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[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 79, No. 1, Jan., 2007] NOVEMBER 2006 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerSightings: The Saturday Group and SLAS met at HL on 11/4, where they saw 6 Common Loons, 1 Western Grebe, 10 Horned Grebes, 1 Rusty Blackbird, and a Merlin (D Becher). A Pacific Loon was observed at CL on 11/3 (DK). The high count for Horned Grebe was 33 seen at HL on 11/1 (FH). Frank Holmes found a very late Green Heron at HL on 11/9. On 11/19, David Rogles counted 67 Trumpeter Swans at Riverlands. A Tundra Swan, first seen at Riverlands on 10/22 by Connie Alwood, was relocated there on 11/3 (J Chain). The Thursday Group found several Snow Geese and 1 N. Harrier at Riverlands on 11/2 (J Chain). On 11/9, the Thursday Group observed Ross’s Goose and 2 White-fronted Geese at Baldwin Lake (J Chain). Another Ross’s Goose was seen at Riverlands on 11/16 (Steve Ewer). Frank Holmes reported 70 White-fronted Geese at HL on 11/24. White-winged Scoters were seen at HL on 11/2 (JE) and 11/9 (FH). On 11/15, both Scoters were present at HL (m.ob.). On 11/19, 2 Black Scoters, 2 Surf Scoters, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were reported at Riverlands (D Rogles). On 11/4, several Hooded Mergansers were found at Teal Pond, Riverlands (J Chain). The first Red-breasted Merganser was observed on 11/10 at HL and the first Goldeneye was found there on 11/7 (HL staff). Several birders were able to find the female Oldsquaw reported at Riverlands by Matt Klosterman on 11/20. A Snipe and Gray Catbird were found at BCA on 11/8 (JZ). On 11/18, Mike Thelen found 6 Snipe and 2 Bonaparte’s Gulls at BCA. Seven Dunlin and 2 Killdeer were observed near Baldwin Lake on 11/9 (J Chain). Connie Alwood had a good day on 11/29, when he observed 50 Least Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs, and 3 Dunlin at Winfield Dam Slough and 2 Black-bellied Plovers and 15 American Pipits on Hwy. N. More than 100 Bonaparte’s Gulls were seen in the HL area on 11/14 (FH). The Thursday Group found a Lesser Black-backed Gull at CL on 11/16 (J Chain). A first-year Glaucous Gull and a Ross’s Goose were seen at Riverlands on 11/18 (NB). The first Black-legged Kittiwake was seen at CL on 11/12 (DK). Margaret Johnson found a Rough-legged Hawk for the Thursday Group on Hwy. 127 near CL on 11/16 (J Chain). On 11/19, Frank Holmes reported that a Harlan’s Hawk had returned to its winter territory on Sand Prairie Lane. A Merlin was observed at Confluence Point on 11/6 (M Richardson). Another Merlin was seen near Baldwin Lake on 11/9 (SC). On 11/25 at CL, Dan Kassebaum and Connie Alwood found 1 Saw-whet Owl, 3 Long-eared Owls and 36 Short-eared Owls. The Thursday Group saw the female Rufous Hummingbird at a feeder in Columbia, IL on 11/9. A Phoebe, seen in FP on 11/17, was somewhat late (SM). On 11/18, 2 Harris’ Sparrows were found on the Blue Grosbeak Trail, Weldon Springs CA (MT). Connie Alwood reported about 70 Lapland Longspurs on Confluence Road on 11/18. A typical day on 11/4 at HL yielded 6 Common Loons, 10 Horned Grebes, 1 Western Grebe, 2 Great Egrets, 1 Rusty Blackbird, and a partial albino/leucistic Coot (MT). Backyard Birds: On 11/18, a Chipping Sparrow appeared in Sherry McCowan’s Soulard residence, and on 11/19, Sherry saw Oregon Junco and an Am. Tree Sparrow, a very rare sighting in the city. During November, Sherry observed 8 species of sparrows at her home. On 11/22, a Purple Finch was seen at the Fenton home of Paul Ziebol. A Brown Creeper visited Margy Terpstra’s yard on 11/24; Margy is still seeing Great Horned Owls at her home on a regular basis. On 11/22, Mike Thelen was awakened at 4 a.m. by a Great Horned Owl hooting outside his University City home. A very late Northern Waterthrush appeared at the home of Michael John Voss on 11/19. Miscellaneous: An apparent Gadwall x Pintail hybrid was seen at HL on 11/21 (JZ). Two possible hybrids of Ross’s Goose x Snow Goose were found at Riverlands on 11/22 (MT). In late October, Mike Thelen observed 3 River Otters on a log at Lake 33, BCA. Contributors: Connie Alwood, Nick Barber, David Becher, Jackie Chain, Shawn Clubb, Joe Eades, Frank Holmes, Dan Kassebaum, Sherry McCowan, Mick Richardson, David Rogles, Mike Thelen, 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. |