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[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 79, No. 9, Nov., 2007] SEPTEMBER 2007 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: Undoubtedly the best bird of September, and a good candidate for best bird of the year, was the Arctic Tern found by Mike Thelen at Carlyle Lake on 9/22. The fall shorebird migration was fairly robust, but the landbird migration was slow and spotty at best. Sightings: About 3,500 Pelicans arrived at HL on 9/11 (JZ, FH). An apparent Anhinga was seen by Barbara Perry Lawton and others on 9/24 at St. Alban’s. Frank Holmes counted 36 Snowy Egrets at HL on 9/16. On 9/22, a Snowy Egret was seen in FP (CZ). Michele Rambaud observed 4 Avocets at Creve Coeur Lake on 9/23. A new bird for Riverlands was a Snowy Plover, seen by Bill Reeves, Bob Lewis and Charlene Malone on 9/6. Also on 9/6, a Piping Plover was seen there by David Rogles. Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone and 4 tern species were present at Riverlands on 9/8 (MT). On 9/19, a Western Sandpiper was seen at Riverlands (DR). Frank Holmes estimated 250 Blue-winged Teal at HL on 9/23. Many Soras and several Marsh Wrens were found along the Causeway at HL on 9/30 (FH, YH, JZ). A new bird for TGP, #197, was a Common Moorhen found by Mick Richardson on 9/28. Two Bonaparte’s Gulls and a Franklin’s Gull were seen at the Borrow Pit at HL on 9/30 (FH, JZ). Mike Thelen reported a Laughing Gull at CL on 9/16. An adult Glaucous Gull, seen at CL on 9/8, was a first for that location (DK, Mark Sieffert). Charlene Malone reported Parasitic Jaeger, 2 Sabine’s Gulls, hundreds of Black Terns, plus Forster’s and Common Terns, at CL on 9/8. Shawn Clubb visited Riverlands on 9/9 and found 10 Forster’s Terns, 5 Caspian Terns, and 2 Black Terns. Mike Thelen photographed an Arctic Tern at CL on 9/9. The Thursday Group found 5 Black Terns, Soras, and Tree, Bank and Rough-winged Swallow at HL on 9/6. Late Mississippi Kites were reported on 9/2 in Crestwood (D Bozzay), on 9/8 in TGP (Dave Pierce), and 6 in Webster Groves on 9/5, along with a Barred Owl (D Rabenau). The first Northern Harrier of the fall was seen at Heron Pond on 9/6 (D Rogles). A Northern Harrier and 2 Canvasbacks were observed at Riverlands on 9/12 (M Richardson ). There were few reports of Broad-winged Hawks, but 5 were seen at Busch on 9/20 (J Chain, Thursday Group), and 5 were seen at “Mt. Doom” on 9/22, along with 1 Bald Eagle, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, and 2 N. Harriers (J&NS). A large flock of Nighthawks was present at CSP on 9/8 (MB). SLAS visited TGP on 9/8 and reported 5 Yellow-billed Cuckoos and 13 species of warblers (MT). In TGP, Jean Cook found a Sapsucker on 9/17 and a Junco on 9/20. On 9/22, the Saturday Group visited TGP and reported a remarkable number of Flickers, 6 species of warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a Cooper’s Hawk, and a Great Horned Owl (D Becher). David commented on the small numbers of Palm Warblers observed in recent years; Palm Warblers were once as common as Yellow-rumps. There were several reports of Red-breasted Nuthatch, with 2 in TGP on 9/8 (MT), 2 in Cedar Hill on 9/20 (WG), 2 in TGP on 9/13 (J Chain, Thursday Group), 7 at CL on 9/16 (J&CM), and 2 at Busch on 9/20 (J Chain, Thursday Group). Sept. 23 was a very good day at Blue Grosbeak Trail, where David Rogles found 18 Marsh Wrens, 9 Sedge Wrens, Connecticut Warbler, 140 Common Yellowthroats, 120 Nashville Warblers, and 3 Grasshopper Sparrows. Gail Ahumada reported 2 Winter Wrens at TGP on 9/14. Several House Wrens were seen on the Blue Grosbeak Trail on 9/30 (PL). David Rogles counted 32 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 6 Red-headed Woodpeckers, and 4 Brown Thrashers at Riverlands on 9/21. Six Brown Thrashers, 3 Catbirds, and a Mockingbird were seen near one tree at the Borrow Pit at HL on 9/23 (FH, JZ). Paul & Barbara Johnson found an adult Hooded Warbler feeding a fledgling at two different locations in CSP on 9/14, indicating probable double brooding. Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers were new birds for Riverlands (David Rogles). Jackie Chain reported 5 Golden-winged Warblers in TGP on 9/5. Four Kentucky Warblers were a good find at Blue Grosbeak Trail on 9/30 (PL). On 9/6, the Thursday Group found Black-throated Green, Canada, Red-eyed Vireo and Red-headed Woodpecker in TGP (J Chain). A Wilson’s Warbler was seen in FP on 9/20 (SM). Lincoln’s Sparrows were reported from HL on 9/16 (FH) and from Riverlands on 9/19, along with Swamp Sparrows and 14 warbler species, including Orange-crowned (D Rogles). On 9/9, David Rogles reported a large movement of birds at Riverlands, totaling an incredible 105 species, including King Rail, 12 Sora, 6 Wigeons, 6 Marsh Wrens, 12 Nighthawks, and more. Sept. 27 was a good day in FP, where Sherry McCowan observed 6 Swamp Sparrows, 1 Song Sparrow, 1 Lincoln’s Sparrow, 6 Marsh Wren, a possible Sedge Wren, Brown Thrasher, Common Yellowthroat, Nashville, 2 Yellow-rumps, and 2 female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. A typical day at Riverlands on 9/8 included Caspian Tern, 14 Forster’s Terns, Common Tern, Blue-winged Teal, Shoveler, 2 Pintails, Sora, dozens of Lesser Yellowlegs, 10 Stilt, Semipalmated, Least, and Pectoral Sandpipers, Dowitcher sp., 2 Cooper’s Hawks, a dozen Bobolinks, and 6 Hudsonian Godwits (Bill Rowe). A typical day at TGP on 9/9 included 1 Baltimore Oriole, female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue-headed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, 2 Canada, Wilson’s, 3 Golden-winged, 1 Blue-winged, 1 Parula, Bay-breasted, Nashville, 2 Black and white, plus several Magnolia, Chestnut-sided Warblers, and Redstarts, Veery, Swainson’s Thrush, and Wood Thrush (Shawn Clubb). A typical day at BK Leach on 9/29 included Henslow’s, 3 Grasshopper, 9 Nelson Sharp-tailed, 125 Swamp, 75 Savannah, 25 Lincoln’s, 1 LeConte’s, 10 Song, and a Vesper Sparrow, plus 67 Marsh Wrens, 3 Sedge Wrens, 70 Bobolinks, 39 Sora, 3 American Bitterns, 1 Virginia Rail, 50 Common Yellowthroats, and Wilson’s Snipe (David Rogles). A juvenile White-faced Ibis was seen at Riverlands on 9/29 (David Rogles). Back Yard Birds: Sherry McCowan found a Magnolia Warbler in her yard on 9/23, and a Catbird appeared on 9/26. Margie Richardson had 6 female Redstarts and a Common Yellowthroat on 9/26, plus infrequent visits from a Barred Owl and a Carolina Wren. On 9/16, a possible Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Tufted Titmouse were seen at Clarence Zacher’s yard. Jim Ziebol got a good look at a tundrius Peregrine Falcon flying over his house on 9/17. Wally George was still seeing 20-25 hummingbirds at his Cedar Hill feeders on 9/19. Ian Hunt reported a Chestnut-sided Warbler was a new backyard bird for him. He also reported that there were 5-6 sightings of Buff-bellied Pipt (American Pipit) in Europe this fall, and one of these was a first for France. Contributors: Connie Alwood, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Shawn Clubb, Jean Cook, Wally George, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dan Kassebaum, Pat Lueders, Sherry McCowan, Mick Richardson, David Rogles, 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. |