May 1, 2015: Wolf's April 2015 Wildlife Report

Yellow-rumped Warblers (Myrtle form) are one of the early warbler species in our area. This male was found at the bluff on the 10th. 4/24/15 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
=========

A total of 104 avian species (plus 2 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 7^th highest April (tied with 2006) among 18 years of records.  So far, a total of 117 species have been recorded this year (2 species behind 2014).

Based on citations in the 3^rd Edition of “The Birds of Story County, Iowa,” by Stephen J. Dinsmore and Hank Zaletel (2001), plus my personal updates to the records, the Lark Sparrow on the 18^th may represent a new early extreme Spring record for Story County (old record set on 21 April 2013, also at Ada Hayden HP).

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 55^th Supplement (2014) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 14^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

[I was in California the 2nd through the 5th, thus no or few species recorded.  I had reports of American White Pelicans, but none were present during my excursions.]

AVIAN

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 11 (~125)

     SNOW GOOSE: 17 (1 w)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1, 6-30

     WOOD DUCK: 6 (5+), 7-8 (12+), 9-10, 12 (2♂ + 2♀), 13-14, 16 (10+), 17-18, 20 (2),

                                    23-24 (1♂ + 1♀), 25 (2♂ + 2♀), 26 (8), 27 (2), 28 (1♂)

     GADWALL: 1 (49+), 6 (27+), 7, 8 (49+), 9-11, 13-15, 17 (9+), 18, 23 (4♂ + 2♀), 24 (9),

                                    25 (1♂ + 1♀), 26 (6), 28 (1♂), 30 (2♂ + 2♀)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 1 (1♂ + 1♀), 6 (12+), 10 (6♂ + 1♀), 17 (9)

     MALLARD: 1, 6-30

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 1 (2♂), 6 (51+), 7, 8 (50+), 9-19, 20 (30+), 21-22, 23 (20+), 24 (84+),

                                    25 (16+), 26 (13+), 27 (29+), 28 (17+), 29 (33+), 30 (11+)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 1 (18+), 6 (49+), 7, 8 (44+), 9-11, 12 (48+), 13-15, 16 (26+),

                                    17 (37+), 18, 19 (12+), 20 (10+), 21, 22 (1♂ + 1♀), 23 (2♂ + 2♀),

                                    24 (33+), 25 (1♂), 27 (13), 28-29 (1♂ + 1♀), 30 (8)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 1 (7+), 6 (42+), 7, 8 (12+), 9-19, 23 (4), 25 (1♂ + 1♀),

                                    29-30 (1♂ + 1♀)

     REDHEAD: 1 (2♂ + 1♀), 15 (1♂ + 1♀), 26 (1♂ + 1♀), 29 (1♀)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 1 (4+), 6 (2), 7 (1♂), 8 (2♂ + 1♀), 9, 10 (2♂ + 1♀), 11-14 (1♂)

     LESSER SCAUP: 1 (17+), 6 (43), 7, 8 (6), 9-11, 12 (2♂ + 1♀), 13, 14 (2♂ + 1♀), 16 (12),

                                    17 (5), 23 (29), 24 (2), 27 (3♂), 29 (3♂ + 3♀)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 6 (2♂), 7 (2♂ + 4♀), 8 (4♂ + 5♀), 9 (5♂ + 3♀), 10 (5♂ + 4♀),

                                    11 (1♂ + 2♀), 12 (1♀), 13 (4♀), 14-15 (1♀), 16 (1♂ + 1♀)

     HOODED MEGANSER: 1 (1♂ + 1♀), 10, 11 (1♀), 18 (4♀)

     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 20 (5♀), 21 (1♂), 25 (3♀), 26-27 (2♀), 29-30 (2♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 6 (5), 8 (26), 9, 12-13 (9), 23 (55), 27 (11), 29 (1♂), 30 (10)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 6-23, 24 (1 BY +), 25-30

     COMMON LOON: 9 (1), 18 (1 im), 24 (1 ad)

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1 (2), 6 (1), 7 (3), 8 (1), 9 (65+), 10 (41+), 11 (11), 12 (8), 13 (10+),

                                    14, 15 (1), 16 (8+), 17 (11), 18 (12+), 19 (13+), 20 (8+), 21 (1), 22 (3),

                                    23 (24+), 24 (28+), 25 (5), 26-27 (3), 28 (6), 29 (20+), 30 (13+)

     HORNED GREBE: 13 (1 abp), 20 (1 abp), 26 (2 abp)

     EARED GREBE: 14 (1 abp)

     WESTERN GREBE: 13 (1)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 1 (1), 6 (4), 14 (3), 15 (1), 21 (17), 22 (39), 23 (4),

                                      24 (12)

