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[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 79, No. 5, May, 2007] MARCH 2007 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: This year, conservationists lost a very good friend and advocate in Jim Holsen. Besides being an avid birder, he spent countless hours in the cause of conservation efforts. He will surely be missed. Early Arrival Dates: 01/01/07, Snowy Owl, I/255 at Roxana, Keith McMullen fide (For February Early Arrival Dates, see March newsletter) 03/08/07, Purple Martin, Portage du Sioux, Jackie Chain Sightings: On 3/3, 3.500 Pelicans and as many as 5,000 gulls were present at Riverlands (MT, CA, RK). The first Great Egret was found in Forest Park by Michael Botz on 3/14, and 35 were seen at the junction of I/70 and Hwy. 111 on 3/16 (SC). A Trumpeter Swan was a new bird for Forest Park on 3/13 (SM). The Thursday Group encountered 4 Greater White-fronted Geese at Busch on 3/15 (J Chain). Frank Holmes estimated 1,700 Ruddy Ducks and 1,000 Scaup species at HL on 3/22. On 3/13, the Thursday Group found 3 pairs of Wood ducks and 2 Cooper’s Hawks in TGP. Randy Korotev photographed Lesser and Greater Scaup at HL on 3/ 4. A Surf Scoter seen at Riverlands on 3/3 was somewhat late (MT). The Saturday Group found a moderate flock of Pectoral Sandpipers, a few Am. Golden Plovers, and a cooperative vesper Sparrow at Keeteman Road on 3/24 (DB). The high count for Golden Plover was 579 seen by David Rogles in Lincoln County on 3/21. Three Whimbrels were a very good find at Riverlands on 3/31 (CM, JE, TB, PB). Baird’s Sandpiper, Dunlin, and Marbled Godwit were found at CL on 3/30 (DK). Sherry McCowan found Woodcock and White-crowned Sparrow in FP on 3/1. On 3/17, Kraig and Mark Paradise observed Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, several Pecs, 15 Snipe, an American Pipit and a Rusty Blackbird at Columbia Bottoms. Four Black Vultures were seen in a quarry in Ste. Genevieve County on 3/24 (CA). Ten Bald Eagles were seen at BK Leach on 3/20 (Jane Allen, J Chain). On 3/25, Pat Myers observed a pair of Cooper’s Hawks nesting in Blackburn Park. Two Red-shouldered Hawks were courting at Tyson on 3/5 (JZ). On 3/11, Mike Thelen encountered a Western Red-tailed Hawk, or a Harlan’s/Western Red-tailed intergrade, at BCA on 3/11. Merlins were seen in FP on 3/16 (SE) and on Keeteman Road on 3/20 (D Rogles). On 3/29, the Thursday Group observed a Red-shouldered Hawk carrying prey, and a Pine Warbler, at SNR (DC). A Great Horned Owl and 2 Barred Owls were reported from BCA on 3/3 (MT). A Barred Owl, plus 9 displaying Woodcocks, were found at Spanish Lake Park on 3/15 (KP). Another Barred Owl was seen in Castlewood on 3/16 (MB). A very high count of 38 Short-eared Owls was reported at Peabody SWA on 3/3 (Tom May). On 3/9, 4 Short-eared Owls were seen there by Loy Barber and Sherry McCowan. On 3/8, the Thursday Group saw a Pileated Woodpecker at Creve Coeur Lake (Joe Whittington, Theresa Wetzel), a Purple Martin at Portage du Sioux, and a Horned Grebe at RMBS (J Chain). On 3/16, Steve Ewer found Red-headed and Hairy Woodpeckers in FP. Margy Terpstra and Tina Weyman reported 2 flocks totaling 15 N. Flickers at SNR on 3/27. Red-breasted Nuthatch and 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets were found in TGP on 3/19 (David Scheu). On 3/9, Purple Martins arrived at FP (SM) and at HL (FH). Gail Ahumada reported that Winter Wren, Field Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Kinglets arrived in TGP on 3/26. On 3/29, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a flock of 19 Double-crested Cormorants were seen in FP (SM). Leslie Jenkins found 2 American Pipits at RMBS on 3/27. Tom Bormann clearly heard a Bell’s Vireo at Victoria Glade on the very early date of 3/30. Two Yellow-throated Warblers and a Black-and-white Warbler were found at Rockwoods on 3/28 (J&CM). Six Singing Pine Warblers, plus E. Phoebe, were reported from Hawn State Park on 3/11 (RAB, J Chain). Another Pine Warbler and a Chipping Sparrow were seen at Fallen Oak Trail, BCA, on 3/27 (J Chain). Also on 3/27, Jack Cowan found a Louisiana Waterthrush and 4 Northern Parulas at LVT. Tom & Lynda Mills found a Black-throated Green at their feeder near Hillsboro on 3/23. Louisiana Waterthrush sightings included one at Tyson on 3/20 (NB), one at Rockwoods on 3/22 (J Chain), and at the Chubb Trail on 3/22 (MB). Harris’s Sparrows were seen at Blue Grosbeak Trail on 3/6 (D Rogles), at Blue Grosbeak Trail on 3/22 (D Rogles), and at BK Leach on 3/23 (DR, TB). A LeConte’s Sparrow was spotted at North County Recreation Area on 3/24 (KP, MP). On 3/7, Sherry McCowan found 2 Swamp Sparrows and a Yellow-rumped Warbler in FP. On 3/ 4, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, E. Phoebe, Towhee, Brown Creeper, and a beautiful male Oregon Junco were seen at the Gaddy Bird Garden in TGP (GA, JZ). High counts of Vesper Sparrows included 14 on the Chubb Trail on 3/22 (MB) and 13 at HL on 3/23 (JZ). David Rogles saw a flock of 30 Rusty Blackbirds on Glacial Sand Road on 3/20. Three Brewer’s Blackbirds, two males and a female, were videotaped at close range on 3/24 at BK Leach (YH, JZ). On 3/18, on a Sunday walk led by Jim Ziebol and Frank Holmes, the group encountered 19 species of waterfowl and 17 Pelicans, but very few songbirds. The Thursday Group visited Castlewood on 3/22 and found a Red-shouldered Hawk, Chipping Sparrow, several Fish Crows, Wood Duck, and Kingfisher. A visit to Young CA on 3/27 produced Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 3 Hermit Thrush, 2 Louisiana Waterthrush, and Yellow-throated Warbler (D Bozzay). A typical day for Tom Fuller at Riverlands on 3/24 included thousands of White Pelicans stretching for miles up and down the Mississippi River, 100 Am. Golden Plovers, dozens of Pectoral Sandpipers, a few peeps, 4 Snow Geese, 1 Ross’s Goose, both Yellowlegs, dozens of Green-winged Teal, 6 Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, N. Shovelers, 2 Wigeons, Mallards, all three Merganser species, Double-crested Cormorants, E. Meadlowlark, and Red-winged Blackbirds. A typical day for Eric Schuette at BK Leach on 3/18 included thousands of White Pelicans, hundreds of Cormorants, at least 10,000 ducks, LeConte’s Sparrow, 2 Great-tailed Grackles, Phoebe, 1 Vesper Sparrow, Fish Crow, 6 species of shorebirds, and 17 species of waterfowl. Back Yard Birds: David Rabenau watched 220 Snow Geese fly over his Webster Groves home on 3/7. On 3/19, Clarence Zacher saw a Junco that was similar to the Oregon pink-sided race. Contributors: Gail Ahumada, Connie Alwood, Nick Barber, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Dennis Bozzay, Jackie Chain, Shawn Clubb, Jack Cowan, Dick Coles, Joe Eades, Steve Ewer, Jack Harris, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dan Kassebaum, Jim & Charlene Malone, Sherry McCowan, Kraig Paradise, Mark Paradise, 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; RMBS, Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, SNR, Shaw Nature Reserve, TGP, Tower Grove Park. |