Monday, May 7, 2018

May 3, 2018: Wolf's April 2018 Wildlife Report



One to two American Bitterns have been sighted at the Park since mid-April.  Most sightings were at Pond J.  American Bitterns can be difficult to see, especially when it points its bill skyward.  The vertical belly stripes blend in with surrounding vegetation. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 4/20/18)
A total of 117 avian species (plus 1 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 3rd highest April among 21 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 46 species more than last month and 17 more than April 2017. 

Based on citations in the 3rd Edition of “The Birds of Story County, Iowa,” by Stephen J. Dinsmore and Hank Zaletel (2001), plus my personal updates to the records, the 147 Blue-winged Teal on the 13th may have set a new Spring peak count (former peak of 92 set on 10 Apr 1986 near Cooper Marsh).  New Spring peaks may have also been set for Ring-necked Duck (417 on the 12th, former peak of 225 set on 17 Mar 1984 at Hendrickson Marsh) and Common Loon (20 on the 18th, former peak of 4 set on 15 Apr 1996 at Hallett’s Quarry).

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, bp=breeding plumage, ad=adult, nb=non-breeding plumage), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard).  The order follows the 58th Supplement (2017) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 17th Supplement to the 7th Edition (1998).

[I was out-of-state through the 6th & in SE Iowa on the 29th.]

AVIAN
     SNOW GOOSE: 28 (17)
     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 15 (1), 16 (4), 22 (1), 25 (1)
     CACKLING GOOSE: 10 (7)
     CANADA GOOSE: 7-28, 30
     TRUMPETER SWAN: 19 (1 ad), 28 (2 ad), 30 (1 ad)
     WOOD DUCK: 7 (36+), 8 (17+), 9 (35+), 10 (3+), 11 (5+), 12 (12+), 13 (10+), 14 (1♂ + 1♀),
          15 (10+),  16 (2+), 17-18, 19 (4+), 21 (1♂), 24 (1♂), 28 (2)
     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 7 (25+), 8 (97+), 9 (15+), 10 (12+), 11 (41+), 12 (127+), 13 (147+),
          14 (8+),  15 (60+), 17-18, 19 (58+), 20 (16+), 21 (38+), 22 (18+), 23 (21+), 24 (9+), 25 (4),
          26 (2), 27 (13+), 28 (9+), 30 (10+)
     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 7 (40+), 8 (17+), 9 (39+), 10 (22+), 11 (29+), 12 (53+), 13 (126+),
          14 (91+), 15 (94+), 16 (97+), 17-18, 19 (83+), 20 (40+), 21 (52+), 22 (46+), 23 (40+),
          24 (38+), 25 (41+),  26 (39), 27 (51+), 28 (24), 30 (14+)
     GADWALL: 7 (41+), 8 (19+), 9 (24+), 10 (4+), 11 (24+), 12 (29+), 13 (8+), 14 (1), 16 (4),
          17-18 (1♂ + 1♀), 19 (12+), 20 (3), 21 (6+), 22 (2), 24 (7), 26 (1♂), 27 (16), 28 (3),
          30 (4♂ + 1♀)
     AMERICAN WIGEON: 7 (30+), 8 (20+), 9-10, 11 (50+), 12 (40+), 13 (20+), 15 (3+), 16 (2),
          19 (20+), 27 (1♂)
     MALLARD: 7-28, 30
     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 7 (6+), 8 (14+), 9 (8), 12 (1♂)
     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 7 (202+), 8 (100+), 9 (150+), 10 (30+), 11 (251+), 12 (79+), 13 (6+),
          15 (30+), 18, 19 (20+), 21 (1), 23 (9), 24 (1♂)
     CANVASBACK: 7 (17♂ + 7♀), 8 (12♂ + 6♀), 9 (14♂ + 6♀), 10 (14+), 11 (19♂ + 3♀),
          12 (13♂ + 4♀), 13 (14+), 14 (10+), 15 (7+), 16 (11+), 17-18, 19 (14+), 20-21 (14), 22 (8),
          23-24 (1♂), 25 (3♂ + 2♀), 26 (3♂ + 1♀), 27 (2♂), 28 (2♂ + 1♀)
     REDHEAD: 7-8 (1♂), 11 (1♂), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 19 (6♂ + 4♀), 20 (1♂), 21 (1♂ + 1♀)
     RING-NECKED DUCK: 7 (62+), 8 (82+), 9 (109+), 10 (7+), 11 (249+), 12 (417+), 13 (75+),
          14 (50+), 15 (187+), 16 (151+), 17 (30+), 18 (100+), 19 (125+), 20 (131+), 21 (161+),
          22 (95+), 23 (14+),  24 (21+), 25 (17), 26 (22), 27 (9), 28 (19), 30 (5+)
     LESSER SCAUP: 7 (52+), 8 (27+), 9 (24+), 10 (17+), 11 (39+), 12 (37+), 13 (12+), 14 (17+),
          15 (19+),  16 (44+), 17-18, 19 (37+), 20 (30+), 21 (22), 22 (11), 23 (24), 24 (4), 25 (46),
          26 (14), 27 (28),  28 (6), 30 (3)
     BUFFLEHEAD: 7 (5♂ + 4♀), 8 (2♀), 9 (2♂ + 1♀), 10 (1♂), 11 (4♂ + 1♀), 12 (8♂ + 6♀),
          13 (4♂ + 5♀), 16 (2♂ + 1♀), 17 (2♂), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 19 (4♂ + 3♀), 20 (4♂ + 2♀),
          21 (9♂ + 14♀), 22 (8♂ + 10♀), 23 (4♂ + 7♀), 24 (3♂ + 9♀), 25 (5♂ + 11♀), 26 (2♂ + 4♀),
          27 (3♂ + 7♀), 28 (1♂ + 5♀)
     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 16-19 (1♂), 20-24 (1♂ + 1♀), 25-26 (1♂ + 2♀), 27 (1♂ + 1♀),
          28 (1♂ + 2♀), 30 (1♂)
     HOODED MEGANSER: 7 (5♂ + 5♀), 8 (1♂ + 1♀), 9 (2♂ + 1♀), 11 (6♂ + 3♀), 12 (2♂ + 3♀),
          15-16 (1♀), 18 (6♀), 20 (1♂ + 1♀), 22 (1♀)
     COMMON MERGANSER: 8 (1♂), 10 (2), 14 (1♂), 15 (1♂ + 5♀), 17 (2), 21 (2♀), 22 (3♀),
          24 (1♀), 25 (3♂)
     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 7 (9♂ + 3♀), 8 (2♂), 9 (15♂ + 3♀), 10 (16♂ + 3♀),
          11 (4♂ + 3♀), 12 (11♂ + 3♀), 15 (2♂ + 4♀), 16 (2♂ + 1♀), 17 (9), 18 (1♂ + 1♀),
          19 (21♂ + 18♀), 20 (2♂ + 2♀),  25 (1♂ + 2♀), 27-28 (1♀)
     RUDDY DUCK: 7 (3♂ + 2♀), 10 (4♂ + 2♀), 12 (1♂ + 3♀), 13 (1♂ + 7♀), 14 (3♂ + 1♀),
          18-19 (1♂), 20 (6♂), 21 (42), 27 (2♂ + 11♀)
     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 7 (4), 10-11 (2), 13-14 (1), 15 (3), 16-17 (2), 18-28, 30
     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 7 (12), 8 (8), 9 (5), 10 (8), 11 (6), 12 (43), 13 (59), 14 (21), 15 (19),
          16 (40), 17-18, 19 (12), 20 (25), 21 (36), 22 (11), 23 (11), 24 (9), 25 (8), 26 (5), 27 (6),
          28 (13), 30 (10)
     HORNED GREBE: 13 (4 bp), 18-19 (2 bp), 21 (3 bp), 22 (1 bp), 23 ( bp), 25 (2 bp)
     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 7 (2), 8 (1), 9-10 (2), 15 (1), 17 (1), 18 (2), 19 (1), 24 (2),
          26-29 (1)
     MOURNING DOVE: 7, 10-11, 13-15, 17-18, 20-28, 30
     CHIMNEY SWIFT: 22 (1), 30 (1)
     SORA: 12-14 (1), 15 (2), 16 (1), 18 (1), 20 (2), 21-23 (1), 24-25 (2), 26 (1), 27 (2), 28 (3),
          30 (1)
     AMERICAN COOT: 7 (157+), 8 (149+), 9 (187+), 10 (150+), 11 (176+), 12 (151+), 13 (254+),
          14 (132+), 15 (128+), 16 (154+), 17-18, 19 (189+), 20 (128+), 21 (187+), 22 (128+),
          23 (113+), 24 (96+), 25 (95), 26 (123), 27 (94), 28 (135), 30 (92+)
     SANDHILL CRANE: 19 (1)
     KILLDEER: 7 (6), 8 (5), 10 (3), 11 (2), 12 (1), 13 (2), 14 (1), 15 (7), 16-17 (2), 18 (5), 19-22 (1),
          23 (2), 24-26 (1), 30 (2)
     AMERICAN WOODCOCK: 8 (2), 15 (1-2)
     WILSON’S SNIPE: 8 (3), 10 (2), 11 (1), 13 (3), 15 (58+), 16 (68+), 17 (62+), 18 (8+), 19 (7+),
          20 (10+), 21 (9+), 22 (3+), 23 (1), 25 (1), 27 (2), 28 (1)
     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 30 (1)
     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 30 (2)
     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 13 (1), 30 (2)
     GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 14 (1), 30 (1)
     BONAPARTE’S GULL: 18-19 (3), 30 (3)
     RING-BILLED GULL: 7 (3), 8 (2), 9 (1), 10 (6), 11 (1), 12 (5+), 13 (13+), 14 (10+), 15 (5+),
          16 (3), 17 (1), 18 (21), 19 (4), 22 (20+), 27 (20)
     FORSTER’S TERN: 25 (2)
     COMMON LOON: 7 (6 bp + 1 nb), 8 (9 bp + 1 nb), 9 (8 bp + 1 nb), 10 (13 bp + 1 nb),
          11 (14 bp + 1 nb), 12 (11 bp + 1 nb), 13-14 (10 bp + 1 nb), 15 (12 bp + 1 nb),
          16 (17 bp + 1 nb),  17 (16 bp + 1 nb), 18 (20 bp), 19 (14 bp + 1 nb), 20 (14 bp + 1 nb),
          21 (10 bp + 1 nb),  22 (6 bp + 1 nb), 23 (7 bp + 1 nb), 24 (6 bp + 1 nb), 25 (6 bp),
          26 (5 bp), 27 (3 bp + 1 nb),  28 (2 bp + 1 nb), 30 (1 nb)
     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 8 (11), 11 (8), 12 (19), 13 (7), 16 (13), 17 (2), 19 (3),
          21 (26),  22 (31), 23 (14), 24 (1), 25 (14), 26 (1), 27 (3), 28 (35+)
     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 11 (44), 15 (27), 18 (47), 19 (2), 22 (2), 27 (6)
     AMERICAN BITTERN: 15 (1), 17 (1), 19 (1), 20 (2), 21-22 (1)
     GREAT BLUE HERON: 7 (2), 8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (1), 11-12 (2), 13-14 (1), 15 (4), 16 (3), 17,
          18-22 (2),  23-25 (2), 26 (1), 27 (2), 28 (1)
     GREAT EGRET: 7 (1), 9 (4), 13 (6), 14 (1), 16 (6), 17 (7), 18 (2), 19 (3), 20-21 (2), 23-24 (1),
          25 (2), 26 (1), 28 (2), 30 (1)
     BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON: 19 (1 ad), 23 (2 ad), 25 (1 ad), 28 (2 ad)
