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

A male Wilson's Warbler, one of several warbler species that pass through Iowa on their way to their breeding grounds.  We'll see them again in the Fall, on their return trip. 5/15/16 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

A total of 139 avian species (+ 1 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 4^th highest May (& tied May 2015) among 19 years of records.  May 2006, 2008, and 2011, with 152 species, remain as the highest Mays, while May 1998 with only 70 species is the lowest.  This total is 24 species more than last month and the same as May 2015.

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 Snowy Egret sighted on the 15^th may represent only the 5^th record 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, 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).

AVIAN

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-6, 8-31

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 3 (1 ad)

     WOOD DUCK: 1-2 (4), 10 (4♂ + 3♀), 11 (2♂), 13 (5), 14-15, 16 (1♂), 17 (1♂ + 1♀),

          18 (2♂ + 1♀), 20 (5), 22 (2), 24 (6), 28 (8), 30 (4), 31 (1♀)

     GADWALL: 2 (5), 3-5 (2)

     MALLARD: 1-6, 8-31

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 1 (6+), 2 (7+), 3 (5), 4 (15+), 5 (4), 6 (7), 8 (6), 10 (4),

          11 (11), 12 (4), 13 (1), 14 (2), 15 (3), 16 (2), 19 (4), 20-21 (2), 23 (3), 24-26 (9),

          27 (11), 28 (9)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 1 (6+), 2 (4), 3 (9), 9 (1♂), 18-20 (1♂), 26 (1♂ + 1♀),

          28 (1♂)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 6 (1♀), 8 (1♀), 26 (1♀), 27 (2 im), 28 (3 im)

     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 1-2 (1♂ + 2♀), 9-10 (3♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 2 (4)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1 (1♂ BY +), 2-6, 8-31

     COMMON LOON: 2-6 (1 anb), 8 (1 anb), 9 (2 anb), 10-17 (1 anb)

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1 (8), 2 (7), 4 (2), 5 (3), 8-9 (2), 11 (2), 13 (3), 15 (1), 16 (3),

          31 (1)

     EARED GREBE: 10 (1 abp), 12 (16)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 2-3 (1), 6 (1), 10 (4), 14 (1), 31 (1)

     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 2 (7), 10 (~60)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 1 (2), 2-3 (3), 4 (1), 5 (2), 6 (3), 8 (3), 9 (4), 10 (1), 11 (3),

          13 (1), 15 (2), 16 (1), 17-19 (3), 20-21 (2), 22-23 (1), 24-25 (3), 26-27 (4),

          28-29 (3), 31 (4)

     GREAT EGRET: 1 (3), 2 (2), 9-11 (1), 18 (1), 19 (2), 20 (3), 22 (1), 23 (3), 25 (2),

          26 (1), 27 (2), 28 (3)

     SNOWY EGRET: 19 (1)

     GREEN HERON: 1 (1), 6 (1), 13-15 (2), 26 (1), 30-31 (1)

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

          14, 15 (3), 16 (6), 17 (11), 19 (4), 20-21 (1), 22 (3), 23 (2), 24 (1), 25 (4), 26 (3),

          27 (1), 28 (2), 29-30 (5), 31 (2)

     OSPREY: 1 (2), 3-5 (1), 13-14 (1)

     BALD EAGLE: 4 (1 ad), 9 (1 ad), 30 (1 sub-ad)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 1 (1), 14 (1)

     BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 2 (3), 4 (1), 15 (1)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 (1), 2-3 (2), 4 (1), 5 (2), 6 (1), 8 (1), 9-10 (2), 12 (1), 13 (2),

          14-15, 16-17 (1), 18 (3), 19 (1), 20-23, 24 (1), 25 (2), 26, 27-28 (1), 29-30 (2), 31

     SORA: 3 (1), 14-16 (1)

     AMERICAN COOT: 2 (3), 4 (7), 5 (5), 6 (1), 10 (1), 11 (3), 12 (2), 13-14 (1), 17 (1),

          20 (1)

     AMERICAN AVOCET: 11 (4)

     SEMIPALMATED PLOVER: 24 (1), 27 (2)

     KILLDEER: 1 (2 ad w/3 chicks), 2 (2 ad w/4 chicks), 3 (2 ad w/3 chicks), 4 (1 ad

          w/2 chicks), 5 (2), 8, 14-15 (1), 17 (1), 20 (4), 21 (5), 22 (3), 23 (6), 24 (9),

          25 (7), 26 (5), 27 (3), 28 (2), 29-30 (1)

     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 1 (5), 2 (2), 3 (1), 6 (1), 9-10 (1), 11 (2), 12 (1), 15 (2),

          18 (1), 24-27 (5), 28 (1)

     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 3-4 (1)

     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 4 (31), 15 (~13), 16 (2), 25 (1)

     DUNLIN: 4 (1)

     BAIRD’S SANDPIPER: 23-25, 27 (1)

     LEAST SANDPIPER: 17 (2), 24

     WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER: 23-25

     PECTORAL SANDPIPER: 24 (1), 26-27 (1)

     SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER: 23-26, 27 (~30)

     WILSON’S SNIPE: 4 (1)

     WILSON’S PHALAROPE: 24 (1)

     FRANKLIN’S GULL: 4 (25)

     CASPIAN TERN: 14 (1)

     FORSTER’S TERN: 1 (3), 6 (2), 17 (1), 22 (1)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 1-2 (1), 8-9 (1), 11 (1), 15-17 (1), 19 (1), 22 (1),

          24 (1), 26 (1), 28-31 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 1-6, 8-31

     YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO: 18 (1), 22 (1), 24-26 (1), 27-28 (2), 29-31 (1)

     BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO: 27 (1)

     COMMON NIGHTHAWK: 10 (16+), 14 (1), 15

     CHIMNEY SWIFT: 9, 12, 14-15

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 1 (1), 5-6 (1), 9-10 (1), 12 (1), 14 (1), 16 (1), 27 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1, 5, 8-11, 13-16, 18-21, 24-25, 27, 29, 31

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1, 3, 5-6, 10, 14-16, 19-20, 28-31

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 2, 25

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 1 (1), 4 (1), 11-14 (1), 17-18 (1), 30 (1)

     AMERICAN KESTREL: 4 (1♀)

     MERLIN: 2 (1♀)

     PEREGRINE FALCON: 14 (1)

     OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER: 8 (1), 19 (1), 22 (1), 27 (1)

     EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE: 31 (1)

     YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER: 30 (1)

     WILLOW FLYACTCHER: 28 (1), 31 (1)

     LEAST FLYCATCHER: 6 (1), 8 (2), 9-12 (1), 14-15, 16 (2), 23 (2), 26 (1)

     Empidonax sp.: 24 (1)

     EASTERN PHOEBE: 1-2 (1), 9 (1), 14 (1), 27 (1), 29 (1)

     GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER: 19 (1), 27 (1)

     EASTERN KINGBIRD: 3 (1), 8-18 (1), 19 (2), 20 (1), 21-22 (2), 23-24 (1), 26 (1),

          27 (4), 30 (1), 31 (2)

     YELLOW-THROATED VIREO: 25 (1)

     BLUE-HEADED VIREO: 11 (1), 14 (1)

     WARBLING VIREO: 1 (1), 4-5 (1), 6 (3), 8 (4), 9-12, 13 (1), 14-17, 18 (4), 19-31

     PHILADELPHIA VIREO: 11 (1)

     RED-EYED VIREO: 21 (1), 25-26 (1), 28-29

     BLUE JAY: 1-3, 5, 8-12, 14-15, 17-18, 22-23, 26-28, 30

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-6, 8-24, 27-29, 31

     PURPLE MARTIN: 1-6, 8-11, 14-15, 17-31

     TREE SWALLOW: 1-6, 8-31

     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLLOW: 12-15, 21

     BANK SWALLOW: 2 (1), 9, 12-14, 17

     CLIFF SWALLOW: 2, 6, 9, 11, 14, 21-22

     BARN SWALLOW: 1-6, 8-31

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-6, 8-9, 11-21, 23-24, 27-28, 30-31

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 2-4, 11, 30

     HOUSE WREN: 1-2, 4-6, 8-31

     SEDGE WREN: 1 (2), 14-15, 16 (2), 21 (1), 22 (2), 23 (1), 25 (1), 26 (2), 27 (1),

          29-30 (1)

     MARSH WREN: 17-18 (1), 20 (1)

     CAROLINA WREN: 15 (1)

     BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER: 11 (1), 15 (1)

     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 1 (4), 4-5 (2), 6 (1), 8 (1 BY + 2), 9 (1), 11 (1),

          12-13 (2), 14

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 (2♂ + 2♀), 2 (1♀), 4 (1♂), 5 (2♂ + 2♀), 8 (1♂ + 1♀),

          14 (2♂ + 1♀), 15-16 (1♂ + 1♀), 18-19 (1♂), 21-22 (1♀), 24-25 (1♂ + 1♀),

          27 (1♂ + 1♀), 28 (1♂), 29 (1♀), 30 (2)

     GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH: 16 (1)

     SWAINSON’S THRUSH: 3 (1), 8 (1 by + 2), 9-10 (1), 16 (2), 20 (2)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-31

     GRAY CATBIRD: 8 (1), 9-21, 23-25, 27-28, 30-31

     BROWN THRASHER: 1 (1), 4-5 (2), 10 (3)

     NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD: 1 (1)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1-3, 6, 9-14, 16-22, 24-31

     CEDAR WAXWING: 20 (2), 29 (4)

     OVENBIRD: 6 (1), 8 (1), 11 (2)

     NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH: 3 (1), 11 (1), 14 (1), 15 (3), 16 (1)

     GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER: 9 (1), 10 (2), 11 (3), 13 (1), 14

     BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: 8 (2), 9 (1), 10-11 (4), 13 (2), 14, 15 (2), 19 (1)

     TENNESSEE WARBLER: 9 (2), 10 (3), 11 (4), 12 (1), 15-17

     ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 1 (1), 6 (1), 8 (3), 9 (5), 10 (2), 11 (4), 12 (3),

           14 (1), 15 (2)

     NASHVILLE WARBLER: 6 (5), 8 (1), 9 (3), 10 (2), 11 (3), 12 (1), 14, 15 (3)

     COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 6 (1), 8-31

     AMERICAN REDSTART: 8 (2♂), 9 (1♂), 10 (5), 11-12 (6), 13 (7), 14, 15 (6+),

           16 (2), 18 (1), 27 (1♀), 29 (1♀)

     MAGNOLIA WARBLER: 10 (2), 11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (4), 14, 15 (2)

     YELLOW WARBLER: 8 (4), 9 (6), 10 (3), 11 (4), 14, 15 (3), 16 (2), 18 (1), 19 (2),

           20 (1), 26 (2)

     CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER: 10 (3), 11 (4), 12 (1), 13 (1 BY + 4), 14

     BLACKPOLL WARBLER: 11 (2), 14

     PALM WARBLER: 1 (1), 10 (2), 11 (1), 12 (2), 13-14 (1)

     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 1 (2), 3 (4), 6 (2), 8 (3), 11 (5), 14-15,

          16 (1)

     CANADA WARBLER: 15 (1)

     WILSON’S WARBLER: 9-11 (1♂), 13 (2♂), 14, 15 (3♂), 17 (1♂), 22 (1♂), 29 (1♂)

     EASTERN TOWHEE: 10 (1), 15 (1)

     CHIPPING SPARROW: 1, 3-6, 8-21, 23-24. 27-28, 31

     CLAY-COLORED SPARROW: 8 (5), 9 (1), 10, 11 (2), 13, 15 (2)

     FIELD SPARROW: 1 (3), 2-5 (1), 9-10 (1), 13-14 (1), 17 (1), 26-30 (1)

     LARK SPARROW: 14 (2)

     SAVANNAH SPARROW: 8 (1), 11 (2)

     SONG SPARROW: 1-6, 8-31

     LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 1 (1), 5 (1), 8-9 (2), 10 (1), 11 (2), 15 (1), 22 (1)

     SWAMP SPARROW: 1 (2), 5 (1), 10 (1)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 1 (4), 2 (2), 3-4 (1), 5 (3), 6 (12+), 8 (12+), 9-11,

          14, 15 (9+)

     HARRIS’S SPARROW: 3 (1), 6 (1), 8-9 (2), 10, 11 (1), 14

     WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 8 (2), 11 (4), 14 (3)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-6, 8-31

     ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK: 9 (1♂ BY), 11 (3♂)

     INDIGO BUNTING: 10-11 (1♂), 13-14 (1), 15, 16 (1), 18 (2♂ + 1♀), 19 (1♂), 20 (2),

          21-22 (2♂), 23 (1♂), 24 (1♀), 25 (1), 27-30, 31 (2)

     DICKCISSEL: 26 (1♂), 27 (3♂), 28 (2♂), 29, 30 (3), 31 (6)

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-6, 8-31

     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 1 (1), 11 (1), 15-16 (2), 24 (1), 27 (1)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 1-6, 8-31

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1-4, 8-31

     ORCHARD ORIOLE: 10 (1), 17 (1♀), 18 (1 im ♂), 21 (1)

     BALTIMORE ORIOLE: 3 (1♂), 4-5 (2♂), 6 (5♂ + 1♀), 8-31

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-6, 8-31

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1-6, 8-31

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-6, 8-31

MAMMALIAN

     AMERICAN MINK:

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (1), 2 (6 + 3 BY), 5 (2), 9 (1), 10 (2 + 1♂), 11 (2), 13 (1),

          15 (2), 17 (1), 19 (1), 20 (1 + 1♂), 21 (1), 22 (3), 23 (2 + 2♂), 24 (1), 28-30 (1)

     FOX SQUIRREL: 1-2, 9-10, 16, 28-30

     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 5 (1), 10 (1), 14 (1), 19-20 (1), 27-28

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-5, 8-11, 13, 15, 17-21, 23-31

REPTILIAN

     PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 8 (1), 14 (1)

     EASTERN GARTER SNAKE: 22 (1)

     COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE: 3 (1)

     NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 2-6, 8, 10, 12, 16-25, 27-31

     RED-EARED SLIDER: 3 (3), 4-5 (1), 6 (2), 10 (1), 12 (1), 14-15 (1), 17-19 (1),

          20 (3), 21-22 (1), 24-25 (1), 27 (2)

     SPINY SOFTSHELL TURTLE: 8 (1), 10 (1), 15 (1), 17-18 (1), 20 (1), 21 (2)

AMPHIBIAN

     AMERICAN TOAD: 2-8, 10-13, 15, 19-28, 31

     BLANCHARD’S CRICKET FROG: 24-31

     EASTERN GRAY TREEFROG: 3, 5, 9-10, 25, 27, 31

     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 1-6, 8-9, 11, 15, 27-31

     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 1-5, 8-12, 15-17, 19-26, 28-31

     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 30 (1)

LEPIDOPTERA

     BLACK SWALLOWTAIL: 5-6 (2), 15 (1), 17 (1), 27 (1), 29 (1)

     EASTERM TIGER SWALLOWTAIL: 18 (1), 22 (1)

     CABBAGE WHITE: 3-6, 8, 10, 14, 18-19, 22, 30

     CLOUDED SULPHUR: 2-6, 8, 10, 17-18, 20, 22

     ORANGE SULPHUR: 4-6, 10, 17-27, 29-30

     PEARL CRESCENT: 10, 19, 22, 30

     MOURNING CLOAK: 26 (1)

     PAINTED LADY: 4-6, 12, 17

     RED ADMIRAL: 2-6, 8, 10, 12, 14-15, 17-19, 24, 26, 29-31

     VICEROY: 19 (1), 21 (2), 24 (1), 25 (3), 27 (2), 28-30 (1)

     MONARCH: 19 (1), 20 (2), 21 (1), 26-27 (1), 29-30 (3), 31 (2)

ODONATE

     FAMILIAR BLUET: 30 (1♂)

     EASTERN FORKTAIL: 4 (1 im ♀), 6 (1♂ + 2♀), 10, 22, 26, 28-30

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 2 (1), 4 (1), 5 (2), 6 (1), 8, 10, 15 (2), 17 (2), 18-24,

          26-30

     COMMON BASKETTAIL: 30 (2)

     EASTERN PONDHAWK: 30 (1♀)

     WIDOW SKIMMER: 30 (1)

     COMMON WHITETAIL: 20 (1♀), 26 (1♂), 27, 29-30

     TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER: 30 (1♀)

     BLACK SADDLEBAGS: 30 (2♂)

Wolf. Oesterreich