[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 77, No. 10, Dec., 2004] OCTOBER 2004 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: According to Paul McKenzie, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this winter is shaping up to be a very good year for finches. Weather predictions heard on NPR suggest that the next 10 years will see mild summers and harsh winters. Sightings: The first Common Loon of the fall was seen at HL on 10/24 (FH). In the late afternoon of 10/19, a Pacific Loon made a brief appearance at HL but was not re-found the next day (FH, JZ). Connie Alwood and Tom Bormann spotted a Red-throated Loon at REDA on 10/2 but it left before being seen by others. On 10/20, Frank Holmes found the first Horned Grebe of the season at HL. Thousands of Pelicans were seen in good numbers throughout the area. A Green Heron, seen in Forest Park on 10/29, was somewhat late (SM). Two Little Blue Herons, 3 Snowy Egrets, and a Black-crowned Night Heron were observed in the HL area on 10/10 (FH, JZ). About 100+ Great Egrets were seen at Canteen Lake on 10/17 (YH, FH). By 10/3, all of the regularly occurring ducks had arrived except Green-winged Teal, which was first seen on 10/16 in FP (SM). Five White-winged Scoters and 5 Common Loons were found at Winfield Dam on 10/31 (BR). A Eurasian Wigeon was found on 10/31 at REDA by Doug Corbett, however, it was not re-located. A Black-necked Stilt seen at Indian Lake on 10/24 was a very late sighting (FH). On 10/30, Connie Alwood and Tom Bormann found a Black-bellied Plover and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs in St. Charles County. On 10/17, 5 Least Sandpipers were reported at Indian Lake (JZ, YH). Josh Uffman reported 50 Dunlin, 6 Greater and 6 Lesser Yellowlegs at CC on 10/30. A Laughing Gull and 2 Franklin’s Gulls were seen at REDA on 10/3 (JM). On 10/19, many birds were moving with a cold front and 1000+ Ring-billed Gulls and 50 Bonaparte’s Gulls were found at HL (FH). Thousands of Franklin’s and Bonaparte’s Gulls were seen at CC on 10/31 (J&CM). On 10/31, a Forster’s Tern seen at Winfield Dam was somewhat late (BR). Fourteen Turkey Vultures and a Cooper’s Hawk were observed migrating at Young C.A. on 10/15 (JZ). On 1016, Marvin Staloch found 6 Bald Eagles on Howell Island. On 10/24, Kraig Paradise saw 2 Bald Eagles and 5 Turkeys on the Missouri Riverfront Trail. At Spanish Lake Park on 10/18, Kraig observed a Cooper’s Hawk pursuing a Kingfisher, which then chased the Cooper’s Hawk. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was observed at Blue Grosbeak Trail on 10/2 (CA, TB) and on 10/7 on the Chubb Trail, Mike Brady reported 4 Sharp-shins, a pair of Cooper’s Hawks and a Red-shouldered. The first Harlan’s Hawk was reported along Hwy. 94 on 10/30 (CA, TB). Randy Korotev reported 2 Peregrine Falcons at Washington Univ. during early October. A Merlin was the best bird seen on the Sunday walk of 10/24 led by Mike Thelen. Late Chimney Swifts were reported on 10/17 at Granite City (FH), on 10/19 in FP (SM), and several on 10/21 in FP (JC & Th. Group). Good numbers of Phoebes were still being seen in late October, with 3 at Tyson on 10/24 (YH, JZ) and 2 at FP on 10/25 (SM). On 10/19, thousands of Tree Swallows, with several Barn Swallows mixed in, were flying at HL (FH), 1000+ were seen at CC on 10/24 (MT), and several Tree and few Barn were found at REDA on 10/28 (JC & Th. Group). Wren sightings included Winter Wren at HL on 10/17 (FH) and 2 at TGP on 10/18 (J Cook), Marsh Wrens at Dabbs Road on 10/9 (G&TB) and at BCA on 10/2 (CA, TB), and a Sedge Wren at FP on 10/21 (JC & Th. Group). Mike Brady reported a Pipit at Dabbs Road on 10/3, and 250 were estimated at a sod farm in Lincoln County on 10/30 (JU). Sherry McCowan reported Orange-crowned Warblers in several locations during October, N. Parula in TGP on 10/9, and a Cape May at Lafayette Park on 10/10. Jack Cowan counted 50 Black-throated Greens at TGP on 10/2 and 1 was found at Greensfelder Park on 10/30 (CA, TB). Jackie Chain and the Thursday Group found 3 Orange-crowned Warblers in TGP on 10/14. The first LeConte’s Sparrow was observed at Young C.A. on 10/16 (JZ) and 3 were seen on the Chubb Trail on 10/17, along with 2 Henslow’s, a Vesper, and other sparrows (MB). Sharp-tailed Sparrows were first seen on 10/2 at LCCL (MB) and on 10/3 at Dabbs Road (MB, m.ob.). The first Clay-colored Sparrow was reported at HL on 10/3 (FH, JZ) and another was seen at Dabbs Road on 10/4 (CM). By 10/10, Juncoes were being seen across the area. Connie Alwood and Tom Bormann reported 6 White-crowned and 2 Lincoln’s Sparrows at Blue Grosbeak Trail on 10/2. Jim Hickner found a Fox Sparrow at LCCL on 10/17. A somewhat late Dickcissel was seen at CC on 10/22 (JJ, DH). On 10/30, 2 Brewer’s and 6 Rusty Blackbirds were found at CC (JU) and 20 Brewer’s were seen on 10/31 at B.K. Leach (BR). On 10/30, 15 Great-tailed Grackles, including 3 males, were seen at the sod farm at Hwy. 370 and Mo. Bottom Road (CA, TB). Pine Siskins were reported at Young C.A. on 10/9 and 10/15 (JZ), on 10/10 by Kraig Paradise at his home, at REDA on 10/17 (Les Jenkins), and at Tyson on 10/28 (JW). A Purple Finch was located at Young C.A. on 10/29 (JZ) and 20 were seen at Cuivre River SP on 10/31 (BR). A typical day at HL on 10/3 included 30 Pintails, 18 Wigeon, 50 Blue-winged Teal, 10 Gadwall, 3 Ruddy Ducks, 18 Wood Ducks, Hooded Merganser, 4 Common Moorhens, Marsh Wren, Sedge Wren, 10 Nashville, 25 Palm, 2 Wilson’s, 10 Yellow-rumped, 5 Common Yellowthroat, 30 Indigo Buntings, Vesper, 4 Savannah, 4 Song, 20 Field, Clay-colored, 2 White-crowned, 12 Swamp, and 15 Lincoln’s Sparrows (FH, JZ). A typical day at TGP on 10/9 included Cooper’s Hawk, 50+ Common Nighthawks, 2 Sapsuckers, 6 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Blue-headed Vireos, 2 Philadelphia Vireos, 6 Brown Creepers, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 15 Tennessee, 5 Nashville, 3 Magnolia, 15 Yellow-rumped, 20+ Black-throated Greens, Bay-breasted and 2 Palm Warblers (NB). Nick also noted that standing in one place by the Gaddy Bird Garden, he counted 193 squirrels. Comments: An Indigo Bunting was a new yard bird for Anne McCormack on 10/9. Good backyard sparrows for Sherry McCowan included Savannah on 10/8, Swamp on 10/17, and Field on 10/28. Connie Alwood and Sherry McCowan both saw Winter Wrens at their homes on 10/10. On 10/10, Margy Terpstra had Orange-crowned, Blackpoll and Gray-cheeked Thrush in her yard. On 10/11, she and Tina Weyman saw a N. Harrier near her house. Clarence Zacher saw a Chipping Sparrow in Webster Groves and White-crowned Sparrows and Juncoes at his home on 10/24. Margie Richardson added a pool and bubbler in her yard and her October sightings included Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped, Blackpoll, N. Parula, Brown Creeper, both Kinglets, several Solitary Vireos and Carolina Wren. Contributors: Connie Alwood, Mary Anne Auer, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Tom Bormann, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Jean Cook, Doug Corbett, Jack Cowan, Don Hays, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Jim Jackson, Jim & Charlene Malone, Sherry McCowan, Kraig Paradise, Margie Richardson, Bill Rowe, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Jane Walker, Clarence Zacher, Jim Ziebol. An asterisk means “documented”. 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. |