NOVEMBER BIRD REPORT
By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer
Omitted from last month’s sightings were: 30 Brewer’s Blackbirds seen at Orchard Farm and 2 Rusty Blackbirds at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/23 (BR, DR) and a late Nighthawk seen in Belleville on 10/30 (DK).
A Red-throated Loon appeared at Carlyle Lake on 11/13 (MT, BR), a second appeared at Horseshoe Lake on 11/21 (FH, JZ, BK, m. ob.) and a third was seen at Riverlands on 11/27 (P&BJ). At the same time, there were Red-throated Loons at Rend Lake and Clinton Lake in Illinois. A Common Loon yodeled at Horseshoe Lake on 11/8 (FH, photo). Twelve Common Loons were seen at Carlyle Lake on 11/13 (m. ob.). Eleven Horned Grebes were observed with a Common Loon at Creve Coeur Lake in early November (NS). A Clark’s Grebe was found at Carlyle on 11/6 (G&TB) and was refound on 11/9 (KL). On 11/15, a Great Egret was seen at Lake 35/Busch CA (J Mo). More than 20 Black-crowned Night Herons were seen along Bend Road/Horseshoe Lake on 11/14 (YH). Two immature Black-crowneds were also seen on 11/21 along Layton Road (T Be). On 11/19, two immature Mute Swans appeared at Lake 35/Busch CA (J Mo et al.). John Solodar located 4 Trumpeter Swans on 11/17 at Riverlands. Seventy-five Snow Geese were seen at the dredge/Horseshoe Lake on 11/14 (FH). Typical for this time of year, many thousands of ducks were estimated at Carlyle Lake on 11/13 (CA). Five hundred Gadwall were estimated at Horseshoe Lake on 11/14 (FH). On 11/25, Bob McFall estimated 50+ Wood Ducks at Horseshoe Lake. One hundred Lesser Scaup were seen at Little Creve Coeur on 11/10 (T Be). Common Goldeneye and a few Canvasbacks were seen at Horseshoe Lake on 11/28 (FH, DB). As many as 115 Buffleheads were seen at Riverlands during the month (m. ob.). The first Surf Scoter of the fall was seen at Carlyle on 11/14 (DK). A juvenile Mississippi Kite was closely observed on 11/6 at Mark Twain NWR (HW(*). This is possibly a record late sighting for Illinois. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was observed eating a Starling at Horseshoe Lake on 11/8 (FH) and one was pursuing a Bluejay in Dick Coles’s backyard on 11/27. The Thursday group saw several Red-tailed Hawks and 2 Cooper’s Hawks at Busch CA on 11/4. A probable Goshawk was observed on 11/18 at Riverlands (T Be). Two late Broad-winged Hawks were reported, one at Forest Park on 11/1 (KC) and one at Carlyle Lake/Hazlet SP on 11/7 (DK). A Red-shouldered Hawk and Bald Eagle were found at Tyson on 11/6 (RAB). An apparent die-marked Red-shouldered Hawk with a flourescent pink mark on the left breast was Randy Korotev’s 121st yard species on 11/28. By the third week of November, 3 Krider’s Red-taileds had been seen in the area. A nice Harlan’s Hawk was observed on the Levee Road on 11/2 (JZ) and a jet-black Western Red-tailed Hawk was seen at Horseshoe Lake on 11/14 (JZ, YH). On 11/1, the first Rough-legged Hawk of the fall was observed by Lou Hanes. Four Sandhill Cranes were fly-overs at the Botanical Garden and a Merlin was also seen there on 11/12 (Brian Meilleur).
An Avocet was reported from Swan Lake on 11/18, said to have been there for weeks (HW). A Semi-Palmated Plover was a really good find at Carlyle Lake on 11/13 (CM). Eight Least Sandpipers were present at Horseshoe Lake on 11/8 (FH). Twenty-five Long-billed Dowitchers were at Busch on 11/6 and one Yellowlegs was also seen there (J Mo). Jeannie Moe also reported 13 Snipe at Busch on 11/19. Two Woodcocks were flushed at Forest Park on 11/14 (DR, SG). A good count of 125 Bonaparte’s Gulls was reported at Horseshoe Lake on 11/29 (T Be). On 11/13, many Bonaparte’s and a few Herring Gulls were seen at Carlyle Lake (CA) and by 11/20, 1000 Bonaparte’s were estimated there (BK). On 11/15, 500 Ring-billed Gulls were estimated at Chain of Rocks Bridge (T Be). At least 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been reported at the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake and Carlyle Lake, the most unusual being a one-legged bird with an advanced mantle - 2nd to 3rd year - but with a first year bill and tail (CA). Barred Owls occurred in Forest Park on 11/14 (KC) and in Tower Grove Park on 11/27 (BK). Two Short-eared Owls were reported flying near Carlyle Lake on 11/13 (CA). Short-eared Owls were also reported from Riverlands on 11/18 (Thursday group) and 4 were seen there with a Great Horned Owl on 11/20 (J&CM). A more unusual sighting of Short-eared Owl was one flying at Olive and 270 on 11/30 (AM).
