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[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 80, No. 1, Jan., 2008] NOVEMBER 2007 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerIntroduction: In the last two years, over 3,000 ducks were harvested at Horseshoe Lake. Regrettably, some duck clubs are there every day and they try to kill as many ducks as they can, with most of these ducks being given away. Many species of ducks are killed unnecessarily, having absolutely no eating value. Many ducks are killed sitting in the water close to the blinds. This reporter does not feel that this level of harvesting can be maintained. Source: John Terbourgh, Where Have All the Birds Gone? (CBC data showing declines in duck species). At times, non-game birds are shot at: while we were standing on the shore at the dredge, shots rang out from a blind directed at a group of 9 Pied-billed Grebes floating along the shoreline. Sightings: Dan Kassebaum reported Common, Pacific, and Red-throated Loons, plus Long-tailed Duck, at CL on 11/11. On 11/12, 4 Common Loons and 9 Horned Grebes were present at HL (FH). SLAS observed Horned Grebe, Bald Eagle, and a large flock of Ring-necked Ducks at Lake 33, BCA, on 11/17 (M Thelen ). Two Cattle Egrets and a female Black Scoter were seen at Creve Coeur Lake on 11/30 (D Rogles). A Great Egret and a Red-shouldered Hawk were found at BCA on 11/13 (JZ). A Plegotis Ibis, seen independently by many observers at the Borrow Pits, HL, on 11/3, was a very good find. Four Tundra Swans were observed in Teal Pond by Charlene Malone on 11/26; Tundra Swan has become a regular winter visitor in the St. Louis area. Joe Eades reported 4 Surf Scoters at Winfield Dam on 11/8. A WGNSS Sunday walk, led by Mike Thelen, found an unusual-plumaged Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, and the typically expected duck species. Two Least Sandpipers and Snipe were seen at Lake 33, BCA, on 11/4 (SC, J Cowan, Julie Randle). On 11/17, Mike Thelen saw 2 Greater Yellowlegs and 3 Long-billed Dowitchers at Lake 35, BCA. A somewhat late Spotted Sandpiper was found at Winfield Dam on 11/25 (JU). While birding the Winfield area on 11/12, David Rogles found a Black-bellied Plover and about 50 Snipe. One of the earliest Goldeneyes this fall was seen at Riverlands on 11/22 (YH, Ev Luecke). A Red-breasted Merganser was found at HL on 11/23 (FH). Good counts of Bonaparte’s Gulls at HL included 53 on 11/11 and 252 on 11/26 (FH). Bill Rudden found an adult Little Gull at Carlyle Sewage Lagoon on 11/22. Later that day (Thanksgiving), Dan Kassebaum saw two Little Gulls there. On 11/23, the adult Glaucous-winged Gull was joined by an Eared Grebe at CL (DK). Kevin Renick observed an adult Bald Eagle on 11/10 at CSP. On 11/16, Sherry McCowan and Jim Ziebol visited the HL area and observed 2 N. Harriers, 2 light-phase Red-tailed Hawks, and 2 Killdeer. Tom Parmeter led a Sunday Bird Walk on 11/4 at BCA and the group found 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Fox Sparrow. On 11/11, 2 Sharp-shins and 60 Snow Geese were seen near HL (FH, YH). Goshawks were reported at B.K. Leach on 11/17 (Tom Bormann, David Rogles; an adult) and at the old dredge area of HL on 11/19 (JZ; a sub-adult). Charlene Malone found a Prairie Falcon near Winfield Dam on 11/10. Another Prairie Falcon was reported from Fisher Road, Lincoln County, on 11/25 (JU); possibly the same bird. A Winter Wren found by Frank Holmes at HL on 11/23 was a good find. Sherry McCowan was in FP on 11/4 and observed 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a possible Varied Thrush, and on 11/5, she observed both Kinglets. Northern Shrikes were reported from CL on 11/2 (DK), in Warren County on 11/24 (Bruce Schuette), and on Schultz Road on 11/25 (JU). An Orange-crowned Warbler, definitely not the eastern race, was found in FP on 11/21 (SM). Scott Schuette reported the following from Lincoln and Warren Counties on 11/24: 3 LeConte’s Sparrows at B.K. Leach, 3 Least Sandpipers at Sandy Slough, and a few Rusty Blackbirds in Lincoln County. One of the first Am. Tree Sparrows this fall was found at BCA on 11/17 (MT). Another Am. Tree Sparrow was seen at HL on 11/18 (FH). Other good sparrows included a Chipping at HL on 11/3 (JZ) and a Lincoln’s at HL on 11/4 (FH). A very high count of 70 to 100 Pine Siskins was tallied at Powder Valley on 11/25 (NB). On 11/26, the following were seen in FP: 2 Pine Siskins, Fox Sparrow, a mixed species feeding flock including Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, and Carolina Wren (SM). David Rogles found Yellow-headed Blackbird (a female), a Great-tailed Grackle, and a few Rusty Blackbirds near Winfield Dam on 11/10. On 11/3, 3 Brewer’s Blackbirds were found on Bruns Road and one was seen there on 11/11 (FH, JZ). On 11/18, 8 Brewer’s and several Rusties were seen near HL (FH). The Thursday Group reported the following on their 11/8 field trip: Common Loon and 5 Pied-billed Grebes at HL, plus Bald Eagle, 5 N. Harriers, and Green-winged Teal at Riverlands (J Chain). A trip to HL on 11/24 yielded an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, a hatch-year Bald Eagle, 5 Kestrels, 2 Great Egrets, 5 Herring Gulls, and 2 Kingfishers (SM, JZ). A typical day on 11/25 at BCA included 30 Cedar Waxwings, a Hermit Thrush, a female Purple Finch, 8 Bluebirds, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, and a Red-shouldered Hawk (YH, EL). A typical day on 11/17 at BCA & Weldon Springs C.A. included Horned Grebe, Bald Eagle, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 3 Long-billed Dowitchers, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches, and a Fox Sparrow (MT). A typical day on 11/30 at CL included many Bonaparte’s Gulls, a few female Buffleheads, a large raft of N. Shovelers (“. . . that resembled a log jam as they exhibited group feeding with all heads down at one time . . .” Jackie Chain), several Cormorants, several Great Blue Herons, 3 Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawk, an adult Lesser-black Backed Gull, and an adult Glaucous-winged Gull (J Chain). Back Yard Birds: Juncoes, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Barred Owl were seen at Margy Terpstra’s home on 11/1. Margy Terpstra also reported her first Pine Siskin on 11/25, along with Hairy Woodpecker, Sapsucker, and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches. Pine Siskin was a new yard bird for the Solodars on 11/4. A winter male Scarlet Tanager appeared at World Bird Sanctuary on 11/4 (Cathy Spahn). During November, Sherry McCowan recorded her 12th species of native sparrow in her yard – a Fox Sparrow. Contributors: Connie Alwood, Nick Barber, David Becher, Jackie Chain, Shawn Clubb, Jean Cook, Joe Eades, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dan Kassebaum, Evelyn Luecke, Sherry McCowan, Kevin Renick, David Rogles, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, Josh Uffman, 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. |