May 1, 2017: Wolf's April 2017 Wildlife Report

Ruby-crowned Kinglets have been migrating through our area.  This bird is either a female or a non-agitated male (when agitated, the "ruby" is visible). (Wolf. Oesterreich, 4/19/17).

I'm still convalescing and not allowed to ride my bike (darn!).  However, I was able to get out almost every day.  My thanks and gratitude go out to Paul Domoto, who would pick me up and accompany me on the hikes.

A total of 100 avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 8^th highest April (tied with 2008) among 20 years of records.  April 2013 with 122 species remains as the highest April, while April 1998 with 61 species is the lowest.  This total is 24 species more than last month and 15 less than April 2016.

Based on citations in the 3^rd Edition of “The Birds of Story County, Iowa,” by Stephen J. Dinsmore and Hank Zaletel (2001), plus my personal updates to the records, the Forster’s Tern on the 13^th may represent a new early extreme Spring record for Story County (old record set on 15 April 2012, also at Ada Hayden HP).  Other possible extreme early Spring records include: 2 Broad-winged Hawks on the 9^th (14 Apr 1982 at Ames), 2 Sedge Wrens on the 17^th (26 Apr 1985 at Doolittle Prairie), and 1 Clay-colored Sparrow on the 18^th (22 Apr 2014 at AHHP).

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, FY=front yard).  The order follows the 57^th Supplement (2016) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 16^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 1 (~110)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-8, 10-30

     WOOD DUCK: 1 (5), 2 (4), 5 (1♂), 6 (1♂ + 1♀), 7 (1♂), 8 (4♂ + 2♀), 9 (1♂ + 1♀), 10-11 (2),

          12 (3♂ + 1♀), 13 (10), 14 (9), 16 (2), 17 (3), 21 (2♂ + 1♀), 22 (3), 23 (8♂ + 2♀),

          24 (1♂ + 1♀), 25 (1♂), 26 (2♂ + 1♀), 27 (1♂ + 1♀), 28 (8), 29 (5♂ + 2♀), 30 (1♂)

     GADWALL: 1 (2), 2 (4), 5-6 (1♂), 8 (1♂), 9 (5), 10 (10), 11 (7), 12 (1♂), 13 (14), 14 (2♂),

          15 (2), 16-18 (2♂), 19 (3♂ + 1♀), 20 (15), 21 (3♂ + 1♀), 22 (5♂ + 1♀), 23 (4♂ + 2♀),

          24 (8), 25-26 (6), 27 (4♂ + 3♀), 28 (14), 29 (18), 30 (8)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 2 (1♂ + 1♀)

     MALLARD: 1-2, 5-20, 21 (1♂), 22 (5♂), 23 (13), 24 (7), 25 (8), 26 (13), 27 (5), 28 (8), 29 (10),

          30 (9)

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 1 (2), 2 (7), 5 (2), 6 (3), 7 (5), 8 (38+), 9 (7), 10 (5), 11 (8), 12 (17),

          13 (94+), 14 (29), 15 (10), 16 (11), 17 (23), 18 (12), 19-20 (8), 21 (19), 22 (62+), 23 (17),

          24 (17+), 25 (19+), 26 (32), 27 (18+), 28 (34+), 29 (32), 30 (27)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 1 (3♂ + 2♀), 2 (4), 5 (9), 6 (10), 7 (5), 8 (8+), 9 (1), 10 (12),

          11 (24), 12 (11), 13 (13), 14 (6), 15-17 (2), 21 (1♂), 24 (1♂), 25 (11), 26 (15), 27 (4),

          28 (11), 29 (7), 30 (4)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 6 (2♂ + 1♀), 9 (5), 13 (1♂ + 1♀)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 1 (12+), 2 (6), 5 (1♂ + 1♀), 8-9 (1♂ + 1♀), 12 (1♂)

     LESSER SCAUP: 5 (1♂), 6 (2), 7 (13), 8 (9), 11 (2♂ + 1♀), 13 (6), 14-15 (1♂), 20 (1♂),

          21 (3♀)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 2 (1♂), 5 (2♂ + 1♀), 6 (5), 7 (1♂ + 1♀), 13 (2♂ + 9♀), 16 (1♂)

     HOODED MEGANSER: 1 (2♀), 2 (1♂ + 1♀), 5 (1♂ + 3♀), 6 (1♂ + 2♀), 11 (1♀), 16 (2♀),

          20 (3♂ + 3♀), 30 (1♀)

     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 5 (2♂ + 2♀), 20-22 (1♀), 25 (1♀), 27-29 (3♀), 30 (2♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 2 (8), 5 (5♂ + 4♀), 9 (17), 13 (66+), 20 (1♂), 30 (3)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1-2, 5-30

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1 (12), 2 (19), 5 (13), 6 (18), 7 (12), 8 (7), 9 (15+), 10 (8), 11 (24),

          12 (5), 13 (39), 14 (12), 15 (19), 16 (8), 17 (2), 18 (1), 19 (5), 20 (39), 21 (17), 22 (5),

          23 (2), 24 (1), 25 (5), 26 (7), 28 (9), 29 (10), 30 (9)

     HORNED GREBE: 1 (1), 2 (2), 5 (2), 7 (1 abp), 8 (1), 13 (5 abp), 14 (1 abp), 16 (2),

          20 (1 abp), 22 (1 abp), 27 (3 abp)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 1-4 (1), 7 (2), 8 (1), 9 (2), 10-11 (1), 12-13 (2), 14-16 (1),

          17 (3), 18-19 (1), 21-23 (2), 24 (1), 29-30 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 1-30

     SORA: 17 (1), 22 (1), 27 (1)

     COMMON GALLINULE: 25 (1)

     AMERICAN COOT: 1 (46+), 2 (24+), 5 (51+), 6 (50+), 7 (8), 8 (40+), 9 (25+), 10 (45+),

          11 (30+), 12 (38+), 13 (250+), 14 (35+), 15 (34+), 16 (46+), 17 (27+), 18 (57+), 19 (48+),

          20 (69+), 21 (31+), 22 (37+), 23 (26+), 24 (54+), 25 (39+), 26 (22+), 27 (24+), 28 (18+),

          29 (15+), 30 (13)

     KILLDEER: 2 (1), 6 (1), 8 (2), 11 (2), 12 (4), 13-14 (2), 19 (4), 23-25 (1), 28 (1)

     WILSON’S SNIPE: 20 (1), 26 (1)

     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 20 (1), 22 (3), 25 (2), 27 (2), 28-30 (1)

     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 25 (1), 27 (1)

     GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 10 (1), 13 (1), 27 (1)

     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 12 (3), 26 (4)

     BONAPARTE’S GULL: 8 (~20)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 1 (1), 2 (3), 7 (1), 8 (3), 9 (17+), 13 (7)

     FORSTER’S TERN: 13 (1)

     COMMON LOON: 10 (1 abp), 25 (1)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 7 (9), 8 (15), 9 (33+), 10 (2), 11 (6), 15 (5), 16 (31+),

          17 (10), 23-24 (1), 27 (4), 28 (9)

     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 7 (~26), 9 (65+), 10 (~120), 11 (3), 12 (~66), 15 (54+)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 1 (4), 2 (2), 5 (1), 7-10 (1), 12-13 (2), 14 (4), 15-16 (2), 17-18 (1),

          19 (2), 20-22 (1), 23-24 92), 25 (3), 26-27 (1), 29 (2)

     GREAT EGRET: 7 (1), 10 (1), 21-22 (1), 29 (2)

     BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON: 21 (1 ad), 23 (1 ad), 27 (1 ad)

     TURKEY VULTURE: 1 (5), 5 (3), 6 (5), 7 (10+), 8 (13+), 9 (29+), 10 (5+), 11 (13+), 12 (5+),

          13 (7+), 14 (1), 15 (8+), 16 (5+), 17 (3), 18 (16), 19 (7+), 20 (6+), 21 (2), 22 (3), 23 (1),

          24 (10), 25 (6), 26 (1), 27 (8), 28 (6), 29 (1), 30 (9)

     OSPREY: 6-8 (1), 10-11 (1), 14-15 (1), 16 (4), 19-20 (1), 21 (3), 22 (1), 24-25 (1), 26 (3),

          27-30 (2)

