[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 77, No. 9, Nov., 2004] SEPTEMBER 2004 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: The collecting of a gull at Smithville Lake generated a lot of controversy about whether it was appropriate to kill this wild bird in order to satisfy a need to identify it. These reporters do not believe collecting was an appropriate action in this case. In the late 1970s, the first Common Black-headed Gull ever seen in Missouri was collected for purposes of identification. This was before birders had good field guides on gulls and access to the Internet for sharing photographs and other information. In the winter of 1983-84, using the new National Geographic field guide, Bill Rudden, Ron Goetz and Phoebe Snetsinger successfully and conclusively identified a Slaty-backed Gull, using a combination of observation, field notes and photographs. Their identification was accepted by birding experts and the sighting was confirmed as a continental U.S. record. Thousands of people from St. Louis and across the U.S. came to see this gull. Collecting the Smithville gull prevented other birders, including experts, from being able to see the gull in the wild. (By analogy, butterflies are now regularly identified by voucher photographs rather than voucher specimens. The use of photos and the Internet allowed these reporters to have 2 sightings of stray Funereal Duskywings at BCA in August confirmed by Dr. Jeffrey Glassberg.) Sightings: Three hurricane-assisted birds of major significance – a Black Skimmer at REDA, a Parasitic Jaeger at CL, and a Great Cormorant over FP – appeared in the St. Louis area in September. The Black Skimmer and the Great Cormorant were state records for Missouri. On 9/7, Dan Kassebaum reported an Eared Grebe at CL. Carl Baggott, an English birder visiting here, observed a fly-over Great Cormorant in FP on 9/26. Mike Brady found an Am. Bittern, 2 Sora and 6 Snipe at LCCL on 9/19. On 9/25, an Am. Bittern was flushed at Route 66 S.P. (YH). At least 800 Pelicans were observed migrating over Mark Peters’ prairie on 9/27. Two Cooper’s Hawks and a Broadwing were also seen. On 9/5, Shovelers were first reported at REDA (JU) and at HL (FH). On 9/25, several birders observed 2 Avocets, a Black-bellied Plover, and several Wilson’s Phalaropes at Heron Pond, REDA (DB, J Moe, KP, B&MG). On 9/5, 10 species of shorebirds were reported from REDA, including 22 Stilt Sandpipers, 5 Baird’s, and 7 Semipalmated Plovers (JU, DW, CB). Joe Eades found 2 Upland Sandpipers and a Merlin at CC on 9/5. On 9/9, Charlene Malone saw several Phalaropes at great distance at CL, which were confirmed as Red-necked on 9/11 (JU). On 9/16, Mike Brady flushed a Woodcock at CSP. Joe Eades reported 2 first year Long-tailed Jaegers at CL on 9/6, which were confirmed on 9/7 by Dan Kassebaum, who later found a Parasitic Jaeger there. Charlene Malone found 3 Sabine’s Gulls at CL in mid-September. Tern sightings included 7 Caspian and 11 Forster’s on 9/5, 30+ Black and 2 Common at CL on 9/19, and 30 Black at REDA on 9/25 (m. ob.). On 9/25, David Becher located a Black Skimmer at REDA, which was observed by many birders on that day only. Ospreys were reported on 9/26 at REDA (YH, JZ), on 9/27 at I-270 and I-170 (MT) and on 9/28 at I-44 and Bowles Road (DC). One of the largest counts of Broad-winged Hawks reported was 8 seen at SNR on 9/25 (J Moe). Red-shouldered Hawks were reported in good numbers, with 3 calling at Dardenne Creek, BCA on 9/19 (J Moe, KP). Thirty+ Bobwhites were seen at LCCL on 9/11 (JZ, YH) and 8 more were seen in TGP on 9/29 (DD). Five Monk Parakeets were counted at their usual location in Carlyle, IL on 9/12 (JU). An immature Black-billed Cuckoo was seen at HL on 9/26 (FH). Clarence Zacher reported a gray-phase Screech Owl bathing in his bird bath on 9/26. Thirty to forty Nighthawks were kettling over Oak Koll Park on 9/18 (CZ). A resplendent male Rufous Hummingbird began visiting the home of Janice and Gary Weil on 9/12 and was still being seen at the end of the month. A Kingfisher, Great Egret and several Chimney Swifts were observed in FP on 9/11 (CZ). (Our annual June bird surveys at BCA indicate that Kingfisher is in dramatic decline.) Olive-sided Flycatcher was well-reported this fall, with 1 at TGP on 9/9 (SM), 1 at Onondaga S.P. on 9/9 (J Moe), 1 at TGP on 9/12 (SM), 1 at TGP on 9/16 (CA, Thursday Group), 1 at TGP on 