DECEMBER BIRD REPORT
By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer
Up to 15 Common Loons were present at Carlyle Lake the first week of December (m. ob.). About 40 Pied-billed Grebes were reported that same period from Horseshoe Lake (FH) and 4 Horned Grebes were found at Baldwin Lake on 12/29 (T Be). A Red-necked Grebe was a very nice find at Horseshoe Lake on 12/2 (G&TB). Torrey Berger found about 100 White Pelicans on 12/5 at Riverlands. On 12/15, Frank Holmes had a Great Egret at Hwy. 111 & I-55 and a Black-crowned Night Heron at Horseshoe Lake. Another Great Egret was present at Sand Prairie Road on 12/7 (T Be). A possible Tundra Swan was seen at Harbor Point on 12/15 and another was found with 11 Trumpeters at Riverlands on 12/12 (CM). Another Tundra Swan was reported at Riverlands on 12/27 (CM). The remaining immature Mute Swan of the two originally reported at Lake 35/Busch apparently moved to Lake 7 (m. ob.). On 12/11, David Becher reported 50 White-fronted Geese and a Ross’s Goose at Baldwin Lake. About 2500 Mallards were estimated at Riverlands on 12/25 (J Mo). On 12/5, 200 Green-winged Teal were present at Horseshoe Lake (FH). Two Wood Ducks were still present at Horseshoe Lake on 12/15 (FH). On 12/16, 11 Black Ducks were a good find at Riverlands (CM). About 700 Canvasbacks were present at Riverlands on 12/25 (J Mo). On 12/25, 250 Common Goldeneye were counted at Riverlands (J Mo). At Riverlands on 12/9, Jim Malone found the first of several Surf Scoters reported in the area (others at Busch and Carlyle Lake). High counts for Hooded Mergansers included 53 at Riverlands on 12/4 (CM) and 27 at Horseshoe Lake on 12/15 (JZ). Bob Kleiger located the area’s first Oldsquaw of the year on 12/25 at Riverlands. A first-year male Oldsquaw was found at Carlyle Lake on 12/26 (DK). On 12/12, a Sharp-shinned Hawk was observed in St. Charles County (YH). Dick Coles observed a Cooper’s Hawk at Tyson on 12/18. An immature N. Goshawk, first seen near the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake on 12/11 (BK et al.) was relocated at the end of Bend Road several times. Eleven Red-tailed Hawks was a high count on 12/7 at Chain of Rocks (T Be). A Krider’s Hawk was seen at Riverlands on 12/2 (JM). A Krider’s Hawk was also observed eating a dead Mallard on Hwy. B (St. Charles Co.) on 12/1 (J Mo). Torrey Berger found a Harlan’s Hawk along Sand Prairie Road on 12/8; he had a Harlan’s Hawk in the same area last winter. Three Rough-legged Hawks were seen at Clarence Cannon on 12/1. On 12/10, a Merlin was observed at Little Creve Coeur Lake (BM) and another was found at Horseshoe Lake on 12/12 (P&BJ).
As many as 500 Coots were observed at Horseshoe Lake on 12/15 (FH). On 12/1, Snipe, Killdeer and 43 Least Sandpipers were found at Hwy. 255 and Horseshoe Lake Rd. (FH). There were 197 Bonaparte’s Gulls at Horseshoe Lake on 12/15 (JZ). Up to 1,500 Ring-billed Gulls were at the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake on 12/18 (FH). An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was observed at the dam at Riverlands on 12/16 (CM) and another was seen there on 12/31 (BK). On 12/11, a first-year Thayer’s Gull was observed at the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake (JM). The Long-eared Owl on Sand Ridge Road (Calhoun Co., Ill.) was relocated on 12/16 (P&BJ). Short-eared Owls were found at Peabody Coal on12/9 (Thursday group) and12/11 (DB). Two were also seen at Riverlands on 12/16 (CM). Tom Borman reported a Loggerhead Shrike 3 miles west of Breese, Ill. on 12/4. There were 2 Loggerhead Shrikes at Peabody Coal on 12/9 (Th. Group) and 12/11 (DB). Charlene Malone saw a Shrike species on 12/8 along Dwiggins Road. At dusk on 12/11, a Northern Shrike was seen along Island Road at MTC and hotlined (BR* et al.) It was never seen there again. However, on 12/12, Paul* & Barbara Johnson found a Northern Shrike along Dwiggins Road near the railroad track (photo, JM). Many people got to see this exceptional bird. It was refound on 12/31 (J&MH). Several sightings of Ruby-crowned Kinglets included 4 at Riverlands on 12/9 (T Be), 1 at Busch on 12/9 and 1 in Calhoun Co. on 12/16 (P&BJ). The Johnsons also located a Hermit Thrush at Busch on 12/9. Jeannie Moe found 6 Yellow-rumped Warblers on 12/3 at Busch. Two Eastern Towhees were present at the Arboretum on 12/29 (P&BJ). On 12/15, Connie Alwood hotlined a Spotted Towhee at his home (m. ob.). Multiple sightings of LeConte’s Sparrows included Little Creve Coeur Lake on 12/2 (CL)and 12/10 (BM), and Riverlands on 12/11 (DR). Pine Siskins were observed at Dick Coles’s home on 12/20. Charlene Malone reported a few Purple Finch and Pine Siskins at Busch in early December. Purple Finch were also located at Busch on 12/8 (G&TB) and on 12/9 (P&BJ). Bob Kleiger found Pine Siskins at Powder Valley on 12/19. Many Brewer’s and Rusty Blackbirds were mixed in with an even larger flock of Red-wingeds, Starlings, and Cowbirds along the South Levee Road on 12/5 (YH, JZ). A male Brewer’s was also seen at Godfrey, Ill. on 12/25 (BK, CA).
Carlyle Lake Highlights (DK): The Carlyle Christmas Count reported 95 species including 20 Short-eared Owls, 8 Bald Eagles, 4 Rough-legged Hawks, 5 Eurasian Collared Doves, 172 Meadowlarks, 476 Am. Tree Sparrows, 13 Savannah Sparrows, 4 LeConte’s Sparrows, 973 Song Sparrows, 260 Swamp Sparrows, and 856 Lapland Longspurs. Other sightings: 3 Surf Scoters, 12/19; 100,000 ducks in flight on 12/27; Sedge Wren on 12/19; 2 Snow Buntings on 12/27.
Pere Marquette CBC on 12/18: 22 Least Sandpipers, 17 Ross’s Geese, 1 Harris’ Sparrow (BR, RK).
Collinsville Circle (Horseshoe Lake) CBC on 12/18: Black-crowned Night Heron, 2nd winter Lesser Black-backed Gull (photo, FH), 1st year Thayer’s Gull (photo, FH), Swan sp., and 1 small dark-backed gull sp., currently unidentified (suggestive of small female Lesser Black-backed or California; photo, FH).
Busch Count, 1/1/2000: Both Kinglets, both Nuthatches, Purple Finch, Barred Owl, Great-Horned Owl, White-fronted Geese, 75 Snow Geese, Mute Swan, Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Castlewood State Park Survey on 12/18 (MB): Red-shouldered Hawk, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher.
Mark Peters’ property, Jefferson Co., Survey on 12/27: 6 Hermit Thrush, 7 Yellow-rumped Warblers, Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, 2 Field Sparrows, Cooper’s Hawk, Screech Owl, 4 Fox Sparrows.
Comments: An almost total albino House Sparrow was seen at Island & Powers Roads on 12/12 (DC). A partial albino Am. Crow has been observed at the Borrow Pit (m. ob.). Good backyard birds included Sapsucker and Brown Creeper (CA) and Fox Sparrows (MP). Please report Red-tailed Hawks with extensive white areas in their plumage. Red-tailed Hawks that show pure white feathers are probably albinistic and birds with white feathers showing internal barring are probably Krider’s. On 12/18, Frank Holmes observed a Kestrel killing a Starling on Layton Rd., quite a feat for such a small predator.
CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Tom Borman, Mike Brady, Dick Coles, Frank Holmes, Jim & Margot Holsen, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Randy Korotev, Kent Lannert, Carol Loewe, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Brian Meilleur, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, David Rabenau, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An askerisk means "documented". To submit a report, call Jim Ziebol at (314)781-7372 or email Yvonne Homeyer at homeyer@postnet.com by the last day of the month.