[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 77, No. 8, October, 2004] AUGUST 2004 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: The land bird migration has been pitiful. Birders are reporting very few Neotropical migrants in the usual places, like Tower Grove Park. Sightings: Clarence Zacher found a Green Heron 8/7 near Olive and Mason; the bird landed in a tree and raised its crest. The Sunday group, led by Keith McMullen on 8/8, found 200 Great Egrets, 20 Little Blue Herons, 30 Snowys, 45 Pecs, 20 Least, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs, 7 Stilt, and a single Western Sandpiper at Stump Lake. Piping Plovers were reported at Confluence Park on 8/19 (T Be) and near B.K. Leach C.A. on 8/28 (CM). On 8/1 at CL, David Becher found an Avocet and a Wilson’s Phalarope. The first Sora of the fall was seen at HL on 8/29 (G&TB). Torrey Berger reported Common Moorhen and 5 “henlets” at LCCL on 8/28. Five Ruddy Turnstones were a good find at Winfield Slough on 8/18 (JJ, DH). Three Baird’s Sandpipers were seen at CC on 8/15 (D Ro) and 8 Baird’s, along with one Western, were seen at REDA on 8/29 (MT). Charlene Malone found the first Buff-breasted Sandpiper on 8/4 at Hwy. 94 and B; 15 were seen in Lincoln County on 8/22 (JCowan) and one was seen at Confluence Park on 8/25 (RAB, JCh). The first Snipe report was from B.K. Leach on 8/4 (D Ro). On 8/22, David Becher reported 60 Snowy Egrets, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron, 6 Caspian Terns and an Osprey at REDA. A Herring Gull was sighted at REDA on 8/27 (FH). The Malones reported large numbers of Caspian Terns, along with a few Forster’s Terns, at REDA on 8/29. Mississippi Kite sightings included 1 at BCA on 8/4 (JZ), 2 at Des Peres Park on 8/6 (MR), 1 at Stacy Park on 8/18 (YH), and 7 at LCCL on 8/21 (MB). Mike Thelen found N. Harriers at HL on 8/8 and at Prairie Slough on 8/29. Ospreys were reported at CL on 8/1 (with a chick) (DB), at LVT on 8/21 (MG), and at REDA on 8/29 (MT). Another Osprey was found at Confluence Park, along with a Peregrine Falcon and a Cooper’s Hawk at REDA, on 8/29 (DBz). On 8/20, the Thursday Group found Yellow-billed Cuckoos in TGP and Lafayette Park (J Ch). By 8/20, a few Night Hawks were being seen migrating south (FH, YH). Mark Peters reported 80 Night Hawks in Jefferson Co. on 8/23 and 30 migrating in heavy rain on 8/24. Mike Thelen observed 30 Night Hawks in his neighborhood on 8/26. On 8/1 along Missouri Bottom Road, Charlene Malone found 1 adult Western Kingbird with two young, and on 8/8 she found an immature Western Kingbird on Ell Road. A Least Flycatcher was seen at CSP on 8/21 (MB). Nick Barber observed an Olive-sided Flycatcher and 2 Yellow-bellied at TGP on 8/30. Sherry McCowan found N. Parula, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Lafayette Park on 8/23. A Chestnut-sided Warbler was somewhat early on 8/15 at LCCL (MB). David Rogles found a Yellow-throated Warbler at CC on 8/15. Both the male and female Painted Buntings were seen at the Katy Access on 8/10 (M Richardson). On 8/17, the Barkers found a Lark Sparrow at Confluence Park. Bobolinks were first reported on 8/4 at B.K. Leach (D Ro). August 29 was a fairly good day for Neotropical migrants following the passage of a cold front. Sherry McCowan found Olive-sided, Blackburnian, 2 Yellow Warblers, 2 Chestnut-sided, 3 Tennessees, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Red-eyed Vireo at Lafayette Park, and at TGP Jim Ziebol found Swainson’s Thrush, White-eyed Vireo, Catbird, 2 Blue-winged Warblers, Black-and-White Warbler, 2 Ovenbirds, Lousiana Waterthrush, Northern Waterthrush, 2 Chestnut-sided, 3 Mourning, and Summer Tanager. A typical day for the Saturday Group on 8/8 included Canada, Black-and-White, Nashville, Redstart and many Night Hawks at TGP; 2 Caspian Terns, Common Moorhen, a variety of egrets and herons, Pied-billed Grebes and Blue-winged Teal at HL; Baird’s, Pectoral, Semi-palmated, Least Sandpipers, 1 Semi-palmated Plover, 25 Black Terns and a dozen each of Caspian and Forster’s Terns at REDA. Comments: For several days, a Mississippi Kite was seen
feeding cicadas to its fledgling in Dennis Bozzay’s yard; the baby Kite
begged loudly for food. On 8/29, Margy Terpstra saw Black-and-White and
Canada Warblers in her yard. Margy also has a regular Great Horned Own,
an occasional immature Cooper’s Hawk, up to 5 Hummingbirds at a time,
Hairy Woodpeckers and nesting Bluejays. 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. |