     AMERICAN BITTERN: 22-23 (1)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 6 (2), 7 (3), 8 (4), 9-10 (2), 12 (2), 13 (1), 14 (3), 16 (1), 17-19 (2),

                                    20 (1), 21 (2), 22 (1), 23-26 (2), 27-28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (1)

     GREAT EGRET: 14 (2-4)

     BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON: 13-15 (1 ad), 26 (1 ad)

     TURKEY VULTURE: 1 (4), 5, 7 (6), 8-9 (1), 10 (11), 11 (3), 12 (2), 13 (10+), 14 (8+), 15 (2),

                                    16 (6), 18 (6), 19 (1), 20 (4), 21 (1), 22 (7), 23 (1), 25-26 (3), 27 (6),

                                    28 (2)

     OSPREY: 8-9 (1), 10 (2), 11-13 (1), 16 (1), 20 (1), 22 (1), 23-24 (2), 25-27 (1), 30 (2)

     BALD EAGLE: 1 (1 ad), 9 (1 im + 1 ad), 10-11 (1 ad), 12 (1 im + 1 ad), 15 (1 ad + 1 im),

                                    20-21 (1 ad), 24 (1 im), 25 (1 ada), 28 (1 ad)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 27 (1 im)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 1 (1), 6-7 (1), 9 (2), 15 (1 ad), 19 (1), 26 (1)

     BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 19 (1)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 (2), 6 (2), 7-9 (1), 10 (2), 11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (1), 14-15 (2), 16 (1),

                                    17 (2), 18-20 (1), 21 (2), 22 (1), 23 (2), 24 (1), 25-26 (2), 27 (1),

                                     28-29 (2), 30 (1)

     SORA: 15 (1), 25 (4), 26 (3), 27 (2), 28-30 (1)

     AMERICAN COOT: 1 (13), 6 (13+), 7 (30+), 8 (148+), 9 (1100-1500), 10 (600+),

                                    11 (<300), 12 (99+), 13-17, 18 (50+), 19, 20 (30+), 21, 22 (20+),

                                    23 (24+), 24-25 (35+), 26 (16+), 27 (15+), 28 (21+), 29 (47+), 30 (19+)

     KILLDEER: 1 (4), 6-8 (3), 9, 10 (2), 11 (3), 12-13 (2), 16-17 (3), 18, 19 (2), 21 (1), 22-23 (2),

                                    24 (1), 26 (1), 28 (2), 29 (1)

     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 24 (1), 25 (2), 30 (1)

     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 17 (1)

     GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 16 (2), 17 (1), 25 (2)

     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 13 (15), 14 (3), 16 (5), 18 (1), 25 (1), 27-29 (2)

     PECTORAL SANDPIPER: 15 (7)

     SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER: 15 (1)

     Sandpiper sp.: 28 (1)

     AMERICAN WOODCOCK: 9 (1)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 7 (2), 8-9 (1), 10 (56), 11 (4+), 12, 15 (4), 18 (1), 25 (1), 27 (1)

     BONAPARTE’S GULL: 1 (1), 7 (1), 9 (1), 12 (4), 15 (15)

     FRANKLIN’S GULL: 8 (5), 20 (1)

     FORSTER’S TERN: 29 (1)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 16-17 (2), 24 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 1, 6-13, 15-28, 30

     CHIMNEY SWIFT: 19 (1)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 20 (1), 30 (1)

     RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 18 (1 ad)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 11-13, 16-19

     YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 9-11 (1♂)

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1, 6-15, 17-21, 24-25, 28, 30

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 11, 17-18

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 6-7 (5), 8 (4), 9 (14), 10 (8), 11 (13), 12, 13 (1),

                                    14-15, 17 (3), 18-19, 24 (2), 29-30 (1)

     MERLIN: 8 (1)

     EASTERN PHOEBE: 8 (2), 9 (1), 10 (3), 11 (1), 13 (1), 17 (1), 25 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 8-9, 11-12, 15-20, 23-30

     AMERICAN CROW: 1, 6-30

     PURPLE MARTIN: 11 (3), 12-14 (4), 15 (6), 16-23, 25-30

     TREE SWALLOW: 1, 6-30

     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 15 (1), 18-21, 24-25, 27

     BANK SWALLOW: 20 (1), 25 (1)

     BARN SWALLOW: 19 (1), 20-25, 28-30

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1, 6-19, 21, 23-28, 30

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1, 7, 24

     HOUSE WREN: 18 (1), 26 (1), 29 (1)

     MARSH WREN: 26 (2)

     GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 10 (3), 11 (1)

     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 9 (3), 10 (6), 11 (3), 18 (3), 20-21 (2), 22 (7), 23 (1), 24 (9+),

