Nov 1, 2017: Wolf's October 2017 Wildlife Report

An immature Sharp-shinned Hawk posed for some time in a tree at the bluff area.  Note that the tail feathers are basically the same length (graduated in Cooper's Hawk). (Wolf. Oesterreich, 10/17/17)

A total of 97 (plus 3 sp.) avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 4^th highest October among 20 years of records.  October 2007 with 108 species remains as the highest October, while October 2003 with 55 species remains as the lowest.  This total is 3 species more than last month and 5 more than October 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 10 Cackling Geese on the 10^th may represent new early extreme Fall records (former records set on 26 Oct 2004 at AHHP) for Story County.  The Warbling Vireo on the 2^nd, the Veery on the 13^th, and the American Redstart on the 3^rd may set new extreme late Fall records (former records set on 22 Sep 2013 at AHHP, 13 Sep 1986 at Brookside Park, and 2 Oct 1982 & 1983 at Brookside Park, respectively).

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 58^th Supplement (2017) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 17^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

     CACKLING GOOSE: 10 (10)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1 (165+), 2 (10), 3 (106+), 4, 5 (14+), 6 (374+), 7-9, 10 (108+), 11 (79),

          12 (33), 13 (58+), 14 (9+), 15 (348+), 16 (2), 17, 19 (4), 20 (2), 21 (205), 22, 24 (4), 25,

           26 (41+), 27 (83), 28 (18), 29 (93+), 30 (146), 31 (57)

     WOOD DUCK: 1 (13), 2 (6), 3 (11), 4 (10), 5 (13), 6 (6), 7 (2), 8 (4), 9 (8), 10-11 (7), 12-13 (9),

          14-15 (8), 16 (5), 17 (9), 18 (4), 19 (16), 20 (10), 21 (24), 22 (9), 23 (10), 24 (4), 25 (5),

          26 (3), 27-28 (8), 29 (1), 30-31 (4)

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 4 (8), 5 (41), 9 (3)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 15 (1♀), 26 (6), 30 (4), 31 (1)

     GADWALL: 15 (1♂ + 4♀), 21 (1♀), 22 (11), 23-24 (4), 25 (3), 26 (6), 27 (1♀), 28 (19),

          29 (4♂ + 2♀), 30 (2), 31 (3)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 11 (1♂), 18-23 (1♀), 26 (1♂ + 2♀)

     MALLARD: 1 (19), 2-3 (18), 4 (15), 5 (8), 6 (19), 7 (21), 8 (23), 9 (73), 10 (35), 11 (42), 12 (20),

          13 (42), 14 (51), 15 (32), 16 (37), 17 (20), 18 (21), 19 (17), 20 (20), 21 (41), 22 (69),

          23 (72), 24 (52), 25 (63), 26 (53+), 27 (71), 28 (99), 29 (138), 30 (79), 31 (96)

     AMERICAN BLACK DUCK: 10 (1)

     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 21 (1♂), 24 (2♀), 26 (1♂ + 1♀)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 4 (7), 9-10 (1), 19 (1), 21 (1♀), 22 (4), 23 (5), 25 (1), 27 (46), 28 (4),

          29 (10), 30 (73), 31 (19)

     CANVASBACK: 30-31 (1♂)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 9 (1♀), 21-22 (2♀), 24 (1♂ + 3♀), 28 (4♂ + 13♀), 29 (1♂),

          31 (7♂ + 19♀)

     LESSER SCAUP: 31 (3♂ + 1♀)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 24 (1♂), 25 (1♀), 31 (1♂ + 5♀)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 31 (8♂ + 9♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 6 (1♂ + 1♀), 7 (1♂ + 13♀), 11 (2♀), 31 (2♂ + 5♀)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 3 (1), 5-6 (2), 7 (1), 16 (1), 22 (1), 25, 26 (3), 28, 29 (3), 31

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 4 (33), 5 (9), 6 (2), 7 (5), 8 (2), 9 (5), 10 (4), 13-14 (6), 15 (4), 19 (8),

          20 (3), 21 (4), 22 (10), 23 (2), 24 (5), 25 (3), 26 (1), 27 (5), 28 (3), 29 (2), 30-31 (4)

     ROCK PIGEON: 8 (1)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 9 (5), 10 (1), 12-13 (2), 30 (5)

     MOURNING DOVE: 3, 5, 9-10, 15, 22, 25

     AMERICAN COOT: 4 (19), 5 (9), 6 (5), 7 (18), 8 (7), 9 (9), 10 (14), 13 (57), 14 (18), 15 (6),

          17 (13), 19 (~55), 20-22 (31), 23 (5), 24 (4), 26-27 (2), 28 (25), 29 (3), 31 (3)

     KILLDEER: 6 (3), 8 (2), 10-11 (1), 14 (1), 18 (1)

     Yellowlegs sp.: 15 (1)

     BONAPARTE’S GULL: 9 (1)

     FRANKLIN’S GULL: 4 (58+), 6 (80+), 7 (16+), 8 (100’s), 9 (100+), 14 (~20)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 4 (2), 7 (2), 9 (1), 15 (4), 22 (1), 30 (5)

     COMMON LOON: 10 (1)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 8 (53), 9-10 (6), 11 (3), 14 (3), 15 (6), 18-19 (1), 23 (3),

          24 (1), 28 (1), 30-31 (1)

     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 9 (141)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 1-2 (2), 4 (1), 6 (4), 13 (2), 19 (1), 20 (3), 22 (1), 26-27 (1), 31 (1)

     BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON: 8 (1 im)

     TURKEY VULTURE: 1 (10), 2 (12), 3 (3), 4-5 (1), 6 (7), 7 (30+), 8 (22+), 9 (11), 10 (3), 11 (1),

          12 (2), 13 (5), 14 (2), 15 (3), 16 (1), 17-19 (4), 20 (8), 22 (3)

     OSPREY: 1 (1), 8 (3), 9 (2), 12 (1)

     BALD EAGLE: 2 (1 ad), 8 (1 ad), 14 (1 im), 26 (1 im)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 8-10 (1), 15 (1), 17 (1 im), 24 (1)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 12 (1), 22 (1), 29 (1), 31 (1)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 (3), 4 (1), 8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (1), 15 (3 + 1 adult dark phase), 17 (1),

          21-23 (1), 24 (2), 28 (2), 29-30 (1)

     ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 15 (1)

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 1 (1 BY)

     BARRED OWL: 16 (1)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 1 (3), 2 (1), 3 (2), 5 (1), 6 (2), 7-9 (3), 10 (2), 12 (1), 13-14 (2), 15 (1),

          17-18 (1), 22 (1), 27 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1, 5-6, 8, 10-13, 15-16, 21, 25, 28-31

     YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 2 (1), 4 (1), 8-12 (1), 13 (2), 14 (1), 17 (1)

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 12-13, 21-22, 27-29, 31

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 4-6 (1), 14 (1), 25 (1)

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 1 (4), 3 (2), 4-5 (1), 6 (4), 7 (2), 8-10 (1), 12 (1),

          14 (2), 18-20 (1), 22-23 (2), 27 (1)

     MERLIN: 14 (1)

     PEREGRINE FALCON: 6 (1)

     EASTERN PHOEBE: 1 (1), 2 (2), 3-5 (1), 8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (1), 11 (2), 13 (1), 15 (2), 26 (1)

     BLUE-HEADED VIREO: 2 (1)

     WARBLING VIREO: 2 (1)

     RED-EYED VIREO: 3 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 1-16, 18-22, 25-29, 31

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-3, 5-9, 11-13, 15-24, 26-31

     TREE SWALLOW: 1, 2 (2), 3 (12+), 6 (50+), 8 (1), 9 (100+)

     BARN SWALLOW: 1, 3 (3), 4 (1), 6 (4), 8 (9+), 9, 10 (3)

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-24, 27-30

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 6, 8, 10-14, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28-29, 31

     BROWN CREEPER: 1 (1 BY), 2 (1)

     HOUSE WREN: 3-4 (1)

     GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 8 (2), 10 (1), 14 (2), 15 (1), 22 (1)

     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 1 (1 BY), 3 (4), 8 (2), 9 (1), 10 (5), 11 (4), 12 (1), 13 (4), 14 (3),

          16-17 (3), 18 (4), 21 (1), 22 (1), 25 (1), 26 (2)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 5 (8), 6 (3), 7, 11, 15 (1♂), 21 (13+), 22, 24 (10+), 25 (3+), 28, 29 (2),

          30 (6+), 31 (8+)

     VEERY: 10 (1), 13 (1)

     SWAINSON’S THRUSH: 8 (1)

     HERMIT THRUSH: 8 (1), 10 (2), 11 (1 BY), 12 (2), 13 (3), 29 (2)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1 (2), 2 (4), 4 (4), 5 (5), 6 (2), 7-11, 13 (40+), 14 (100+), 15-19, 21-26,

          29-31

     GRAY CATBIRD: 1 (1)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 5-8, 13, 15, 17, 20-25, 27, 29, 31

     CEDAR WAXWING: 4 (1), 8 (6), 10 (3), 11 (7), 13 (5), 14 (35+), 15 (3), 16 (40+), 17 (6),

          20 (16), 22 (6), 26 (~12)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-2, 5-11, 13-31

     HOUSE FINCH: 4-5, 7-10, 11 (7), 12 (2), 13-18, 20-22, 24-25, 27-31

     PINE SISKIN: 12 (6), 28 (1)

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1-17, 21-22, 27 (2), 28-31

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 24 (22+), 25-31

     CHIPPING SPARROW: 6 (12+), 7, 11 (2), 22 (1), 24 (1), 28 (1)

     FIELD SPARROW: 11 (2)

     VESPER SPARROW: 27 (1)

     SAVANNAH SPARROW: 22 (2), 24 (1)

     FOX SPARROW: 9-11 (1), 12-13 (2), 14 (1), 16 (1), 18-19 (1), 20 (4), 22 (5), 23 (1), 25 (2),

          28-29 (7), 31 (8)

     SONG SPARROW: 1-31

     LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 1 (1), 3 (1), 4-5 (4), 6 (2), 11 (1), 12 (2), 15 (2), 17 (1), 29 (1), 31 (2)

     SWAMP SPARROW: 3 (1), 4-5 (3), 6 (6), 7 (3), 8 (5), 9 (3), 10 (7), 11 (3), 12 (6), 13 (10+),

          14 (3), 15 (1), 16-20 (2), 21 (6), 22 (5+), 28 (2), 31 (1)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 1 (19 BY + 5), 2 (5), 4 (7), 5 (18), 6 (10), 7 (6), 8 (5),

          9 (15+), 10 (24+), 11 (17+), 12 (6+), 13 (4+), 14 (113+), 15 (5+), 16 (20+), 17 (5+),

          18 (18+),  19-20 (10+), 22 (16+), 23-24 (1), 28 (2), 29 (4), 31 (2)

     HARRIS’S SPARROW: 5-6 (2), 8 (1), 9 (4), 11-13 (1), 17 (1), 19 (1), 20 (2), 22 (1), 24-26 (1),

          28 (1), 29 (3), 30 (2), 31 (4)

     WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 2 (1), 4 (9), 5 (3), 7 (4), 8 (1), 9-11 (2), 12 (6), 14 (4), 15 (5),

          16 (3), 18-19 (2), 20 (1), 22 (2), 24 (1), 26-28 (1), 29 (6), 30 (4)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 9 (22+), 10 (5+), 11 (4), 12 (7), 13 (1), 14 (3), 15 (3+),

          16 (1), 19-20 (3), 21 (9+), 22 (~15), 23 (7)24 (57+), 25, 28-31

     Meadowlark sp.: 28 (1)

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 4 (6), 5 (30+), 6 (50+), 7-9, 11 (8), 13 (9), 15-16, 17 (18+),

          18 (8+), 19 (8), 20 (19), 22 (3), 23-25, 28 (1), 31 (1)

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 13 (80+), 18 (1)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 8 (3), 23 (2)

     Blackbird sp.: 30 (3), 31 (150-200)

     ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 3-4 (1), 6 (1), 7 (1 BY), 8 (4), 9-10 (1), 16 (1), 31 (1)

     NASHVILLE WARBLER: 5-6 (1), 8 (1 BY)

     AMERICAN REDSTART: 3 (1♀)

     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 5 (7), 6 (10+), 8 (20+), 9 (4+), 10 (2), 11 (15+),

          12 (11+), 13 (7+), 15 (4), 16 (3+), 17 (5+), 18 (1), 20 (2), 21-22 (5), 28-29 (1)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-2, 4-13, 15-21, 24-25, 28-29, 31

     INDIGO BUNTING: 1-2 (1♀)

MAMMALIAN

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 2-4, 7-8, 14-15, 18, 23, 29

     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1, 3, 5-7, 9, 11-14, 18, 21-22, 25, 27-31

     COMMON MUSKRAT: 1 (1), 7 (1), 16 (1), 21-22 (1), 28 (1), 31 (1)

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1-2 (1), 3-4 (5 + 1♂), 5 (5), 7 (2), 8 (1), 11 (1 + 1♀ w/2), 12 (2), 13 (4),

          14 (2 +1♂), 16 (4), 17 (5), 18 (3), 20 (4), 21 (1), 24 (1), 25 (2), 27 (4), 28 (2),

          29 (1 BY + 3), 30 (11 + 2♂), 31 (4)

REPTILIAN

     BROWN SNAKE: 19 (1)

     PLAINS GARTERSNAKE: 16 (2)

     Gartersnake sp.: 6 (1)

     NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 2-4, 6, 8-9, 11-12, 16 (19+), 17 (13+), 18-19 (6+), 20 (3),

          24 (3)

     RED-EARED SLIDER: 6 (1), 16-20 (2), 21 (1), 22 (2), 26 (1)

AMPHIBIAN

     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 1-2, 4-8, 10-14, 16-18, 20-23, 25

LEPIDOPTERA

     CABBAGE WHITE: 2 (6), 4 (1), 8 (1), 17 (1), 22 (2)

     ORANGE SULPHUR: 1 (1) 2 (2), 4 (4), 8 (2), 12 (2), 16-18 (1)

     PEARL CRESCENT: 2-4 (1)

     PAINTED LADY: 1 (16), 2 (26), 3 (2), 4 (5), 6 (4), 7 (2), 8 (10), 9 (1), 11-12 (1), 16 (4), 18 (1)

     COMMON BUCKEYE: 2 (2), 8 (1)

     MONARCH: 1 (2), 2 (3), 4 (2), 6-8 (1)

     FIERY SKIPPER: 1-2 (2), 3 (1), 17-18 (1)

     PECK’S SKIPPER: 2 (1), 4 (1)

     SACHEM: 4 (1)

     Skipper sp.: 18 (1)

     CORN EARWORM MOTH: 2 (1)

     WOOLLY BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth): 16 (2), 18 (2), 19 (3), 20 (1), 24 (2), 29 (1)

ODONATA

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 1 (4), 3 (5), 4 (1), 7 (1), 8 (2), 12 (1)

     “Blue Mosaic” DARNER sp.: 6 (1)

     WANDERING GLIDER: 1 (1)

     VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK: 4 (1)

     CHERRY-FACED MEADOWHAWK: 1 (1)

     Meadowhawk sp.: 1-2 (1), 12 (1)

ORTHOPTERA

     CAROLINA GRASSHOPPER: 2-4, 8-9, 11, 18-20

     NORTHWESTERN RED-WINGED GRASSHOPPER: 2 (2), 8-9 (1), 28 (1)

     AUTUMN YELLOW-WINGED GRASSHOPPER: 2 (1), 4 (1), 8 (1), 17 (2), 18 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich