July 10, 2017: Wolf's June 2017 Wildlife Report

A pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers are nesting at Jensen Pond, the first record of this activity that I know of.  (Since they don't like disturbance, this may also be the last time, due to the future construction of homes along the north side of the Park.)  Paul Domoto and I were informed of their presence by Tom and Cathy Kaspar and on the following day, we discovered the woodpecker's nesting cavity. (Wolf Oesterreich, 6/27/17)

 A closer look.

A total of 82 avian species (plus 2 sp.) was recorded this month at the Park, ranking this month as the 3^rd highest June among 20 years of records.  June 2008 with 87 species remains as the highest June, and June 2001 with 42 species as the lowest.  This total is 51 species less than last month and 12 more than June 2016.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Herons (27th) were also a new record for my Park List (#272).

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 Northern Parula sighting on the 24^th may be the first Summer record for Story County.  The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron may represent only the 10^th record for the 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 57^th Supplement (2016) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 16^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

     SNOW GOOSE: 8 (1 b)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-30

     WOOD DUCK: 1 (16), 2 (3♂ + 3♀), 3 (4♂ + 1♀), 4 (5♂ + 4♀), 5 (6♂ + 5♀), 6 (1♂), 7 (6),

          8 (3), 9 (1♂), 11 (4♂ + 6♀), 12 (7), 13 (19+), 14 (4), 15 (9), 16 (19+), 17 (6), 18 (5),

          19 (21), 20 (13+), 21 (15+), 22 (16+), 23 (2), 24 (22+), 25 (19), 26 (6), 28 (7), 29 (4), 39 (8)

     GADWALL: 8 (2♂), 16 (2♂), 21 (2♂)

     MALLARD: 1 (2♂), 3 (1♂ + 1♀), 6 (2♂), 7 (6♂), 8 (1♂), 9 (5♂), 10 (10♂), 11 (6♂ + 1♀),

          12 (4), 13 (6), 14 (2♂), 15 (6), 16 (9), 17 (3), 18 (9), 19 (2), 20 (1), 21 (7), 22 (1), 23 (8),

          24 (11), 25 (38), 26 (50), 27 (46), 28 (42), 29 (14), 30 (26)

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 1 (1♂), 16-18 (1♂), 21-24 (1♂)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 17-20 (1♂)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 11 (1♂)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 17 (1), 18 (2), 24-26 (2), 27 (1)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1-9, 11-19, 21-30

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1 (1), 28 (1)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 1 (1), 3 (1), 4 (2), 6 (1), 8-9 (1), 12 (1), 14 (1), 17-18 (1),

          21 (1), 24-25 (1), 28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 1-23, 25-30

     YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO: 9 (1), 14 (1), 18 (1), 22 (2), 23-25 (1), 27-28 (1)

     CHIMNEY SWIFT: 10 (1), 13, 18, 24, 28-30

     RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD: 27 (1), 30 (1)

     KILLDEER: 1 (1), 2 (2), 3 (3), 5 (2), 6 (4), 7 (3), 8-9 (1), 10 (3), 11 (6), 12 (2), 13 (6), 15 (1),

          16 (3), 18 (2), 19-21 (1), 22 (10), 23 (16), 24 (35), 25 (33), 26 (44), 27 (56), 28 (49),

          29 (47), 30 (34)

     SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER: 28 (1)

     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 1 (2), 5-6 (1), 9-10 (1), 19 (1), 22 (1), 27 (2), 30 (1)

     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 27 (1)

     Sandpiper sp.: 30 (2)

     GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 28 (1)

     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 28 (1)

     FORSTER’S TERN: 21 (1)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 15 (2), 16 (1)

     LEAST BITTERN: 18 (2)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 1-3 (2), 6-7 (1), 8-9 (2), 10-12 (1), 13 (2), 14 (3), 15 (2), 16 (3), 17 (4),

          18 (3), 19 (5), 20-21 (3), 22 (6), 23 (5), 24 (6), 25 (7), 26 (14), 27 (12), 28 (8), 29 (13),

          30 (15)

     GREAT EGRET: 8 (6), 9 (1), 17-22 (1), 24 (1)

     GREEN HERON: 1 (1), 2 (2), 3-4 (1), 5 (2), 12 (1), 14 (1), 17 (1), 25 (1), 27 (3), 28-29 (1)

     YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON: 27 (1 ad + 1 ju)

     TURKEY VULTURE: 1 (2), 2 (3), 5-6 (1), 9 (5), 10-11 (1), 12 (3), 13 (6), 14 (1), 15 (5), 16 (1),

          17-18 (2), 19 (5), 20-21 (1), 22 (7), 23 (1), 24 (2), 25 (3), 26 (7), 27-28 (3), 29 (9), 30 (2)

     BALD EAGLE: 22 (1 ad), 25 (1 ad)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 29 (1)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1-8 (1), 9 (2), 14 (1), 15 (2), 21 (1), 28-29 (1)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 1, 5 (1), 15 (1), 18 (4), 19 (1), 20 (2), 22-23 (1), 24 (3), 25-27 (2)

     RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 1-3 (1), 5 (1), 6-7 (2), 10-11 (1), 12-13 (2), 14-15 (1),

          16-18 (2), 19 (1), 20-22 (2), 23-24 (1), 26 (2), 27 (1), 28 (2), 29-30 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1, 4-6, 17-18, 27

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 3, 6-9, 11-12, 14-15, 18, 22, 24, 27, 29

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 2-3 (1), 5 (2), 7 (1), 8 (1♂), 10 (1♀), 11 (1), 12,

          13-14 (1), 18 (1), 22 (2), 26-27 (1), 30 (1)

     EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE: 7 (1), 9 (1)

     ACADIAN FLYCATCHER: 2 (1), 9 (1)

     WILLOW FLYCATCHER: 14 (1), 16 (1), 17 (2), 24 (1)

     Empidonax sp.: 17-18 (1)

     GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER: 5-7 (1), 9-10 (1), 16-17 (1), 21 (1), 24 (2)

     EASTERN KINGBIRD: 1 (2), 2 (1), 3 (3), 5-6 (1), 7 (3), 8 (2), 9 (3), 10 (1), 11 (2), 12 (1),

          14 (3), 15-16 (2), 18 (5), 19-20 (1), 21-22 (2), 24 (3), 25-26 (1), 27-29 (2), 30 (1)

     WARBLING VIREO: 1-12, 14-30

     RED-EYED VIREO: 24 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 3-6, 12, 16-19, 25, 29

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-2, 4-6, 9-10, 12, 14, 16-18, 20, 24-27, 30

     PURPLE MARTIN: 1-2 (2), 3-4 (3), 5 (2), 6-7 (3), 8 (1), 9-13 (2), 14 (4), 15 (2), 16 (4), 17 (2),

          18 (4), 19 (1), 20 (5), 21 (4), 22 (1), 23 (7), 24 (4), 25 (7, 26 (2), 27 (10), 28 (2), 29 (4),

          30 (3)

     TREE SWALLOW: 1-30

     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 3 (2)

     BARN SWALLOW: 1-30

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1, 7, 9, 11, 15-18, 24-25, 27-28, 30

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 18-19 (1), 21 (1), 27, 30

     HOUSE WREN: 1-30

     SEDGE WREN: 1 (1), 3 (2), 4 (1), 5 (5), 6 (2), 8 (1), 16-17 (1), 18 (2), 22-23 (1), 29 (2), 30 (1)

     MARSH WREN: 1-3 (3), 5 (4), 6 (3), 7 (2), 8 (1), 9 (3), 24 (1)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 (3), 2 (2♂), 3 (1♂), 6 (1), 7 (2), 8 (1), 9 (1♂ + 2♀), 10 (1♂),

          11-12 (1), 13 (2), 14 (1♂), 15 (1), 16-18 (1♂ + 1♀), 19 (1♂), 20 (2♂), 21 (1♂ + 1♀),

          22 (1♂), 24-25 (1♂), 29-30 (1♂)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-30

     GRAY CATBIRD: 1-12, 14-30

     BROWN THRASHER: 6 (1), 8 (1), 16 (2), 17 (1), 18 (2), 24 (2), 26 (1), 29-30 (1)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1-3, 5-6, 8-30

     CEDAR WAXWING: 3 (1), 7 (1), 11 (2), 13 (1), 15 (1), 17 (2), 18 (6), 19-21 (1), 23 (1), 24 (5),

          25 (1), 28 (1)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-30

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-30

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1-30

     COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 1-30

     AMERICAN REDSTART: 1-3 (1), 4 (1♀), 5 (2), 6 (1♀), 7 (2), 9 (2♀), 10-11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (3),

          14-15 (2), 16-17 (1♀), 21 (1♀), 24 (1), 27 (2), 29-30 (1♀)

     NORTHERN PARULA: 24 (1)

     YELLOW WARBLER: 16 (1♂), 17 (1), 18 (1♂), 22 (1♀), 23 (1♂), 24-25 (1), 27 (1), 30 (1)

     CHIPPING SPARROW: 1-2, 4, 7-9, 12-13, 15-16, 18-20, 23-26, 28-29

     FIELD SPARROW: 2-3 (1), 6-7 (1), 22 (1), 26 (1), 30 (1)

     LARK SPARROW: 2 (2)

     SONG SPARROW: 1-30

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-30

     ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK: 13 (2♂), 14 (1♂), 15 (2♂), 17 (2♂), 18 (1)

     INDIGO BUNTING: 1 (1), 3-4 (2), 9 (1), 11 (2), 12 (2♂ + 1♀), 13 (1), 14 (2), 15 (1), 16 (4),

          17 (8), 18 (2), 19 (1), 20 (2), 23 (1), 24 (2♂), 25 (4♂), 26 (1♂), 27 (1), 28 (4), 29 (2), 30 (1)

     DICKCISSEL: 1-3 (1♂), 5 (4), 6-7 (3), 8 (5), 9 (8), 10 (6), 11 (13), 12 (14), 13-15 (13), 16 (15),

          17 (19), 18 (15), 19 (13), 20 (15), 21 (17), 22 (16), 23 (14), 24 (10), 25 (11), 26 (14), 27 (9),

          28 (12), 29 (10), 30 (15)

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-30

     COMMON GRACKLE: 1-30

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1-19, 21, 23, 25-30

     ORCHARD ORIOLE: 6 (1♂), 15 (1♀), 18 (1♀), 22 (1♂)

     BALTIMORE ORIOLE: 1-30

    

MAMMALIAN

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-10, 12-24, 26-27, 29-30

     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 16, 26, 28-29

     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-4, 7-9, 18, 21

     AMERICAN BEAVER: 8 (1)

     COMMON MUSKRAT: 26 (1)

     AMERICAN MINK: 25 (1)

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 4 (1), 7 (1), 8 (2), 15-16 (1), 17 (1♀ w/2 fawns), 18 (1 + 1♀ w/1 fawn),

          19 (3), 23 (1 + 1♀ w/1 fawn), 25 (1♀ w/1 fawn), 26 (1♀ w/2 fawns), 27 (2 + 1♀ w/1 fawn),

          28-29 (1)

REPTILIAN

     PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 14 (1), 28 (1)

     SNAPPING TURTLE: 29 (1)

     NORTHERN PAINTED TURTLE: 1-3, 5-6, 8-11, 13-25, 28-30

     RED-EARED SLIDER: 29 (1)

     SPINY SOFTSHELL TURTLE: 2-3 (1), 25 (1)

AMPHIBIAN

     AMERICAN TOAD: 1-2, 7-8, 14-17, 19-23, 26, 28-29

     BLANCHARD’S CRICKET FROG: 2-12, 14-19, 21, 23-26, 28-29

     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 17

     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 1-30

LEPIDOPTERA

     BLACK SWALLOWTAIL: 14 (1), 18 (1), 21 (1), 28 (2), 29 (1)

     EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL: 2 (1), 4 (1), 6-7 (1), 9-13 (1), 19 (2), 27 (1)

     CABBAGE WHITE: 1-3 (1), 5 (2), 6 (6), 7, 9-12, 14-17, 19, 20 (10), 21 (4+), 22, 23 (2), 25 (1),

          26 (5), 27-29, 30 (9)

     CLOUDED SULPHUR: 16, 18-19, 20 (7), 21-23, 26 (1), 27, 28 (2), 29 (3)

     ORANGE SULPHUR: 16-18, 19 (3), 20 (9), 21 (2), 22 (9), 23-24, 25 (1), 26 (4), 27 (1),

          29-30 (1)

     Sulphur sp.: 12-15

     GRAY COPPER: 15 (1), 16-17 (4), 18 (5), 19 (3), 22 (5), 23 (2), 29 (2)

     EASTERN TAILED-BLUE: 16

     SPRING AZURE: 3 (2), 5 (3), 7, 9-10,12-13, 15-17, 20 (2)

     GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY: 17 (1), 28-29 (1)

     QUESTION MARK: 2 (1), 12-13 (1), 19 (1), 24 (1), 27 (1), 29 (1)

     PEARL CRESCENT: 20 (1), 22-23 (1), 25 (3), 28 (1), 29-30 (3)

     MOURNING CLOAK: 20 (1)

     PAINTED LADY: 1 (2), 5-6 (1), 9 (1), 12 (1), 14 (1), 16 (2), 18-19 (1)

     RED ADMIRAL: 1-2 (1), 6 (1), 8 (1), 12 (1), 14 (10), 16 (<300), 15 (300+), 17 (~75),

          18-19 (<25), 20 (6), 21-22 (2), 25 (1)

     (The population explosion was experienced in many areas of the state and represented a

          new generation.)

