[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 78, No. 10, Dec., 2005]

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OCTOBER 2005 BIRD REPORT

By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer

Introduction: Hurricane Wilma held together as a storm all the way into the Maritime provinces of Canada. Reportedly, many seabirds (Frigatebirds, gulls and terns) and some landbirds (including thousands of Chimney Swifts, hundreds of Yellow-billed Cuckoos and other swallow species) got swept up and were pushed into Nova Scotia. The seabirds will easily make it back to their home territories but the outlook for the landbirds is dire. Since there are no flying insects at this time of year, most of the swifts and swallows will perish and it will be very difficult for the cuckoos. Chimney Swifts were also found at the Azores, islands half-way across the Atlantic, and some were seen in France.

For those who like reading natural history, you will certainly enjoy the work of Bernd Heinrich, a professor of biology at Vermont University who does field research in Maine. His books include The Trees in My Forest, The Mind of the Raven, Ravens in Winter and Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival. Regarding Ravens, Heinrich quipped, “It’s very hard to study a species that is smarter than you are.” Heinrich is also a superb illustrator and at one time, he was a champion ultra-marathoner.

Sightings: Three Horned Grebes were seen at CL on 10/22 (DB, Saturday Group) and on 10/23, 7 were seen at HL along the north shore (FH, SM, JZ). David Rogles counted 46 Pied-billed Grebes at REDA on 10/16. A Western Grebe was a good find at REDA on 10/28 (JE, CA, J&CM). As many as 2,500 Pelicans were seen in the HL area on 10/3 (FH) and on 10/16, 500 were seen at REDA (DR). On 10/22, Josh Uffman flushed an American Bittern at REDA. Sherry McCowan reported that she last saw Great Egrets (6 of them) in FP on 10/6. Late dates for other herons and egrets include: Little Blue on 10/11 (FH), Cattle Egret in St. Charles County on 10/23 (DB), and Snowy Egret at HL on 10/23 (SM, JZ). Six Mute Swans remained at HL for several weeks (FH). Mike Thelen found 2 Snow Geese and an American Black Duck at 2 Rivers NWR on 10/15. Also on 10/15, Debbie Wesselmann found a remarkable flock of 35 Surf Scoters at CL and 3 were seen at the Rieder Sewage Lagoon (DK). The Barkers found a Surf Scoter at the lagoon on 10/22 and Jackie Chain found 1 on 10/23. The last Moorhen reported in the area was seen at HL on 10/2 (FH). Late shorebirds included a Greater Yellowlegs and several Pectoral Sandpipers at Chouteau Island on 10/12 (FH). A Solitary Sandpiper was seen at BCA on 10/7 (MT). On 10/5, Dan Kassebaum located 2 Red and 5 Red-necked Phalaropes at CL. A Long-billed Dowitcher was seen at 2 Rivers on 10/15 (MT). Dennis Jacobson found 2 Wilson’s Snipes for the Thursday Group at REDA on 10/20. Frank Holmes reported 14 Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs and a Least Sandpiper near Alton Barge on 10/27. Frank also found 2 Bonaparte’s and 1 Franklin’s Gull at HL on 10/11. On the weekend of Oct. 8 & 9, Dan Kassebaum reported Lesser Black-backed and Laughing Gull at CL. On 10/16, 17 Franklin’s, 35 Bonaparte’s and a possible Laughing Gull were seen at REDA (DR). David Becher found hundreds of Bonaparte’s and one Laughing Gull at CL on 10/23. A Sabine’s Gull and a juvenile Laughing Gull were found at CL on 10/15. A Common Tern was seen at REDA on 10/26 (NB).

On 10/6, a N. Harrier was seen at REDA (J Chain, Thursday Group), 2 N. Harriers were seen at HL on 10/9 (FH, SM), and 1 was seen at REDA on 10/23 (YH). Jeannie Moe reported a Sharp-shinned Hawk on the Gov. Bates Trail on 10/17. A Northern Goshawk was a good find at REDA on 10/27 (MM, Stacia Novy). A Krider’s Red-tailed Hawk was seen soaring over the Gaddy Bird Garden in TGP on 10/15 (J Cowan, YH). Two Western Red-tails, a light-phase and a dark-phase, were seen along the Levee Road on 10/22 (JZ). The SLAS group found a Merlin at 2Rivers on 10/15 (PL, MT). On 10/20, a Merlin, a LeConte’s Sparrow and 2 Sharp-tailed Sparrows were seen at REDA (J Chain, Thursday Group). On 10/7 at Mark Peters’ prairie, Jim Ziebol observed 3 Red-tails, 6 Cooper’s Hawks, 1 Sharp-shin, 1 Northern Goshawk, and 200 Pelicans. Later that day, Mark Peters saw 200 more Pelicans. On 10/13, Jackie Chain noted the absence of any swallows at BCA. About 100 Tree and a few Barn Swallows were observed at REDA on 10/16 (SM, YH). The numbers of migrating swallows were down this year, possibly storm-related. Red-breasted Nuthatches were found on 10/20 at WBS (PL) and on 10/7 at BCA (MT). On 10/4, in FP, Sherry McCowan found 2 Sedge Wrens, 2 Marsh Wrens, and 2 Swamp Sparrows. A House Wren seen in Lafayette Park on 10/9 was somewhat late (SM, JZ). Surely the best bird of the month was a Varied Thrush found by Sherry McCowan in TGP on 10/15; the bird was in a flock of Robins feeding in cherry trees at the west end of the Gaddy Bird Garden. Sherry’s quick action allowed Nick Barber, Yvonne Homeyer, Jim Ziebol and Jack Cowan to see this unusual bird. The bird was not re-found the next morning. Several Hermit Thrush and a Wood Thrush were also present in the bird garden that day. Jackie Chain and the Thursday Group reported the following birds at BCA on 10/15: a tree full of Cedar Waxwings, many Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Vireo sightings included a Yellow-throated bathing in TGP on 10/1 (LJ), Blue-headed in FP on 10/12 and 10/14 (SM), and Blue-headed in TGP on 10/15 (YH). Black-throated Blues were observed at Columbia Bottoms on 10/8 (JE) and a female in TGP was present in TGP on 10/15 (TK, DJ). 2 Blackburnian Warblers were observed in TGP on 10/8 (NB) and 1 was seen at Stump Lake on 10/16 (DR). Blackpolls were seen in TGP on 10/3 (JE) and at CL on 10/8 (DK). The unusual eastern race of Palm Warbler (with entirely yellow underparts) was found at BCA on 10/1 (JZ, SM). Sherry also found 4 Palm Warblers in Lafayette Park on 10/6.

On 10/1 in FP, Mike Thelen found a Clay-colored Sparrow. A Grasshopper Sparrow seen at BK Leach on 10/28 was extremely late (T Berger). On 10/1, Connie Alwood, David Rogles and Tom Bormann found 3 Sharp-tailed Sparrows, LeConte’s Sparrows, and 4 Marsh Wrens at REDA. Jackie Chain and the Thursday Group located Sharp-tailed and LeConte’s there on 10/13 and they were re-found on 10/16 (SM, YH). Also on 10/16, Bill Rowe found Sharp-tailed, LeConte’s and about 50 Savannah Sparrows near the Borrow Pit at HL. The Barkers located both Sharp-tailed and LeConte’s Sparrows at Columbia Bottoms on 10/27. On 10/13, a Vesper Sparrow was observed at BK Leach by Don Hayes. On 10/30, 3 Vesper Sparrows, 4 LeConte’s, and over 100 Savannah Sparrows were present near the Borrow Pit (FH, SM, JZ). On 10/9, the following sparrows were seen on Walker Island: 12 Savannah, 10 Song, 2 White-throated, 3 White-crowned, 50 Swamp, and a Lincoln’s (FH, SM, JZ). An immature Harris’s Sparrow was found, along with several Vesper, in Lincoln County on 10/20 (ES). An apparent immature Painted Bunting was found at REDA on 10/18 (Judy Bergman).

Backyard Birds: Dennis Bozzay reported a Ruby-throated Hummingbird on 10/4 and Connie Alwood’s last hummingbird was 10/6. On 10/8, Kraig Paradise saw both Red-breasted Nuthatch and Winter Wren in his north county yard. Good birds for Margy Terpstra were Black-throated Green, Blackburnian and Golden-crowned Kinglet on 10/5, Blue-headed Vireo and Tennessee on 10/10, Ruby-throated Hummingbird on 10/12, a Cooper’s Hawk on 10/13 (a regular visitor), and a resident pair of Great Horned Owls. Sharp-shinned Hawks were seen in Connie’s yard on 10/22 and in Mike Thelen’s yard on 10/23. A Hermit Thrush was a very good back yard bird for Sherry McCowan in Soulard on 10/23. Clarence Zacher found a dead hummingbird on 10/3 and reported White-throated Sparrows and Juncoes at his home. Two Pine Siskins were seen at Les Jenkin’s home.

Contributors: Connie Alwood, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Jack Cowan, Joe Eades, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dennis Jacobson, Les Jenkins, Tom Kennedy, Pat Lueders, Jim & Charlene Malone, Sherry McCowan, Mark Mittelman, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, David Rogles, Eric Schuette, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Clarence Zacher, and Jim Ziebol. An asterisk means “documented”. Please submit sightings by the last day of the month to Jim Ziebol (314-781-7372) or Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net).

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