AUGUST BIRD REPORT
By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer
Jim Jackson reported a Henslow’s Sparrow and 3 Sedge Wrens at the Arboretum in late July, but not Dickcissel or Prairie Warbler. Lou Hanes reported several Cerulean Warblers, Blue Grosbeaks, Lark Sparrows and Bell’s Vireos in Calhoun Co., Ill., during July. This is very encouraging. Probably the best bird of the summer was a male Rufous Hummingbird, present for a few days around Aug. 8 in Festus. Kathy and Charles Fassler provided complete documentation, including photographs and a video. This is only the second Rufous Hummingbird for the St. Louis area and one of the few seen in Missouri in the summer.On 8/5, 110 Snowy Egrets were counted at Riverlands (FH) and 140 were present on 8/29 (T Be). Frank Holmes counted 130 Cattle Egrets in St. Clair County on 8/8 (FH). The first fall duck was a Pintail on Collinsville Road on 8/8 (FH). On 8/19, 9 Pintails and 5 Shovelers were found at Stump Lake/Mark Twain NWR (J&CM). The Bald Eagles breeding at Clarence Cannon NWR apparently fledged one young. A perched Mississippi Kite was seen on 8/25 in Florissant (CA). A somewhat early fall migrant N. Harrier was seen on 8/15 in Calhoun Co. (LH). The 3 Cooper’s Hawks from Forest Park had left the nest by 8/2 (KC). This is a very unusual urban breeding record for this species. On 8/17, an immature Cooper’s Hawk was observed on a mudflat in Green Co., Ill. (LH). A recently fledged Red-shouldered Hawk was seen at Clarence Cannon on 8/7 (YH, JZ). Three Broad-winged Hawks were observed on 8/14 at Busch CA (KP, YH). An adult Red-tailed Hawk was observed several times during the summer in Tower Grove Park. The first Osprey of the fall was seen on 8/14 at Riverlands (J&CM). Two immature pheasants were a good find on Cora Island Rd. on 8/2 (CM). Torrey Berger heard 2 Great Horned Owls at his home in west St. Louis County at the end of August. Great Horned, Barred and Screech Owls were all present at the home of Lou Hanes in Hamburg, Ill. in August. On 8/5, a King Rail was seen at Heron Pond (PB). According to Jim Rathert, Mo. Dept. of Conservation, up to 5 pairs of King Rails fledged young at Clarence Cannon this summer. Many area birders successfully made the trip to see them.
Shorebird habitat was scarce in August due to the drought. A Golden Plover at Stump Lake on 8/29 was the only one reported in August (LH). On 8/1, 2 Upland Sandpipers were found at Stump Lake (J&CM) and one was seen at Riverlands on 8/14 (G&TB). An Avocet appeared at Riverlands (Wood Stork Pond) on 8/28 (MB, m. ob.). A Willet was seen on 8/5 at Riverlands (PB) and another was found at Cora Island Rd. on 8/30 (T Be). A Wilson’s Phalarope was seen at Riverlands on 8/2 (G&TB). A Red-necked Phalarope in basic plumage was a very good find on 8/27 on Cora Island Rd. (DB, MB, m. ob.). A Dunlin seen on Cora Island Rd. on 8/12 was somewhat early (T Be). A Baird’s Sandpiper was observed at the Horseshoe Lake Causeway on 8/3 (GB et al.). On 8/28, 4 Buff-breasted were also seen at Cora Island Rd. (J Moe). A Bonaparte’s Gull was present at the Causeway of Horseshoe Lake on 8/1 (JZ, YH). A juvenile Laughing Gull was seen at the Horseshoe Lake Causeway on 8/3 (DK, JZ). Two more juvenile Laughing Gulls were found on 8/29, one in a Granite City parking lot and the second at the Horseshoe Lake Dredge (FH; also photographed). On 8/8, 4 Forster’s Terns were found at Riverlands (MT). Three Caspian Terns were at Riverlands on 8/17 (T Be) and 21 Black Terns were seen at the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake on 8/8 (FH). Great Horned, Barred and Screech Owls were present at Lou Hanes’ house in Hamburg, Ill. throughout August. On 8/22, Whip-poor-wills were flushed at Castlewood (MB) and by 8/25, 40+ Nighthawks were observed in Florissant (CA). Red-headed Woodpeckers with young were observed at Clarence Cannon on 8/15 (SG et al.) A Willow Flycatcher was closely observed at Weldon Springs CA on 8/15 (YH). Olive-sided Flycatchers were seen on 8/9 and 8/27 in Tower Grove Park (RAB), on 8/21 in Tower Grove Park (BK), and on 8/15 in Forest Park (MT). Three Red-breasted Nuthatches were seen in Tower Grove Park on 8/28 (RAB). Many Sedge Wrens were seen at Riverlands and elsewhere throughout the month (G&TB). On 8/10, a Loggerhead Shrike along Wise Road was a very good find (CA). A Veery was seen at the bubbler in Tower Grove Park on 8/29 (JZ).
A very early fall migrant N. Waterthrush was carefully observed in Jefferson Co. on 8/1 (MP). Three Golden-winged Warblers were seen in Tower Grove Park on 8/28 (CA) and a Wilson’s Warbler was found at Castlewood on 8/20 (MB). A Pine Warbler was a surprise at the Cypress Circle/Tower Grove Park on 8/28 (JC et al.) A Canada Warbler was a good find on 8/16 in Tower Grove Park (T Be). A mixed feeding flock at Stump Lake Access Rd. on 8/28 included Black & White, Redstart, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prothonotary, and Red-breasted Nuthatch (J&CM). The songbirds have been slow in arriving this fall. In late August, there were 2 cold fronts but neither produced many migrants. The Blue Grosbeaks’ nest at the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake apparently failed.
BUSCH WILDLIFE CA BREEDING SURVEY: A special thanks to: David Becher, Dennis Bozzay, Mike Brady, Yvonne Homeyer, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, Kevin Renick and David Rabenau for helping on the Busch CA Breeding Bird Survey conducted in June. Each participant had a separate territory, which was covered on at least 2 different days. One conclusion from the data is that woodland species have declined dramatically in the last 10-15 years. These species are important because they eat insects; fewer birds mean more insects. Other results from our survey: SPECIES THAT WERE NOT FOUND AT ALL: The following birds used to nest at Busch but were not located this year: BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (never numerous), RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (a declining species), BEWICK’S WREN (formerly bred at Archery Trail & Dardenne Creek), LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (not expected), CERULEAN WARBLER (a common nester in Busch 15 years ago – but 3 pairs found at nearby Lost Valley Trail), REDSTART (never found in large numbers), BLUE GROSBEAK (rare nester in Busch but nests nearby at Weldon Spring’s "Blue Grosbeak" Trail), and DICKCISSEL (not a regular yearly nester). No Red-shouldered Hawk was reported; however, they were probably present and not noticed because they nest earlier. ONLY ONE FOUND: BELL’S VIREO (formerly an uncommon breeder – but 3 nests found at nearby Weldon Spring Trail), YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (former regular nester at Archery Trail and Dardenne Creek – but found at Lost Valley Trail), OVENBIRD (never numerous), LARK SPARROW (never numerous), CHIPPING SPARROW (formerly in small breeding flocks). ONLY TWO FOUND: Willow Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, Black & White Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler. ONLY THREE FOUND: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-throated Vireo. FOUR to TEN FOUND: Yellow-billed Cuckoo (cyclical but very poor numbers for any year), Carolina Wren (low numbers, possibly due to winter storms), Wood Thrush (continuing to decline), Red-eyed Vireo (formerly one of the 3 most numerous woodland species in Eastern N. America).
COMMENTS: Many hummingbirds have been reported at feeders area-wide in August. 47 species of breeding birds were found in Madison County this summer, including Wild Turkey and Western Kingbird (FH). A nice gathering of birds was found on Chouteau Island on 8/14, including 6-8 Green Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Little Blue Herons, Caspian Terns, flocks of gulls and Canada Geese, a N. Harrier, 3 Red-tailed Hawks (1 melanistic), Bobwhite, and more (Kenneth Thompson). When possible, include the number of each species reported. Thank you.
CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Torrey Berger, Mike Brady, Ken Cohen, Jean Cook, Sue Gustafson, Lou Hanes, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Jim & Charlene Malone, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Mark Peters, Mike Thelen, Jim Ziebol, many observers.