9/23 (RAB), and 1 at TGP on 9/25 (G&TB). On 9/21, 2 Pewees, 2 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, a Traills flycatcher, Black-throated Green and Redstarts were found in TGP (JZ). Sapsuckers were first seen on 9/29 in TGP (SM) and at HL (FH). On 9/11, Jim & Charlene Malone found Red-breasted Nuthatch in TGP and by 9/27, they were being seen in good numbers throughout the area. Several House Wrens were observed on 9/26 at HL (FH). At Lafayette Square Park on 9/27, Sherry McCowan found Ruby-crowned Kinglet and on 9/29, Golden-crowned was found in TGP (m. ob.) Sherry McCowan found 12+ Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 12 Black-throated Greens, 12 Gray Catbirds and other warblers at Lafayette Square Park on 9/25. On 9/16 and 9/17, Solitary Vireos came in simultaneously at HL, CSP and TGP. [Canada Warbler, Blackburnian and a Cerulean male were seen in Ecuador on 9/17 by Dennis Bozzay, and that was an early arrival date in Ecuador for two of those species.] On 9/17, a Golden-winged Warbler was Sherry McCowan’s best bird in Lafayette Sq. and several were seen that day in TGP (GA). Of all the warbler species, Mourning Warbler was definitely up in numbers this fall, with a female in TGP on 9/8 (M Richards), 1 near HL on 9/22 (SM) and on 9/25 at Lafayette Sq. (SM). Late sightings of warblers included Yellow Warbler and Yellow-throated Warbler in TGP on 9/23 (RAB, Thursday Group) and a Yellow Warbler seen at BCA on 9/26 (D Bz). A Black-throated Blue Warbler was first found by an Illinois birder in Hazlet S.P. and it was re-found there on 9/12 by David Becher and Josh Uffman. A Canada Warbler was somewhat late on 9/24 at TGP (RAB). On 9/4 and 9/5, neither the WGNSS groups nor the SLAS group found any Neotropical migrants in TGP. (In the last two years, the lack of any Neotropical sightings in early September has also occurred). Sept. 7 was a good day in TGP, with Blue-winged, 2 Golden-winged, Nashville and Redstarts among the migrants (GA). Another Golden-winged was seen along with Black-and-white and Black-throated Green in TGP on 9/12 (SM). On 9/9 at the Nature Institute at Godrey, IL, Edna Alexander reported Chestnut-sided, Orange-crowned, Blackburnian, Redstart and Philadelphia Vireo. On 9/16, 14 warbler species were observed at CSP (MB) and on that same date, 8 warbler species were seen at TGP (JC, Thursday Group). On 9/23, the WGNSS group reported 7 warbler species, Philadelphia Vireo, Solitary Vireo, Summer Tanager, and an Olive-sided Flycatcher at TGP (JC, Thursday Group). An early Vesper Sparrow was found in Lincoln Co. on 9/15 (JE). The first Lincoln’s Sparrow was seen at HL on 9/26 (FH) and by 9/29, 6 were present at the Borrow Pit (SM). The first sightings of White-throated Sparrow took place at TGP on 9/29 (NB, SM). On 9/11, 150+ Eurasian Tree Sparrows were seen at LCCL (JZ, YH). On 9/20, a mixed species feeding flock at Busch contained Downy Woodpecker, Red-eyed Vireo, Tennessee Warbler, 2 Nashville, Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, 2 Common Yellowthroats, 5 Indigo Buntings, Song Sparrow, 10+ Field Sparrows, White-crowned, Lincoln’s, Swamp, 5 Goldfinch and a House Finch (JZ). A typical day on 9/27 at TGP included Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Green, Nashville, Magnolia, Black-and-white, Redstart, Baltimore Oriole, empidonax flycatchers, Brown Thrasher, Blue-headed Vireo, a Cooper’s Hawk, and an adult Red-tailed Hawk (MM). A typical day at Little Creek Nature Center on 9/29 included Philadelphia Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, 20 Tennessee, 5 Nashville, 2 Orange-crowned, 1 Palm, 3 Yellow-rumped, 1 Black-throated Green, 1 Ovenbird, 2 Redstarts, 4 Common Yellowthroats, 4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, White-throated and Chipping Sparrow (NB).
Contributors: Gail Ahumada, Connie Alwood, Mary Anne Auer, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Chris Brown, Jackie Chain, Dick Coles, Connie Cooper, Jack Cowan, Derek Driemeyer, Joe Eades, Bob & Martha Gaddy, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Jim Jackson, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Jim & Charlene Malone, Sherry McCowan, Kraig Paradise, Margie Richardson, Mick Richardson, David Rogles, John & Nancy Solodar, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Doug Willis, Clarence Zacher, 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. |