There were 3 sightings of American Pipits: at Carlyle Lake on 11/7 (DK) and at the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake on 11/8 (FH) and 11/14 (BR). Two late Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen at Horseshoe Lake on 11/21 and 11/22 (FH, J Mo). A juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker was reported from Forest Park on 11/1 (KC). A late Tree Swallow turned up at Carlyle Lake about 11/6 (DK). Red-breasted Nuthatches continue to be numerous all over the area, with one in Forest Park on 11/1 (KC). More than 100 Robins were seen along Layton Road on 11/21 (T Be). A possible Gray-cheeked Thrush was seen briefly in Tower Grove Park on 11/1 (JZ). Two Loggerhead Shrikes were found: one on the Levee Road on 11/2 (JZ) and another at the Borrow Pit/Horseshoe Lake on 11/8 (FH). The one at the Borrow Pit has been seen regularly. One should carefully observe all the Shrikes this winter, because 5 Northern Shrikes have been found near Decatur. A nice flock of 80 Cedar Waxwings was observed at Randy Korotev’s home in University City. On 11/3, 50 Horned Larks were seen on Bruns Road (T Be).
A Magnolia Warbler was observed at Busch on 11/7 (J Mo*). A possible immature Bay-breasted Warbler was reported from Forest Park on 10/31 (MT). These are very late Neotropical migrants. By 11/7, American Tree Sparrows had arrived area-wide (m. ob.). An incredible number of LeConte’s Sparrows were seen at Little Creve Coeur Lake on Thanksgiving Day, 11/25; a flock of 40+ were on all sides of the car (YH, JZ). Scott Marshall reported at least 10 LeConte’s there on 11/7; they were still being seen on 11/28 (J&CM). Big flocks of LeConte’s occur in western Missouri but rarely on our side of the state. Thirty Savannah Sparrows were observed at Little Creve Coeur on 11/3 (T Be). The last Sharp-tailed Sparrow reported was at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 11/3 (T Bo). Large numbers of White-crowned Sparrows were observed by many near the Borrow Pit. Many White-crowneds were also seen in the fields near Carlyle Lake on 11/14 (BR). On 11/27, a single Purple Finch was seen at his home (T Be). A few Lapland Longspurs were on Bischoff Road on 11/12 (J&CM). Tom Borman pursued the Longspurs and found 5 Vesper Sparrows instead on 11/13. Brewer’s Blackbirds were first noted at Carlyle Lake about 11/6 (DK). A single Rusty Blackbird was seen at the Boat Launch/Horseshoe Lake on 11/26 (DC). A large mixed flock of finch (House, Purple, Goldfinch) numbering perhaps 100 was seen near Lake 7/Busch on 11/28 with many Purple Finch in the group (J Mo). On 11/20, 2 Pine Siskins joined the Goldfinch near the Cypress Circle at Tower Grove Park (JZ) and on 11/27, 4 were seen at Torrey Berger’s feeder and one appeared at Tyson (JW). A Common Redpoll was observed on 11/15 at a feeder on Hwy. 3 north of Elsah, Ill. (HW). A nice flock of 62 Eurasian Tree Sparrows were counted at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 11/28 (J&CM).
COMMENTS: We will all miss Phoebe Snetsinger, the #1 birder in the world. On one occasion, she stated that the Slaty-backed Gull was one of her very favorite birds. At the September meeting, Jim Z had an opportunity to talk with her. When asked how many of the world’s species she had seen, she replied, "84%". She said she had never seen a Bachman’s Warbler, but that Dave Jones had; she believed they were extinct. She spoke fondly of Ted Parker and the tremendous number of birds she saw with him in Peru. Fish and snorkeling were her most recent interests. We spoke about the new NatGeo field guide and she told us that she knew the artist, David Beadle.
Clarence Zacher observed Fox Sparrow, Cedar Waxwings and a Eurasian Tree Sparrow on 11/26 at his home in St. Louis County.
CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, Dave Becher, Torrey Berger, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Borman, Ken Cohen, Dick Coles, Sue Gustafson, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Randy Korotev, Kent Lannert, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, David Rabenau, Bill Rowe, John & Nancy Solodar, Mike Thelen, Jane Walker, Rad Widmer, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An askerisk means "documented". To submit a report, call Jim Ziebol at (314)781-7372.