                                    25 (1 BY + 7), 26-27 (2), 29 (2)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 6 (1♂ + 1♀), 7 (1♀), 8 (1♂). 10 (2♂ + 1♀), 14-15 (1♂ + 1♀),

                                    17 (2♂), 20 (1♂), 23 (2), 24 (1♂), 28-29 (1♂), 30 (1♂ + 2♀)

     HERMIT THRUSH: 9 (1 BY + 8), 10 (5), 11 (2), 13 (1), 19 (1), 21 (1), 23 (1), 26 (4), 29 (2),

                                    30 (1)

     Thrush ap.: 18 (1)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1, 5-30

     BROWN THRASHER: 14 (1), 16 (3), 17 (1 BY + 3), 18 (3), 19 (1 BY + 2), 20 (1 BY), 22 (1),

                                    24-25 (1 BY), 27-28 (1), 29-30 (2)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1, 6-9, 11-15, 17-24, 26-28

     CEDAR WAXWING: 12 (2), 13 (1)

     ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 24 (2)

     PALM WARBLER: 24 (3), 29 (1)

     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 9 (3+), 10 (21), 11 (5+), 13 (2), 14-16 (1), 17 (4+),

                                    18, 19 (20+), 21 (1), 22 (3), 23 (5+), 24, 25 (2), 26 (1), 27 (3), 29 (1)

     EASTERN TOWHEE: 24 (1♂ BY), 25 (1♂ BY + 1♂), 26 (1♂ BY)

     CHIPPING SPARROW: 13-14 (1), 17-26, 28-30

     FIELD SPARROW: 11 (1), 16 (1), 17 (3), 18-19 (2), 20 (1), 26 (1), 28 (2), 30 (1)

     VESPER SPARROW: 1 (3), 10 (2), 24 (1)

     LARK SPARROW: 18 (1)

     SAVANNAH SPARROW: 29 (1)

     FOX SPARROW: 9 (14+), 10 (4 BY + 3), 11 (2 BY + 3)

     SONG SPARROW: 1, 6-30

     SWAMP SPARROW: 1 (3), 7-8 (1), 9-10 (2), 11 (1 + 1 BY), 15 (4), 16 (1), 17 (8+), 18 (3+),

                                   19 (2), 20 (1), 23 (4+), 24 (8+), 25 (4), 26-27 (2), 29-30 (2)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 18 (3 BY), 19 (2 + 2 BY), 23 (1 BY), 24 (12+ BY + 4+),

                                    25 (9 BY + 12+), 26-30

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1, 6 (2), 7, 8 (1 BY), 9-12, 13 (2)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1, 5-30

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1, 6-30

     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 6, 8 (3), 9-11, 13-14, 16, 18-20, 23-28, 30

     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 1 (7), 7 (8), 8 (1), 13 (2)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 1, 5-30

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 6 (1♂ BY), 9 (43+), 11-14, 16-19, 21, 24-30

     PURPLE FINCH: 1 (1♀ BY), 8 (1♀ BY), 16 (1♀), 25 (2♀ BY)

     HOUSE FINCH: 1, 6-30

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1, 6, 8, 10-21, 23-30

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1, 6-30

MAMMALIAN

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 6 (4), 7 (5), 10 (10), 13 (1), 16 (17), 17 (9 + 4 BY), 21 (5), 23 (10),

                                    27 (3), 30 (1)

     FOX SQUIRREL: 1, 7-12, 16-20, 23-24, 26, 29

     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 11 (1), 18-19 (1), 22 (1), 27 (1)

     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 14 (1), 26 (1)

     MUSKRAT: 7-8 (1)

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1, 6-30

REPTILIAN

     PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 13 (1), 15 (2), 17 91), 20 (1), 28 (2)

     COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE: 1 (1), 13 (1)

     NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 1, 10-23, 26-30

     SPINY SOFTSHELL TURTLE: 27-28 (1), 30 (1)

AMPHIBIAN

     AMERICAN TOAD: 13, 16-19, 28-30

     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 1, 6-7, 9-30

     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 10, 12 (1), 13, 15-19, 21, 28, 30

     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 8 (5+), 12 (1), 13-17, 19-20, 22-23, 26-30

LEPIDOPTERA

     BLACK SWALLOWTAIL: 17 (1)

     CABBAGE WHITE: 13 (1), 16-17, 23, 26-30

     Sulphur sp.: 27, 29

     PEARL CRESCENT: 30 (1)

     EASTERN COMMA: 1 (1), 13 (1)

     MOURNING CLOAK: 1 (1), 11 (1), 27-29 (1), 30 (2)

     RED ADMIRAL:

     WOOLLY BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth): 1 (1)

ODONATA

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 1 (1 tandem pair + 2♂), 11 (2), 13 (1), 14-18, 23, 27-30

     VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK: 15 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich