Oct 31, 2012: October Collage

October photos from the blog by Kevin Kane, Wolf Oesterreich, Erv Klaas, and Kelly Poole.

Oct 30, 2012: Indian Grass

Indian Grass waves in the wind as the low sun accentuates its fall color. 10/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 29, 2012: Nests

This year's nests have been been revealed as the trees lose their spring and sumer foliage.  You'll be suprised at how many you can see when you start looking. 10/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 28, 2012: Geese returning to the lake

As the days grow shorter and the temperatures cooler more and more geese are returning to the lake.  These were coming in to land at sunset. 10/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 27, 2012: Bare Trees

Many of the trees in the park have dropped most of their leaves.  This view is from the east side of the lagoon in the southwest corner of the south lake, looking west toward the setting sun.  19/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 26, 2012: Holding on....

The last blooms of summer and fall from early October. 10/5/12 (Kelly Poole)

Oct 25, 2012: Fishing

Fishermen look to get their autumn trips on the south lake in before the weather turns too cold, looking east and north. 10/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 24, 2012: Wasp Harvest

I took this photo on Monday, October 22, before the weather turned cold. It is a specid wasp, Microbembex monodonta. It was collecting nectar from flowers of the Frost Aster which were till in bloom. I also saw honey bees, and several species of butterflies and moths. 10/22/12 (Erv Klaas)

Erv

Oct 23, 2012: Mussels

Mussels by the scores have been revealed along the shoreline as water has been pumped out of the lake over the last month.  This photo was taken in the southwest corner of the south lake where a shallow portion of the lake is now dry land, 10/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 22, 2012: Contrasts

Dark green marsh grasses contrast with the yellow willows on the edge of the Stonebrooke wetlands in the southern area of the park, 10/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 21, 2012: Geese at Sunset

Geese return to the south lake from the west at sunset, silhouettes against the orange sky, 10/21/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 20, 2012: Solitude

A lone sunflower seems to look across the prairie as the vegetation of the park turns to its autumn colors, 10/5/12 (Kelly Poole)

Oct 19, 2012: Grasses and Hills

Drying prairie grasses catch the amber autumn hues of the setting sun south and east of the northwest hills of the park, looking west, 10/7/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 18, 2012: Sumac

The many colors of Sumac in the fall, 10/7/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 17, 2012: Milkweed

Milkweed pods burst open exposing a delicate pattern of seeds and silk as a small bug investigates, with the north lake in the background, 10/5/12 (Kelly Poole)

Oct 16, 2012: Fall Fishing

A couple takes advantage of the mild fall weather to fish on the banks of Jensen Pond, 10/7/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 15, 2012: Greater Yellowlegs

This photograph shows one of the two Greater Yellowlegs that showed up on Tuesday (10/16/12) at the mudflats at the southwest corner of the south lake. In contrast to the yellowlegs (11.5-13.75 in.) is a Killdeer (9.25-10.25 in.) on the left. The Killdeer is a member of the plover family (Charadriidae) while the Greater Yellowlegs is in the sandpiper family (Scolopacidae).

Wolf Oesterreich
Ames

Oct 14, 2012: Wolf's September Species List

A summer nest gives way to autumn, 10/5/12 (Kelly Poole)

A total of 99 avian species (plus 5 sp.) was recorded this month at Ada Hayden Heritage Park, ranking this month as the 6th highest September among 15 years of records.

Listed below, following the species’ names, are the date(s) of sighting(s), plus the occasional miscellaneous information regarding numbers, gender (♂=male, ♀=female), age (im=immature, ju=juvenile, abp=adult breeding plumage, ad=adult, anb=adult non-breeding), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard). The order follows the 51st Supplement (2010) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 10th Supplement to the 7th Edition (1998).

AVIAN
CANADA GOOSE: 1-30
WOOD DUCK: 14 (2)
MALLARD: 1-30
BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 5 (6), 6 (160+), 13 (2), 19 (5), 20 (~175), 21-22 (2), 24 (1)
NORTHERN SHOVELER: 21-22 (1♀)
NORTHERN PINTAIL: 23 (3), 24-29 (1♀), 30 (3♀)
GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 20 (1), 25 (4)
REDHEAD: 21-30 (1 ju)
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1-4, 6-9, 12-14, 18, 20-24, 27-30
PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1 (1), 3 (4), 5 (2), 6 (43), 7 (2), 8 (46), 9 (17), 12 (9), 13 (36), 17 (12), 18 (22),
20 (33), 21 (9), 22 (6), 23-26 (2), 27-30 (1)
GREAT BLUE HERON: 1-2 (2), 3 (1), 4-7 (2), 8 (3), 9 (2), 10-11 (3), 12 (2), 13 (1), 14 (3), 15 (2),
16 (3), 17-18 (1), 19-20 (2), 21 (3), 22 (2), 23-28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (1)
GREEN HERON: 1-3 (1), 5 (2), 6-7 (1), 9 (1)
TURKEY VULTURE: 1, 2 (28+), 3-19, 21-27, 29
OSPREY: 4 (1), 9 (1), 13 (1), 15 (2), 19 (1), 28 (1)
NORTHERN HARRIER: 14 (1 brown), 19 (1)
COOPER’S HAWK: 3 (1), 16 (1), 21 (1 ad), 25 (1)
Accipiter sp.: 22 (1)
RED-TAILED HAWK: 2 (1 im), 5 (1), 7 (1 im), 10-11 (1 im), 16 (2), 18 (1), 21 (1 + 1 im), 22 (1 im),
23 (1 im + 1), 27 (1)
falcon sp.: 13 (1)
SORA: 2-3 (1), 29 (1)
AMERICAN COOT: 6 (3), 17 (1), 18 (13), 19 (2), 20 (20), 21 (9), 22 (20), 23 (10), 24 (1), 25-26 (2),
28-29 (2)
KILLDEER: 1-6, 9-13, 15-16, 18-30
SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 1 (2), 2 (1), 3-4 (2), 5-6 (1), 9 (1)
SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 3 (1), 8 (1)
LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 22 (1)
Yellowlegs sp.: 25 (1)
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER: 3-4 (1), 9 (2)
LEAST SANDPIPER: 3 (4), 4-5 (7), 6-7 (8), 9 (1), 20-24 (2), 25 (1), 26 (2), 28-29 (2), 30 (1)
BAIRD’S SANDPIPER: 9 (1)
WILSON’S SNIPE: 3 (1)
FRANKLIN’S GULL: 19 (15), 22 (75-100)
RING-BILLED GULL: 5 (1), 9 (1), 13 (3), 17 (12), 18 (2), 19 (3)
CASPIAN TERN: 16 (1), 19 (2)
FORSTER’S TERN: 5 (15), 24 (1 ju), 25 (3 ju)
MOURNING DOVE: 1-3, 5-10, 13-17, 23-25, 27, 29-30
COMMON NIGHTHAWK: 13, 25 (1)
CHIMNEY SWIFT: 3, 8, 10, 13, 16
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD: 3 (1), 8 (1)
BELTED KINGFISHER: 1 (1), 15 (1), 19-20 (1), 22 (1♀ + 1), 23 (1), 24 (1♂), 25-27, 28-29 (2), 30 (1)
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 3, 19, 24-25, 27-28
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 24 (1)
DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1, 3-4, 7-9, 15, 17-20, 23-30
HAIRY WOODPECKER: 11, 20
NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 4-5 (1), 7 (1), 8, 9 (6), 10 (7), 13-18, 20-25, 27-30
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER: 1 (1), 8 (1), 29 (1)
LEAST FLYCATCHER: 17 (1)
Empidonax sp.: 4 (1), 9 (1), 17 (2)
EASTERN PHOEBE: 11 (1), 14 (1), 22 (1), 24-25 (1), 28 (1)
BLUE-HEADED VIREO: 4-5 (1), 23-24 (1), 25 (2), 29 (1)
WARBLING VIREO: 1 (1), 3 (2), 6 (1), 9 (3), 18 (1)
RED-EYED VIREO: 2-3 (1)
BLUE JAY: 1-4, 9-10, 13-16, 18-30
AMERICAN CROW: 1-30
CLIFF SWALLOW: 1, 3-4, 9
BARN SWALLOW: 1-5, 9-10, 15
Swallow sp.: 19
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-6, 8-11, 13-17, 20, 22-29
TUFTED TITMOUSE: 6 (1)
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1-3, 8-9, 13-16, 19, 24-29
BROWN CREEPER: 28 (1)
HOUSE WREN: 1-3, 7, 9, 14, 20, 24, 26
SEDGE WREN: 4
MARSH WREN: 15 (1), 18 (1), 21 (2), 28-29 (1)
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 23 (4)
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 18 (6), 23 (4), 24 (1), 25 (2), 26 (5), 27 (8), 28 (1)
EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 (2), 2, 3 (6+), 5 (4), 6 (1), 9, 10 (2), 13, 15-16, 18 (2), 20 (3), 22-26, 28 (3),
29 (1)
SWAINSON’S THRUSH: 13 (3), 15 (1)
AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-4, 6 (1), 8, 11, 13, 15-16, 21-30
GRAY CATBIRD: 1-4, 6-9, 13-18, 23 (1), 25 (1), 26, 28-29
BROWN THRASHER: 24-25 (1)
EUROPEAN STARLING: 8-9, 15, 29
AMERICAN PIPIT: 29 (2)
CEDAR WAXWING: 28 (3), 29
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH: 1 (2), 7 (2)
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: 13 (1), 18 (1), 24 (1)
TENNESSEE WARBLER: 18 (1)
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 21-23 (1), 25 (2), 28 (1)
NASHVILLE WARBLER: 17-18 (1)
MOURNING WARBLER: 1 (1)
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 1, 3-4, 9, 13-14, 17-18 (1), 23 (1), 24 (1♂), 25-26, 27 (1♂), 28, 29 (1♂)
AMERICAN REDSTART: 13 (3 ♀/im), 14 (1 ♀/im)
MAGNOLIA WARBLER: 18 (1), 23 (1)
YELLOW WARBLER: 17 (1)
CHESNUT-SIDED WARBLER: 4 (1)
PALM WARBLER: 18 (1), 23-26 (1)
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 18 (2), 21 (1), 23 (9+), 24 (5+), 25, 26 (13+), 27 (9+), 28-29
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER: 13 (1)
WILSON’S WARBLER: 5 (1♂), 27 (1♂)
CHIPPING SPARROW: 1-3, 5, 22, 26 (1 im), 28 (1 im), 29-30
SAVANNAH SPARROW: 21 (1), 23 (1)
LE CONTE’S SPARROW: 28 (1)
SONG SPARROW: 1-3, 7, 9, 15, 17 (1), 20-30
LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 20 (2), 21 (10), 22-23 (4), 24 (2+), 25 (8+), 26 (1), 27-28 (11+), 29 (3+), 30
SWAMP SPARROW: 20 (1), 21-22 (2), 23 (3), 24-26 (1), 27 (9+), 28 (7+)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 22 (2), 23 (~10), 25 (7+), 28-29
DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 25 (1)
NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-4, 6, 8-9, 11-12, 14, 16-18, 20, 27-30
INDIGO BUNTING: 13 (1♀), 23 (1♀), 25 (1), 26-28 (1 im),
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 11, 14, 19 (3), 20, 23-26, 28, 30
COMMON GRACKLE: 9, 15-16, 18, 23, 25
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 27 (3)
HOUSE FINCH: 1, 3, 5, 8-9, 13, 16, 21, 23, 25, 27-29
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1-30
HOUSE SPARROW: 1-3, 6-9, 11-12, 15-16, 18-30

MAMMALIAN
WHITE-TAILED DEER: 2 (1), 6 (1), 12 (1 + doe w/2 yearlings), 13-14 (1), 19 (1), 24 (2), 25 (1)
FOX SQUIRREL: 5-6, 9, 16-18, 26-27
EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 2-3, 15
THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 2-6, 9, 14, 21, 24, 26, 28
EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-24, 27-30

REPTILIAN
EASTERN GARTER SNAKE: 28-29 (1)
COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE: 18 (1)
NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 1-30
RED-EARED SLIDER: 14 (1), 21 (1)
SPINY SOFTSHELL TURTLE: 6 (1)

AMPHIBIAN
AMERICAN TOAD: 4, 6-7, 24 (1)
BULLFROG: 1-13, 15-30

LEPIDOPTERA
BLACK SWALLOWTAIL: 1-2, 5-7, 14-15, 27
GIANT SWALLOWTAIL: 6 (1)
EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL: 5
CABBAGE WHITE: 1-11, 14-19, 21-23, 25-29
ORANGE SULPHUR: 1-11, 14-16, 18-19, 21-29
LITTLE YELLOW: 1-3, 5-6
DAINTY SULPHUR: 1-2, 6-7, 9, 14-15, 21, 26, 30
EASTERN TAILED BLUE: 1-2, 4-8, 12, 14, 18
GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY: 3
PEARL CRESCENT: 2, 11-12, 15, 21, 28 (1)
MOURNING CLOAK: 1, 5-6, 8-11, 14-15, 22, 25-26, 28 (1)
PAINTED LADY: 21, 24
RED ADMIRAL: 6-11, 14-16, 21
COMMON BUCKEYE: 1-2, 4-5, 7-9, 11, 14-16, 26
VICEROY: 1-2, 6-9, 14-16, 19, 27
MONARCH: 1-12, 28 (1)
Skipper sp.: 1-2, 6, 9-10, 14-15, 21-22, 24, 26-27

ODONATA
AMERICAN RUBYSPOT: 6 (1♀), 11 (1♀), 14-15 (1♂), 16 (2♂), 19 (1♂), 27 (1♂)
LYRE-TIPPED SPREADWING: 1-2, 7, 14, 21
Spradwing sp.: 18-19
BLUE-FRONTED DANCER: 1-2, 4, 6-11, 14, 16, 21-22, 24, 29 (1)
POWDERED DANCER: 1-2, 4-12, 14-16, 18-19, 21, 29 (1)
RAINBOW BLUET: 2, 4-6, 8-9
DOUBLE-STRIPED BLUET: 1-2, 5-6, 8-9, 12, 14
TULE BLUET: 1-2, 4, 25
FAMILIAR BLUET: 1-2, 5-6, 8-12, 14, 18, 23, 26-27, 28 (1)
STREAM BLUET: 3, 14
SKIMMING BLUET: 9
ORANGE BLUET: 2, 4-6, 10-11, 16, 18, 26
VESPER BLUET: 27 (1)
Bluet sp.: 25-26
EASTERN FORKTAIL: 2, 4, 6, 8-9, 11-12, 14, 18, 21-22, 24-27
COMMON GREEN DARNER: 1-4, 6-7, 9-11, 15, 28 (1)
Mosaic Darner sp.: 19 (3)
Darner sp.: 24 (2), 27
FLAG-TAILED SPINYLEG: 2 (1), 4 (1), 9-10 (1)
EASTERN PONDHAWK: 2, 4
WIDOW SKIMMER: 1-4, 6, 9, 11
COMMON WHITETAIL: 1-2, 4-6, 8, 11-12, 15-16, 19, 21
TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER: 1-2, 6-8
BLUE DASHER: 1-2, 4-6, 9-10
EASTERN AMBERWING: 1, 4-6, 10-11, 14, 16
VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK: 2, 6
SAFFRON-WINGED MEADOWHAWK: 20-22
CHERRY-FACED MEADOWHAWK: 10, 12-16, 18-29
WHITE-FACED MEADOWHAWK: 1, 7, 13-14, 19, 29 (1)
RUBY MEADOWHAWK: 1-2, 7-8, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22
BAND-WINGED MEADOWHAWK: 20
AUTUMN MEADOWHAWK: 9 (1), 19 (12+), 21-22
Meadowhawk sp.: 12, 16-17, 19, 22-29
BLACK SADDLEBAGS: 7
RED SADDLEBAGS: 8


Wolf Oesterreich, Ames

Oct 13, 2012: Black-crowned Night-Heron

This immature Black-crowned Night-Heron was found on Weir M/N (ponds by Stone Brooke) on Saturday, Oct 13, 2012. One was also seen on the 10th, at the north end of Pond N. [visit here for a map of the Park.] Now, if you could go to the other side of the photo and look towards the heron, you'd notice the yellow legs. The full adult plumage is not acquired till the third year. A Northern Painted Turtle is also present. 

Wolf Oesterreich

Oct 12, 2012: Bonaparte's Gull

This adult (nonbreeding plumage) Bonaparte's Gull was found on the mudflat located at the SW corner of the south lake on Friday (10/12/12). This small gull is one of the black-headed (breeding plumage) forms. In flight, look for the white wedge along the leading edge of the wings. They commonly pass through during migration (Spring & Fall), but not in the numbers as other gulls.

Wolf Oesterreich
Ames

Oct 11, 2012: Erv's Field Notes #46

Red-tailed hawk views the landscape from a cottonwood tree losing its leaves on the northwest edge of Jensen's Pond, 10/7/12 (Kevin Kane)

Thursday, October 11, 2012, 3:30-5:00 pm. Cloudy and a moderately strong north wind. Temperature 51 degrees F.

I parked in the Harrison Road lot and scanned Pond H for birds. I spotted a large raptor standing in the dry grass on the north side of the pond which still has a little water in it. I started walking down the dirt trail toward the pond, all the while keeping an eye on the bird. When I reached the south edge of the pond, the bird flew up and over the willows and then down again somewhere along the upland trail. I was not able to identify it but it did not act like a Red-tailed Hawk. A redtail would have flown upward and probably landed in a tall tree. I suspect a Harrier.

I saw lots of sparrows as I walked along the shore of the pond. I identified Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Harris Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and American Goldfinch. I followed the paved trail around the north side of the south lake and spotted four Killdeer on a point west of the bridge. Met Wolf Oesterreich at the Leopold rock and we exchanged notes. As I walked along the east side of the lake, two birds flew out of the tall vegetation on the lake bank and landed on a utility line. One was a House Sparrow and the other an Eastern Bluebird. A flock of about 60 mallards were congregated on the shore and water near the outlet in the southeast corner of the lake. Among them were a Pied-bill Grebe, a Ruddy Duck and a Canada Goose that Wolf said is injured and has been here for some time. He also pointed to an immature Red-headed Duck that has been hanging around the mallards for a week or more.

Redheads are notorious for laying their eggs in the nests of other species. Usually the host species is the closely related Canvasback which nests in the same type of habitat. However, Redheads will lay eggs in any duck nest it finds handy. I suspect this Redhead hatched in a Mallard nest and then imprinted on the incubating hen after hatching. Redheads are not obligate “parasites”; they do build their own nests, usually in cattails over water, and incubate their own eggs. Redheads are not known to nest at Hayden Park so this bird was probably raised in northern Iowa or Minnesota.

Erv Klaas

Oct 10, 2012: Pelicans!

Driving into work on Wednesday I noticed a group of white birds floating on the south lake, pulled into the SE parking area, and snapped a few photos of these pelicans. 10/10/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 9, 2012: Blues and Browns

Low lake levels help to contrast the blues in the water reflecting off the sky and the autumnal browns enhanced by the setting sun, north shore of north lake looking east over the fishing pier, 10/7/12 (Kevin Kane)

Oct 8, 2012: Sneezeweed

This plant is Common Sneezeweed, sometimes called Fall Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale). I was startled to see such a green plant in full bloom considering we are in a severe drought. It was growing near Pond E in the north wetland. The indented ray flowers are distinctive for this genus, 10/6/12 (Erv Klaas)

Oct 7, 2012: Horned Grebes

Three Horned Grebes were found on the south lake, near the bridge on October 6th.  This group included 1 adult (clear face) and 2 juveniles.  All were in Winter plumage.

Wolf Oesterreich

Oct 6, 2012: Erv's Field Notes #45

View from the hill east of Jensen's Pond looking south across both the north and south lakes, overlooking an area of vibrant Sumac, 10/7/12 (Kevin Kane)
Saturday, October 6, 2012. Cloudy, wind from northwest, Temperature 48 degrees F.

I started out on the upland trail from Harrison Road and headed north. The wind in my face felt cold and I was glad that I had worn a warm jacket. I took the dirt path through the prairie to Pool G retracing my route of last Sunday. The willows surrounding the wetland helped shield me from the wind and the temperature became more pleasant. The vegetation in the wetland had more sparrows than the last time I was here but they were elusive and difficult to identify. The birds would flush in front of me, fly a few yards and dive into the vegetation. Once in a while, one would land in a tall weed or willow where I was able to get the binoculars on it. I saw Song Sparrows, Tree Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and possibly a LeConte Sparrow. I did not hear or see any pheasants.

I continued on to Pond E where last Sunday I saw the Turkey Vulture feeding on a dead raccoon. The raccoon was gone today. Most of the vegetation was dead and brown except for fall white asters. Then, I happened on to a totally green plant with yellow flowers tucked back into the willows along the shore. It was Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), a member of the sunflower family; the same species as I have growing in my rain garden in front of my house. The center button of this small sunflower is yellow and each of the turned-back ray flowers have three scallops or indentations. My garden plants went to seed weeks ago. Why was this plant thriving here in early October? Perhaps a seed blew in late in the summer and found enough moisture in this sheltered area next to the wetland to get a head start on next year. Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise to find it among all of the brown fall vegetation.

On the north side of the pond, I found a deer trail through the willows and witch grass that headed east toward the north lake. When I emerged from the grass and on to the paved trail I realized I was covered from the waist down in burs. These are the seeds from the tickseed sunflower which is an abundant plant in wetlands. It is often called by its generic name Bidens and is well-known by hunters and hikers who venture off trails.

On the way back to the car I saw a Pied-bill Grebe on the north lake and a small flock of ducks on the south lake that I was unable to identify because they were out of range of my binoculars.

Erv Klaas

Oct 5, 2012: Skunk River Overlook

Blazing red Sumac frame the Skunk River Overlook monument on the upland trail, 10/5/12 (Kelly Poole)

Oct 4, 2012: Wilson's Snipe

These Wilson's Snipes were feeding and resting on the new mudflats located at the SW corner of the south lake, 10/3/12 (Wolf Oesterreich)

Oct 3, 2012: Northern Pintail

This female Northern Pintail was present since the 23rd of September on the south lake.  She was accompanied by two other pintails the first day.  On September 24th she was followed by a juvenile Pied-billed Grebe.  9/24/12 (Wolf Oesterreich)

Oct 2, 2012: Redhead

This juvenile male Redhead has been on the south lake since the 21st, always in association with a flock of Mallards, 9/24/2012 (Wolf Oesterreich)

Oct 1, 2012: Erv's Field Notes #44

This juvenile Forster's Tern was found on a piece of driftwood, located next to the shore (at a point between the bridge and the mini-shelter to the west), 9/23/12 (Wolf Oesterreich)

Sunday, September 30, 2012. 1-3:30 pm. Sunny, calm, 75 degrees F.

I parked at the Harrison Road lot and walked the narrow path to Pond H in the middle wetland complex. Ponds L and H still have water in them but areas along the shore that are normally covered with shallow water were dry enough to walk on without getting my shoes muddy. I flushed several Song Sparrows and a Sora Rail from the weeds along the shore and a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew out of the willows on the west side of the pond and disappeared into willows on the east side. I picked up a full bag of trash, (including a computer keyboard!) and deposited it in the trash can near the Paul Errington heritage rock.
I then proceeded to the north wetland complex. Along the way I saw pairs of Cherry-faced Meadowhawks in the grass along the trail. Pond G, the first one in the complex that receives water from Grant Creek, is bone dry. Except for cracked mud in the deep center, a dense stand of vegetation covers the pond. I identified witch grass, barnyard grass, smartweed, giant and yellow foxtail grass and nut sedge. All of these plants produce abundant seed and large numbers of sparrows and several pheasants were taking advantage of the food. I also noticed several large blue vervain (Verbena hastala) and yellow cress (Rorippa islandica) plants blooming. I walked through the dry wetland and climbed over the weir into Pond E. This pond still had a considerable amount of water although the shallow parts were completely dry and sparsely vegetated with smart weed. Just as I was climbing over the weir a Turkey Vulture landed on the west shore near what looked like a dead animal. After taking several photos of the bird feeding on the animal I chased it off and identified the animal as a dead raccoon that had been dead for a long time. A little farther along the shore was a dead carcass of a Turkey Vulture. I continued walking around the pond and observed a blue mosaic darner (dragonfly) flying over the water but I could not identify the species. I also jumped a white-tailed deer from the willows.

On the way back to the car, I saw dozens of American Goldfinches flying over the prairie and a few song sparrows.

Erv Klaas