[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 76, No. 7, Sep., 2003] JULY 2003 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: In the Christmas Count data reported in American Birds for 2002-2003, David B. Johnson reported from Illinois that Crows suffered a 57% decline, Bluejays declined by 35%, and Black-capped Chickadees declined by 33% over last year. This sudden decline is most likely related to last year’s outbreak of West Nile Virus. Just drive by the Waste Management Landfill near Horseshoe Lake and notice that near absence of birds that used to be numerous. Sightings: The Barkers found a Least Bittern at HL on 7/5 and on 7/12, they saw a Common Moorhen there. High counts of herons and egrets at HL included 1500+ Great Egrets on 7/26, 285 Snowy Egrets on 7/24, 350 Little Blue Herons on 7/25, and 110 Black-Crowned Night Herons on 7/25 (FH). Duck sightings included Blue-winged Teal near HL on 7/5 (FH), Ruddy Duck at HL (m. ob.), and a Canvasback at REDA on 7/30 (JU). Jack Cowan observed Common Moorhen and 45 Pied-billed Grebes at HL on 7/13, and 75 Pied-billed Grebes were there on 7/22 (FH). An Avocet was a good find at REDA on 7/26 (T Be). David Becher found Short-billed Dowitchers, Stilt Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers and Spotted-Sandpipers at REDA on 7/4. On 7/11, there were 30 Least Sandpipers and a Wilson’s Phalarope at REDA (CM). Two Stilt Sandpipers and 2 Western Sandpipers were observed at very close range at HL on 7/26 (SM, JZ). A Willet was found at HL on 7/27 (FH). Mike Brady saw a Woodcock at Castlewood on 7/11. On 7/24, Frank Holmes found a Laughing Gull among the 100+ Ring-billed Gulls at HL. On 7/5, there were 3 Least Terns and 1 Caspian Tern seen at REDA (J&CM). Two Common Terns were observed at HL on 7/9 (JZ). Black and Common Terns were seen at HL on 7/28 (FH). On 7/10, the Thursday Group found 2 Caspian Terns at REDA (J Ch et al.). A Mississippi Kite was seen at the Green Center in University City on 7/10 (MP). Jane Walker and others observed 7 Mississippi Kites at Tyson on 7/14, and 3 were seen in Des Peres on 7/10 (MR). Other Kite sightings included Warson Woods on 7/24 and 7/31 (DB) and Ron Goetz had one at his home in Town & Country. Kraig Paradise saw 2 recently fledged Western Kingbirds off Hall Street on 7/30. A colony of Bank Swallows and Grasshopper Sparrows were found in Chesterfield Valley on 7/6 (MAA). On 7/29, Dennis Bozzay observed 4 Fish Crows and 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos at BCA. The Thursday Group found singing Sedge Wrens at REDA on 7/17 (J Ch). A Bell’s Vireo was seen at BCA on 7/20 (D Bz). Grasshopper Sparrows were seen at Columbia Bottoms on 7/31 (MG). On 7/4, Jackie Chain and Vivian Liddell saw the Painted Bunting at the Katy Trail Access; the bird was also seen by Mike Grant on 7/11, along with a Lark Sparrow. Mike Brady observed 2 Painted Butnings near Catawissa in Jefferson Count on 7/2. A typical day on 7/30 in the Metro East Area included Common Moorhen, Western Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, 3 Western Kingbirds, and a banded male Painted Bunting; 4 Monk Parakeets, 2 Osprey at CL; and a Broad-winged Hawk at Pere Marquette S.P. (DK, KM, IOS Group). A typical day on the Levee Road on 7/13 included many Song Sparrows, Indigo Buntings, Dickcissels and Common Yellowthroats. A Little Blue Heron, Hooded Merganser and a Blue Grosbeak were also seen there. (SM). Comments: On 7/1, Bob Bailey saw a Cooper’s Hawk catch a Robin near his home. Another Cooper’s Hawk was seen in Margaret Gilleo’s yard on 7/13 (MG, JZ, YH). Josh Uffman had a Pileated Woodpecker and a Screech Owl at his home on 7/22. Anne McCormack reported that a Brown Thrasher nested in her Kirkwood yard. At HL, Frank Holmes found 13 Turkey chicks on 7/9, a Moorhen chick on 7/3, and 3 young Coots on 7/6. Jim Ziebol has updated 3 checklists for the St. Louis area. Horseshoe Lake picked up 2 new species in May, 2003 – Cinnamon Teal and Chuck-will’s-widow - and now leads the area with 305 species. Busch Wildlife now stands at 296, picking up new species such as Clark’s Nutcracker, Surf Scoter, Oldsquaw (that’s much more romantic than Long-tailed Duck), Mississippi Kite, and Yellow Crowned Night Heron since the last revision in 1996. Riverlands has about 285 species and we would like to encourage more reports of landbird sightings there, especially Neotropical migrants. Ron Goetz and Frank Holmes, former and current compilers for Madison County, respectively, provided information, along with Randy Korotev, Bill Rudden, Mike Flieg and other WGNSS members. Contributors: Gail Ahumada, Connie Alwood, Mary Anne Auer, Loy Barber, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Jack Cowan, Mike Grant, Frank Holmes, Dan Kassebaum, Sherry McCowan, Keith McMullen, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Mark Peters, Margie Richardson, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Jane Walker, 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. |