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[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 79, No. 8, Oct., 2007] AUGUST 2007 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: Jim Adams invited comments about Rachel Carson. The Xerces Society is an organization dedicated to invertebrate conservation, particularly pollinators. Its members include Thomas Eisner, E. O. Wilson, Paul Ehrlich, Robert Michael Pyle, Jeffrey Glassberg, and their current president May Berenbaum. Dr. Berenbaum is a biologist and entomologist at the Univ. of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana. Quoting her from the Spring 2004 issue of Wings, “Synthetic pesticides, for example, target basic physiological processes but are so crudely nonspecific in their application that, each year pesticide use results in about 22 million human poisonings and 220,000 fatalities worldwide. By one estimate, the environmental and public health costs of pesticides exceed $9 Billion a year in the United States alone.” Dr. Berenbaum has testified before Congress on these matters. Several recent authorities have published the fact that we’ve lost 70% of the Neotropical migrant songbirds since the 1960s. For the first time ever, in my backyard, the Robins and Cardinals failed to fledge young, due to the fact that there aren’t any insects to feed the young. Undoubtedly the best birds of August was an adult Rufous Hummingbird that briefly visited Kraig Paradise’s yard in north County. Sightings: Mike Pinnell reported 6 Common Moorhens at HL on 8/14. Two
Blue-winged Teal were seen at HL on 8/15 (FH) and one was seen at Riverlands
on 8/26 (JU). The first Shoveler to appear this fall was at HL on 8/23
(FH). On 8/25, 5 Avocets were seen at very close range at the HL Causeway
(m. ob.). A Willet, seen at Alta Villa on 8/30, was a good find for Connie
Alwood. On 8/28, a Red Knot, 3 Ruddy Turnstones, and a Black-bellied
Plover were also seen at Alta Villa (CM). A visit to Riverlands on 8/29
produced 2 Sanderlings, 12 Black Terns, and a Least Tern. Three Buff-breasted
Sandpipers were seen near Keeteman Road on 8/6 (CM). The Thursday Group
paid a visit to the Hwy. 79 corridor on 8/9 and found Pectorals, Semipalmated
Plover, Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Kildeer, peeps and a Buff-breasted
(J Chain). On 8/19, Frank Holmes located a Caspian Tern at HL. Forster’s
Terns, Black Terns, and 12 Caspian Terns were found at Riverlands on
8/26 (JU). Four Least Terns were seen at the HL Causeway on 8/24 (FH). On 8/23, a male Rufous Hummingbird was briefly observed at a feeder in Kraig Paradise’s yard in north county. Throughout the end of August, up to 6 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were seen in his garden. Flocks of Nighthawks were reported, with 20 in Clayton on 8/24 (J Cook) and about 50 in University City on 8/25 (MT). Clarence Zacher reported 2 immature Red-headed Woodpeckers, a Kingbird, and a Kestrel in FP on 8/26. Two calling Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were reported at Cuivre River SP on 8/9 (J Chain). As many as 25 Fish Crows were flocking along Bend Road on 8/26 (FH). A Sedge Wren was located at HL on July 31 (FH). Kraig and Mark Paradise carried out a Bluebird Project at North County Recreational Area, and 10 Bluebirds fledged there in August. On 8/24, a Plumbeous Vireo was seen in TGP (CA, Sue Schoening, m. ob.) This is only the second Plumbeous Vireo observed in TGP. On 8/31, a male Golden-winged Warbler appeared in TGP (Lori Vitt, RAB). On 8/24, a Worm-eating Warbler was videotaped at close range at Young C.A. (JZ). The Saturday Group reported Redstart, Canada Warbler, Chestnut-sided, Ovenbird, Red-eyed Vireo, and Blue-headed Vireo at TGP on 8/25 (D Becher). A female Mourning Warbler and a Blue-winged Warbler were seen in TGP on 8/26 (J Chain, RW). On 8/30, 13 species of warblers were present in TGP, including a female Black-throated Blue (PB, LJ). A Lark Sparrow was found at the first parking lot at MTC on 8/5 (JZ). A White-throated Sparrow, seen by Mike Brady at CSP on 8/4, was either a post-breeding dispersal bird or an injured bird that didn’t migrate out. A typical day at CSP on 8/8 included several Indigo Buntings, Common Yellowthroat, House Wren, Scarlet Tanager, Summer Tanager, 3 Kentucky, and Yellow-throated Vireo; 2 White-eyed Vireos were drinking at pools along Kiefer Creek (MB). Castlewood State Park is one of our finest areas for breeding birds. Back Yard Birds: On 8/1, an adult Crow brought 2 young to Jim Ziebol’s yard; these are the first crows seen in his neighborhood in several years. A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew over Mike Thelen’s yard on 8/7. On 8/22, Margy Terpstra saw her first fall migrants – a Redstart and a Canada Warbler. Tina Weyman saw a possible N. Parula there that day. Contributors: Connie Alwood, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Jean Cook, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Les Jenkins, Dan Kassebaum, Randy Korotev, Jim & Charlene, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, Rad Widmer, Clarence Zacher, Jim Ziebol. Abbreviations: BCA, Busch Conservation Area; CC, Clarence Cannon NWR; CL, Carlyle Lake; CSP, Castlewood State Park; CB, Columbia Bottoms; 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. |