[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 77, No. 3, March, 2004] JANUARY 2004 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: January was a very interesting month, with 3 weeks of moderate weather and one week of frigid temperatures. The Rufous Hummingbird seen in the City on Odell from 11/18/03 finally succumbed to three days of single digit temperatures on 1/30/04. There were also reports of several Redpolls, an Inca Dove, a Baltimore Oriole, a Cape May Warbler, a possible Green-tailed Towhee, and the Merlin at an Affton cemetery. Sightings: On 1/8, Margie Richardson found a Common Loon at REDA, along with Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Ducks, Shovelers, and Pintails (Th. Group). On 1/24, 2 Mute Swans were present at HL (FH, CA) and 3 were seen that day at Baldwin Lake (CA, T Bo). As many as 60 Trumpeter Swans were observed in the REDA area in January (CA, J Moe). Rose Ann Bodman and Jackie Chain found a Greater White-fronted Goose at REDA on 1/6 and 25 were present there on 1/21 (FH). The only Ross’s Goose was reported from Baldwin Lake on 1/17 (JCh, Th. Group). The first Wood Duck reported for 2004 was at Alton Dam on 1/25 (FH). Scott Schuette reported 15 Black Ducks at Winfield Dam on 1/29. A flock of 26 Pintails flew over HL on 1/11 (FH, JZ). On 1/6, Dan Kassebaum observed 4 Oldsquaws at the Carlyle Sewage Lagoon. Two White-winged Scoters were seen at REDA on 1/26 (CM) and one was still present on 1/29 (G&TB). A small flock of Greater Scaup was observed at REDA on 1/10, along with the Common Loon, a few Pelicans, and a dozen Cormorants (DB, Sat. Group). Three Turkey Vultures were seen in East Alton on Jan. 2 (FH). The only N. Goshawk was found at REDA on 1/28 (T Be). Dick Coles reported 3 Red-shouldered Hawk sightings near Eureka. Rough-legged Hawks were observed on 1/8 on Portage Road (G&TB), on 1/14 in St. Charles County (CM), on 1/26 at REDA (T Be), and on 1/31 at REDA (DC). On Jan. 2, Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer videotaped the female Merlin, which winters in Lakewood Park Cemetery, eating a Chickadee. A Merlin was sighted near the St. Charles County Airport on 1/22 (DC, JC, Th. Group). On 1/24, 4 Least Sandpipers were found at Winfield Dam (CM). An apparent Franklin’s Gull was reported from REDA on Jan. 2 (CM). Frank Holmes found Lesser Black-backed Gull at HL on 1/8 and 1/15 and up to 3 were present at REDA on 1/31 (DC, m. ob.). A first-winter Great Black-backed Gull was found at the Borrow Pit, HL, on 1/31 (T Bo, CA). On 1/29, 2 first-winter Glaucous Gulls were observed at REDA (FH) and by 1/31, 3 were present (DB, Sat. group). On 1/30 and 1/31, first-winter Thayer’s Gulls were seen at REDA (DB, FH, CA). An apparent Iceland Gull was reported on 1/29 at REDA (DC, JC, Th. Group). An Inca Dove was found in St. Charles County on 1/1 on South Shore Drive near Seeburger Road in St. Charles County - in the Orchard Farm Count Circle (CA, DB, T Bo). On Jan. 2, Ian Hunt found a Baltimore Oriole at a suet feeder in the same yard on South Shore Drive in St. Charles County where the Inca Dove was originally found; the bird was re-found on 1/6 (CA). On 1/24, 2 Short-eared Owls were observed hunting at Peabody Coal (CA, T Bo). Mike Brady found Long-eared Owls on the Chubb Trail, Lone Elk Park, on 1/28. An immature male Rufous Hummingbird arrived at the home of Chip & Suze Tynan on Odell on 11/18/03, making a total of 4 Rufous Hummingbirds present in the St. Louis area at that time. This individual was banded and identified by Lanny Chambers on 11/30. It was found dead on 1/30. Two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a Winter Wren, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2 Hermit Thrush, and a Brown Thrasher were seen at Forest 44 and Buder Park on 1/10 (MT). On 1/20 Sherry McCowan found a Hairy Woodpecker in Forest Park. An E. Phoebe was found at Whitecliff Park on Jan. 2 (BM) and one was seen in House Springs on 1/21 (DC). On 1/8, a Red-breasted Nuthatch was sighted in FP (SM). An American Pipit was reported from Cuivre River SP on 1/29 (SS). A Loggerhead Shrike. always a good find in the St. Louis area, was located by the Barkers on 1/3 in St. Charles County. A Cape May Warbler was seen in Elsah, IL from 1/20 to 1/22 (Rachel Holser, Heidi Trudell, photo). (The most typical migrant warblers that might be seen in the winter in the St. Louis area are Common Yellowthroat and Orange-crowned Warbler). On 1/8 Sherry McCowan found a Vesper Sparrow in FP and on 1/18 she counted 36 White-throated Sparrows and about 100 Juncoes at TGP. Lapland Longspur sightings included 2 at REDA on 1/26 (staff), 50 near HL on 1/28 (FH), and a few on Hwy. B on 1/29 (JC, Th. Group). Mark Mittleman found 1 Snow Bunting in a flock of Horned Larks along Hwy. 94 in St. Charles County on 1/31. On Jan. 2, 200+ Rusty Blackbirds were observed near South Shore Drive in St. Charles County (JZ) and on 1/24, 50+ were seen near Baldwin Lake (CA). On 1/3, the Barkers reported Brewer’s Blackbirds in the same area where the Rusties were found. On 1/29 Dick Coles re-found the Inca Dove with a Brewer’s Blackbird along Hwy. B in St. Charles County. From Jan. 2 to the middle of the month, many birders had an opportunity to view Common Redpolls at the home of Joe and Trish Friedel in East Alton, thanks to their hospitality. The Friedels found 3 Redpolls at their feeders on Christmas Day. On 1/25, Jeanne Giebe saw a Common Redpoll at her City home. A typical day on 1/15 for the WGNSS Thursday Group included Great-tailed Grackles near Earth City, Common Redpoll and Turkey Vulture in East Alton, 48 Trumpeter Swans, Green-winged Teal, and Black Ducks at REDA, a few Turkeys at Alton Barge, and the immature male Rufous Hummingbird on Odell. Comments: Jack Harris reported a marked increase in Eurasian Tree Sparrows at his home for Nov. and Dec. 2003, compared with 2002. A leucistic Cowbird was seen in the Harbor Grove/South Shore Drive area (m. ob.; video, JZ). Three White-crowned Sparrows have been regular visitors at Jurek Majka’s feeders in Affton. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet visited a peanut feeder at Rose Ann Bodman’s Brentwood home on 1/31. Connie Alwood reported 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets on 1/12 and a Screech Owl on 1/27 at his Ferguson home. Jeannie Moe reported Red-shouldered Hawks nested last year in Whitmire Garden, SNR. A possible Green-tailed Towhee was seen coming to a feeder at the home of Kevin Conway in late Dec. On 1/27, Dennis Bozzay watched a Sharp-shinned Hawk pluck and eat a Eurasian Tree Sparrow, until a Gray Squirrel approached and scared it off. A Hairy Woodpecker was a good backyard bird at the Barker’s home on 1/16. Margie Richardson saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler in her yard on 1/30 and 1/31. Contributors: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, Jackie Chain, Dick Coles, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dan Kassebaum, Sherry McCowan, Jim & Charlene Malone, Alex Meilleur, Brien Meilleur, Mark Mittleman, Jeannie Moe, Scott Schuette, Mike Thelen, Jim Ziebol. An asterisk means “documented”. Please submit sightings by the last day of the month to Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net). 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. |