sightings at LCCL (YH) and TGP (SM) on 10/20. A Brown Creeper was seen in TGP on 10/7 (J Co, SM). Sherry also saw a Winter Wren there on the same day. Marsh and Sedge Wrens were reported at Little Creve Coeur Lake and HL. A Golden-crowned Kinglet was found on 10/5 at TGP (RK). A Loggerhead Shrike was present at the Levee Road on 10/4 (JZ). Mike Brady found American Pipit on Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/5. Helen Wuestenfeld had a very late Golden-winged Warbler at her home on 10/12. On 10/5, a young male Black-throated Blue was hotlined from TGP, along with a LeConte's Sparrow (IH). Nick Barber found Henslow's Sparrow at LCCL on 10/5 and an injured one was turned into Wild Bird Rehab (SG). Mike Thelen found 2 LeConte's Sparrow at CL on 10/26. Sharp-tailed Sparrow was first reported at LCCL on 10/5 (MB). Mary Ann Auer reported Vesper and LeConte's Sparrows at LCCL on 10/19. Savannah Sparrow was first seen at BCA on 10/5 (YH) and at HL on 10/6 (FH). Lincoln's Sparrows were reported in good numbers at LCCL beginning on 10/3 (JU). Sherry McCowan found a Clay-colored Sparrow in FP on 10/8 and Nick Barber had 2 on the St. Louis Univ. campus on 10/10. Dennis Bozzay located the first Fox Sparrow at Young Conservation Area on 10/13. Mike Brady had 1 and possible 2 Harris' Sparrows among the 100 White-crowned Sparrows at REDA on 10/27. One of the first Juncoes reported was from LCCL on 1011 (JU). Ten Brewer's Blackbirds were observed on Steppig Road in Monroe County, IL on 10/20 (JZ) and on 10/24, a female Great-tailed Grackle was seen in Brentwood (JZ). A typical day at TGP on 10/8 included Barred Owl, 4 N. Flickers, 2 Empid species, 2 Phoebes, 6 Bluejays, Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, 5 Brown Creepers, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Blue-headed Vireo, 4 Tennessee Warblers, Nashville Warbler, 50 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 4 Palm Warblers, 6 Black-throated Green, 1 Ovenbird, 2 Summer Tanagers, and an E. Towhee (T Be). An exceptional day at St. Louis Univ. campus on 10/13 produced 4 Field Sparrows, Clay-colored Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow, 60 White-throated, 1 White-crowned, 40 Song, 1 Lincoln's, 40 Swamp, 15 Dark-eyed Juncoes, 2 Winter Wrens, 4 House Wrens, 2 Marsh Wrens, Orange-crowned Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, 2 Common Yellowthroats, and others (NB). A typical day at HL on 10/27 included Common Loon, 14 Horned Grebes, 1000+ Pelicans, 1500 Ruddy Ducks including a leucistic individual, 2 Avocets, 18 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Dunlin, 12 Least, 1 Pectoral, 2 Franklin's Gulls, 4 Bonaparte's, 2 Cooper's and a Sharp-shinned Hawk (FH, JZ). Comments: On 10/3, Margy Terpstra had Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, both tanagers, and Nashville at her home. She also has adult and immature Cooper's Hawks appearing in her yard. Her very best bird of the fall, however, occurred on 10/1 when she saw a female Connecticut Warbler at her bubbler. By 10/12, both Kinglets and Brown Creepers had arrived. Jeannie Moe found Song Sparrows and Carolina Wrens in her yard. On 10/13, Frank Holmes found a dead Virginia Rail at HL. At REDA on 10/20, Torrey Berger "pished" a mixed flock of swallows and hundreds surrounded his van. Contributors: Mary Ann Auer, Connie Alwood, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, Torrey Berger, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Jean Cook, Sue Gustafson, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Ian Hunt, Dan Kassebaum, Jim & Charlene Malone, Sherry McCowan, Keith McMullen, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Dave Rogles, Bill Rowe, John & Nancy Solodar, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol. An asterisk means "documented". Please submit sightings by the last day of the month to Jim Ziebol or Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net). 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. |