     BALD EAGLE: 8 (1 im), 10 (1 ad), 14 (1 ad), 17 (1 sub-adult), 29-30 (1 ad)

     NORTHERN HARRIER: 13 (1♂)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 22 (1)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 2 (1), 8-9 (1), 11 (1), 13 (2), 14-16 (1), 28 (2)

     BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 9 (2), 14 (1), 18-19 (1), 21-22 (1), 29 (1)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 2 (2), 5-8 (2), 9 (1), 10-11 (3), 13-14 (1), 17 (1), 19-20 (1), 22 (1), 25 (2),

          26 (1), 28 (1), 29 (3), 30 (2)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 1-2 (1), 5-6 (1), 7 (2), 8 (1), 9 (1♂ + 1♀), 10 (2), 11-12 (1), 13 (3),

          14-15 (1), 16 (2), 17-18 91), 19 (1♂ + 1♀), 20 (1), 23 (1), 25 (1♀), 26-28 (2), 29-30 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1-2, 6-24, 28

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1-2, 6-25, 27-30

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 2, 7-9, 11, 13-21, 23, 25, 27-28

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 1 (5), 2 (3), 3 (1), 6 (1), 7-8 (3), 9, 10 (1), 11 (3),

          12 (5), 13 (10), 14 (3), 16 (2), 17 (3), 18 (1), 19 (3), 20 (1), 22 (1), 24 (1), 25 (2), 28 (1),

          29 (3), 30 (2)

     MERLIN: 29 (1♀ prairie)

     PEREGRINE FALCON: 25 (1), 27 (1), 29 (1)

     EASTERN PHOEBE: 2 (1), 5 (2), 6 (1), 8 (2), 10 (2), 26 (2)

     BLUE JAY: 1, 12-13, 15-17, 22-26, 29-30

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-2, 4-16, 18-22, 24-26, 28-30

     PURPLE MARTIN: 8 (2), 9-10 (1), 12 (1), 14 (1), 15 (2), 16 (5), 18 (4), 19 (5), 20 (1), 23 (2),

          24 (4), 25 (8), 26 (3 BY), 27 (3), 29 (4)

     TREE SWALLOW: 1 (4+), 2 (8), 5-6 (1), 7 (3), 8-30

     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 10 (1), 20 (9+), 25 (3), 26-30

     BANK SWALLOW: 28 (3), 30 (1)

     BARN SWALLOW: 13 (1), 15 (1), 20-22 (1), 26-30

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-10, 12-21, 23-24, 27-30

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 7-8, 15

     HOUSE WREN: 17 (2), 18 (1), 22 (2), 23 (1 BY + 3), 24-27, 29-30

     SEDGE WREN: 17-18 (2), 21-24 (2), 28-29 (1)

     MARSH WREN: 20 (1), 28 (2)

     GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 2 (4), 8 (1), 10 (1)

     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 1 (2), 2 (3), 8 (2), 11 (2), 13 (8), 14 (6), 15 (3), 16 (6),

          17 (1 by + 3), 19 (3 BY), 22 (1 + 1 BY), 24 (1 BY), 25 (2), 26 (1), 27 (6), 28 (1), 29 (5),

          30 (3)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 26 (2♂ + 2♀), 29 (2♂ + 1♀), 30 (3♂ + 2♀)

     HERMIT THRUSH: 2 (1), 8 (2), 9 (1), 13-14 (1), 16 (1)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-30

     BROWN THRASHER: 10 (1), 13 (1), 14 (1 BY), 15 (1 + 1 BY), 16 (1 BY), 18 (1 BY),

          22 (1 BY), 25 (1 BY), 27-28 (2 BY)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 3, 6-10, 12-14, 16-22, 26, 28-30

     CEDAR WAXWING: 1 (8), 7 (5), 11 (2), 23 (1)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-2, 4, 8-16, 18-24, 26-29

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-30

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1-2, 6-30

     LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH: 30 (1)

     ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 17 (1), 21 (1), 23 (1), 28 (2), 29-30 (1)

     PALM WARBLER: 25 (2), 26 (1), 28 (1), 30 (1)

     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 7 (1), 8 (4), 10 (4), 11 (1), 12 (8+), 13 (7+),

          14 (6+), 15 (3), 16 (6+), 17 (20+), 19 (17+), 20 (3), 21 (25+), 22 (9+), 23-24 (12+),

          25 (4 BY + 16+), 26 (7), 27 (1), 29 (8), 30 (30+)

     EASTERN TOWHEE: 14 (1♀)

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 2 (1)

     CHIPPING SPARROW: 11 (1), 15, 21-26, 29

     CLAY-COLORED SPARROW: 18 (1)

     FIELD SPARROW: 8 (1), 13 (2), 16-17 (1 BY), 18 (1), 28 (4), 29 (1)

     VESPER SPARROW: 11 (1)

     SAVANNAH SPARROW: 12 (10+)

     FOX SPARROW: 1 (3 BY + 1), 2 (4 BY + 3), 3 (1 BY), 4 (2 BY), 5 (2 BY + 2), 6 (1 BY + 1),

          7 (1 BY)

     SONG SPARROW: 1-2, 5-30

     LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 15-16 (1 BY), 20 (1 BY), 22 (1), 23 (1 BY), 25-26 (1), 28-30 (1)

     SWAMP SPARROW: 7-8 (1), 9-10 (3), 13 (15), 14-15 (1), 17 (4), 18 (1 BY), 19 (1), 22 (5),

          23 (1), 28 (2), 29 (1), 30 (5)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 1 (1 BY), 3 (1 BY), 7 (1 BY), 11 (1 BY), 13 (3 + 2 BY),

          14 (2 BY + 1), 15 (2 BY), 16 (6 BY + 1), 17 (3 BY + 1), 18 (2 BY), 19 (3 BY + 1),

          20-21 (2 BY), 22 (2 BY + 2), 23-24 (2 BY), 25 (7), 26 (6), 27 (4 BY), 28 (2 BY + 1),

          29 (2 BY), 30 (4 BY + 1)

     HARRIS’S SPARROW: 29 (6), 30 (2)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1-8, 9 (1 BY)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-30

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-2, 4-30

     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 9 (1), 14 (1), 20 (1)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 1-30

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1 (2), 2, 6, 7 (3), 8 (4), 9-19, 22-26, 28-30

MAMMALIAN

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 4 (3 BY), 5 (1), 9 (3), 10 (1), 13 (3), 16 (1 BY + 8), 17 (1), 21 (5),

          25 (4), 28-29 (4), 30 (6 + 1♂)

     FOX SQUIRREL: 1, 3-4, 6-18, 20-21, 23, 27-28

     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 13 (1)

     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 5 (2), 8 (1), 11 (1)

     MUSKRAT: 25 (1), 27 (1)

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1, 3-4, 6-11, 13-30

REPTILIAN

     NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 9 (5), 13 (25+), 16 (2), 17-18 (1), 19 (3), 21-22 (1), 25 (8)

     RED-EARED SLIDER: 13 (1), 16 (1), 19 (1), 21 (1)

AMPHIBIAN

     AMERICAN TOAD: 10, 13, 15-20, 25-27

     EASTERN GRAY TREEFROG: 22-23 25

     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 5-11, 13-20

     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 6, 8 (1), 9

     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 12 (2), 17-19, 24-26

LEPIDOPTERA

     CABBAGE WHITE: 16 (1), 22 (1)

     ORANGE SULPHUR: 16 (1)

     PAINTED LADY: 8 (1), 11 (1), 16 (2), 19 (1), 22 (3), 24 (2)

     EASTERN COMMA: 6 (1)

     RED ADMIRAL: 8 (5+), 9 (3), 13 (2), 15 (10+), 16 (9+), 17 (5+), 18 (4), 19 (2), 21 (12+),

          22 (3), 23 (1), 24 (3), 25 (2)

     CLOVER LOOPER: 6 (1)

     GRAPEVINE EPIMENIS: 21 (1)

ODONATA

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 9 (5), 12 (10+), 13 (2), 15 (17+), 16 (3+), 19 (3), 21 (4),

          22-23 (1), 24 (2), 25 (3)

     VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK: 8 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich