[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 76, No. 7, Sep., 2003] JUNE 2003 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerSightings. On 6/4, Frank Holmes found a Common Loon at HL. Many people reported up to 90 Pelicans at REDA during May. A Least Bittern was found at Prairie Slough on 6/7 (MT). A Yellow-crowned Night Heron was seen on Lindell west of Kingshighway in FP on 6/3 (RAB, J Ch). 80 Great Egrets were found at HL on 6/3 (FH). The Thursday Group of WGNSS found 2 Semipalmated Plovers at REDA on 6/3 (J Ch). Two Snow Geese, 2 Ring-necked Ducks and 2 Mute Swans were present at HL on 6/12 (FH). Other summering ducks included 2 Redheads on 6/12 and 2 Green-winged Teal on 6/9 at HL (FH), Canvasback at REDA on 6/9 (FH), a pair of Blue-winged Teal near HL on 6/29 (FH), and a pair of Blue-winged Teal at Busch (D Bz). A Least Tern was sighted at REDA on 6/1 (SM). On 6/7, a Forster’s Tern, Black Terns, a Caspian Tern and 6 Franklin’s Gulls were observed at REDA (CA). Fifteen Black Terns and 3 Common Terns were seen at HL on 6/4 (FH). David Becher found 30 Black Terns, 1 Common Tern and 10 Franklin’s Gulls at REDA on 6/5 and on 6/26, 2 Caspian Terns were seen there (FH). David Becher reported a Bald Eagle at 6/22 at the Katy Trail Access. The nesting Cooper’s Hawks in a Granite City park produced 3 young (FH). The Illinois Audubon Society saw 5 Mississippi Kites near Alton on 6/1. The first migrating shorebirds were reported on 6/30 including Willet, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Pecs, Least Sandpiper, Least Tern, 6 Common Terns and 8 Caspian Terns at CL (DK). Black-billed Cuckoos were sighted at REDA on 6/5 (J Ch, Thursday Group) and at the Olin Nature Reserve on 6/7 (MT, BR). Mike Brady estimated 14 Whip-poor-wills and 6 Chuck-will’s-widows at Castelwood on 6/8. There were 50+ Tree Swallows on the road at HL on 6/26 (JZ). Jeannie Moe found Willow Flycatcher and Red-shouldered Hawk at Busch on 6/28. Hooded Warblers were seen at LVT on 6/1 (MT) and at FP on 6/1 (J. Farm). A Mourning and a Connecticut Warbler were found on 6/1 at Castlewood (MB) and 2 female Mourning and a female Connecticut were seen in TGP on 6/5 (JU). On 6/15, 8 Henslow’s Sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, and Bell’s Vireo were seen at the Chubb Trail in Castlewood (MB) and Henslow’s were found at Robertsville S.P. on 6/27 (J Ch, Thursday Group). Lark Sparrows were seen on 6/1 on Bowles Road, Labadie Bottoms (DB) and on 6/9 at Busch (RK). A Blue Grosbeak was seen at Busch on 6/1, along with Willow and Olive-sided Flycatcher (MT). Rose Ann Bodman and Jackie Chain found Blue Grosbeak at Busch behind Hampton Lake on 6/21 and they also saw 2 Cerulean, 1Yellow-throated and N. Parula at LVT. Sherry McCowan had good looks at a female Blue Grosbeak at Robertsville S.P. on 6/21. White-throated Sparrow was seen at TGP through 6/7 (m. ob.) and a late migrant was seen at Castlewood S.P. on 6/14 (MB). Two singing immature Painted Buntings, Bell’s Vireo and Bewick’s Wren were found in E. St. Louis on 6/21 (SM). The Painted Buntings at the Katy Trail Access were seen by many observers, including Margy Terpstra, Tina Weyman, and Dennis Bozzay. Late sightings of migrating birds in TGP included 2 Mississippi Kites, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, E. Wood Pewee, Great-crested Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Swainson’s Thrush, Redstart, and Canada Warbler on 6/5 (SH). On 6/19, Jackie Chain and the Thursday Group saw Prairie Warbler at Hawn S.P. and Prairie Warbler and a Chat at St. Francois S.P. A typical day at LVT on 6/4 included Barred Owl, 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos, 4 Acadian Flycatchers, 1 E. Kingbird, 4 White-breasted Nuthatches, 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 2 Wood Thrush, 2 White-eyed Vireos, 6 Warbling Vireos, 2 Red-eyed Vireos, 2 N. Parulas, Redstart, 3 Worm-eating Warblers, 2 Kentucky Warblers, 3 Common Yellowthroats, 3 Chats, Summer Tanager, and 2 Baltimore Orioles (T Be). Comments: On 6/4, Gail Ahumada found these probable nesters in TGP: Mississippi Kite, Great-crested Flycatcher, Pewee and Barn Swallow. Mike Brady found a Cardinal feeding a Cowbird and an Acadian Flycatcher, a Redstart, and a Gnatcatcher scolding a Black Rat Snake in Castlewood on 6/1. Kraig Paradise and Dennis Bozzay reported Brown Thrasher and Gray Catbirds in their yards. On 6/11, Linda Yust reported a Waterthrush, N. Parula, Green Heron and Black-crowned Night Heron in her yard. A leucistic Dickcissel was found along Bend Road, HL on 6/23 (T Be). Contributors: Gail Ahumada, Connie Alwood, Loy Barber, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Frank Holmes, Dan Kassebaum, Sherry McCowan, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Linda Yust, Jim Ziebol. An asterisk means “documented”. Abbreviations: Busch Conservation/Wildlife Area, BCA; Carlyle Lake, CL; Clarence Cannon, CC; Forest Park, FP; Horseshoe Lake, HL; Little Creve Coeur Lake, LCCL, Lost Valley Trail, LVT; Marais Temps Clair, MTC; Riverlands, REDA; Shaw Nature Reserve, SNR; Tower Grove Park, TGP. |