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[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 80, No. 5, May, 2008] MARCH 2008 BIRD REPORTBy: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne HomeyerEarly Arrival Dates
Sightings: A Common Loon, a species which is in serious decline, was seen in breeding plumage at Horseshoe Lake on 3/18 (JZ). Early Horned Grebes included one on 3/2 at BCA, Lake 33 (D Rogles), one on 3/9 at RMBS (CA), and two on 3/20 at HL (FH). All of the small herons, except Green Heron, were seen in the HL area by 3/27 (FH, SC). On 3/16, 200+ Green-winged Teal were seen at Eagle Park (YH, JZ). Wood Ducks were reported at FP on 3/3 (J Chain), up to 9 pairs at FP on 3/16 (CZ), and at least 12 on 3/20 (SM, YH). On 3/2, Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Turkey Vulture, Woodcock, Tree Swallow, and Rusty Blackbird were seen in the HL area (FH, JZ). Bill Fritz found an Oldsquaw at the Carlyle Sewage Lagoon on 3/14 (fide CM). A drake Cinnamon Teal was found on Firma Road in St. Charles County on 3/29 (D Rogles, T Bormann). Mike Thelen reported a Greater Scaup at Riverlands on 3/9. Jackie Chain & Rose Ann Bodman found several Woodcocks at Busch on 3/1. On 3/22, the Saturday Group found 15 Am. Golden Plovers and a Ross’s Goose. American Golden Plover sightings included 500+ in the Winfield area and sod farms on 3/21 (B&E Schuette), 500+ on Keeteman Road, plus 6 Greater Yellowlegs at B.K. Leach, on 3/22 (T Bormann), and 19 at Riverlands on 3/24 (JU). Frank Holmes reported 7 Pectoral Sandpipers on Schoolhouse Road on 3/24. Gull sightings at Riverlands included a first-year Thayer’s Gull on 3/9 (CA) and a Glaucous Gull on 2/27 (Chris Kirmaier). Many Turkey Vultures were seen at Busch on 3/2 (J Chain, SC). An adult Krider’s Hawk was viewed at Nichol’s Pond on 3/2 (FH, JZ). On 3/8, a beautiful black Western Red-tailed Hawk was observed at Columbia Bottoms (JZ, YH). A Prairie Falcon was seen migrating through HL on 3/29 (B Rudden, Rad Widmer). Mike Thelen reported a Great Horned Owl at Riverlands on 3/22. Great Horned Owl nests produced 1 chick at Busch and1 chick at Blackburn Park. A somewhat late Short-eared Owl was seen at Columbia Bottoms on 3/30 (B Rowe). The first Phoebe of the year was seen at Busch on 3/2 (JChain, SC). Purple Martins returned to FP on 3/14 (CF). On 3/21, Northern Rough-winged and Tree Swallows were present at B.K. Leach (B&ES). Fish Crows were first reported on 3/21 at both HL (FH) and Busch (JZ), and the first Fish Crow was seen at Riverlands on 3/24 (JU). Mike Brady noted several Fish Crows at CSP on 3/17 but these are probably resident birds. A pair of Marsh Wrens was seen in FP on 3/16 (CZ) and one was seen at CB on 3/30 (MThelen). A Loggerhead Shrike, seen in the Riverlands area on 3/24, is now a very rare spring migrant (DRogles). Dave also found 33 American Pipits and 4 Bonaparte’s Gulls at Riverlands on 3/14. On 3/22, Hooded Warbler and N. Parula were seen at CL (DK, KM). On 3/24, Hooded Warbler also showed up at FP (CF, m.ob.). Mark Mittleman found an early Black-and-white Warbler at TGP on 3/21. Steve Ewer visited TGP on 3/12 and observed male Pine Warbler, Yellow-rump, Brown Creeper, several Fox Sparrows, and 2 Cooper’s Hawks. By 3/13, Pine Warblers had returned to Rockwoods (CM). A probably record early Worm-eating Warbler was reported at MBG on 3/19 (MRichardson). Charlene Malone saw the first Louisiana Waterthrush at Rockwoods on 3/24. Also on 3/24, Mike Brady found 3 Louisiana Waterthrush and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher on the Chubb Trail. Bruce & Eric Schuette observed two good sparrows at B.K. Leach on 3/21: Vesper & LeConte’s. On 3/30, Bill Rowe found a Vesper Sparrow at CB and a Lincoln’s Sparrow at MTC. Rusty Blackbirds migrated through our area in very good numbers this spring; Sherry McCowan reported a high count of 250 on 3/19 (SM). Josh Uffman reported a Western Meadowlark at CB on 3/24. On 3/21, the Thursday Group found the Red Crossbills at the Mizell’s home in High Ridge; they also saw Rusty Blackbirds and one Brewer’s Blackbird in TGP (JChain). Seventeen Smith’s Longspurs, including males in breeding plumage, were found at CB by Bill & Matt Rowe on 3/29. On 3/29 and on 3/30, David Becher led groups to these beautiful birds which are rarely reported in the St. Louis area. On 3/29, Paul & Barbara Johnson observed Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2 Hermit Thrush, and a Black-and-white Warbler in TGP. Dan Kassebaum reported the following at CL on 3/31: a flyover Neotropic Cormorant, Oldsquaw, Glaucous-winged Gull (returned after an absence of 30 days), Franklin’s Gull, and Caspian Tern. Back Yard, Hybrid & Other Birds: Wally George described the Pine Warbler at his feeder on March 4 as very aggressively chasing the other birds away. On 3/8, a Black-crowned Night Heron and a Cooper’s Hawk were seen flying near Jim Ziebols’ home. In early March, Connie Alwood saw as many as 6 Fox Sparrows at his feeders. Also in early March, Cheryl & Don Delashmit had 8 Fox Sparrows and a Yellow-rumped Warbler regularly coming to their Franklin County feeders. As of 3/30, Jane Allen was still seeing the Spotted Towhee in her yard; she also found the remains of a Mockingbird. Margy Terpstra reported 8 Pine Siskins on 3/19, and a Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, and 2 Purple Finches on 3/21. On 3/10, Anne McCormack saw 3 flyover Greater White-fronted Geese in Kirkwood. A Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal (male hybrid duck) was seen on Bischoff Road on 3/24 (FH, JZ). A leucistic Bobwhite was videotaped at HL on 3/20 (JZ). Other leucistic birds seen this spring included a Ruddy Duck, female Mallard, and Canada Goose at HL (FH) and Bill Rowe also reported a leucistic Mallard. Contributors: Connie Alwood, David Becher, Rose Ann Bodman, Mike Brady, Jackie Chain, Jack Cowan, Shawn Clubb, Chris Ferree, Wally George, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Charlene & Jim Malone, Anne McCormack, Sherry McCowan, Keith McMullen, Mark Mittleman, Mick Richardson, Dave Rogles, Bill Rowe, Bill Rudden, Bruce Schuette, Eric Schuette, Margy Terpstra, Mike Thelen, 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; MBG, Missouri Botanical Garden; MTC, Marais Temps Clair; RMBS, Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary; SNR, Shaw Nature Reserve; TGP, Tower Grove Park. . |
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