[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 79, No. 1, Jan., 2006]

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NOVEMBER 2005 BIRD REPORT

By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer

Introduction: If you want your sightings included in the report, please email Yvonne Homeyer at homeyer@earthlink.net, or call Jim Ziebol. Since we started doing the report, several people have been kind enough to submit regular monthly reports. We don’t always have access to MoBirds so please let us know directly as well. Sometimes it becomes difficult to include every sighting because of the quantity of reports received.

The bird of the month was a female Chaffinch found by Wally George at his Cedar Hill home. The bird was in excellent plumage with no sign of excessive feather wear associated with cages, and the bird was not banded. Unfortunately, the exact origin of this bird will be very difficult to ascertain. Sadly, the bird may have fallen victim to a Sharp-shinned Hawk on the afternoon of Nov. 28. It has not been seen since.

Sightings: Two rare loons were reported in November: a Red-throated Loon on 11/17 at Carlyle Lake (JE) and a Pacific Loon on 11/18 at Creve Coeur Lake (CM). Six Common Loons were seen at Creve Coeur Lake on 11/7 (JS) and 4 were still present on 11/8 (JC, RAB). Sixteen Horned Grebes, 4 Common Loons, 10 Hooded Mergansers and 5 Buffleheads were observed at HL on 11/20 (FH, SM, JZ). On 11/17, Dave Rogles located an Eared Grebe among a large flock of Horned Grebes at REDA, and another Eared Grebe was seen at Creve Coeur Lake on 11/29 (JE). A Least Bittern found on 11/29 at Heron Pond, REDA, was probably a record late date (DR). Great Egrets were found in FP on 11/19 (CZ) and on 11/21 (SM). Six Great Egrets were seen on Route 3 on 11/28 (FH). Four Trumpeter Swans returned to REDA on 11/9 (JU). Tundra Swans were reported from REDA on 11/20 (JM, KP) and on 11/21 (BB). On 11/3, the Thursday Group found Snow Geese, 2 Ross’s Geese, a few Greater White-fronted Geese and a Sharp-shinned Hawk at Baldwin Lake (J Chain). The Barkers located a Ross’s there on 11/5. Green-winged Teal numbered about 150 at HL on 11/6 (FH, SM, JZ). On 11/1, Frank Holmes estimated 1,500 Gadwall at HL and by 11/5, Mike Thelen estimated 4,000. Mike also found a first-year Black-crowned Night Heron on 11/5 at HL. Charlene Malone reported 2 Black Scoters at Winfield Dam on 11/9. A female Oldsquaw was found at REDA on 11/16 (DR). The Thursday Group reported the following ducks at REDA on 11/12: Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Wigeon, Redhead, Ring-necked, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy, Hooded Mergenser, Red-breasted Merganser, and Common Goldeneye. The Saturday Group on 11/12 found Yellowlegs, Dowitchers, Snipe and Killdeer at the marsh on Hwy. 143 (DB). On 11/30, Frank Holmes found 2 Least Sandpipers, 10 Snipe, and 12 Killdeer at the same marsh. Rheba Symeonoglou saw a Woodcock in the fallen leaves in her City backyard on 11/14. On 11/19, a Snipe was seen in FP (CZ). Ten Franklin’s Gulls were seen along Layton Road at HL on 11/8 (FH, SM, JZ). One hundred + Bonaparte’s Gulls were seen at HL on 11/13 (FH). A second-winter Herring Gull, first seen at CL on 11/13, was much discussed by the birders present (BR). A possible Long-billed Murrelet was seen at CL on 11/12 (DK) but it was not re-found.

Mike Thelen reported a Sharp-shinned Hawk at HL on 11/5. On 11/20, a Sharpie, a Cooper’s, and Red-shouldered Hawk were found along Bend Road, HL (FH, SM, JZ). Bill Rowe found a Harlan’s Hawk at Cuivre Island CA on 11/15, and on 11/27, the Harlan’s that has wintered along Sand Prairie Lane for several years has returned (FH). On 11/9 at REDA, Josh Uffman found 3 Peregrine’s Falcons and on 11/12, the Saturday Group found one at Heron Pond, REDA (J Chain). A Short-eared Owl was observed at REDA in late November (DR). A flock of 55 Crows was seen in St. Louis County on 11/9 (Margy T). The number of Crows and Bluejays counted on the Busch Bird Survey in June indicate that these species are recovering from the decline in population several years ago due to West Nile Virus. A Phoebe, along with 6 Sapsuckers, were seen at BCA on 11/19 (MT). On 11/3, Jean Cook found a Loggerhead Shrike for the Thursday Group at Peabody Coal. On 11/6, Jeannie Moe heard a Red-breasted Nuthatch at Lindenwood College. Clarence Zacher reported a Carolina Wren in FP on 11/5. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was seen at LCCL on 11/19 (MT). On 11/7, Jeannie Moe reported about 20 Cedar Waxwings and a Rufous-sided Towhee at the Katy Trail. A cold front passing through on 11/4 moved a large number of Savannah Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows out of our area to the south, but 2 LeConte’s and 4 Savannahs remained near the Borrow Pit on 11/20 (FH, JZ). On 11/8, Kent Lannert reported a LeConte’s at REDA. Torrey Berger found a flock of about 50 Lapland Longspurs on Confluence Road on 11/16. Bill Rowe found 2 Pipits and 6 W. Meadowlarks at the Keeteman Rd. sod farm on 11/15. Sue Schoening found a female Yellow-headed Blackbird for the Thursday Group at Brier Island Stables on 11/10. On 11/15, large numbers of Brewer’s Blackbirds and Red-wings were found in Lincoln County, and about 50 Great-tailed Grackles and one Rusty Blackbird were seen at Brier Island Stables (BR). On 11/10, the Barkers found a Rusty Blackbird on Confluence Road and on 11/27, Frank Holmes found one on Bruns Road. Two Great-tailed Grackles and 30 Rusty Blackbirds were seen at the intersection of Church and Dwyer Roads on 11/20 (JM, KP). On 11/17, the Thursday Group found good numbers of Brewer’s Blackbirds, 2 Lapland Longspurs and a small flock of Pipits in Lincoln County (J Chain). Dave Rogles found a Snow Bunting at REDA on 11/27 and had seen one earlier in the month on Confluence Road.

A typical day for the Thursday Group on 11/10 included Common Loons, Bonaparte’s Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Ducks, 7 Hooded Mergansers, several Scaup, Mallards, and Gadwalls at Creve Coeur Lake; an American Pipit at Keeteman Road sod farm; Red-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle on Hwy. 79; several Great Egrets and a Great Blue Heron where the slough meets the river; a treeful of Brewer’s Blackbirds on Big Box Road; Snipe, Dowitchers, Dunlin and Least Sandpipers behind Fowl Play; and a Yellow-headed Blackbird and 2 Great-tailed Grackles at the Brier Island Stables. Dennis Jacobsen, who was present with the Thursday Group, noted of some swans seen at Riverlands, “Viewing those birds in water that reflected a pink sky, watching them form a feeding circle with their heads under water while a variety of ducks paraded around them was sublime. Include a scene where a Great Blue Heron gently moved three swans out of his feeding area by slowly taking a step toward them while making two gentle pecks at the water. He repeated this behavior four or five times before the swans got the message and moved.”

Backyard Birds: Margy Terpstra reported that her resident Great Horned Owls fledged two young this year. Bonnie Grant found a female Towhee in her yard. On 11/16, Margy observed a Krider’s Hawk near her Kirkwood home. Connie Alwood had a Sharp-shinned in his Ferguson yard on 11/23 and heard a Great Horned Owl on 11/29. Connie comented on how good the habitat is at Wally George’s yard in Cedar Hill, with sightings of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Siskins, House Finch, White-throated Sparrows, Chaffinch, and a Hermit Thrush on 11/28. Phyllis and Tom Miller saw what appeared to be an albino Red-headed Woodpecker at Clarence Cannon in late October.

Contributors: Connie Alwood, Bob Bailey, 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, Pat Lueders, Jim & Charlene Malone, Sherry McCowan, Mark Mittelman, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, 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 or Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net).

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