[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 78, No. 5, May, 2005]

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MARCH 2005 BIRD REPORT

By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer

Introduction: As insect populations decline, it is important to keep feeding our backyard birds all year round. We can anticipate continued pesticide spraying by municipalities for mosquitoes, which intensified after the West Nile Virus outbreak. Although birds may prefer one type of food over another, they are adaptable. For example, the House Sparrows in Jim’s yard eat bananas.

All the regularly occurring herons and egrets, plus 8 species of warblers, arrived in the St. Louis area by 4/1. This is unprecedented.

Early Arrivals:

Sightings: A Pacific Loon was present at HL from 3/27 to 3/29 (P&BJ, G&TB, JCowan, JZ, YH). Ten Horned Grebes and 2 Oldsquaw were seen at REDA on 3/12 (CA, T Bo), and 2 Horned Grebes were seen at HL on 2/13 (DB). Eared Grebes were sighted at HL on 3/18 (FH), 3/26 (G&TB) and 3/28 (T Be). On 3/20, Anne McCormack observed 100 White Pelicans flying over Ballas Road. Frank Holmes reported 2 Great Egrets and 5 species of geese (Ross’s, Snow, White-fronted, Cackling & Canada) at HL on 3/6. Yellow-crowned Night Herons returned to their rookery in a Granite City Park on 3/26 (FH). On 3/7, Ted Heisel heard and saw 40 Sandhill Cranes flying along the Mississippi River near Chester, IL. Joe Eades estimated 500 White-fronted Geese were present at CC on 3/6. The Saturday Group found 2 Ross’s Geese at Teal Pond, REDA on 3/12 (DB). The Solodars reported Snow and White-fronted Geese at BKLeach on 3/17. Black Duck is becoming difficult to find in the St. Louis area, however, the Barkers saw one at HL on 3/5. On 3/2, at HL, there were an estimated 150 Redheads and 100+ Wigeons (JZ). By 3/28, there were still 43 Redheads and 34 Wigeons present there (T Be). By 3/13, Red-breasted Mergansers had arrived in good numbers across the area. On 3/12, Connie Alwood and Tom Bormann found 250 Pintails at BKLeach and at Gilbert Lake, they found 700 Ruddy Ducks and over 1000 Snow Geese. Frank Holmes and Jim Ziebol led a Sunday walk to HL on 3/13, where the group saw 21 species of waterfowl, Rusty Blackbirds, Great Egrets, and many Red-breasted Mergansers. Lesser Yellow-legs, several Pecs, numerous Snipe and Killdeer, and a Lesser Golden Plover were seen at REDA on 3/19 (DB, Sat. Group). A very early Dunlin was found at REDA on 3/26 (DB, Sat. Group). Jim Ziebol saw 1 Woodcock in TGP on 3/7, and Chip Tynan reported them at Mo. Botanical Garden.

Many birders have reported that the Bald Eagles are on their nest along Hwy. 143 near the Alton Barge property. Two Bald Eagles, 10+ Red-tails, a Red-shouldered, 2 Cooper’s, 1 Sharp-shin, and 2 N. Harriers were seen at HL on 3/2 (JZ). Sherry McCowan observed a Red-tailed Hawk on a nest in FP on 2/11. By 3/31, the Great Horned Owls in TGP had fledged at least 1 young (MR). Phoebes were seen on 3/6 at MTC and Dresser Island (CA, T Bo) and on 3/12 at Whitecliff Park (VL). The first N. Rough-winged Swallow was found at CSP on 3/20 (MB) and the first Barn Swallow was found at HL on 3/25 (FH). March 29 was a very good day in TGP, with numerous Winter Wrens present (J Chain, GA) and Bewick’s Wrens also being seen (JZ, J Cowan). Shawn Clubb saw Bewick’s Wrens there on 3/30. On 3/24, Jackie Chain and the Thursday group reported Fish Crows, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Turkey Vultures at CSP, and Pine Siskins and Phoebe at Rockwoods. Torrey Berger found 3 Fish Crows at REDA on 3/18. On 3/25, Mike Brady reported the following from CSP and Chubb Trail: several nesting Red-shouldered Hawks, the first Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Pine Warblers and Winter Wrens. On 3/18, Mike Thelen saw 3 Am. Pipits at HL. An extremely early Orange-crowned Warbler was found in TGP on 3/29 (JZ). At Hawn SP on 3/10, Jackie Chain and the Thursday Group found 2 Pine Warblers and Sue Schoening spotted a White-breasted Nuthatch. Other Pine Warblers were reported at Rockwoods on 3/16 (T Be), at CSP on 3/20 (MB), at SNR on 3/25 (SM, P&BJ), and at Fallen Oak Trail, BCA on 3/27 (SE). David Becher and the Saturday Group found the first Louisiana Waterthrush in TGP near the Jack Van pool on 3/19.On 3/20 at TGP, 4 E. Towhees, 4 Sapsuckers, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and 9 Fox Sparrows were seen by Nick Barber. A female Oregon Junco, with very orange flanks, was seen at Greensfelder Park on 3/19 (YH, JZ). Up to 15 Fox Sparrows, some singing, were seen at TGP on 3/19 (SM). The first Vesper Sparrow was found at the Chubb Trail on 3/19 (MB). On 3/26, David Becher and the Saturday Group located 2 Harriers at LCCL and both nuthatches and 12 Purple Finch at BCA.

A typical day at Lafayette Park on 3/30 included a Wood Duck, 2 E. Bluebirds, 4 Fox Sparrows, a Field Sparrow, a Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, 6 Sapsuckers, several Flickers, and a Woodcock engaged in courtship display (fanning its tail, raising tail over back, bobbing as it walked) (SM). A typical day on 3/17 for the Thursday Group included Fox Sparrows, Phoebes, a Pine Warbler and Pine Siskins at Rockwoods; all 3 Mergansers, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Pintail, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, and Tree Swallows at REDA; several Kestrels and the nesting Balding Eagle on Hwy. 143; a variety of ducks and Mute Swans at HL (J Chain).

Backyard Birds: Connie Alwood reported Pine Siskins on 3/8 and a Sharp-shinned Hawk on 3/15. Good winter birds seen at Jack Harris’ feeder were Hairy Woodpecker, Cooper’s Hawk and Red-shouldered Hawk. Margy Terpstra saw Barred Owl and a Carolina Wren nest with 5 eggs. Barbara Elftman has nesting Carolina Wrens and an occasional Turkey and Bobwhite. In Franklin County, Cheryl & Don Delashmit have a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks nesting on the edge of the woods by their house and Bewick’s Wrens have again returned to their property. Anne McCormack observed a very early Chimney Swift and several Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

Contributors: Gail Ahumada, Connie Alwood, Mary Anne Auer, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Tom Bormann, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Shawn Clubb, Jack Cowan, Joe Eades, Steve Ewer, Frank Holmes, Jean Hudson, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Bob Kleiger, Cliff & Judy LaMotte, Kent Lannert, Vivian Liddell, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Sherry McCowan, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Kraig Paradise, Mick Richardson, Dave Rogles, John & Nancy Solodar, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Bob Wykes, Clarence Zacher, and Jim Ziebol. An asterisk means “documented”. Please submit sightings by the last day of the month to Jim Ziebol or 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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