March 1, 2018: Wolf's February 2018 Wildlife Report

Northern Pintails have been part of the waterfowl migration northward.  This photograph shows 2 males and 1 female in flight over the south lake. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 2/27/18)

A total of 54 avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 2^nd highest February among 21 years of records.  This total is 12 species more than last month, but 9 species less than February 2017.  February 2017 with 63 species remains as the highest February total, while February 2001 with 17 species remains as the lowest.

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).

There are no records from the 9th through the 12th as I was birdwatching in northeastern Minnesota.  Surprisingly, no Ring-necked Pheasants were seen or heard.  Could this be an impact from the new housing development along the north side?  I don't know.

AVIAN

     SNOW GOOSE: 21 (1 b), 27 (1800+), 28 (250+)

     ROSS’S GOOSE: 27 (3)

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 19 (24), 21 (28), 25, 26 (470+), 27 (1000+), 28 (540+)

     CACKLING GOOSE: 22 (2), 24 (2), 25 (12+), 26-28

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-8, 13-28

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 1 (16), 2-3 (1), 4 (7), 5 (9), 6 (21), 7 (14), 8 (33), 16 (4), 18 (7), 19 (5),

          21 (9), 22 (18), 23 (3), 24 (36), 25 (47), 28 (1)

     GADWALL: 19 (2♂), 26 (2♂), 27 (3♂ + 3♀), 28 (5♂ + 1♀)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 20 (1♂ + 1♀), 27 (1♂ + 1♀)

     MALLARD: 1-8, 13-18, 19 (89+), 20-28

     AMERICAN BLACK DUCK: 1-4 (1), 6 (1), 13 (1), 15-17 (1), 20 (1), 25 (1)

     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 7-8 (1♂), 16 (1♂), 18 (3♂ + 1♀), 20 (2♂ + 1♀), 21 (1♂), 24 (1♂),

          25 (13♂ + 8♀), 26 (8♂ + 5♀), 27 (2♂ + 1♀), 28 (9)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 2 (1♂), 4 (1♂), 6 (1♂), 16-17 (1♂), 21 (1♂), 24-25 (2♂), 26 (1♂),

          27 (17)

     CANVASBACK: 19 (1♀), 27 (6♂ + 3♀)

     REDHEAD: 20-25 (1♂), 26 (11♂ + 10♀), 27 (5), 28 (42)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 20 (1♀), 21 (1♂ + 1♀), 22-25 (1♀), 26 (3♂), 27 (67+), 28 (85+)

     LESSER SCAUP: 19 (1♂), 20-21 (1♂ + 1♀), 22-25 (5♂ + 1♀), 26 (10♂ + 5♀), 27 (75+),

          28 (16♂ + 7♀)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 27 (1♂ + 1♀)

     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 18 (2♂), 19 (3♂), 27 (6♂ + 4♀), 28 (1♂ + 1♀)

     COMMON MERGANSER: 27 (1♂ + 1♀)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 13 (3), 17 (3), 18 (1), 24-25 (2)

     MOURNING DOVE: 5 (1 BY), 16 (1)

     AMERICAN COOT: 28 (4)

     KILLDEER: 27 (4), 28 (2)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 28 (1)

     BALD EAGLE: 2 (1 im + 1 ad), 6 (1 ad), 8 (1 ad), 13 (1 ad), 15 (1 ad), 19-20 (1 ad), 24 (1 ad),

          27-28 (1 ad)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 3 (1 im BY), 8 (1 im BY), 14 (1 im BY), 17 (1 im BY)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 23 (1 ad), 28 (1 ad)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1-2 (1), 3 (2), 4 (1), 7 (1), 14 (1), 17 (1), 20 (1), 21-22 (2), 24 (2),

          26-28 (1)

     ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 15 (1)

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 1-3 (1 BY), 21 (2 BY), 25 (1 BY)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 8, 25

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1, 3-5, 8, 14-21, 24-25

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 8

     AMERICAN KESTREL: 1-2 (1♂)

     NORTHERN SHRIKE: 4 (1), 18 (1), 27 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 5-8, 15, 17-20, 22, 24-25, 27

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-8, 13-28

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-8, 13-28

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 3, 7, 13, 17-18, 21, 24-25

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 8 (2), 21 (1♂), 26 (1), 28 (1♂ + 1♀)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1 (1), 15-16 (1), 19 (1), 20 (4 BY), 23 (58+), 24 (6 BY), 25-28

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 2-3, 5, 8, 13, 23, 25, 27-28

     CEDAR WAXWING: 3 (70-100), 5 (1 BY), 27 (6)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-8, 13-28

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-8, 13-28

     COMMON REDPOLL: 3 (1 BY), 24 (1 BY)

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 8 (2 + 4 BY), 19-20 (1 BY), 22 (1 BY)

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1, 4-5, 7, 13-16, 18, 20 (3 BY), 21 (1 BY), 25-27

     SONG SPARROW: 4 (1), 27 (2)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1-8, 13-28

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 27 (150+), 28 (53+)

     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 27 (10+)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 27 (15+)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-8, 13-28

Unless indicated otherwise, the White-tailed Deer were antlerless. 

MAMMALIAN

     VIRGINIA OPOSSUM: 22 (1 BY)

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-2, 5, 7-8, 13, 16-18, 20-22, 25

     FOX SQUIRREL: 1-5, 7-8, 13-19, 21-28

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (4 BY), 2 (3), 4 (4), 6 (6), 7 (2), 13 (3 BY), 14 (7), 16 (8 BY),

          19 (2 BY), 21 (15), 22 (13), 23 (14), 24 (9), 28 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich