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
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