     COMMON BUCKEYE: 1 (1), 6 (1), 7 (7), 9 (5), 10 (10), 11 (6), 13-14 (2), 15 (5), 16 (4),

          17-19 (1), 20-21 (5), 22 (7), 23 (4), 25 (5), 26 (1), 29 (3)

     RED-SPOTTED PURPLE: 7 (1), 11 (1), 20 (1), 22 (1)

     VICEROY: 1 (3), 2-3 (2), 4 (3), 5 (2), 6-7 (4), 9 (6), 11 (3), 13 (2), 14-15 (3), 16 (4), 19-21 (3),

          22 (1), 23 (2), 23 (1), 27-29 (1), 30 (2)

     MONARCH: 2 (2), 3 (1), 5 (2), 6 (3), 7 (2), 9 (2), 11 (2), 12 (1), 14 (2), 15 (3), 16 (6), 17 (2),

          19 (3), 20 (1), 21 (4), 22 (2), 23 (3), 26 (2), 27 (7), 28 (1), 29 (6), 30 (3)

     (Hundreds of milkweeds are available at the Park, especially along the Upland Trail.  There

          are just too few Monarchs to take advantage of them.)

     LEAST SKIPPER: 9 (1), 11 (2), 12 (1), 15 (1), 16 (2), 19 (1), 20 (2), 26 (2)

     PECK’S SKIPPER: 13 (1), 20 (1), 21 (2)

     Skipper sp.: 26 (1)

     SOFT-LINED WAVE: 19 (1)

     WHITE-MARKED TUSSOCK MOTH: 28 (1)

ODONATA

     EBONY JEWELWING: 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 19 (1♀), 21 (2♀), 23 (1♀), 25 (1), 28 (2♀)

     AMERICAN RUBYSPOT: 29 (1♂ + 1♀)

     SLENDER SPREADWING: 2 (3), 3 (10+ ♂/♀), 5 (17+), 6-27, 29-30

     Spreadwing sp.: 1 (1), 14 (1)

     BLUE-FRONTED DANCER: 3 (2♀), 4 (1♀), 5 (2♀), 6-7, 9-17, 19-23, 25-30

     POWDERED DANCER: 9 (2♂ + 1♀), 10 (1♂), 11 (3♂ + 1♀), 12-13, 15-16, 19-22, 26-30

     RAINBOW BLUET: 3 (1♂ + 1♀), 7 (1♂ + 1♀), 15, 23 (1), 26 (1), 28 (1), 29 (4), 30 (1)

     DOUBLE-STRIPED BLUET: 7 (1), 22 (1), 26 (1), 28 (2)

     TULE BLUET: 13 (1), 27 (1)

     FAMILIAR BLUET: 2 (1), 3 (3), 10-11, 13, 15-23, 26-27, 28 (3), 29

     STREAM BLUET: 3 (1♂), 5 (1♂), 6-10, 15-19, 22 (1), 23 (2), 26 (2), 27 (4), 28 (6), 29 (2),

          30 (6)

     ORANGE BLUET: 14 (3), 19 (2), 21-23 (1), 26-27 (4), 28 (6), 29 (3), 30 (1)

     EASTERN FORKTAIL: 1 (1♂), 2 (2♂ + 2♀), 3 (1♀ + 1 im), 5 (3♂ + 2♀ + 1♀ im), 6-14, 16-23,

          25-30

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 1 (5+), 2, 3 (8+), 4-15, 17, 19-23, 26-30

     JADE CLUBTAIL: 21 (1), 22 (2), 29 (1)

     PLAINS CLUBTAIL: 22 (1)

     COMMON BASKETTAIL: 1 (1), 5 (1), 6 (2), 7 (1), 10 (2), 12-17, 19-20, 22, 26

     PRINCE BASKETTAIL: 19 (1), 20 (2), 26-27, 29 (2)

     EASTERN PONDHAWK: 4-6 (1♀), 10 (2♀), 11 (3♀), 13, 15-17, 19-23, 25-26, 29-30

     WIDOW SKIMMER: 6 (1♀), 9-10 (1♂), 11-22, 26-30

     COMMON WHITETAIL: 2 (2♀), 3 (1♀), 6 (1♀), 7 (1♂), 12-17, 19-23, 26-30

     TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER: 2, 3 (1), 5-6, 8, 10-11, 13-18, 20-23, 26-28, 30

     BLUE DASHER: 9 (2), 13-23, 25-26, 29-30

     WANDERING GLIDER: 2 (1), 6 (1)

     EASTERN AMBERWING: 9 (1♀), 10-16, 18, 19 (2), 20-23, 28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (3)

     VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK: 13 (1)

     RUBY MEADOWHAWK: 11 (1♀), 14-15, 20 (1♂ + 1♀), 21, 23, 25, 28

     BAND-WINGED MEADOWLARK: 23 (1♂), 29 (2)

     BLACK SADDLEBAGS: 2 (3), 3 (11+), 4, 5 (3), 6-23, 26-30

     RED SADDLEBAGS: 2 (1), 4 (1), 13-14 (1), 19 (2), 21 (1), 22 (4), 30 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich