April 10, 2018: Wolf's March 2018 Wildlife Report

Buffleheads were present throughout the month.  This pair was found on the south lake. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 3/17/18)

A total of 71 avian species (plus 2 sp.) was recorded in March 2018, ranking this month as the 9^th highest March among 21 years of records.  This total is 17 species more than last month and 5 less than March 2017.  March 2012, with 82 species, remains as the March with highest total, while March 1998, with 44 species, is the lowest. 

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 single Fox Sparrow found on the 4^th may represent a new extreme early Spring record (former record set on 7^th March at the State Forest Nursery in 1982 & my backyard in 2009) 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 58^th Supplement (2017) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 17^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

     SNOW GOOSE: 1 (5 w), 2 (1 w), 4 (2 w & 4 b), 5 (36 w/b), 8 (120+ w/b), 12 (1 im), 20 (14),

          21 (~75)

     ROSS’S GOOSE: 8 (25+ w), 22 (2w)

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 1 (1500+), 2 (800+), 3 (500+), 4 (118+), 7-8 (1000+),

          9 (116+), 10 (150+), 11 (100+), 12 (180+), 13 (~100), 14 (180+), 16 (1), 17 (2), 21 (350+)

     CACKLING GOOSE: 1 (60+), 2 (10+), 3-4 (7+), 6 (2+), 7 (4+), 8 (20+), 9 (10+), 10 (13+),

          12 (1),  14 (7+), 19 (2), 28 (5)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-31

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 4 (10), 6 (5), 7 (11), 8 (1 im)

     WOOD DUCK: 1 (1♂+ 1♀), 2 (2♂), 5 (7), 6 (1♂ + 1♀), 7 (24+), 8 (34+), 9 (22+), 11 (7),

          12 (1),  13 (1♂ + 1♀), 15 (2♂ + 3♀), 16 (6), 17 (14), 18 (4♂ + 2♀), 19 (2), 26 (5),

          27 (2♂ + 1♀), 29 (3),  30 (11♂ + 11♀)

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 26 (3♂), 28 (9+), 29 (13+)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 17 (6), 18 (5♂ + 1♀), 19 (6♂ + 2♀), 20-22 (2♂ + 1♀),

          23 (8♂ + 4♀),  24 (18♂ + 11♀), 25 (26♂ + 6♀), 26 (43), 27 (29+), 28 (9♂ + 3♀),

          29 (9♂ + 4♀), 30 (11♂ + 3♀)

     GADWALL: 1-2 (3), 3 (7), 4 (6+), 5 (18+), 6 (2), 7 (3), 8 (13+), 9 (4+), 10 (9+), 11 (6), 12 (4+),

          13-14 (2), 15 (1), 18 (1♂), 22 (2♂ + 2♀), 26 (26+), 27 (57+), 28 (32+), 29 (4), 30 (27)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 1 (2♂ + 3♀), 4 (2♂ + 2♀), 5 (3), 11 (1♂), 12 (6), 14 (3♂ + 2♀),

          26 (18+),  27 (31+), 28 (1♂), 30 (4♂ + 2♀),

     MALLARD: 1-30

     AMERICAN BLACK DUCK: 7 (1), 9 (1), 13 (1)

     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 1 (13+), 2 (7+), 3 (6+), 4 (4), 5 (16+), 7 (2♂ + 1♀), 10 (6♂ + 4♀),

          11 (16+), 12 (13+), 16 (5+), 17 (1♂), 26 (19+)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 1 (2♂), 3 (1♂), 4 (5+), 6 (2♂ + 1♀), 7 (18+), 8 (40+), 9 (16+),

          10 (28+),  11 (4+), 13 (4♂), 15 (1♂), 16 (6), 17 (5), 26 (34+), 27 (5+), 28 (38+), 29 (49+),

          30 (10+)

     CANVASBACK: 1 (2♂ + 1♀), 3 (1♀), 4 (1♂ + 1♀), 6 (5♂ + 1♀), 8 (5♂ + 2♀), 9 (24+),

          10 (10+), 11 (8), 12 (18), 13 (4), 15 (3♂ + 1♀), 16 (1), 17 (12+), 18 (13+), 19 (1♂),

          21 (14♂ + 6♀), 24 (6♂ + 3♀),  26 (1♀), 27 (2♂ + 1♀), 29 (2♂ + 3♀), 30 (3♂ + 3♀)

     REDHEAD: 1 (50+), 2 (30+), 3 (28+), 4 (66+), 5 (2), 6 (4+), 7 (17+), 8 (60+), 9 (7+), 10 (4+),

          11 (6+), 12 (5+), 13 (9), 14 (15), 15 (18), 16 (1), 17 (30+), 18-19 (14+), 21 (10),

          22 (1♂ + 1♀), 24 (9),  26 (11), 27 (27+), 28 (1♂), 29 (1♂ + 1♀), 30 (2♂ + 2♀)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 1-2 (50+), 3 (48+), 4 (80+), 5 (13+), 6 (12+), 7 (51+), 8 (20+), 9 (39+),

          10 (22+), 11 (90+), 12 (175+), 13 (18+), 14 (28+), 15 (64+), 16 (54+), 17 (185+), 18 (109+),

          19 (171+), 20 (25+), 21 (29+), 22 (1♂ + 1♀), 23 (5), 24 (19), 25 (25), 26 (37+), 27 (56+),

          28 (80+), 29 (58+), 30 (50+)

     LESSER SCAUP: 1 (6), 2, 3 (16), 4 (10+), 5 (15), 6 (3), 7 (22+), 8 (91+), 9 (11+), 10 (2)

          12 (~100), 13 (10), 14 (9), 15 (58) 16 (10), 17 (177+), 18 (41+), 19 (125+), 20 (1♂),

          21 (13+), 22 (6), 23 (48+), 24 (295), 25 (30), 26 (176+), 27 (218+), 28 (46+), 29 (14),

          30 (111+)

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

          13 (8♂ + 4♀), 14 (5♂ + 4♀), 15 (3♂ + 1♀), 17 (2♂ + 3♀), 18 (2♂ + 1♀), 19 (6♂ + 2♀), 

          20 (1♂ + 1♀), 21 (6♂ + 4♀), 22-23 (2♂ + 1♀), 24 (4♂ + 3♀), 25 (3♂ + 3♀),

          26 (11♂ + 10♀),  27 (4♂ + 3♀), 28 (25♂ + 22♀), 30 (13♂ + 4♀)

     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 1 (10♂ + 4♀), 7 (34), 8 (16♂ + 3♀), 13 (6♂ + 2♀), 14 (2♂ + 1♀)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 7 (8♂ + 4♀), 8 (1♂ + 1♀), 9 (3♂), 12 (9♂ + 2♀), 13 (17♂ + 6♀),

          14 (4♂ + 2♀), 15 (8♂ + 1♀), 16 (3♂ + 1♀), 17 (3♂ + 2♀), 19 (2♂ + 1♀), 21 (1♂ + 1♀),

          22 (2♀), 23 (2♂ + 2♀), 24 (1♂ + 1♀), 26 (2♂ + 1♀), 27 (1♂), 28 (9♂ + 5♀), 29 (1♂ + 1♀),

          30 (4♂)

     COMMON MERGANSER: 1 (1♂), 4 (12♂ + 1♀), 7 (1♂ + 1♀), 8 (1♂), 12 (1♂), 14 (4♂ + 2♀),

          17 (1♂ + 1♀), 18 (2♂ + 2♀), 24 (6), 27 (1♂), 29 (1♂ + 1♀), 30 (1♂)

     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 21 (1♂), 22 (10♂ + 8♀), 23 (9), 24 (4♂), 25 (1♂),

          27 (11♂ + 1♀), 30 (1♂ + 2♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 17 (1♀), 19 (1♂), 22 (2♀), 22 (6♂)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1 (1), 5 (1), 7 (1), 14 (1), 17 (2), 18-19 (1), 20 (2), 21-22 (1),

          27 (2),  28-29 (3)

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 17 (4), 18 (6), 19-20 (2), 21 (4), 22 (2), 23-24 (5), 25 (4), 26 (27),

          27 (15), 28 (10), 30 (9)

     HORNED GREBE: 20 (1), 21 (2 abp + 1 anb), 22-23 ( 1 abp), 26 (2 Spring molt),

          27 (1 abp + 1 Spring molt), 28 (2 Spring molt), 29 (1 abp + 1 Spring molt),

          30 (2 Spring molt)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 3 (2), 5 (2), 10 (3), 11 (2), 12-13 (1), 14 (3), 17 (2), 18 (1),

          20 (1), 21 (2), 23 (4), 26-31 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 4 (1), 8-9 (1), 10 (2), 11 (6), 12-14 (1), 15 (2), 16 (4), 17 (8), 18 (6), 19 (2),

          20 (3), 21, 23-31

     AMERICAN COOT: 1 (1), 10 (7), 11 (12), 12 (15), 13 (8), 14 (6), 15 (8), 16 (1), 17 (59+),

          18 (50+),  19 (43+), 20 (26+), 21 (32+), 22 (22+), 23 (33), 24 (40), 25 (38), 26 (25),

          27 (42+),  28 (29+), 30 (27+)

     KILLDEER: 3-4 (3), 5 (2), 8-9 (1), 11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (1), 16 (2), 18 (1), 19 (5), 21 (4), 22 (1),

          23 (9), 24 (8), 25 (1), 26-27 (2), 29 (14), 30 (5)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 3 (1), 4-5 (2), 8 (1), 11 (2), 14 (28), 15 (62), 16-17 (2), 18 (26+), 19 (4),

          20 (1), 22 (1), 23-24 (2), 25 (11), 26 (22), 27 (13), 28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (4)

     COMMON LOON: 30 (2 abp)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 20 (4), 23 (1), 25 (15), 28 (1), 30 (3)

     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 27 (3)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 9-10 (1), 16-19 (1), 23 (1), 24-25 (2), 27-30 (2)

     GREAT EGRET: 27 (1)

     TURKEY VULTURE: 13 (1), 19 (1), 20 (3), 22-23 (5), 25 (2), 27 (1), 28-29 (11), 30 (7)

     BALD EAGLE: 1-3 (1 ad), 4 (1 ad + 1 im), 5-7 (1 ad), 10 (1 ad + 1 im), 12 (1 ad),

          13 (1 ad + 1 im), 26 (1 ad)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 18 (1 im BY)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 3 (1 im + 1 ad), 14 (1 im), 19-20 (1 ad), 25 (1), 26 (1 ad + 1 im BY)

     Accipiter sp.: 11 (1 ad)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 (1), 2 (2), 3 (3), 4-5 (2), 6-8 (1), 10 (3), 11 (1), 13 (2), 16-18 (1), 19 (2),

          20 (4), 21 (2), 22-23 (1), 25 (2), 26 (3), 27 (1), 28 (2), 29-30 (1)

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 8-9 (1), 24 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 4 (1), 6 (1 BY), 8, 10-11, 17-21, 27-30

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1, 3-15, 17-23, 25, 27-28, 30-31

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 1, 5, 8, 10-11, 18, 20, 23, 30

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 27 (1), 30 (1)

     NORTHERN SHRIKE: 8-9 (1), 13 (1), 26 (1), 29 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 1, 3-4, 7, 10-12, 14-15, 17-19, 21-30

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-31

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-31

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 2-3, 5, 8-11, 17-22, 24-27, 30

     BROWN CREEPER: 10 (1)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 9 (2♂ + 1♀), 10 (1♂ + 1♀), 11 (1♂), 14 (2♂), 15 (2♂ + 4♀),

          20 (1♂ + 1♀), 21 (2♂ + 2♀), 22 (2♂ + 1♀), 23 (1♂ + 1♀), 26-27 (1♂), 28 (1♂ + 1♀),

          30 (1♂ + 1♀)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-31

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 2-6, 8-21, 23-30

     CEDAR WAXWING: 3 (17), 4 (1 BY + 25), 9-10 (1), 21 (13 BY)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-30

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-31

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 3-4 (1), 10 (1 BY), 25 (1), 31

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 2 (2), 3 (4), 4 (5), 5 (1), 6 (5), 7 (5+), 8, 9 (6+), 10 (4+), 11-22,

          23 (3), 24-30

     FOX SPARROW: 4-6 (1), 9 (1), 11 (1 BY + 1), 18 (1 BY), 25 (2 BY), 26 (2), 27 (1 BY),

          29 (4 BY),  30 (2 BY)

     SONG SPARROW: 3 (1), 4 (2), 5 (3), 7 (15), 8-9 (5+), 10-11 (6+), 12, 14-16 (1),

          17 (1 BY + 8),  18 (13+), 19, 20 (10), 21, 22 (2), 23 (15+), 24-30

     SWAMP SPARROW: 8 (1)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 12 (1 BY)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1-31

     Meadowlark sp.: 20 (1)

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-31

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 8 (1♂), 22 (15♂), 23 (19+♂), 26 (4), 27 (16♂), 28 (12),

          29 (1♂),  30 (5♂)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 3-4, 6, 10-31

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-31

MAMMALIAN

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 2-3, 5, 8-9, 12, 14-18, 21, 23-29

     FOX SQUIRREL: 2-4, 6, 8-19, 21, 23-30

     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL:

     AMERICAN BEAVER: 7 (1)

     COMMON MUSKRAT: 14 (1), 23 (1), 26 (1)

     AMERICAN MINK: 17 (1)

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (4), 2 (6), 5 (9), 6 (3), 7 (13), 8 (24), 9 (3), 11 (12), 14 (4), 16 (3 BY),

          17 (1 BY), 21 (5 BY), 24 (5 BY + 1), 27 (4), 28 (3 BY + 5), 29 (1 + 3 BY), 30 (2)

AMPHIBIAN

     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 15, 18, 20-23, 27-30

     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 19 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich