[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 77, No. 4, April, 2004]

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FEBRUARY 2004 BIRD REPORT

By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer

Introduction: We would like to thank all the WGNSS members who have been participating in the annual June bird count at Busch Wildlife. The data accumulated over the last 5 summers have yielded important information. The count is very reliable because the same people cover the same territory in the same way year after year. On another note, a Chickadee banded at Tyson 8 years ago was recaptured in February (JW).

Sightings: Early arrivals of Grebe species included a Horned Grebe at HL on 2/11 (DB & Sat. Group) Pied-billed Grebes at HL on 2/24 (D Bz) and at CL on 2/26 (P&BJ), and an Eared Grebe at REDA on 2/29 (IH). The first large group of Pelicans was 100 reported at HL on 2/15 (DG, BB). Additional sightings of Pelicans included good numbers at REDA on 2/21 (DB & Sat. Group) and huge numbers at Winfield Dam on 2/29 (JC, RAB). Two Trumpeter Swans with neck bands observed at HL on 2/8 were the same two seen there in the winter of 2003 and they both originated from Iowa (FH). On 2/22, 26 Trumpeter Swans were seen at REDA (J Moe, KP). Two Mute Swans were observed in the HL vicinity during much of February (CA, TB, and G&TB). High counts of White-fronted Geese were 100 at HL on 2/18 (FH), 200 at HL on 2/21 (DB & Sat. Group) and 67 at HL on 2/25 (JZ, video). A Ross’s Goose was seen in flight among a small flock of Snow Geese on 2/22 (FH, JZ). Dick Coles and the Th. Group found 3 Redheads at BCA on 2/12. An Oldsquaw was a good find at Columbia Bottoms on 2/8 (DB). On 2/22, 1 male and 2 female White-winged Scoters were found at REDA (J Moe, KP) and as of 2/29, 2 White-winged Scoters were still present (CA). Bill Rowe’s field trip on 2/1 produced the following numbers of duck species from REDA and Columbia Bottoms: 2 Buffleheads, 30 Hooded Mergansers, 12 Ruddy Ducks, 100 Canvasbacks, 300 Common Mergansers, 22 Greater Scaup, and 1 White-winged Scoter. On 2/5, good numbers of Shovelers and Coots were found at Canteen Lake (JC, RAB). Jim Ziebol and Frank Holmes observed 17 duck species at HL on 2/22, including 1000+ Ring-necked Ducks. Sandhill Cranes were heard at CL on 2/22 (CM, KM). Killdeers first arrived at HL on 2/21 (FH) and 4 were seen at the Borrow Pit on 2/22 (SM). Twelve Snipe were a nice find at Winfield Slough on 2/8 (DG, BB) and one was seen at the Alton mudflats on 2/15 (P&BJ). On 2/22, Kraig Paradise heard many Woodcocks calling at Spanish Lake Park and on 2/29, two were observed walking around the Gaddy Bird Garden in TGP (Jim & Helen Geiss, DM and JZ video). On 2/15, Mike Thelen estimated 8000 gulls in the REDA vicinity. In early February, the vast majority of gulls at REDA were Herring Gulls and the vast majority at HL were Ring-billed. Gull sightings included 2 to 3 first-winter Glaucous and 1 immaculate adult, 1 first-year Iceland and 1 adult, 1 adult Thayer’s and several first-years, 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 1 third-year, and a first-year Great Black-backed (CA, TB, FH, CM, BR, JU). On 2/15, Paul Bauer observed 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Winfield Dam.

A Black Vulture was seen at Hawn State Park on 2/22 (MB). By 2/19, good numbers of Turkey Vultures had begun migrating through, including 5 north of Alton (PB), 3 at Tyson (JZ) and 2 at his Jefferson County prairie (MP). Dennis Bozzay counted 10 Turkey Vultures at BCA on 2/22. On 2/17, Dennis Bozzay found 15 Bald Eagles at HL. On 2/29 at Clarence Cannon the female of the nesting pair of Bald Eagles was already on eggs and 18 Eagles were sitting on a road near a Snow Goose carcass (JC). A Sharp-shinned Hawk was observed soaring over west county on 2/12 (D Bz). Additional sightings of Sharpies were at Columbia Bottoms on 2/21 (DB) and on 2/25 one was terrorizing the birds at a feeder at SNR (SM). Red-shouldered Hawks were encountered at BCA on 2/14 (JZ), a probable nesting pair at BCA on 2/22 (D Bz), and 2 to 3 calling at SNR on 2/25 (SM). A Western Red-tailed Hawk, light phase, was seen at HL on 2/17 (D Bz, FH, JZ). Mike Thelen found 2 Rough-legged Hawks at REDA on 2/1. Two other light phase birds were found at HL on 2/8 (FH, CM) and on 2/29 along Hwy. 40 (D Bz). An adult dark morph female Rough-legged Hawk was videotaped along the Levee Road on 2/24 (JZ). Rose Ann Bodman found 2 Merlins at Lakewood Park Cemeter on 2/12 and 1 was seen cruising the Bischoff Road area at HL on 2/15 (FH, JZ). A Prairie Falcon is always a good find, and one was seen near Seeburger Road on 2/8 (JE). On 2/15 a Peregrine Falcon was observed harassing gulls at HL (DG, BB). On 2/17, Jim Ziebol videotaped a Peregrine Falcon at HL eating a duck; this bird did not appear to be the Peale’s intergrade usually seen in our area. Bill Rowe’s group on 2/1 encountered the following raptors at REDA and Columbia Bottoms: Bald Eagles, 4 N. Harriers, 4 Red-tails, 3 Kestrels, 1 Cooper’s Hawk and 1 Rough-legged Hawk. Two Turkey Vultures, several Red-tails and 15 Bald Eagles were seen migrating at Mark Peters’ prairie on 2/19. A flock of 50+ wild Turkeys were reported on 2/24 at the Alton mudflats (P&BJ). The Northern Saw-whet Owl previously reported at CL was relocated on 2/14 (DK). Fair numbers of Red-headed Woodpeckers were observed at SNR, St. Charles County Park and Route 66 S.P. (m. ob.). Denniz Bozzay found a Phoebe and 4 Purple Finch at BCA on 2/29. On 2/21, the Say’s Phoebe found at CL in late October was relocated by Mark & Mike Seiffert. On 2/28, 2 Tree Swallows were found at REDA (JE). As a result of our warmer winters, good numbers of E. Towhees, Brown Thrashers, Hermit Thrushes and Phoebes have been seen all winter; 20 years ago, these birds would have been at least 120 miles south of us. Two Red-breasted Nuthatches wintered at a Boy Scout camp on Hwy. 129 in Illinois (CA, BK, G&TB). A high count for Yellow-rumped Warblers was 80 at BCA on 2/22 (D Bz). Mark Mittelman reported a Lincoln’s Sparrow in St. Charles Co. on 2/9. On 2/1, 3 Harris’s Sparrows had returned to Weldon Springs/Blue Grosbeak Trail (MB) and on 2/7, 2 Harris’s Sparrows were re-found by the Saturday Group (DB). An adult Harris’s Sparrow, along with 3 immatures, were seen along Layton Road, HL, from 2/14 to 2/18 (CA, TB, FH). Thirty Lapland Songspurs were observed along Salle Road on 2/8 (DB). Ian Hunt found a Smith’s Longspur in a flock of Lapland Longspurs on 2/8 in Monroe Co., IL. Dick Coles saw 2 to 3 Chestnut-collared Longspurs on 2/12 at the Katy Trail Access. Western Meadowlarks moved through our area and were first encountered on 2/12 at the Katy Trail Access (DC, Th. Group) and on 2/22 several were seen at HL (FH, JZ). Paul Bauer counted 12 to 15 Western Meadowlarks at the Katy Trail Access on 2/19. On 2/5, a Brewer’s Blackbird was found among some Rusties along Seeburger Road (JC, RAB). A highlight for the Th. Group on 2/12 was 5 Purple Finch at BCA. Chris Brown reported 3 Pine Siskins at the SNR feeders on 2/18. On 2/19, the Th. Group found 3 Pine Siskins, a Brown Creeper, and a Red-shouldered Hawk at SNR (MR, JL). The Common Redpolls wintering at the Friedels in E. Alton remained throughout February.

A typical day at REDA on 2/15 included 3 Turkey Vultures, a Thayer’s Gull, an Iceland Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Glaucous, a Great Black-backed, 2 singing Red-winged Blackbirds and 19 Trumpeter Swans (MT). A typical day at HL on 2/15 included 2 White-fronted Geese, 17 Snow Geese, 150 Gadwalls, 2 Green-winged Teal, 25 Shovelers, 150 Ruddies, 30 Canvasbacks, 40 Ring-necked, 30 Lesser Scaup, 150 Goldeneye, 450 Common Mergansers, 20 Hooded Mergansers, 1 Western Red-tailed Hawk, Harlan’s Hawk, Merlin, 4 Flickers, Red-bellied, Downy, Carolina Wren, 8 Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Golden-crowned Kinglet, 9 Horned Larks, 15 Yellow-rumps, 3 Savannah, 1 Song Sparrow, 30 Am. Tree, 2 Harris’s, 30 White-throated, 1 White-crowned, 1 Swamp, 55 Red-winged Blackbirds, 10 Juncoes, 30 Goldfinch, 15 ETS (FH, JZ).

Comments: Rose Ann Bodman saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at her peanut feeder in Brentwood on 2/6. Kathy Thiele was surprised to find a Harris’s Sparrow at her feeder in St. Charles on 2/7; she saw it again a few days later. On 2/4 Steve Whitworth found Sapsucker, Flicker, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk with a sparrow in his yard. In late January, Dale and Nancy Delaney saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in Queeny Park. A bird not encountered in the St. Louis area for about 8 years was seen at Ian Hunt’s feeder on 2/7: an Evening Grosbeak. Also on 2/7, a female Towhee appeared at Vickie Flier’s feeder. A Sharp-shinned Hawk visited Jack Harris’s yard on 2/13. A Cooper’s Hawk is a regular visitor in Dennis Bozzay’s yard. Lou Hanes had both Harris’s Sparrow and a Spotted Towhee in his yard. Jeannie Moe reported a light-plumaged Mockingbird in her yard. Peg and Henry Kaltenhaller saw a Common Redpoll at their feeder in U. City in early February. Mark Mittelman found an all-black swan at Portage de Sioux on 2/29.

Contributors: Connie Alwood, Bob Bailey, Paul Bauer, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Dick Coles, Dale & Nancy Delaney, Joe Eades, Vickie Flier, David Garcia, Lou Hanes, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Ian Hunt, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, John Loomis, Sherry McCowan, Keith McMullen, Jim & Charlene Malone, David Mendelson, Mark Mittleman, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Mark Peters, Margie Richardson, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, Kathy Thiele, Josh Uffman, Jane Walker, Steve Whitworth, 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.

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