Sep 1, 2018: Wolf's August 2018 Wildlife Report

In the latter part of August, warblers started to migrate southward through our area.  This first Fall female Magnolia Warbler was one of them. (Wolf Oesterreich, 8/24/18)

 A total of 99 avian species (plus 1 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 3^rd highest August among 21 years of records.  August 2007 with 107 species remains as the highest August and August 2001 with 46 as the lowest.  This total is 30 species more than last month and 4 more than August 2017.

The Red-headed Woodpeckers at Jensen Pond nested for the second time this year.  Each time only 1 chick was raised.

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 2 Northern Shovelers on the 22^nd may represent a new extreme early Fall record for Story County (former record set on 31 Aug 2017 at Ada Hayden Heritage Park).  The single Common Loon on the 6^th may also set a new extreme early Fall record (former record set on 12 Aug 2003 at AHHP), while the 2 Broad-winged Hawks on the 21^st tied the extreme early Fall record set in 1985 in Ames.  The male Painted Bunting was the 4^th record for Ames and Story County.  The previous 3 records were a male that showed up in the Summers of 2006-2008 at Brookside Park.

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, bp=breeding plumage, ad=adult, nb=non-breeding plumage), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard).  The order follows the 59^th Supplement (2018) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 18^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-22, 26 (1), 27 (3), 29 (14), 30

     WOOD DUCK: 1 (33), 2 (22), 3 (51+), 4 (38+), 5 (53+), 6 (28+), 7 (50+), 8 (29+), 9 (24+),

          10 (40+),  11 (9+), 12 (38+), 13 (43+), 14 (51+), 15 (49+), 16 (45+), 17 (59+), 18 (29+),

          19 (45+), 20 (46+),  21 (52+), 22 (40+), 23 (62+), 24 (30+), 25 (51+), 26 (41+), 27 (45+),

          28 (8+), 29 (34+), 30 (46+),  31 (33+)

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 5 (5), 12 (1), 14 (1), 16 (7), 17 (15), 18 (3), 19 (9), 20 (14), 21 (2),

          22 (24), 23 (18), 24 (15), 26 (9), 27 (22), 28 (5), 29 (8), 30 (24), 31 (14)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 22 (2), 25 (2), 29-30 (2), 31 (3)

     MALLARD: 2 (10), 3 (6), 4 (29), 5 (42), 6 (20+), 7 (7), 8 (5), 9-10 (4), 11, 12 (9), 13 (5),

          14 (24+),  15 (24), 16 (29), 17 (34+), 18 (37+), 19 (22+), 20 (54+), 21 (22+), 22 (4),

          24 (1), 26-27 (3), 28 (5), 29 (4), 30 (5), 31 (4)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 27 (4)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 2, 4-6, 8, 13-15, 19, 22-23

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 27 (1), 31 (1)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 2 (1), 4-5 (1), 7 (1), 12-14 (1), 16 (1), 18 (1), 25 (2),

          27-28 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 2-9, 11-22, 25-28, 30-31

     YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO: 2 (1), 8 (1), 11-12 (1), 16 (1), 18-19 (1), 29 (1)

     CHIMNEY SWIFT: 2, 15, 17, 22-23, 27

     RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD: 1 (1♀), 7 (2), 10 (1), 14 (1), 16 (1), 18-19 (1), 20 (4),

          21-22 (1), 23 (2)

     SORA: 17 (1), 21 (1)

     AMERICAN COOT: 26-31 (1)

     KILLDEER: 2 (3), 3 (12+), 4 (2), 5 (5+), 6-7 (4), 9 (2), 11 (2), 12-13 (1), 14 (6), 15 (3), 16 (5),

          17 (7), 18 (15), 19 (16+), 20 (2), 25 (1)

     LEAST SANDPIPER: 16 (1)

     PECTORAL SANDPIPER: 6 (9), 14 (6), 17 (11), 18 (9), 19 (2), 20 (10)

     SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER: 18-19 (3)

     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 19-20 (1), 26 (1)

     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 5 (2), 7-8 (1), 16 (5), 18-20 (1)

     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 16 (1), 19 (2)

     GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 17 (1)

     FRANKLIN’S GULL: 29 (20)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 6 (4), 9 (1), 21 (1), 24 (1 im), 25 (1)

     CASPIAN TERN: 17 (1), 20-21 (2)

     FORSTER’S TERN: 6 (10), 9 (17)

     COMMON LOON: 6 (1 im/nb)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 23 (1), 29 (4), 31 (1)

     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 15 (62), 27 (22), 28 (71), 29-30 (1), 31 (3)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 1 (10), 2 (4), 3 (6), 4 (7), 5 (8), 6 (5), 7 (10), 8 (6), 9 (9), 10 (10),

          11 (6),  12-13 (7), 14 (16), 15 (15), 16 (29), 17 (16), 18 (30), 19 (17), 20 (27), 21 (16),

          22 (22), 23 (26),  24 (20), 25 (21), 26 (15), 27 (27), 28 (14), 29 (23), 30 (13), 31 (15)

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

          14 (3),  15 (5), 16 (2), 17 (4), 18 (1), 19 (2), 20-21 (4), 22-24 (3), 25 (2), 26 (1), 27 (2),

          28 (3), 29 (6),  30 (5), 31 (6)

     GREEN HERON: 3 (1), 6 (4), 10 (1), 11 (2), 15-18 (1), 20 (3), 21 (1), 22 (2), 23-24 (1), 25 (4),

          26 (3), 27-28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (4), 31 (2)

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

          16 (3), 17 (2), 19 (3), 20 (4), 21 (5), 23 (4), 24 (2), 25-26 (1), 27 (2), 29 (3), 30-31 (7)

     OSPREY: 2 (1), 5 (1), 7 (1), 12 (1), 20-22 (1), 24-25 (1), 28-31 (1)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 23 (1♀ BY)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 1-3 (1 im), 4-5 (3 im), 6-7 (1 im), 8 (3 im), 9-10 (1 im), 11-12 (2 im)

     BALD EAGLE: 3 (1 im), 4 (1 4-yr old), 21 (1 ad + 1 im), 22-25 (1 ad), 28 (1 ad), 30-31 (1 ad)

     BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 21 (1 ad + 1 ju)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 3-4 (1), 8 (1), 10 (1), 12 (1), 14 (1), 17-18 (1), 19 (2), 21-22 (1),

          24-25 (1), 30 (2)     

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 11 (1)

     BARRED OWL: 29 (1)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 2-3 (1), 7 (1), 14 (1), 16-17 (1), 18 (2), 19 (1), 20 (3), 21 (1), 23 (1),

          24 (2),  26 (2)

     RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 1 (2 ad + 1 im), 2 (1 ad), 3 (2 ad), 4-9 (1 ad), 10-11 (2 ad),

          12 (1 ad), 13 (2 ad), 14 (1 ad), 15-16 (2 ad), 18 (2 ad), 19-21 (1 ad), 22 (2 ad),

          23-24 (1 ad), 25-26 (1 ad + 1  nestling), 27 (1 nestling), 29-31 (1 ad + 1 nestling)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 4, 17 (1), 19 (!), 26 (1)

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1-2, 8, 10-16, 18-20, 24, 26, 29

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 17 (1), 30 (1)

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 1-2 (1), 4 (1), 8-10 (1), 12-13 (1), 15 (1), 19-21 (1),

          25 (1), 26 (2), 27 (1), 30 (1)

     AMERICAN KESTREL: 14 (1)

     GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER: 14 (1), 19 (2)

     EASTERN KINGBIRD: 1 (6), 2-3 (4), 4 (5), 5 (4), 6 (5), 7 (6), 9 (1), 9 (6), 10 (5), 11-12 (3),

          13 (2),  14 (3), 15 (7), 16 (5), 17 (4), 18 (3), 19 (1), 20 (3), 21 (1), 23 (1), 29 (5), 30 (2)

     OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER: 15 (1), 23-24 (1)

     EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE: 15 (2), 19 (1)

     ALDER FLYCATCHER: 14 (1)

