Jan 4, 2019: Great Blue Heron

This Great Blue Heron has been present all month and ties the late record for the Park set on the 31st of December in 2015.  Lately, the heron has been found on or below Weir N.  The heron also spends some time along the South Skunk River (seen flying from the river to the Park). (Wolf. Oesterreich, 12/31/18)

Jan 3, 2019: Caught in the Downpour

The wind driven rain streaks across the south lake, making it look more like a linear plowed field.  The storm kicked up quickly soaking a lot of walkers getting out on a warm afternoon. (Kevin Kane, 12/27/18)

Jan 2, 2019: Herring Gull

This subadult Herring Gull was photographed at the park on December 28th. It is a rare bird locally, and this particular individual was quite late. There is an early January 1998 record from AHHP, but otherwise the few records are from Nov-Dec. (Steve Dinsmore, 12/28/18)

Jan 1, 2019: Wolf's December 2018 Wildlife Report

An immature male Northern Harrier and sometimes a female have been sighted at the Park throughout the month.  Note the "owl-like" face and white "rump".  Harriers hunt low over the grasslands, searching for rodents. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 12/12/18)

A total of 52 avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 6^th highest among 22 years of records.  This total is 14 species less than last month and 2 species more than December 2017.  December 2016, with 67 species remains as the highest December.  December 1997, only a partial month, has the lowest total with 12 species.  If you disregard that month, then December 2003, with 27 species, is 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 59^th Supplement (2018) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 18^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

     SNOW GOOSE: 12-14 (1 w)

     ROSS’S GOOSE: 2 (1 w), 5-15 (1 w), 17 (1 w)

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 6 (12), 7 (29), 8 (20+), 9 (1), 10-11 (11+),

          12 (19+), 13 (10), 14 (15), 15 (25), 16 (6), 17 (33), 18 (21), 20 (13), 21 (16), 22 (14),

          23 (17), 24 (19), 25 (21), 26 (33), 27 (24), 28 (19), 30 (36), 31 (31)

     CACKLING GOOSE: 2 (6+), 3 (10+), 5 (32+), 6 (19+), 7 (25+), 8-12 (20+), 13 (16+),

          14 (30+), 15 (150), 16-18, 20-26, 30 (4+), 31

     CANADA GOOSE: 2-14, 15 (4676), 16-18, 20-28, 30-31

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 6 (39), 7 (35), 8 (36), 9 (32), 11 (50), 12 (68), 13 (26+),

          14-15 (69), 16 (2), 24 (31 ad), 26 (21), 28 (2), 30-31 (31)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 30-31 (1♀)

     GADWALL: 2 (3), 3 (7), 4 (9), 5 (2), 6 (9), 7 (2), 8 (1), 15 (2)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 9 (1♂), 11 (1♀)

     MALLARD: 2-14, 15 (382), 16-18, 20-28, 30-31

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 2-5 (2♂), 6 (5♂)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 3-4 (1♂), 5 (3♂), 6 (2♂), 7 (2), 8 (3), 9 (2), 10 (3♂)

     LESSER SCAUP: 11 (1♀), 30-31 (1♀)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 2-6 (1♀)

     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 2 (1♀), 4-5 (1♂), 6 (1), 7-8 (1♂ + 1♀), 9-10 (3♀), 24 (1♂)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 6 (1♀)

     COMMON MERGANSER: 2 (1♀), 6 (1♀), 9 (2♂)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 4 (2), 5 (1), 27 (2)

     MOURNING DOVE: 15, 23 (1 BY), 24 (2)

     AMERICAN COOT: 2-5 (3), 7 (3), 8 (4), 9 (3), 30 (1)

     HERRING GULL: 25 (1), 28 (1)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 2 (1), 3 (1-2), 5-9 (1), 12-15 (1), 17-18 (1), 20-21 (1), 24-28 (1),

          30-31 (1)

     NORTHERN HARRIER: 2 (1 ♀/im), 5 (1 ♀/im), 8 (1 ♀/im), 11 (1 im ♂),

          12 (1 im ♂ + 1♀), 17-18 (1 im ♂), 21 (1 im ♂), 24 (1 im ♂ + 1♀), 25 (1 im ♂)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 28 (1 BY), 31 (1 ad)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 9 (1 ad BY), 30 (1 ad BY), 31 (1 ad)

     BALD EAGLE: 3 (1 ad), 4 (2 ad + 1 im), 5 (1 ad), 6 (1 ad + 1 im), 8 (1 ad + 2 im),

         9 (2 ad), 11 (2 ad), 12 (1 im), 13 (1 ad), 14-15 (2 ad), 16 (1 ad), 20 (1 ad + 1 im),

         21 (1 ad), 22 (2 ad + 1 im), 24-26 (1 ad), 27 (3 ad + 2 im), 28 (3 ad + 1 im),

         30 (1 ad + 2 im), 31 (3 ad + 1 im)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 2 (1), 5-6 (2), 8-9 (2), 12 (2), 14 (2), 15, 16 (1), 22 (1), 26 (1),

          30 (2), 31 (3)

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 7 (2 BY), 23 (1 BY)

     BARRED OWL: 15 (1), 17 (1), 26 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 5-6 (2), 7-8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (1), 12 (1), 14 (1), 15,

          16-17 (1), 20 (1), 22-24 (1), 26 (1), 30-31 (1)

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 2-5, 7-13, 15-17, 20-28, 30-31

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 4-5 (1), 12 (1), 22 (1), 24 (2)

     BLUE JAY: 3-5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 22, 24-27, 30-31

     AMERICAN CROW: 2-3, 5-12, 14-18, 20-28, 30-31

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 2-11, 13-16, 21-28, 30-31

     RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 22 (1)

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 5 (5), 8-9 (1), 12 (1), 14 (1), 15, 16 (1), 18 (2),

          22-25 (1)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 23 (1), 25 (1)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 5, 8-9, 15-18, 22, 24 (200+), 28

     CEDAR WAXWING: 23 (11)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 2-11, 13-18, 20-28, 30-31

     HOUSE FINCH: 2-5, 7-10, 13-18, 20-28, 30-31

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 5 (6), 8 (4), 15-16, 20 (1), 23, 26 (1 BY), 28 (2), 31 (1)

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 2-17, 20-28, 31

     SONG SPARROW: 2 (3), 3 (2+), 4-6 (1), 9 (1), 12 (1), 14 (2), 15 (3), 16 (1), 18 (1),

          21 (1), 23 (2), 24 (1), 26 (2), 27 (3), 30 (2)

     SWAMP SPARROW: 2 (1), 4 (4+), 5 (1), 6-7 (2), 8-9 (1), 10 (3), 12-13 (3), 14 (4),

          15 (3), 16-17 (2), 18 (1), 20-21 (2), 22 (1), 23 (3), 24 (1), 26 (4), 30 (2)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 5 (1 BY), 23 (1 BY), 28 (1 BY), 31 (1 BY)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 2-18, 20-28, 30-31

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 16 (86)

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 16 (1♂)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 26 (1 BY)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 2-18, 20-28, 30-31

Unless indicated otherwise, the White-tailed Deer were antlerless.  The yearlings were just about the same size as the adults.

MAMMALIAN

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 2, 5-6, 9, 13-15, 19, 21, 24-26, 28

     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 2-11, 13-18, 20, 22-28, 30-31

     MEADOW VOLE: 8 (1)

     COMMON MUSKRAT: 8 (1), 14-15 (1)

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 3 (3 BY + 14), 4 (3 + 1♂), 5 (3), 6 (1 BY), 7 (5 + 1♂), 11 (8),

          14 (3 BY + 16), 15 (7), 17 (3), 18 (6), 23 (7), 26 (1), 27 (4), 28 (3), 31 (2)

LEPIDOPTERA

     WOOLLY BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth): 13-14 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich