Tuesday, May 10, 2016

May 10, 2016: Wolf's April 2016 Wildlife Report


Many of the kinglets passed through earlier in the month, especially the Golden-crowned Kinglet (left).  The Ruby-crowned Kinglet (right) can still be found in May.  The "ruby crown" is just barely visible on this bird.  Usually the "ruby crown" is more visible when the bird is agitated.  Both species are constantly on the move. 4/11/16 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

A total of 115 avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 3rd highest April among 19 years of records.  April 2013 with 122 species remains as the highest April, while April 1998 with 61 species is the lowest.  So far, a total of 126 species have been recorded this year (9 species more than in 2015).

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 Warbling Vireo on the 24th may represent a new early extreme Spring record for Story County (old record set on 25 April 1990 at Brookside Park).  The Cliff Swallows on the 22nd may also set a new extreme early Spring record (old record set on 25 April 1982 at Hendrickson Marsh).

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

[I left for California on the 14th and returned on the 18th.]

AVIAN
     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 1 (14), 8 (39), 9 (11), 10 (35), 11-12 (72), 13 (55),
          19 (21), 20 (23), 21 (17), 22 (21)
     CANADA GOOSE: 1-14, 18-30
     TRUMPETER SWAN: 3 (2 ad)
     WOOD DUCK: 2 (1♂), 3 (1♂ + 1♀), 4 (6), 5 (1♂ + 1♀), 6 (7), 7 (1), 9 (18), 10 (2), 12,
          13 (3), 19 (5), 20 (6), 21 (2), 22 (2♂ + 1♀), 26 (1♂), 27 (3♂ + 2♀), 29 (5♂),
          30 (2♂ + 1♀)
     GADWALL: 1 (11+), 2 (3), 3 (4), 4 (17), 6 (47), 7 (26+), 9 (26+), 10 (4), 11-12 (6), 13 (4),
          14 (13), 19 (9), 21 (1), 22 (3), 24 (9), 25 (12), 27 (8), 28 (3), 29 (6), 30 (9)
     AMERICAN WIGEON: 6 (1♂ + 2♀), 10 (6), 24 (7)
     MALLARD: 1-14, 19-30
     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 1 (6+), 2 (10+), 4-5 (9+), 6 (26+), 7 (9+), 8 (2), 9 (13), 10 (31+),
          11 (17+), 12 (7+), 13 (20+), 14 (4), 19 (50+), 20 (20+), 21-22 (25+), 23 (27+), 24 (33+),
          25 (12+), 26 (15+), 27 (7), 28 (15+), 29 (21+), 30 (5+)
     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 1 (33+), 2 (36+), 3 (10), 4 (30+), 5 (26+), 6 (127+), 7 (136+),
          8 (114+), 9 (30), 10 (59+), 11 (51+), 12 (56+), 13 (25+), 14 (38), 19 (47), 20 (12+),
          21 (23+), 22 (32+), 23 (34+), 24 (36+), 25 (38+), 26 (16+), 28 (29), 29 (16+),  30 (3)
     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 1 (11+), 2 (16+), 3 (3), 4 (14+), 5 (2), 6 (83+), 7 (33+), 8 (47+),
          9 (89+), 10 (14+), 11 (18+), 12 (15+), 13 (4), 14 (8), 19 (6), 20 (5)
     CANVASBACK: 4 (1♂)
     REDHEAD: 6 (2♂), 8 (14)
     RING-NECKED DUCK: 1 (13+), 2-3 (1♂), 4 (2♂ + 1♀), 5 (10), 6 (4♂ + 1♀), 7 (4), 8 (14+),
          9 (9+), 10 (13+), 11 (5+), 12 (10+), 13 (9), 14 (1♂), 19-20 (1♂), 24 (2♂ + 1♀)
     LESSER SCAUP: 1 (12+), 2 (11), 4 (20), 5 (48), 6 (112+), 7 (84+), 8 (19), 9 (2), 13 (32),
          22 (1♂ + 1♀), 24 (3♂ + 3♀)
     BUFFLEHEAD: 3 (1♂ + 1♀), 5 (4♂ + 1♀), 6 (3♂ + 3♀), 7-8 (1♂ + 1♀), 12 (1♂ + 2♀),
          13 (2♂)
     HOODED MEGANSER: 2 (1♂ + 1♀), 4-5 (1♀), 6 (4♂ + 13♀), 8 (6), 9 (2♂ + 3♀),
          10 (3♂ + 3♀), 11 (1♂ + 3♀), 13-14 (1♂ + 1♀), 19 (1♀), 22 (1♀)
     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 5 (1♂ + 3♀), 8 (2♀), 21 (2♀), 27-28 (1♂ + 1♀),
          29 (1♂ + 2♀)
     RUDDY DUCK: 1 (2), 4 (6), 6 (12), 7 (8), 8 (1), 9-10 (2), 11 (1♀)
     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1, 2 (1♂ BY), 4 (+ 1♂ BY), 5, 6-7 (+ 1♂ BY), 8-9,
          10-11 (+ 1♂ BY), 12-13, 14 (+ 1♂ BY), 19-22, 23 (1♂ BY +), 24-25, 26 (1♂ BY +),
          27-29, 30 (1♂ BY +)
     COMMON LOON: 4 (2 abp), 5 (1 im), 7-8 (1 abp), 10 (1 abp), 11 (2 abp), 12 (1 abp),
          23 (1 abp), 27 (2 abp + 1 im)
     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1 (8), 2-3 (2), 4 (8), 5 (13), 6 (37), 7 (101+), 8 (32+), 9 (31+),
          10 (18), 11 (26), 12 (7), 13 (3), 14 (1), 19 (16), 20 (5), 22 (8), 23 (2), 24 (7), 26 (22),
           27 (3), 28 (6), 29 (9), 30 (2)
     HORNED GREBE: 8-9 (1 abp), 19 (4 abp)
     EARED GREBE: 14 (1)
     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 3 (31+), 4 (9), 12 (1), 20 (3), 29 (1)
     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 24 (17)
     GREAT BLUE HERON: 2-3 (1), 4-5 (2), 7 (1), 9 (2), 10 (3), 11 (2), 12-13 (1), 19-20 (2),
          23 (1), 25 (1), 26 (2), 27-29 (1), 30 (2)
     GREAT EGRET: 19 (1), 20 (3), 21-22 (1), 23 (2), 24 (1), 25 (2), 26 (4), 27 (6), 28 (2),
          29 (4), 30 (1)
     GREEN HERON: 22 (1), 30 (1)
     TURKEY VULTURE: 1 (9+), 2 (20+), 3 (2), 4 (1), 5 (12+), 6 (10+), 7 (3), 8 (6), 9 (3),
          10-11 (10), 12 (1), 13 (4), 19 (1), 20 (3), 22 (2), 23 (1), 24 (2), 25 (1), 26 (5), 27 (7),
          28 (6), 29 (7), 30 (2)
     OSPREY: 3 (1), 5 (1), 8-10 (1), 12-13 (1), 23 (1), 27-28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (3)
     BALD EAGLE: 6 (1 ad), 10 (2 ad), 29 (1 im)
     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 8 (1)
     COOPER’S HAWK: 10 (1), 21 (1), 28 (1)
     BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 24 (4), 26 (1), 28 (2)
     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 (2), 2 (1), 3 (3), 4 (2), 5 (3), 6-7 (1), 8 (2), 9 (1), 10 (3), 11 (2),
          12-13 (1), 14 (2), 19 (2), 20 (3), 21 (2), 22 (3), 23 (2), 24-25 (1), 26-30 (2)
     SORA: 19 (1)
     AMERICAN COOT: 1 (46+), 2 (14+), 3 (10), 4 (26+), 5 (9+), 6 (172+), 7 (61+), 8 (73+),
          9 (64+), 10 (61+), 11 (43+), 12 (54+), 13 (42+), 14 (14), 19 (34), 20 (11), 21 (2),
          22 (15), 23 (7), 24 (9), 25 (5), 26 (11), 27-28 (3), 29 (4)
     KILLDEER: 10 (1), 13 (3), 19 (3), 20-23 (1), 25-29 (1)
     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 19 (1), 27 (6), 28 (1), 29 (3), 30 (1)
     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 19 (1), 20 (2), 26-27 (1), 29 (1)
     GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 10 (2), 22 (2), 25 (5), 26 (6), 27 (3)
     WILLET: 27 (18)
     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 10 (5), 21 (1), 25 (3), 26 (1), 27 (6), 28 (9), 29 (14)
     MARBLED GODWIT: 27 (1)
     LEAST SANDPIPER: 19 (4), 27 (2)
     PECTORAL SANDPIPER: 19 (7), 20-21 (1), 24 (1), 25 (8)
     LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER: 21 (1), 27 (2)
     WILSON’S SNIPE: 4 (2), 10 (6), 13 (5), 19 (2)
     RING-BILLED GULL: 3 (52+), 6 (10), 7 (36), 8 (10), 13 (1), 21 (1), 29 (3)
     BONAPARTE’S GULL: 13 (1)
     FORSTER’S TERN: 27 (6), 29 (2)
     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 9 (1), 14 (1), 18-20 (1), 22-23 (1), 24 (2), 25 (1), 27 (1),
          29-30 (1)
     MOURNING DOVE: 1-5, 7, 9-14, 19-25, 27-30
     BARRED OWL: 27 (1)
     CHIMNEY SWIFT: 28 (1), 29 (6)
     BELTED KINGFISHER: 7 (2), 22 (1), 24 (1)
     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 3-4, 9-10, 12, 14, 19-20, 22, 24, 28
     YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 10 (1 BY)
     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1, 3, 5-7, 9-12, 14, 22-24
     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 1, 11, 14, 25, 27
     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 2 (2), 3 (3), 4 (2), 5 (3), 7 (2), 8 (6), 9 (5),
          10-11 (3), 12-13 (1), 19, 21 (2), 22 (3), 24 (1), 26 (2), 27 (1), 29 (2), 30 (1)
     NORTHERN FLICKER (Red-shafted): 6 (1)
     AMERICAN KESTREL: 2 (1♂), 8 (1♀)
