Apr 7, 2014: Erv's Field Notes 64B

Northern Shoveler 4/1/13 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Monday, April 7, 2014, 2:00 pm. 
I parked in the north lot and walked up the trail to Jensen’s Pond. I counted 19 Shoveller ducks, two pair of Mallards and one male Bufflehead. Last year in April, I reported observing Shovellers feeding on the South Lake in large compact groups of 40-50 individuals. Shovellers feed by filtering micro-crustaceans from the surface of the water with their big bills that are adapted for this kind of foraging. It was unusual to see other species that are not adapted for this kind of feeding trying to mimic the Shovellers Today, most of the Shovellers were loafing on the bank or standing on logs at the west end of the pond. Four pairs, each consisting of a male and female, were feeding in the manner I described above but not clumped together. Instead, each pair was swimming in a tight circle about 3 feet in diameter. I watched them for about 30 minutes and they were still feeding when I left.
I saw no dragonflies or painted turtles. The bark on the sumac around the overlook to the east of the pond has been fed on extensively by cottontail rabbits over the winter. I heard and saw Ring-necked Pheasants in the prairie down the hill and Red-winged Blackbirds are staking out territories. As I walked back to the car I spotted an Eared Grebe on the north lake.
Erv Klaas

Apr 6, 2014: Erv's Filed Notes 64A

Song Sparrow numbers have increased considerably.  From just individuals a few weeks ago, one can encounter 20 or more in groups along the trails, especially near the Upland Trail's south trailhead. 4/5/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Sunday, April 6, 2014, 4:00 pm. Sunny, windy, Temperature 50 degrees F.
I feel like I am coming out of hibernation. The long cold winter has finally moderated to a point where I feel like getting outside. I parked in the southwest parking lot and walked up the west side of the park along the upland trail. I then took a dirt path over to the two wetland ponds that are nestled among the willows. The ponds were full of ducks. I identified Mallards, Shoveller, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, and Ring-necked Duck. A Great Blue Heron flew over and landed out of sight to the east. The scene was very colorful with the bright sun glistening off the iridescent red, green, blue and white plumages of the ducks swimming on the blue water. The vegetation is still brown with little sign of greening. It was good to see these ponds full of water.
Erv Klaas

Apr 5, 2014: Jensen Pond

An eastward view across Jensen Pond.  Last year there was still some snow on the ground and more ice covering the pond.  See more photos of Jensen Pond over time here.  3/30/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Apr 4, 2014: Sunset Rays

The sun casts its rays through the clouds over the north lake. 4/4/14 (Kevin Kane)

Apr 3, 2014: Wolf's March Wildlife Report

Brown Creepers are small brown birds (5.25") that search for insects (including larva) in bark crevasses.  They tend to start near the bottom of a tree trunk, work their way upwards, and then fly off to another tree, starting over near the bottom.  They are almost constantly in motion. 4/1/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

A total of 69 avian species (plus 2 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month (also tied with 2005 and 2010) as the 6th highest March among 17 years of records.

The following species were First-of-Year records: Greater White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose, Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck. Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, American Coot, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, American Kestrel, Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Brown Creeper, Swainson’s Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, Common Grackle, and Brown-headed Cowbird

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 single Swainson’s Thrush found on the 31st may represent a new extreme early Spring record (former record set on 19 April 2008 at this Park) for Story County.

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).  The order follows the 54th Supplement (2013) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 13th Supplement to the 7th Edition (1998).

AVIAN
     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 3 (3), 11 (~41), 13 (8), 14 (153+), 16 (300+), 17 (10),
                                    18 (~75), 19 (~60), 21 (~40), 22 (~150), 23 (150+), 24 (52+), 30 (~30)
     SNOW GOOSE: 1 (1w), 3-12 (1w), 13 (1w + 3b), 14-17 (1w), 21-22 (1 im), 24 (5), 26 (1w ad)
     ROSS’S GOOSE: 16 (1 w)
     CACKLING GOOSE: 13 (12+), 16-17, 23
     CANADA GOOSE: 1-31
     TRUMPETER SWAN: 8 (2 ad), 25 (2 ad)
     WOOD DUCK: 14 (6♂ + 2♀), 16, 18 (2♂), 20 (2♂ + 1♀), 22 (1♂ + 1♀), 26
     GADWALL: 15 (2♂ + 1♀), 16 (3♂ + 1♀), 18 (2♂ + 2♀), 20 (1♂ + 1♀), 22 (9), 23-26, 28 (6),
                                    29 (2♂ + 1♀)
     AMERICAN WIGEON: 12 (1♂), 16 (2♂ + 2♀), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 20 (2♂ + 1♀), 22 (2♂ + 2♀),
                                    24 (3♂ + 3♀), 25 (1♂ + 1♀), 29 (1♂ + 1♀)
     MALLARD: 1-26, 28-31
     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 25 (5), 28 (2♂ + 2♀), 29 (2♂ + 1♀), 30-31 (2♂ + 2♀)
     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 29 (5), 31
     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 1 (1♂), 3-9 (1♂), 12 (20+ ♂/♀), 14 (15 ♂/♀), 15 (5 ♂/♀), 16 (6♂ + 2♀),
                                    18 (8 ♂/♀), 20 (2♂ + 1♀), 22 (6), 23-25, 28 (5♂ + 2♀), 29, 30 (1♂)
     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 15 (2♂ + 1♀), 16 (7♂ + 2♀), 17 (14+ ♂/♀), 20 (2♂ + 1♀), 21 (1♂), 22-23,
                                    25-26, 28 (29+), 29 (20+), 30 (11), 31
     CANVASBACK: 15 (6♂ + 2♀), 16 (9♂ + 1♀), 17 (3♂ + 1♀), 18 (11♂ + 4♀), 19 (5+ ♂/♀), 20 (4♂ + 2♀),
                                    21 (30+), 22-26, 28-29 (1♂), 31 (1♂)
     REDHEAD: 12 (6♂ + 4♀), 14 (3♂ + 2♀), 15 (25+ ♂/♀), 16 (15+), 18 (5+), 19 (5♂), 20 (2♂ + 1♀),
                                    21 (1♂ + 1♀), 22-24
     RING-NECKED DUCK: 10 (2♂ + 2♀), 13-14 (1♂ + 2♀), 15-16 (75+ ♂/♀), 17 (100+), 18 (125+),
                                    19-20 (100+), 21, 22-26, 28 (2♂ + 2♀), 29 (2♂)
     LESSER SCAUP: 14 (5♂ + 4♀), 15 (5+ ♂/♀), 16 (1♂), 17 (5+), 18 (12+ ♂/♀), 19 (50+), 20-21 (20+),
                                    22-26, 28 (24+), 29 (30+), 30-31
     BUFFLEHEAD: 22-25 (2♂), 26 (1♂), 29 (1♂)
     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 12 (1♂), 14 (1♂ + 1♀), 19 (4♂ + 2♀), 31 (2♂)
     HOODED MERGANSER: 11 (1♂), 12 (7♂ + 2♀), 14 (2♂ + 1♀), 17 (9♂ + 6♀), 18 (8♂ + 3♀), 19 (2♂),
                                    22-24, 25 (1♂ + 1♀), 26 (2♂ + 2♀), 28 (2♂ + 2♀), 29 (14♂ + 4♀)
     COMMON MERGANSER: 21 (1♂ + 1♀), 23 (3♂)
     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 6, 9 (1♂ BY), 10, 12-15, 16 (1♂ BY + 4), 17-21, 22 (1♂ BY), 24,
                                    25 (1♂ BY + ), 28-31
     GREAT BLUE HERON: 17 (1), 18-19 (3), 21 (1), 23-26 (2), 28 (6), 30 (1), 31 (2)
     TURKEY VULTURE: 22 (1), 28 (1), 31 (7)
     BALD EAGLE: 1 (1 im), 3 (1 ad + 1 im), 7 (1 ad + 1 im), 14 (2 ad + 1 im), 15 (1 ad), 16 (11 ad + 11 im
                                    + 3 unknown age), 17 (1 ad), 18 (2 ad), 20 (1 ad), 22 (1 ad), 24 (1 4-year-old),
                                    25 (1 ad)
     NORTHERN HARRIER: 25 (1 brown)
     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 16 (1 ad), 18 (1), 19 (1 ad)
     COOPER’S HAWK: 11 (1 im BY), 12 (1 BY), 13 (2), 16 (1 im + 1 ad)
     Accipiter sp.: 30 (1)
     RED-TAILED HAWK: 3 (1), 4 (2), 5 (1), 6 (2), 7 (1), 10 (2), 16 (3), 17 (1), 18 (2), 20 (2), 21 (1), 22 (2),
                                    23-24 (1), 25 (3), 26 (2), 28 (3), 29-30 (2), 31 (1)
     Buteo sp.: 26 (1)
     AMERICAN COOT: 16 (1), 18 (1), 20 (1), 25 (1), 31 (1)
     KILLDEER: 14 (1), 15 (3), 18-19 (1), 21 (2), 22-23 (1), 25 (1), 29-31 (1)
     RING-BILLED GULL: 18 (11), 21 (26+), 22 (4+), 23 (7+), 24 (2), 26 (3), 28 (5), 29, 30 (5), 31 (~30)
     HERRING GULL: 18 (1), 21 (2), 23 (1)
     ROCK PIGEON: 22 (4)
     MOURNING DOVE: 2 (1 BY), 8 (1), 10 (1), 14 (1), 15, 18, 21 (2 BY), 23 (3), 27-30
     BELTED KINGFISHER: 10 (1), 14 (1)
     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 4, 6, 9, 25
     YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 31 (1)
     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1-6, 8-20, 22-23, 26-28, 31
     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 6, 16, 22-23
     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 3 (1)
     AMERICAN KESTREL: 23 (1♀)
     EASTERN PHOEBE: 31 (1)
     NORTHERN SHRIKE: 5 (1), 8 (1), 19 (1), 28 (1)
     BLUE JAY: 1-2, 8-9, 21, 23-24, 28-30
     AMERICAN CROW: 1-31
     TREE SWALLOW: 30 (3), 31 (5)
     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-11, 13-31
     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 6, 13-17, 23, 25, 29, 31
     BROWN CREEPER: 31 (1)
     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 14 (2), 16 (3♂ + 3♀), 17 (4♂ + 2♀), 18 (9♂ + 2♀), 21 (1♂), 23 (3♂ + 2♀),
                                    24 (3♂ + 3♀), 26 (2♂), 28 (3♂)
     SWAINSON’S THRUSH: 31 (1)
     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-31
     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1-31
     CEDAR WAXWING: 1 (11 BY)
     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1-9, 11-16, 17 (3), 18 (~12), 19, 20 (4), 21 (10+), 22-23, 24 (1), 25-26,
                                    28-31
     FOX SPARROW: 31 (5)
     SONG SPARROW: 3-9 (1), 14 (1), 18 91), 21 (1), 23 (3), 25 (4), 28 (4), 29-31
     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1-31
     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Oregon): 9 (1 BY)
     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-31
     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 9 (1♂ BY), 10 (1♂ BY + many more), 11 (5♂ BY), 12 (4♂ BY), 13-17,
                                    18 (+ first ♀’s), 19-31
     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 28 (1)
     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 29 (2♂)
     COMMON GRACKLE: 15 (2 BY), 17 (1), 18-31
     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 16 (11♂), 18, 27, 29 (4♂), 31 (3)
     HOUSE FINCH: 1-31
     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 14-15 (1 BY), 16 (1 BY + 1), 17 (1 BY), 19 (1 BY), 23 (2), 27, 31
     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-13, 15-31

MAMMALIAN
     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 2 (4 BY), 3 (16 + 1♂), 4 (1), 10 (3 BY + 2), 12 (12 + 3 BY), 13 (11), 14 (3),
                                    16 (2), 17 (13+), 18 (3), 19 (4), 20 (6), 23 (6 + 2 BY), 24 (6)
     FOX SQUIRREL: 1-5, 8-9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 22, 26-31
     MEADOW VOLE: 4 (1)
     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-10, 12, 14-18, 20-30

AMPHIBIAN
     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 13, 20 (1), 31

Wolf. Oesterreich

Apr 2, 2014: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Monday's storm passed through rather quickly. I was up on the upland Trail when it hit, splattering me with cold raindrops and some hail. These trees by Jensen Pond are lit up by the sun with the darkness of the storm in the background. 3/31/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Apr 1, 2014: Crashing Waves

With the strong winds blowing across the north lake, waves were crashing up against the rip-rap. 3/31/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)