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[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 78, No. 10, Dec., 2006] OCTOBER 2006 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: The best bird of the month was a Red-throated Loon at Lake 33, Busch Conservation Area. The loon was first spotted on 10/19 by Dick Coles on a WGNSS Thursday Group bird walk. This bird was still being seen as of 10/25. The Red-throated Loon is species #298 for Busch, which is rapidly closing in on Horseshoe Lake’s record at 307 species. Sightings: A Common Loon returned to HL on 10/24 (JZ). On 10/15, Frank Holmes found 2 Eared Grebes at HL. A Western Grebe, along with 4 Common Loons and 13 Horned Grebes, were seen by the WGNSS Sunday group at HL on 10/29 (JZ, FH). Phil Ziebol reported hundreds of Cormorants landing in trees at dusk along I-55/70 just west of Hwy. 203. Five Mute Swans were found at HL on 10/1 (FH) and on 10/15, Yvonne Homeyer found two there. Thirty-two Great Egrets were still present at HL on 10/23 (FH). Two White-faced Ibis were a good find at CL on 10/20 (DK). Dan also found a Eurasian Wigeon there that same day. On 10/22, Frank Holmes estimated 3,000 Gadwall and over 1,000 Coots in the HL area. One-hundred-sixty Green-winged Teal were seen at Nichols Pond on 10/1, along with 8 Ruddy Ducks, 6 Pintails, and 10 Wigeons at the Bend Road railroad tracks (JZ). On 10/12, a Surf Scoter was reported at HL (FH) and on 10/13, a Surf Scoter and White-winged Scoter were videotaped there (JZ). On 10/31, Joe Eades had 2 Surf Scoters and a White-winged Scoter at Riverlands. The SLAS group went to Creve Coeur Lake on 10/28, where 2 Black Scoters were seen (JM, M Richardson). On 10/1, 2 Long-billed Dowitchers were present at Nichol’s Pond. On 10/15, 3 Franklin’s Gulls, Snipe, Pectoral Sandpipers and a Long-billed Dowitcher were seen at the Borrow Pit and Nichol’s Pond (YH, FH). A Spotted Sandpiper and Fish Crow were good birds at HL on 10/29 (JZ, FH). On 10/14, Mike Thelen found 4 Avocets, 30 Greater Yellowlegs, 10 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Spotted Sandpipers, 50+ Dowitcher species, 5 Snipe, and 60 Franklin’s Gulls at Two River NWR and Riverlands. Other shorebirds seen in the HL area included a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Snipe at Nichol’s Pond on 10/3 (FH) and 2 Stilt Sandpipers and 1 Spotted Sandpiper at Nichol’s Pond on 10/21 (FH). A Sora seen in FP on 10/6 was a good find (SM). Also on 10/6, the Thursday Group found 3 Sora at HL (J Chain). Another Sora was seen at Heron Pond, Riverlands, on 10/8 (M Thelen). Randy Korotev reported a Turkey Vulture soaring over Washington Univ. on 10/14. Clarence Zacher reported a Bald Eagle at FP on 10/14. On 10/1, an Osprey was hunting over Hampton Lake, BCA (JZ). Jean Cook found a Sharp-shinned Hawk at BCA on 10/19. Three Sharp-shinned Hawks and 2 Cooper’s Hawks were seen in St. Charles County on 10/29 (RK). After a cold front on 10/18, Dennis Bozzay observed 5 Red-tailed Hawks kettling in Glendale on 10/19. A Swainson’s Hawk appeared at CL on 10/15 (DK). Dan also reported a Western Red-tailed Hawk at CL on 10/20. Clarence Zacher reported a Merlin in FP on 10/14, and Jean Cook saw one there the following day. The Thursday Group reported a third-year Bald Eagle, an immature Bald Eagle, N. Harrier, several Red-tailed Hawks, and 5 Kestrels near Winfield Dam (J Chain). Two Bald Eagles, 4 N. Harriers, 1Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Cooper’s Hawks, 15 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Peregrines, and 4 Sora were seen on 10/14 at Riverlands and Two Rivers NWR (M Thelen). Mike Thelen reported 11 Nighthawks and 11 species of warblers at TGP on 10/4. The last date for Chimney Swifts was 10/20 (m. ob.). After viewing the Red-throated Loon at BCA, Pat Lueders found several Phoebes and Yellow-rumped Warblers at the shorebird area. Late dates for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds included 1 on 10/3 in Kirkwood (A McCormack), 1 on 10/4 at her home (J Walker) and 1 on 10/8 in Crestwood (D Bozzay). At least 20 Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen foraging in bush honeysuckle and sumac at HL on 10/28 (JZ). Sherry McCowan found a Sedge Wren in FP on 10/15 and she also reported 2 Marsh Wrens and 6 species of sparrows in FP on 10/19. Clarence Zacher found a Snipe, a House Wren, and 2 Phoebes in FP on 10/14. On 10/26 and 10/27, Randy Korotev observed large numbers of Robins heading south. A Cooper’s Hawk, 6 Blue-headed Vireos, and about a dozen Yellow-rumps were seen near the Gaddy Bird Garden, TGP, on 10/9 (CA). Frank Holmes encountered Blue-headed Vireo on 10/2 and 10/10 in the HL area. Sherry McCowan reported a Blackpoll in FP on 10/23. On 10/1, 12 species of warblers were found in TGP, including the Black-throated Blue, originally found by Jim Hickner. On 10/11, N. Parula and Bay-breasted Warblers were seen in TGP (JZ). On 10/31, an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Phoebe were found in FP (SM). On 10/2, Josh Uffman found a Sharp-tailed Sparrow at Riverlands, along with large numbers of Lincoln’s and Swamp Sparrows. A Clay-colored Sparrow was closely observed in FP on 10/9 (FM). Shawn Clubb also found a Clay-colored Sparrow at Nichols Pond, HL on 10/10, which was a life bird for Shawn. Sherry McCowan found 8 species of sparrows and 2 Nashville Warblers in FP on 10/30. On 10/14, on a combined visit to Riverlands and Two Rivers NWR, Mike Thelen counted 4 Orange-crowned Warblers, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 10 Black-throated Greens, and 15 Vesper Sparrows (a good number for Vespers). On 10/6, the Thursday Group reported Summer Tanager, both Kinglets, Wilson’s, Black-throated Green, Nashville and several other warblers at TGP (J Chain). A Western Tanager was observed on 10/20 at CL (DK). Dave Faintich found Bobolink, Sedge Wren, and 2 Phoebes at LCCL on 10/3. The Sunday Bird Walk group at Castlewood on 10/8 saw Bald Eagle, 2 Summer Tanagers, Krider’s Red-tailed Hawk, both Kinglets, and several species of warblers (SM, D Rabenau, M Terpstra). A trip to HL and Walker Island on 10/15 produced 8 species of sparrows (1 Vesper), Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumps, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Horned Lark, House and Marsh Wren (FH, JZ, YH). The first migrant blackbirds of the fall were a male and 3 female Brewer’s Blackbirds near Winfield Dam (J Chain, J Cook, Th. Group). On 10/18, Sherry McCowan reported a Pine Siskin in a large flock of Goldfinch in FP. A typical day at FP on 10/15 included Pied-billed Grebe, Wigeon, 2 Phoebes, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Common Yellowthroat, Nashville, Orange-crowned, Towhee, 20 Swamp Sparrows, 15 Song Sparrows, 20 Chipping Sparrows, 3 Juncoes, and 68 Goldfinch (RK). Backyard Birds: In mid-October, a Cooper’s Hawk was frequenting Rose Ann Bodman’s yard in Brentwood. Clarence Zacher had a Cooper’s Hawk in his yard on 10/5. Clarence also reported Juncoes, White-throated Sparrows and 6 Eurasian Tree Sparrows on 10/19. On 10/28, Sherry McCowan found White-crowned, White-throated, Song Sparrow and Junco at her Soulard home, and on 10/31, she saw a Field Sparrow there. A partial albino Robin was seen at Clarence Zacher’s home on 10/27. Gail Ahumada, Connie Alwood, David Becher, Dennis Bozzay; Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Shawn Clubb, Jean Cook, Joe Eades, Jim Hickner, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dan Kassebaum, Pat Lueders, Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Sherry McCowan, Randy Korotev, David Rabenau, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Clarence Zacher, Jim Ziebol. Abbreviations: BCA, Busch Conservation Area; CC, Clarence Cannon NWR; CL, Carlyle Lake; CSP, Castlewood State Park; FP, Forest Park; HL, Horseshoe Lake; LP, Lafayette Park; LCCL, Little Creve Coeur Lake; MTC, Marais Temps Clair; TGP, Tower Grove Park. |