Saturday, April 5, 2014

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

No comments:

Post a Comment