OCTOBER BIRD REPORT
By: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer
On 10/10, one thousand Cormorants were observed at Horseshoe Lake/Borrow Pit (FH). At Carlyle Lake, ten thousand were estimated on 10/4 and 100,000 were seen on 10/11 (DK). One hundred Pied-billed Grebes and a few Horned Grebes were seen at Carlyle on 10/4 (DK) and 20 Pied-billed Grebes with 8 Horned Grebes were at Horseshoe on 10/22 (FH). The only Eared Grebe reported was seen at Carlyle on 10/30 (G&TB). An American Bittern was reported at Riverlands on 10/16 (BK, CA, T Bo). One hundred and fourteen Great Egrets were on the South Levee Roads on 10/5 (JZ) and 100+ were present that day at Horseshoe Lake/Borrow Pit (FH). A Black Duck was found at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/3 (J&CM). A large flock (100+) of Wood Ducks was seen at Horseshoe Lake on 10/22 (FH). A Eurasian Wigeon was first found at Carlyle Lake on 10/16 (DK) and relocated on 10/30 (BK). On 10/11, 200 Ruddy Ducks and some Pintails and Shovelers were observed at Little Creve Coeur Lake (J&CM). On 10/12 at the same location, thousands of ducks were seen flying at dawn (JM). There were 2 Bald Eagles (a white belly and a subadult) on the South Levee Roads on 10/5 (JZ). Four Bald Eagles were observed at Clarence Cannon on 10/16 (MT et al.). Peter Hoell saw a somewhat late Osprey at his home on 10/11. By early October, N. Harriers had arrived area-wide. On 10/30, a Sharp-shinned Hawk was sighted at Carlyle (G&TB) and 2 were seen at Horseshoe (FH). A large immature Cooper’s Hawk was seen at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/12 (BK). On 10/30, a Red-shouldered Hawk was observed near the dredge at Horseshoe (BK, CA, T Bo). An immature Krider’s Hawk was observed on the South Levee Road on 10/5 (JZ). A Merlin was a good find at Clarence Cannon on 10/16 (MT et al.). From 10/3 to 10/12, Virginia Rail, King Rail, many Soras and Common Moorhen were seen at Little Creve Coeur Lake. From 10/6 to 10/12, seven observers reported Black Rail at the same location. One or two birds were observed in the cattails and one was seen swiftly running and briefly flying weakly. One thousand Coots were estimated at Mark Twain NWR on 10/11 (J&CM).
Avocets made two October appearances, with 2 at Riverlands/Heron Pond on 10/2 (BK et al.) and up to 5 reported at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/13 (J&CM, PJ). A good count of 25 Long-billed Dowitchers were seen at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/16 (J Mo); 4 were seen in Madison County on 10/9 (FH) and 5 were seen at Carlyle on 10/10 (DK). Two somewhat late Greater Yellowlegs were found at Mark Twain NWR on 10/11 (J&CM). Two Stilt Sandpipers were still present at Carlyle on 10/10 (DK). Twelve Dunlin and other shorebirds were present at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/23 (CM). Seven Least Sandpipers and one Baird’s were found at Horseshoe Lake/Borrow Pit on 10/11 (FH). Two juvenile Sanderlings and a Baird’s Sandpiper were observed at Carlyle on 10/16 (YH). On 10/10, a Red Phalarope was present at Carlyle (DK). Franklin’s Gull was seen at Carlyle on 10/2 (G&TB). On 10/27, there were 200 Bonaparte’s Gulls at Horseshoe Lake (JS) and 60 were observed there on 10/31 (FH). On 10/23, a first winter Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen at Horseshoe Lake/Borrow Pit (DB et al.). The area’s only Sabine’s Gull was found on 10/2 at Carlyle (DK) and relocated on 10/5 (KL). A Nighthawk flew over Randy Korotev’s house on 10/31. One hundred thousand Barn and Tree Swallows were observed at Carlyle on 10/4 (DK, BR). Seven Red-headed Woodpeckers were seen at the new Route 66 Park on 10/9 (PH). Three Chimney Swifts were found in Granite City on 10/16 (FH). A somewhat late Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen at Mike Thelen’s home on 10/2. Both Kinglets and Winter Wren had a good migration this fall. Wood Thrush continued to be located in Tower Grove Park from 10/4 to 10/12 (BK). Twenty + Hermit Thrush were seen in Tower Grove Park on 10/11 (JZ).
A somewhat late Yellow-throated Warbler and the first individual ever seen in the fall at Carlyle was found on 10/10 (DK). Fifty + Black-throated Greens were seen in Tower Grove Park on 10/11 (m. ob.). A late Black-and-white was observed on 10/10 at Carlyle (DK). The area’s third male Black-throated Blue was found in Tower Grove Park on 10/9 and 10/10 (DB, MT, m. ob.). Blackburnian Warblers were very late migrants at Carlyle on 10/10 (DK) and on 10/13 in Tower Grove Park (JZ, J&CM). Two female Summer Tanagers were also in the park that day. One hundred + Swamp Sparrows were seen at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 10/15 and 6 Sharp-tailed Sparrows were also seen that day (J Mo). Two or three Sharp-tailed Sparrows were still present on 10/31 (RW). On 10/23, Mark Peters located the first Vesper Sparrow ever found on his property. As of 10/9, Indigo Buntings were still abundant at Horseshoe and Carlyle. By 10/11, all the fall sparrows had arrived, with Fox and Chipping at Tower Grove Park (BK) and a LeConte’s seen at Little Creve Coeur Lake (m. ob.). A late Dickcissel was seen at Mark Twain NWR on 10/3 (J&CM).
ADDITIONAL CARLYLE SIGHTINGS: 10/10, Catbird; 10/10, Philadelphia Vireo; 10/15, 100 Chimney Swifts in Belleville (last reported sighting), 10/16, 10 Dunlin; 10/16, 100+ Franklin’s Gulls; 10/16 Pewee; 10/23, Western Meadowlark. Of the 3,000 ducks present near Parking Lot 3 on 10/24, perhaps 1,000 were Green-winged Teal. A special thanks to Michael Retter for pursuing the identification of the Jaeger species at Carlyle Lake in September. Experts contacted by Michael have shed new light on juvenile Jaeger species inland. Jon Dunne has identified a juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger from photos. For more information, go to Michael’s website at: http://www.iwu.edu/~mretter/Illinois.html.
COMMENTS: Wilma Kennell reported Black-throated Green, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren and Red-breasted Nuthatch in her backyard. A more unusual back-yard bird was an immature Coot found hiding underneath a porch in a Southwest City yard on 10/19 (Phil Ziebol). Richard Pough describes waves of migrating Soras after the first frost. Arthur Bent describes Yellow Rails as still migrating after the first snow. Virginia Rail has been seen in Tower Grove Park and in a stubble field on Thanksgiving Day. Sometimes people are just plain lucky. In October, 1984, 25 people saw one or two Yellow Rails at Busch CA. So just because it’s late fall, don’t stop looking for rail species. The habitat at Little Creve Coeur is ideal for these birds.
CONTRIBUTORS: George & Terry Barker, Dave Becher, Tom Borman, Peter Hoell, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Randy Korotev, Kent Lannert, Jim & Charlene Malone, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Bill Rowe, John Solodar, Mike Thelen, Rad Widmer, Jim Ziebol, many observers. Anyone can submit a report; call Jim Ziebol at (314)781-7372.