     LEAST FLYCATCHER: 8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (1), 13-14 (1), 17 (2), 18 (1), 20 (1), 27 (1)

     Empidonax sp.: 12 (1), 15-17 (1), 19 (2), 20-22 (1)

     EASTERN PHOEBE: 20 (2), 23 (1), 30 (1)

     YELLOW-THROATED VIREO: 19 (1)

     WARBLING VIREO: 1 (1), 5 (2), 6 (1), 7 (2), 9 (2), 10-11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (1), 14 (2), 15-19 (1),

          22 (1),  25-26 (1)

     RED-EYED VIREO: 7 (1), 18 (3), 22 (2), 25 (2)

     BLUE JAY: 2, 4-16, 18-19, 21-26, 28-31

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-2, 4-5, 7-11, 13-14, 16-28, 30-31

     PURPLE MARTIN: 1-13, 14 (8), 17 (1), 21 (3), 24 (2), 28 (1), 30 (1)

     TREE SWALLOW: 15, 19, 23, 25, 27-28, 30-31

     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 15

     BANK SWALLOW: 17 (1), 23

     CLIFF SWALLOW: 4-6, 11, 15-19, 22, 24

     BARN SWALLOW: 1-30

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1, 3-9, 11-14, 16-22, 24-27, 30

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1-3, 5, 9-12, 18-19, 27

     HOUSE WREN: 1-22, 24-27, 30

     SEDGE WREN: 1 (3), 2 (2), 3 (3), 4 (4), 5 (3), 6 (2), 7 (1), 8 (6), 9 (4), 10 (3), 11 (7), 12 (4),

          13 (3),  14 (2), 15 (6), 16-17 (3), 18-19 (6), 21 (2), 25 (1), 27 (1)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 2 (1), 3 (1 im), 5 (3), 9 (1), 12 (1), 14 (2), 17 (4), 20 (1), 23 (3),

          24 (4), 26 (3)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-20, 22, 24 (2), 25 (1), 26 (3), 27 (1), 30 (1)

     GRAY CATBIRD: 1-27, 29-31

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 2, 9, 14, 17, 19-27, 29

     CEDAR WAXWING: 7 (2), 8 (1), 12 (1), 23 (1)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-23, 25, 29-31

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-4, 8-9, 11-12, 16-20, 22

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1-31

     CHIPPING SPARROW: 2-11, 16-17, 20, 22, 25-26, 29

     SONG SPARROW: 1-31

     ORCHARD ORIOLE: 7 (1)

     BALTIMORE ORIOLE: 4 (1), 5 (3), 6 (1), 10 (2), 11 (4), 13 (1), 14-15 (2), 16 (1), 19-20 (2)

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-18, 20, 23 (2), 24 (1)

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1-3, 5-6, 8-9, 11-12, 14-17, 19, 21 (2), 24 (1)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 6 (1)

     BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: 19 (3), 21 (1), 24 (4), 26 (1)

     COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 1-13, 15, 18-19, 21-23, 26-27

     AMERICAN REDSTART: 24 (2)

     MAGNOLIA WARBLER: 24 (4)

     BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER: 24 (1♂)

     CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER: 18 (1), 19 (2), 22 (1), 24 (2)

     CANADA WARBLER: 24 (3), 26 (2)

     WILSON’S WARBLER: 24 (3)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-21, 24-28, 30-31

     ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK: 1 (1♀)

     INDIGO BUNTING: 1-2 (1), 3 (1♂), 4 (3), 6 (1), 8 (1), 9 (3), 10 (1), 11, 12 (2), 13 (3),

          14-15 (2),  16-17 (1), 20-21 (1)

     PAINTED BUNTING: 8-9 (1♂), 11-12 (1♂), 14-16 (1♂)

     DICKCISSEL: 2 (4), 3 (1), 5 (1), 6 (4), 7 (2), 8 (3), 9 (1), 10 (3), 11 (1), 12 (4), 13-17 (1),

          19-20 (3), 21 (2), 22 (1), 27 (3), 29 (3)

MAMMALIAN

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-23, 25, 27-31

     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 2, 9

     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL:

     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-2, 4, 6, 8-9, 11-13, 16-17, 19, 22, 24, 29-31

     COMMON MUSKRAT: 5 (2), 17-18 (1), 23 (1)

     AMERICAN MINK: 20-21 (1), 28 (1)

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 2 (2 fawns), 3 (1♀ w/2 fawns), 4 (3 + 1♀ w/2 fawns), 5 (1 + 1♀ w/2

          fawns), 7 (1 + 1♀ w/1 fawn), 8 (1), 9 (1 fawn), 10 (1), 11 (1♀ w/2 fawns), 12 (1 + 1♀ w/2

          fawns in BY),  13 (1♀ w/1 fawn), 14 (1♀ w/2 fawns), 18 (1), 21 (1), 19 (1 + 1♀ w/2

          fawns), 23 (1♀ w/2 fawns), 27-28 (1♀ w/2 fawns), 29 (1 + 1♀ w/1 fawn in BY), 30 (1)

REPTILIAN

     PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 22 (1)

     WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE: 1-10, 12-27, 29-31

     RED-EARED SLIDER: 1-2 (1), 6 (1), 11 (1), 16 (2), 18-19 (1), 22-24 (1), 26 (1), 29 (1)

     WESTERN SPINY SOFTSHELL: 14 (1), 17 (1)

AMPHIBIAN

     AMERICAN TOAD: 2, 5, 7, 9-11, 15-19, 21, 24-29, 31

     EASTERN GRAY TREE FROG: 10 (1)

     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 1-2, 4, 6, 11, 19

     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 1-31

LEPIDOPTERA

     BLACK SWALLOWTAIL: 1 (1), 2-3 (2), 7 (1), 8 (4), 9 (1), 10-11 (3), 12 (2), 13 (5), 14 (1),

          16 (3),  18 (2), 19 (3), 22 (2), 25 (2)

     GIANT SWALLOWTAIL: 9 (1)

     EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL: 1 (1), 2 (3), 3 (1), 7 (2), 8 (3), 9 (2), 10 (1), 12 (1), 13 (2),

          14 (3), 17-18 (1), 25 (2)

     CABBAGE WHITE: 1-4, 6-10, 12-14, 16-18, 21-25, 29

     CLOUDED SULPHUR: 29 (2)

     ORANGE SULPHUR: 1-2, 4, 6-8, 10, 12-14, 16-19, 21-27, 29-31

     LITTLE YELLOW: 8-9 (1), 10-11 (1), 16 (2), 19 (2), 21-23 (2), 24 (1), 29 (3)

     Sulphur sp.: 13-14, 16, 24-25, 27

     GRAY COPPER: 16 (2)

     EASTERN TAILED BLUE: 1, 3, 5, 7-8, 14, 16, 22 (6), 29 (2)

     VARIEGATED FRITILLARY: 25 (1)

     GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY: 10 (1), 17 (1)

     PEARL CRESCENT: 1 (1), 2 (3), 3 (2), 6 (4), 7-8 (2), 9 (5), 10 (2), 11-12 (1), 14 (3), 15 (1),

          16 (6), 17 (9), 18 (4), 20 (1), 21 (3), 22 (15+), 25 (7), 26 (1), 29 (4), 30 (1)

     QUESTION MARK: 2 (1), 7-8 (1), 10 (2), 11 (1)

     PAINTED LADY: 17 (1)

     RED ADMIRAL: 2 (2), 6-7 (4), 8-9 (1), 16 (1), 18 (1), 22 (1), 25 (1)

     COMMON BUCKEYE: 8 (3), 11-13 (1), 16 (4), 17 (1), 19 (3), 21-22 (2), 25 (4)

     RED-SPOTTED PURPLE: 2 (1), 14 (1), 16 (1), 24-25 (1)

     VICEROY: 1 (1), 2 (5), 3 (3), 6 (7), 7 (3), 9 (2), 10 (6), 11 (3), 13 (4), 14-15 (1), 18 (2), 19 (1),

          20 (3), 21-23 (2), 24 (3), 25 (1), 27 (2), 29 (2), 31 (1)

     HACKBERRY EMPEROR: 5 (1), 9 (1), 22 (1)

     MONARCH: 1 (14), 2 (28), 3 (18), 4 (13), 5 (6), 6 (22), 7 (25), 8 (30), 9 (28), 10 (24), 11 (20),

          12 (17), 13 (30), 14 (34), 15 (13), 16 (22), 17 (33), 18 (29), 19 (24), 20 (11), 21 (10),

          22 (16), 23 (8), 24 (10), 25 (15), 26 (8), 27 (7), 28 (1), 29 (8), 30 (5), 31 (2)

     COMMON SOOTYWING: 8 (2), 22 (1)

     LEAST SKIPPER: 1-4, 6, 8, 11, 13-14, 20 (1), 25-26, 30

     SACHEM: 3 (1)

     Skipper sp.: 13 (1), 30 (1)

     CHICKWEED GEOMETER: 20 (1)

     WHITE-LINED SPHINX: 30 (1)

     YELLOW BEAR (VIRGINIAN TIGER MOTH): 31 (1)

ODONATA

     AMERICAN RUBYSPOT: 30 (1♂)

     SLENDER SPREADWING: 2, 4-6, 12, 14, 16-19, 26-27

     LYRE-TIPPED SPREADWING: 21 (1)

     Spreadwing sp.: 1-2

     BLUE-FRONTED DANCER: 1-3, 5-27, 29-31

     POWDERED DANCER: 1-4, 6-10, 13, 15-17, 20 (2), 21-23, 25, 27, 29-31

     RAINBOW BLUET: 3 (2), 7 (4), 9 (4), 16 (1), 22 (1), 27 (1)

     DOUBLE-STRIPED BLUET: 16 (2), 23 (1 pair + 2), 27 (1), 30 (1)

     TULE BLUET: 17 (1), 27 (1)

     FAMILIAR BLUET: 1 (2), 2 (3), 3 (4), 4 (1), 6 (2), 7 (1), 9 (1 pair), 16 (2), 25 (1 pair)

     STREAM BLUET: 9-10 (1), 16 (2), 17 (1), 20 (3), 21-22 (1), 23 (5), 25 (4), 27 (1), 30 (1),

          31 (2)

     SKIMMING BLUET: 9 (1), 21 (1), 22 (2)

     ORANGE BLUET: 8 (1), 17 (1), 20 (6), 21 (3), 22, 27 (1), 29 (1), 31 (2)

     Bluet sp.: 2, 13, 17, 30 (1)

     FRAGILE FORKTAIL: 3 (1♂), 6-7 (1♂), 13 (1♂), 23 (2♂)

     EASTERN FORKTAIL: 1-26, 30-31

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 1-30

     COMMON BASKETTAIL: 21 (1)

     PRINCE BASKETTAIL: 4 (2), 6-7, 11, 16

     HALLOWEEN PENNANT: 1 (1)

     EASTERN PONDHAWK: 2-3, 6, 11-13, 19, 21-25, 29

     WIDOW SKIMMER: 1-4, 6-25, 27, 30

     COMMON WHITETAIL: 1-4, 6-10, 12, 14-15, 17, 19-24, 27, 29-31

     TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER: 1-3, 6-13, 16-19, 21-22, 24-25, 31

     BLUE DASHER: 1-3, 6-10, 12-13, 17, 22

     WANDERING GLIDER: 1-3, 8-10, 12-13, 15, 17-19, 24

     EASTERN AMBERWING: 1-2, 6-8, 23 (3), 25 (2), 27 (2)

     BAND-WINGED MEADOWHAWK: 1-2, 8, 10, 21-22 (1), 24 (1)

     BLACK SADDLEBAGS: 1-4, 6-12, 14, 16-19, 22, 24, 30

     RED SADDLEBAGS: 3 (1), 7-8, 10-13, 17

ORTHOPTERA

     CAROLINA GRASSHOPPER: 1-27, 29, 31

Wolf. Oesterreich