     PEREGRINE FALCON: 29-30 (1)
     EASTERN PHOEBE: 6-7 (1), 9 (2), 10-11 (4), 14 (1), 21 (1), 27 (1)
     WARBLING VIREO: 24 (1), 25 (2), 26 (1), 28 (2), 29 (1)
     BLUE JAY: 6-7, 9-10, 14, 19-27, 29-30
     AMERICAN CROW: 1, 3-4, 6, 8-14, 19-28, 30
     PURPLE MARTIN: 10 (2), 11 (1♂ + 1♀), 12 (1), 13-14 (3), 19-30
     TREE SWALLOW: 1 (1), 3 (6), 4 (5), 5 (1), 6-7 (3), 9 (2), 10 (4), 11 (5), 12 (12), 13 (15+),
          14, 19-30
     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 19 (1), 27, 29
     BANK SWALLOW: 22 (1), 29 (1)
     CLIFF SWALLOW: 22, 27, 29-30
     BARN SWALLOW: 24 (1), 27-30
     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-14, 19, 21-26, 28-29
     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 9-10, 13, 22-23, 25
     BROWN CREEPER: 10 (1)
     HOUSE WREN: 24 (1 BY), 25 (1), 27-28
     WINTER WREN: 27 (1)
     BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER: 27 (1)
     GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 9 (1), 10 (2), 11 (1)
     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 4 (2), 9-10 (2), 11-12 (4), 21 (1), 25 (4), 27 (3), 28 (2)
     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 2-3 (1♂ + 1♀), 5-6 (1♂ + 1♀), 9 (1), 13 (1), 14, 20, 21 (1♂),
          22 (1♂ + 1♀), 29-30 (1♂ + 1♀)
     HERMIT THRUSH: 4 (1), 13-14 (1), 21 (1)
     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-14, 18-30
     BROWN THRASHER: 19-20 (1), 21 (3), 22-24 (1), 26 (2), 27 (1), 29 (1)
     NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD: 27 (1), 29 (1)
     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1, 3-6, 8-10, 13, 19, 21-25, 27-30
     LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH: 28 (1)
     NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH: 29 (1)
     BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: 25 (1)
     ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 24-25 (1)
     COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 28 (1♂)
     PALM WARBLER: 22 (6), 25 (2)
     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 3 (1), 4 (2), 9-10 (1), 11 (4), 12 (2), 19 (1),
          20 (2), 21 (9), 22 (4), 23 (2), 24 (3), 28 (1), 29 (3)
     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 3 (1)
     CHIPPING SPARROW: 19 (1), 20-30
     CLAY-COLORED SPARROW: 30 (1)
     FIELD SPARROW: 10 (4), 11 (1), 12 (3), 19 (3), 20 (1), 21 (2), 23 (2), 25 (1), 27-28 (1),
          30 (1)
     LARK SPARROW: 21 (1)
     SAVANNAH SPARROW: 28 (1), 30 (1)
     FOX SPARROW: 1 (1 BY), 6 (1 BY), 7 (2 BY + 3), 8 (1 BY), 10 (1 BY), 11 (2 BY)
     SONG SPARROW: 1-14, 19-30
     LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 20 (1), 28 (1)
     SWAMP SPARROW: 1 (1), 4 (1), 13 (1), 20 (2), 21 (1), 22 (5), 24 (1), 29-30 (1)
     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 21 (6), 24 (14+), 27 (9+), 28 (4+), 29 (2)
     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1 (4 BY + 14), 2 (2 BY + 4), 3 (7 BY + 1),
          4 (4 BY + 4), 5 (2 BY + 5), 6 (9 BY + 7), 8 (1 BY + 27), 9 (3 + 4 BY), 10 (7 + 3 BY),
          11 (1 BY + 8), 12 (4 BY + 10), 13 (3 + 1 BY)
     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-14, 18-30
     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-14, 18-30
     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 4-5, 14, 22 (2), 26 (1)
     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 8 (1♂), 19 (14), 11 (1)
     COMMON GRACKLE: 1-14, 18-30
     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1 (9♂), 3 (4♂ + 1♀), 6 (5♂), 9 (4♂ + 1♀), 10 (8♂),
          14 (14), 19 (5), 20-24, 27-29
     HOUSE FINCH: 1-14, 19-30
     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 9-10, 14, 19-30
     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-14, 19-30

MAMMALIAN
     AMERICAN MINK: 4 (1), 11 (2), 22 (1)
     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (2 BY), 3 (11 BY), 5 (4), 7 (12), 9 (2 BY + 6), 14 (21), 22 (4),
          24 (1), 26 (5), 27 (6), 28 (4), 30 (3)
     FOX SQUIRREL: 1-5, 7-12, 14, 19-24, 27, 29-30
     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 10-11 (1)
     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 20 (1)
     MUSKRAT: 2 (1), 5-6 (1), 10 (1), 28 (1)
     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1, 3-13, 19-30

AMPHIBIAN
     AMERICAN TOAD: 19-27
     EASTERN GRAY TREE FROG: 24, 28
     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 1-14, 19-26, 28, 30
     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 11 (1)
     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 13 (9+), 19-26, 29-30

REPTILIAN
     PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 3 (1), 11-12 (1), 23-24 (1), 26 (1)
     NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 4, 6, 10-12, 19-22, 24-26, 28
     RED-EARED SLIDER: 4 (1), 19-20 (1), 22 (1), 28 (1)
     SPINY SOFTSHELL TURTLE: 26 (2)

LEPIDOPTERA
     BLACK SWALLOWTAIL: 23 (1), 26 (1)
     CABBAGE WHITE: 13 (3), 19 (4), 22-23, 25
     ORANGE SULPHUR: 25-26
     Sulphur sp.: 13 (1), 23-26, 28
     SPRING AZURE: 24 (1)
     MOURNING CLOAK: 3 (1), 10 (1), 12 (3), 13 (1)
     PAINTED LADY: 19 (1)
     RED ADMIRAL: 4 (3), 10 (4), 11 (2), 12 (4), 13 (3), 19-20 (1), 21 (2), 22 (1), 23 (3), 24-26,
          28
     WOOLLY BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth):

ODONATA
     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 10 (1♂), 13 (3), 19 (2), 21 (1), 23, 25
     VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK: 13 (3), 25
Wolf. Oesterreich

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