Mar 29, 2023: Ring-necked Duck

A male Ring-necked Duck takes flight from Jensen Pond.  This duck is misnamed, as the ring around the neck is hardly visible.  (Even with a specimen in hand, the ring is hard to see.)  However, the ring around the bill is quite evident, hence the duck should be called Ring-billed Duck. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 3/28/23).

March 27, 2023: Vocal Landing

 

Vocal landing of a pair of Canada Geese at Pond J (Greg Courtney, 3/28/2023).

Mar 25, 2023: Sandhill Crane

Two beautiful, rarely seen, Sandhill Cranes are flying over Ada Hayden on the west of the bluff. (3/19/2023, Xiaoqing Wu)

Mar 23, 2023: Eastern Bluebird

A male Eastern Bluebird showing off its brilliant plumage near the Harrison Road Spur (Greg Courtney, 3/28/2023).

Mar 21, 2023: Full Moon Buds

 

The full moon shines through the bare, but expectant trees on the upland trail. (Kevin Kane, 3/4/23)

Mar 19, 2023: Northern River Otter

 

A Northern River Otter was seen at the south end of Pond P. (Wu, 3/15/2023)

Mar 17, 2023: Warming Up

Warmer weather and recent rain has helped open up several smaller ponds at the park, including Pond J, where this Canada Goose was photographed (Greg Courtney, 2/28/2023)

Mar 15, 2023: Red-shouldered Hawk

 

This red-shouldered hawk was seen on one of the bird boxes along the Upland Trail. (Wu, 3/14/2023)

Mar 13, 2023: A Sure Sign of Spring

… the return of Red-winged Blackbirds (2/28/2023, Greg Courtney)

Mar 11, 2023: Crow on Ice

An American Crow scavenging on Pond N. (Kirk Moloney, 3/1/23)

Mar 9, 2023: Waterfowl at Sunrise

Silhouettes of Trumpeter Swans and ducks on the south lake's open water and ice during sunrise.
(Wolf. Oesterreich, 3/1/23)

March 7, 2023: Swan Overhead

A Trumpeter Swan that had just left South Lake and was flying over the Upland Trail, presumably en route to a farm field to feed for the day (2/26/2023, Greg Courtney)

Mar 5, 2023: Walking with a Goose

I was walking on the south lake trail just east of Harrison park lot access with a friend when this Canada goose landed on the trail next to us. It just stood next to us and when we tried to walk away, it walk with us all the way to the Stone Brooke access trail. (Paul Domoto, 3/2/2023)

Mar 3, 2023: Greater White-fronted Geese

In recent days, large numbers of Greater White-fronted Geese have been flying over the park. These six were among about 50 that stopped to overnight at South Lake. (Greg Courtney, 2/26/2023)

March 1, 2023: Wolf's February 2023 Wildlife Report

Hundreds to thousands of Canada Geese have spent the Winter at the Park.  Their numbers, along with the other waterfowl species, have managed to keep pockets of water free of ice due to their body heat and movement.  The amount of open water was also dependent on temperatures.  On most days, flocks of geese, Trumpeter Swans, and some duck species headed out to feed in nearby fields.  By the end of the month, the number of Canada Geese had been reduced drastically as Spring migration had started.  Joining the Canada Geese were Snow Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese.

A total of 51 (plus 1 sp. & 1 hybrid) avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 4th highest February among 26 years of records.  This total is 6 species more than last month and 3 more than February 2022.  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, bp=breeding plumage, ad=adult, nb=non-breeding), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard).  The order follows the 63rd Supplement (2022) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 22nd Supplement to the 7th Edition (1998).
 
AVIAN
     SNOW GOOSE: 8 (1 ad w), 15 (1 b), 27 (78 w/b)
     ROSS’S GOOSE: 12-13 (1 ad w), 16 (1 ad w)
     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 8 (27), 9 (BY 3), 10 (62 + BY 6), 11 (20), 12 (32), 13 (14), 15 (3), 16 (87 + BY 48), 17 (2), 18 (5), 19 (1), 20 (57), 21 (15), 26 (343), 27 (1675), 28 (259)
     CACKLING GOOSE: 8 (1), 10 (1), 12 (1), 13 (3), 15 (2), 16 (7), 18 (5), 19 (1), 20 (9), 21 (47), 22 (3), 23 (BY 2), 24 (3), 25 (2), 26 (12), 28 (1)
     CANADA GOOSE: 1 (900 + BY 6), 2 (750 + BY 92), 3 (1050), 4 (1179 + BY 17), 5 (1030 + BY 7), 6 (317), 7 (1077), 8 (1092 + BY 5), 9 (138 + BY 732), 10 (2497 + BY 552), 11 (2626 + BY 224), 12 (2686 + BY 493), 13 (2520), 14 (BY 18), 15 (2955), 16 (3181 + BY 501), 17 (2700 + BY 232), 18 (1425 + BY 255), 19 (1685 + BY 445), 20 (2763), 21 (2928 + BY 45), 22 (2697 + BY 11), 23 (BY 530), 24 (1225 + BY 15), 25 (977), 26 (1662 + BY 9), 27 (176), 28 (823 + BY 28)
     TRUMPETER SWAN: 1 (191 ad + 42 im), 2 (205 ad + 44 im), 3 (185 ad + 49 im), 4 (133 ad + 24 im), 5 (142 ad + 39 im), 6 (2 ad), 7 (140 ad + 38 im + BY 22), 8 (151 ad + 38 im), 9 (172 ad + 40 im + 14), 10 (192 ad + 40 im), 11 (170 ad + 40 im), 12 (174 ad + 33 im), 13 (182 ad + 42 im), 14 (BY 16 ad), 15 (180 ad + 41 im), 16 (197 ad + 49 im), 17 (87 ad + 29 im + BY 21), 18 (119 ad + 34 im + BY 6), 19 (129 ad + 31 im), 20 (120 ad + 30 im), 21 (70 ad + 27 im), 22 (85 ad + 21 im), 24 (44 ad + 13 im), 25 (100 ad + 25 im), 26 (98 ad + 32 im), 27 (58 ad + 27 im), 28 (3 ad + 1 im)
     GADWALL: 26 (2♂ + 1♀), 27 (1♂), 28 (4♂ + 1♀)
     MALLARD: 1 (175), 2 (225), 3 (185), 4 (235), 5 (353), 6 (208), 7 (167), 8 (105), 9 (314 + BY 6), 10 (153), 11 (37), 12 (49 + BY 25), 13 (152), 14 (BY 18), 15 (227), 16 (152), 17 (167 + BY 15), 18 (176 + BY 4), 19 (164 + BY 11), 20 (82), 21 (36), 22 (60), 23 (BY 1), 24 (101), 25 (317), 26 (66), 27 (293), 28 (157)
     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 5-6 (1♂), 13 (1♂ + 1♀), 15 (9), 17 (4♂ + 2♀), 18 (2♂ + 1♀ + BY 7), 19 (5♂ + 3♀), 21 (1♂ + 2♀), 22 (1♂), 25 (1♂ + 1♀), 26 (5♂ + 3♀), 27 (7), 28 (33)
     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 17 (1♂), 26 (5♂)
     CANVASBACK: 26 (1♀), 27 (3♂ + 1♀), 28 (4♂ + 1♀)
     REDHEAD: 27 (3♂ + 3♀), 28 (16♂ + 6♀)
     RING-NECKED DUCK: 27 (4♂), 28 (8♂)
     LESSER SCAUP: 27 (2♂)
     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 12 (2♂), 27 (5♂ + 1♀)
     HOODED MERGANSER: 1-2 (1♂ + 1♀), 4-5 (1♂ + 1♀), 15 (1♂ + 1♀), 25 (3♂ + 1♀), 28 (1♂)
     COMMON MERGANSER: 6 (1♂), 15 (7♂ + 1♀), 21 (5♂ + 1♀), 22 (3♂ + 1♀), 28 (30)
     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 5 (1), 27 (1♂)
     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 10 (1), 11 (FY 1), 12-13 (2), 16 (1), 17 (1 + FY 1), 18 (1), 20 (1), 24 (FY 1), 26 (3), 28 (2)
     MOURNING DOVE: 3 (BY 1), 10 (6), 12 (BY 1), 14 (BY 1), 20 (1), 22-24 (BY 1), 25 (1 + BY 1), 26 (1), 28 (8 + BY 1)
     RING-BILLED GULL: 22 (1)
     NORTHERN HARRIER: 8 (1♂)
     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 2 (1), 18 (BY 1 im)
     COOPER’S HAWK: 1 (BY 1 ad), 7-8 (1 ad)
     BALD EAGLE: 2 (1 im), 3 (2 ad), 4 (2 ad + 1 im + BY 1 im), 5 (1 im), 6 (1 ad + 1 im), 7 (1 ad), 8 (1 im), 9 (2 ad), 10 (1 im), 11 (1 ad + 1 im), 12 (1 im), 13 (1 ad + 2 im), 15 (2 ad + 2 im), 16 (2 im), 17-21 (1 ad + 1 im), 22 (1 ad + 2 im), 25-26 (1 ad), 27 (3 ad + 3 im), 28 (1 ad)  
  RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 (1 + 1 dark), 2-3 (1 dark), 4 (1 + 1 dark), 5 (1), 7 (1), 8 (3), 9 (1), 11 (1), 12 (1 + BY 1), 16 (1), 18 (1), 19 (1 + BY 1), 20 (3), 22 (1 dark), 24 (2 + 1 dark), 26 (2), 27 (1 + 1 dark), 28 (3)
     BELTED KINGFISHER: 22 (1)
     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 (1), 2 (5 + BY 1), 3 (1), 4 (4), 5-7 (1), 8-11 (2), 12 (3), 13 (2), 15 (1), 16 (2), 17 (3), 18 (2), 19 (1), 20 (2), 21-22 (1), 24 (1 + BY 1), 25 (1), 26 (4), 27 (1), 28 (2)
     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1 (5 + BY 2), 2-3 (4 + BY 2), 4 (6 + BY 2), 5 (5 + BY 2), 6 (1 + BY 1), 7 (1 + BY 2), 8 (3 + BY 1), 9 (3 + BY 2), 10 (BY 2), 11 (3 + BY 1), 12 (5 + BY 2), 13 (6), 14 (BY 2), 15 (1 + BY 1), 16-17 (2 + BY 2), 18 (4 + BY 1), 19 (1 + BY 2), 20 (4 + BY 1), 21 (4 + BY 1), 22 (2 + BY 2), 23 (BY 3), 24 (5 + BY 3), 25 (3 + BY 2), 26 (8 + BY 1), 27 (2 + BY 2), 28 (13 + BY 1)
     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 4 (1), 24 (BY 1♂)
     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 5 (1), 10 (2), 24 (BY 1♂), 28 (1)
     AMERICAN KESTREL: 1 (1♂)
     BLUE JAY: 1 (5), 2 (2 + BY 1), 4 (4), 5 (2 + BY 1), 7 (3), 8 (7), 9 (1), 11 (1), 12 (3), 13 (3 + BY 1), 18 (6), 19-20 (2), 21 (1), 24 (1 + BY 1), 25 (1), 26 (3), 27 (2), 28 (3)
     AMERICAN CROW: 1 (6 + FY 5), 2 (10 + BY 2), 3 (2 + BY 3), 4 (5 + BY 3), 5 (8 + BY 14), 7 (8 + BY 3), 8 (6 + FY 6), 9 (10 + BY 1), 10 (4), 11 (6 + BY 2), 12 (7 + BY 2), 13 (5 + BY 1), 14 (BY 1), 15 (13 + BY 2), 16 (11 + BY 1), 17 (10 + BY 3), 18 (5 + BY 4), 19 (20), 20 (3 + BY 3), 21 (18), 22 (5), 23 (BY 2), 24 (11 + BY 3), 25 (14 + BY 1), 26 (7), 27 (36 + BY 1), 28 (34 + BY 1)
     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1 (2 + BY 2), 2 (3 + BY 4), 3 (1 + BY 4), 4 (5 + BY 3), 5 (3 + BY 5), 6 (BY 3), 7 (BY 3), 8 (2 + BY 1), 9-10 (1 + BY 1), 11 (3 + BY 2), 12 (3 + BY 4), 13 (4 + BY 2), 14-15 (BY 4), 16 (2 + BY 4), 17 (5 + BY 4), 18 (3 + BY 5), 19 (2 + BY 2), 20 (2 + BY 3), 21 (3 + BY 3), 22 (2 + BY 3), 23 (BY 4), 24 (3 + BY 5), 25 (BY 2), 26 (1 + BY 2), 27 (3 += BY 4), 28 (8 + BY 3)
     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1 (3), 2 (2), 4 (3 + BY 1), 5-7 (1), 8 (5), 9 (1), 10 (3 + BY 1), 11 (2 + BY 1), 12 (4 + BY 1), 13 (3), 15-16 (1), 17 (4), 18 (3), 19 (2), 20 (4), 21 (3), 22 (2 + BY 1), 23 (BY 1), 24 (BY 2), 25 (5), 26-27 (2), 28 (4)
     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1 (12), 2 (6), 3 (9 + BY 4), 4 (4), 5 (5 + BY 6), 7 (4), 8 (9 + FY 1), 9 (7 + FY 2), 10 (4), 11 (19), 12 (11), 13 (34), 16 (12), 17 (17 + BY 5), 18 (19 + BY 4), 19 (108), 20 (12), 21 (17), 22 (3 + BY 8), 23 (BY 1), 24 (3 + BY 13), 25 (33), 26 (20), 27 (29), 28 (27 + BY 3)
     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 (1), 2 (5♂ + 1♀), 3 (2♂ + 1♀), 4 (4), 5 (1♂), 8 (1♂ + 1♀), 10-11 (2), 13 (2♂ + 1♀), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 20-21 (1♂ + 1♀), 26 (1), 28 (2)
     AMERICAN ROBIN: 2 (1), 8 (1), 11 (1), 13 (27), 18 (25), 19 (1), 20 (2), 25 (3), 27 (5 + BY 4), 28 (1)
     HOUSE SPARROW: 1 (17 + BY 2), 2 (6 + BY 7), 3 (BY 7), 4 (12 + BY 2), 5 (7 + BY 3), 6 (4), 7 (7 + BY 1), 8 (17), 9 (6 + BY 1), 10 (2 + BY 3), 11 (16 + BY 2), 12 (19 + BY 2), 13 (20 + BY 4), 14 (BY 5), 15 (1 + BY 1), 16 (3 + BY 2), 17 (3 + BY 12), 18 (9 + BY 5), 19 (8 + BY 1), 20 (12), 21 (16 + BY 1), 22 (2 + BY 3), 24 (5 + BY 6), 25 (18 + BY 5), 26 (14 + BY 3), 27 (31 + BY 3), 28 (25 + BY 7)
     House X Eurasian Tree Sparrow: 9 (BY 1), 26-27 (1)
     EURASIAN TREE SPARROW: 1 (1♀ + 1), 4 (1♀ + 1), 5-8 (1♀), 11 (1♀), 13 (1♀), 19-21 (1♀), 25 (2♀), 26 (1♀), 28 (1♀)
     HOUSE FINCH: 1 (9 + BY 8), 2 (24 + BY 8), 3 (4 + BY 30), 4 (17 + BY 11), 5 (7 + BY 8), 6 (BY 9), 7 (4 + BY 9), 8 (8 + BY 7), 9 (10 + BY 8), 10 (16 + BY 7), 11 (17 + BY 11), 12 (12 + BY 16), 13 (6 + BY 5), 14 (BY 13), 15 (BY 6), 16 (2 + BY 3), 17 (10 + BY 3), 18 (8 + BY 9), 19 (9 + BY 5), 20 (9 + BY 4), 21 (10 + BY 5), 22 (3 + BY 16), 23 (BY 4), 24 (2 + BY 21), 25 (10 + BY 18), 26 (12 + BY 4), 27 (11 + BY 7), 28 (6 + BY 14)
     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1 (2), 2 (1), 3 (2), 4 (6), 8-10 (1), 12 (BY 1), 13 (8), 16 (13), 17 (2), 20 (1), 24 (BY 1), 25 (1)
     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1 (37 + BY 1), 2 (5 + BY 1), 3 (9 + BY 3), 4 (18 + BY 1), 5 (3 + BY 3), 6 (4 + BY 1), 7 (2 + BY 1), 8 (1 + BY 1), 9 (9 + BY 2), 10 (6 + BY 1), 11 (11 + BY 1), 12 (20 + BY 1), 13 (6 + BY 3), 15 (9), 16 (40 + BY 2), 17 (4), 19 (7), 20 (22), 21 (34), 22 (51), 23 (BY 1), 24 (BY 2), 25 (26 + BY 1), 26 (25 + BY 1), 27 (33), 28 (16)
     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1 (11 + BY 3), 2 (3 + BY 2), 3 (7 + BY 11), 4 (9 + BY 3), 5 (BY 5), 6 (5 + BY 1), 7 (BY 4), 8 (12 + BY 2), 9 (3 + BY 2), 10 (14 + BY 5), 11 (1 + BY 6), 12 (BY 5), 13 (BY 4), 14 (BY 6), 15 (BY 9), 16 (4 + BY 5), 17 (6 + BY 3), 18 (3 + BY 3), 19 (1 + BY 2), 20 (BY 1), 21 (2 + BY 9), 22 (1 + BY 6), 23 (BY 4), 24 (2 + BY 14), 25 (3 + BY 6), 26 (9 + BY 3), 27 (11 + BY 8), 28 (8 + BY 5)
     WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 11 (2 ad + 1 im), 12-13 (3 im), 19 (1 im), 20 (1 ad + 3 im), 22 (1 im), 25-26 (2 im), 27 (1 ad + 1 im), 28 (2 im)
     HARRIS’S SPARROW: 1 (BY 2), 3 (1 + BY 4), 6 (BY 3), 7 (BY 1), 10 (BY 1), 12 (BY 1), 14 (BY 3), 15 (BY 1), 16 (BY 2), 18 (BY 1), 21 (BY 4), 23 (BY 1), 24 (BY 7), 28 (BY 1)
     SONG SPARROW: 1 (5), 2 (2), 3 (1), 4 (3), 5 (1)
     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 20 (1♂), 25 (1♂), 26 (7♂), 27 (3♂), 28 (11♂)
     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 26 (2♂)
     Blackbird sp.: 22 (150)
     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1 (3 + BY 11), 2 (3 + BY 5), 2 (2 + BY 11), 4 (6 + BY 4), 5 (8 + BY 10), 6 (BY 5), 7 (1 + BY 2), 8 (7 + BY 2), 9 (2 + BY 3), 10 (2 + BY 5), 11 (8 + BY 3), 12 (6 + BY 3), 13 (5 + BY 4), 14 (BY 5), 15 (2 + BY 10), 16 (2 + BY 5), 17-18 (7 + BY 7), 19 (6 + BY 4), 20 (7 + BY 5), 21 (2 + BY 5), 22 (3 + BY 9), 23 (BY 8), 24 (3 + BY 8), 25 (7 + BY 4), 26 (12 + BY 3), 27 (8 + BY 9), 28 (9 + BY 4)
 
Unless indicated otherwise, the White-tailed Deer were antlerless.  
 MAMMALIAN
     VIRGINIA OPOSSUM: 9 (BY 1)
     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-5, 7-17, 19-21, 23-28
     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-28
     COYOTE: 4 (1)
     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (17 + BY 3), 2 (11 + BY 1♂ + 3), 3 (BY 2), 4 (4♂ + 8 + BY 4), 5 (1 + BY 3), 8 (1), 10 (5 + BY 3), 11 (1 + BY 1), 12 (2), 13 (7), 17 (5 + BY 8), 18 (BY 2), 19 (3 + BY 4), 20 (3 + BY 1), 21 (4), 24 (6), 25 (4), 27 (BY 2)

Wolf. Oesterreich