     TURKEY VULTURE: 7 (1), 8 (41+), 9 (6), 10 (18+), 11 (5+), 12 (8+), 13 (4+), 14 (3), 15 (2),
          16 (4), 17 (3), 19 (13), 20 (12), 21 (1), 22 (9), 23 (10+), 24 (8), 25-26 (5), 27 (13), 28 (7),
           30 (5)
     OSPREY: 7 (1), 10-11 (1), 12 (2), 14 (1), 15 (3), 16 (4), 17 (3), 18 (5), 19-20 (3), 21 (2), 22 (3),
          23-24 (2), 25 (1)
     BALD EAGLE: 10-11 (1 ad), 17 (1 im), 18 (1 im + 1 ad), 20 (1 ad + 1 im), 21 (1 im),
          22 (1 im + 1 ad)
     NORTHERN HARRIER: 18 (1♀)
     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 11 (1), 15-16 (1), 17-18 (1 im)
     COOPER’S HAWK: 7 (1 im), 11 (1), 14 (1 ad), 16 (1 ad)
     BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 21 (1)
     RED-TAILED HAWK: 7-8 (1), 9-10 (2), 11-12 (3), 13 (1), 14 (2), 16 (1), 17-18 (2), 19-20 (3),
          21-22 (1), 23-24 (1), 25 (2), 26 (1), 28 (2), 30 (1)
     GREAT HORNED OWL: 23 (1)
     BELTED KINGFISHER: 15 (2), 17 (1), 19-21 (1), 23 (1)
     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 7-9, 11, 13, 15-19, 21-22, 28, 30
     YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 15 (1), 19 (1)
     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 7, 9-18, 20-28, 30
     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 8-9 (1), 27
     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 8 (1), 10-11 (2), 12 (1), 13 (8+), 14 (13+), 15 (50+),
           16 (54+), 17, 18 (70+), 19 (18+), 20 (18+), 21 (25+), 22 (18+), 23 (2), 24 (1), 25 (3),
          26 (5),  27-28 (3), 30 (3)
     AMERICAN KESTREL: 14 (1), 16 (1♂), 17 (1♂ + 1♀), 18 (1♀)
     MERLIN: 16 (1)
     EASTERN PHOEBE: 9 (1), 13 (1), 14 (2), 15 (1), 21-22 (1), 25 (1), 27 (1)
     BLUE JAY: 7-12, 14, 16-19, 21-24, 26, 28, 30
     AMERICAN CROW: 7-8, 10-19, 21-22, 24-26, 28, 30
     PURPLE MARTIN: 12-13 (3), 14 (9), 15 (10), 16 (7), 20-21 (5), 22 (3), 23-24 (4), 25 (3), 26 (2),
          27 (5), 28 (8), 30 (4)
     TREE SWALLOW: 11 (12+), 12 (15+), 13 (5+), 14 (15+), 15 (1), 17 (2), 19 (12+), 20, 21 (7+),
          22-28,  30
     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 21 (2), 25 (2), 26 (1), 27 (4), 28 (3), 30 (2)
     BANK SWALLOW: 27 (1), 30 (1)
     CLIFF SWALLOW: 28 (1), 30 (1)
     BARN SWALLOW: 19 (1), 22 (1), 23 (4), 24-25 (3), 26 (1), 27 (3), 28 (8), 30 (3)
     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 7-30
     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 8, 12, 14-19, 21, 23-25, 27-28, 30
     BROWN CREEPER: 15 (2), 25 (1)
     WINTER WREN: 13 (1)
     HOUSE WREN: 30 (1)
     GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 13 (1)
     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 8 (1), 12 (1), 13 (6), 14 (1 BY + 5), 15 (1), 20 (1), 21 (6), 23 (1),
          25-26 (1), 28 (1), 30 (4)
     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 7 (1♂ + 2♀), 8 (2♂ + 2♀), 10 (1♀), 11 (1♂), 14 (1), 16-17 (1♀),
          19 (1♂),  21 (2♂ + 1♀), 23 (2♂ + 1♀), 25 (1♂ + 2♀), 26 (2♂ + 2♀), 27 (2), 30 (1♂)
     SWAINSON’S THRUSH: 30 (5+)
     HERMIT THRUSH: 13 (3), 14 (10), 15 (25+), 16 (10+), 17, 18 (25+), 19 (4+), 20 (3), 21 (7+),
          22,  23-24 (1), 25 (3), 26 (2), 28 (1 BY + 1)
     AMERICAN ROBIN: 7-28, 30
     BROWN THRASHER: 13 (2), 14 (1 BY), 15 (2 BY), 16 (1 BY + 1), 17 (1), 18 (1 BY), 21 (1),
          23 (1), 27 (1 BY), 28 (1)
     EUROPEAN STARLING: 7-8, 12-24, 26-28, 30
     HOUSE SPARROW: 7-28, 30
     HOUSE FINCH: 7-28, 30
     PURPLE FINCH: 16 (2♀), 22 (1♀ BY)
     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 7-8, 11, 14-15 (1 BY), 17, 19, 21-26, 28, 30
     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 7 (30+), 8-22, 23 (1), 26-27 (1)
     CHIPPING SPARROW: 14 (1), 18-19 (1), 21 (2), 22 (3), 24-25 (2), 26 (3), 27 (2)
     FIELD SPARROW: 13 (1), 15 (2)
     VESPER SPARROW: 15-16 (2)
     SAVANNAH SPARROW: 16 (2), 21 (2)
     LECONTE’S SPARROW: 15 (1)
     FOX SPARROW: 7 (2), 10 (1), 11 (2 BY + 1), 12 (2 BY + 2), 13 (3 + 1 BY), 14 (4 BY + 5),
          15 (5 BY + 19+), 16 (6 BY + 15), 17 (3 BY + 7+), 18 (4 BY + 17+), 19 (3 BY + 4),
          20 (5 BY + 5+), 21 (3 BY + 10+), 22 (5 BY + 2+), 24-26 (1 BY)
     SONG SPARROW: 7-28, 30
     LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 8 (1), 22 (1 BY)
     SWAMP SPARROW: 9-10 (1), 11 (3), 12 (1), 13 (13+), 14 (2 BY + 4), 15 (1 BY + 5+),
          16 (8+), 17-18, 19 (3+), 20 (5+), 22 (4+), 23 (5+), 24-25 (2), 26 (1), 28 (4), 30 (3)
     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 14 (1 BY), 15 (2 BY), 18 (2 BY), 20 (1 BY), 25 (1), 30 (10)
     WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 30 (1)
     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 7-23, 24 (2), 25 (1 BY + 1), 27-28 (1 BY), 30 (1)
     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 28 (1)
     Meadowlark sp.: 8 (1)
     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 7-30
     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 8 (20), 9 (27), 10 (4), 11, 12 (12+), 13-28, 30
     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 7 (5)
     COMMON GRACKLE: 7-30
     LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH: 30 (1)
     BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: 30 (1)
     ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 30 (4)
     COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 30 (1♂)
     YELLOW WARBLER: 30 (2♂)
     PALM WARBLER: 25 (2), 28 (1), 30 (1)
     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 12 (1), 13 (3), 14-15 (2), 16 (1), 17 (2), 21-22 (8+),
          23 (3), 24 (1), 25-26 (4), 28 (1), 30 (4)
     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 7-28, 30

MAMMALIAN
     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 7-11, 13-30
     FOX SQUIRREL: 8-11, 13-25, 27-28, 30
     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 12 (1), 20 (1), 22 (2), 25 (2), 26 (3), 28 (1), 30 (3)
     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 8, 20-21, 23
     COMMON MUSKRAT: 10 (1), 14-15 (1), 30 (1)
     COYOTE: 19 (1)
     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 9 (3 BY), 10 (2), 13 (4), 15 (14), 17 (1), 20 (4), 22 (2), 23 (6),
          24 (5 BY), 25 (2), 26 (3 BY + 1)

REPTILIAN
     PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 17 (1), 19 (1), 26 (1)
     SNAPPING TURTLE: 17 (1), 20 (1)
     NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 12 (1), 17 (3), 20 (2), 22 (2), 23 (30+), 24-27, 30

AMPHIBIAN
     AMERICAN TOAD: 24, 30
     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 7, 10-13, 17, 19-28, 30
     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 12, 19, 21, 23-25, 28
     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 25 (1)

LEPIDOPTERA
     MOURNING CLOAK: 23 (1)

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 12 (1), 23-24 (1), 26-27 (2), 30 (15+)

Wolf. Oesterreich

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