[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 79, No. 4, Apr., 2007]

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FEBRUARY 2007 BIRD REPORT

By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer

Introduction: I would like to thank the following people who have helped with the June bird count at Busch Conservation Area since 1999: Connie Alwood, Mary Anne Auer, Loy Barber, Torrey Berger, Dennis Bozzay, Shawn Clubb, Sue Gustafson, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Scott Marshall, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Tom Parmeter, David Rabenau, Kevin Renick, Mike Thelen, and Jim Ziebol. Because of the efforts of these people, we have a good idea of the avian population at Busch – and the situation isn’t very good. Last year, 8 species of warblers were only observed once, and Pine Warbler was not found. There are probably several reasons for this decline but we’ve known for several years that many species are not replacing themselves. An extensive butterfly survey conducted by WGNSS members also shows a dramatic decline of many species, including sulphurs, hairstreaks, and emperors.

2/03, Great Black-backed Gulls, Riverlands, D. Rogles, C. Malone
2/04, California Gull, Riverlands, Bill Rowe
2/12, Glaucous Gull, Horseshoe Lake, Jim Ziebol
2/12, Iceland Gull, Riverlands, C. Malone, D. Rogles
2/12, Thayer’s Gull, Riverlands, Bill Rowe, D. Rogles
2/12, Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, Riverlands, D. Rogles
2/17, Black-legged Kittiwake, Baldwin Lake, Pat Lueders
2/18, Swamp Sparrow, Fenton, Ian Hunt
2/21, Common Merganser, Horseshoe Lake, Frank Holmes
2/23, Woodcock, Spanish Lake Park, Kraig Paradise
2/24, Wood Duck, Horseshoe Lake, Frank Holmes
2/24, Bonaparte’s Gull, Horseshoe Lake, Frank Holmes
2/25, Brewer’s Blackbird, Bruns Road, Frank Holmes
2/25, Rusty Blackbird, Bruns Road, Frank Holmes
2/25, Tree Swallow, Horseshoe Lake, Jim Ziebol
2/27, Fish Crow, Horseshoe Lake, Frank Holmes
2/28, Wilson’s Snipe, Bruns Road, Linda Virga, Jim Ziebol
3/01, White-crowned Sparrow, Forest Park, Sherry McCowan
3/03, Green-winged Teal, Horseshoe Lake, Frank Holmes
3/04, Horned Grebe, Riverlands, Connie Alwood

Sightings: On 2/26, hundreds of Pelicans were found at Riverlands (J Chain, Pat Diener) and 70 were seen at Horseshoe Lake (L. Virga, JZ). Connie Alwood observed 2 Ross’s Geese and a Mute Swan at Baldwin Lake. Five hundred Ring-necked Ducks were counted at HL on 2/15 (FH). Frank also reported 5 Wood Ducks there on 2/24. A hybrid duck, Common Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser, was seen at Riverlands on 2/18 (MT). On 2/23, 3,500 Canada Geese, 12 Cackling Geese, 500 Great White-fronted Geese, 1 Ross’s Goose, 2 Kildeer, and 36 Pelicans were seen in the HL area (FH). The Thursday Group found 2 Glaucous Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Riverlands on 3/1 (J Chain). A third-winter Great Black-backed Gull was first found at Portage du Sioux on 2/3 (CM). An adult California Gull was a good find at Riverlands on 2/04 (Bill Rowe). The first migrant Bonaparte’s Gulls were seen at HL on 2/24 (FH). While leading a SLAS bird walk at Baldwin Lake on 2/17, Pat Lueders found a first-winter Black-legged Kittiwake. On 2/18, the Kittiwake was re-found, along with 150 Bonaparte’s Gulls (CA, DK). Connie Alwood stated that this was a very good winter for gulls, including several adult Thayer’s Gulls. Kraig Paradise heard 2 Great Horned Owls and observed 2 Woodcocks at Spanish Lake Park on 2/23. A cold front at the beginning of February brought about 80 Bald Eagles to Riverlands (J Chain, FH). Frank Holmes reported 3 Bald Eagles’ nests along Route 3 between Granite City and Riverlands, of which 2 appear to be active. Two adult Golden Eagles were seen about 2.5 miles north of Pere Marquette (JE). On 2/23, Mick Richardson observed a Bald Eagle flying over TGP. Two Red-shouldered Hawks were seen in the woods at Stump Lake on 2/8 (J Chain). A Rough-legged Hawk was reported at Riverlands on 2/18 (J Moe, KP); the only other report this year was from Columbia Bottoms by Shawn Clubb on 1/8. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was observed in Kirkwood Park on 2/21 (Pat Harrison).

Sherry McCowan found 2 Sapsuckers in FP on 2/7, and a Hairy Woodpecker in TGP on 2/8. Kraig Paradise reported a Hermit Thrush in Spanish Lake Park in the same area where he has had a Hermit Thrush for several years in a row. On 2/17, Mark Peters walked a mile along the creek that flows through his Jefferson County property and found 13 Hermit Thrush, 3 Winter Wrens, and a Brown Thrasher. The Thursday Group found Lapland Longspurs and several Horned Larks on 2/11 at Confluence Park (J Chain). Kent Lannert led a WGNSS group to the Baldwin Lake/Peabody Coal area on 2/4, where the group found Ross’s Geese, Cackling Geese, many Snow Geese, a Loggerhead Shrike, and a Rusty Blackbird. Connie Alwood re-found the Loggerhead Shrike on 2/11.

A typical day for 2/11, during a WGNSS walk led by Mike Thelen at Riverlands, produced 132 Trumpeter Swans, 2 Black Ducks, 2 Ring-necked Ducks, a Hooded Merganser, 15 Wild Turkeys, 6 Pelicans, 2 adult Thayer’s Gulls, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Glaucous Gull, 1 first-winter Great Black-backed Gull, more than 50 Am. Tree Sparrows, 4 Savannah Sparrows, 6 Song Sparrows, 15 White-crowned Sparrows, a few Red-winged Blackbirds singing on territory, thousands of gulls, and several Bald Eagles.

Backyard Birds: Kraig Paradise has a Mockingbird at his home that eats half an apple every day. Connie Alwood found a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Brown Thrasher several times in his yard. A Eurasian Tree Sparrow, seen on 2/13, was a first for Sherry McCowans’ yard in Soulard. Ian Hunt found a Swamp Sparrow among several Am. Tree Sparrows on 2/18. Sherry McCowan, Kraig Paradise, and Mark Paradise also reported Am. Tree Sparrows at their homes. Years ago, in the 1980s, it took a very harsh weather event to get Am. Tree Sparrows to come to urban feeders. A Barred Owl was a new bird for Dennis Bozzay’s yard on 2/18. Cedar Waxwings were present at Kraig Paradise’s home on 2/18 and 100+ Cedar Waxwings were eating American Holly berries at Jack & Pat Harris’s home on 2/24. Two Bluebirds were seen at the Manchester home of Sarah Moorman, who was participating in a feeder survey for a school project. Bluebirds seldom visit yard feeders. Clarence Zacher found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on 2/8.

Comments: A completely albino Turkey was photographed along Hwy. 143 on 2/10 (FH). Over 150 species of North American birds have been recorded in England and the European mainland. This year, a female Canada Warbler was the first of its species recorded on the other side of the Atlantic. Other birds reported from Europe included 2 Long-billed Murrelets, 2 Pacific Loons, and a Glaucous-winged Gull. When a Glaucous-winged Gull was first found at Riverlands in the 1990s, it brought the total number of gull species seen in the St. Louis area to 19. At that time, St. Louis was tied with Niagara Falls, Ontario and St. John’s, Newfoundland, for the most species of gulls in eastern North America. This past year, the tie was broken when St. John’s recorded a Slaty-backed Gull.

Contributors: Connie Alwood, Jackie Chain, Shawn Clubb, Joe Eades, Jack Harris, Frank Holmes, Dan Kassebaum, Jim & Charlene Malone, Sherry McCowan, Mark Peters, David Rabenau, Mick Richardson, David Rogles, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, 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.

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