Apr 1, 2019: Wolf's March 2019 Wildlife Report

My first Hooded Mergansers at the Park showed up on the 16th and were present for much of the remainder of the month.  This pair was found on Pond M.  The male's crest is not fully extended. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 3/25/19)

A total of 85 avian species (plus 2p.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the highest March among 22 years of records.  This total is 47 species more than last month and 14 more than March 2018.  March 1998, with 44 species, remains as the lowest March. 

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 Northern Shrike found on the 26^th ties the late Winter record set in 2004 (in my backyard) 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, bp=breeding plumage, ad=adult, nbp=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

     SNOW GOOSE: 19 (2), 21 (4), 25 (2)

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 14 (100+), 16-17 (100s), 18-23, 24 (212+), 25,

          28 (13), 29 (1)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-31

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 1 (14), 2 (17), 3 (13), 4 (16), 5-6 (18), 7-8 (15), 9 (4), 10 (12),

          11 (20), 12 (22), 13 (11), 17 (12), 18 (13), 27-29 (1 ad)

     TUNDRA SWAN: 1-8 (1 ad), 10-13 (1 ad), 16 (1 ad)

     WOOD DUCK: 8-9 (1♂), 11 (2♂ + 1♀), 12 (3♂ + 2♀), 14 (1♂ + 1♀),

          16 (9+ ♂ & 7+ ♀), 17 (19+), 18 (11), 19 (12), 20 (18), 21 (6+), 22 (12+), 23 (8+),

          24 (2), 25 (4+), 26 (13), 27 (5), 28 (10), 29 (5), 31 (4)

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 25 (2♂), 26 (1♂), 28-29 (9), 31 (7♂ + 2♀)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 24 (4), 25 (15+), 26 (8+), 27 (5), 28 (55), 29 (9),

          31 (4♂ + 2♀)

     GADWALL: 15 (2♂), 24-25 (1♂), 26 (9), 27 (5), 28 (16), 29 (2), 31 (3♂ + 2♀)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 24 (1♂), 25 (4♂ + 1♀), 26 (1♂), 27 (1♂ + 1♀), 28 (3♂ + 2♀),

          29 (1♂), 31 (2♂)

     MALLARD: 1-31

     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 9 (3♂ + 2♀), 10-12 (1♂ + 1♀), 21 (1♂ + 1♀)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 10 (1♂), 19 (1♂ + 1♀), 21 (2♂ + 1♀), 25 (3♂ + 1♀),

          28 (1♂ + 1♀), 29 (2♂ + 2♀), 31 (2♂ + 1♀)

     CANVASBACK: 15 (3♂ + 1♀), 24 (5♂ + 2♀), 25 (39+), 28-29 (1♂ + 1♀)

     REDHEAD: 8 (4♂), 10 (2♂), 15-16 (2♂), 28 (3♂ + 3♀), 31 (4♂ + 3♀)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 9 (7♂ + 1♀), 10 (1♂), 22 (1♂), 24 (1♂ + 1♀), 25 (7♂), 26 (6),

          27 (1), 28 (29), 29 (49), 30, 31 (12♂ + 6♀)

     LESSER SCAUP: 24 (60+), 25 (71+), 26 (20+), 27 (13), 28 (7), 29 (11), 30, 31 (14+)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 17 (1♂), 19 (1♂ + 1♀), 20 (2♂ + 1♀), 22 (2♂), 23 (3♂),

          24-25 (5♂ + 3♀), 26 (6♂ + 2♀), 27 (11♂ + 3♀), 28 (8♂ + 4♀), 29 (10♂ + 6♀), 30,

          31 (9♂ + 5♀)

     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 11 (1♂), 12 (1♂ + 1♀), 17 (2♂ + 1♀), 25 (4)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 16 (2♂ + 1♀), 19 (1♀), 20 (1♂), 24 (7♂ + 3♀), 26 (17),

          27 (8), 28 (4♂ + 3♀), 29 (3♂ + 2♀), 30, 31 (6♂ + 6♀)

     COMMON MERGANSER: 11 (2♂), 13 (7♂ + 2♀), 14 (24), 19 (7), 22 (12), 23 (13),

          24 (1♂ + 3♀), 25 (68+), 26 (7), 27 (20+), 28 (5), 29 (6), 31 (1♂ + 2♀)

     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 28 (6♂ + 8♀), 29 (1♂ + 3♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 26 (1♂)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1 (2♂), 2 (5), 16 (1), 17 (4), 18 (2), 19 (4), 20 (5),

          21-23 (2), 25 (3), 26-27 (1), 28-29 (4), 31 (3)

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 23 (1), 25 (2), 26 (1), 28 (11), 29 (4), 30, 31 (9)

     ROCK PIGEON: 28 (1)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 15 (2), 16 (1), 17 (2), 18-19 (1), 21 (3), 22 (1), 23 (2),

          24-25 (1), 28 (3), 29 (1), 31 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 2 (6), 3-4 (2), 8 (9), 11 (1), 12 (3), 13 (2), 14 (3), 16 (4), 17 (6),

          18 (3), 19 (5), 20 (2), 21-22 (3), 23-25 (2), 26 (1), 27 (3), 28 (10), 29 (2), 31 (3)

     AMERICAN COOT: 25-27 (4), 28 (23+), 29 (14+), 31 (7+)

     SANDHILL CRANE: 25 (7)

     KILLDEER: 12-13 (1), 15 (1), 17-20 (1), 22 (6), 23 (2), 24 (1), 25 (4), 26 (1), 28 (2)

     AMERICAN WOODCOCK: 30 (1), 31 (2)

     WILSON’S SNIPE: 28 (1)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 9 (1), 14 (3), 19 (3), 20 (1), 21 (3), 22 (58+), 23 (26+), 24 (31+),

          25 (12+), 26 (34+), 27 (178+), 28 (20+), 29 (125+), 30 (3+), 31 (18+)

     HERRING GULL: 24 (2 ad), 25 (5), 26 (6), 27 (3), 28 (1 im)

     COMMON LOON: 28 (4 bp), 31 (2 bp + 1 nbp)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 27-28 (1), 29 (13+), 30 (1)

     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 28 (2)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 19 (1-2), 20 (2), 21-22 (1), 24-25 (2), 27 (2), 28-29 (4), 31 (2)

     GREAT EGRET: 30 (1)

     TURKEY VULTURE: 22 (2), 23 (5), 24 (2), 26 (2), 27 (4), 28 (2), 29 (5), 31 (3)

     NORTHERN HARRIER: 14 (1♂), 17 (1♀), 23 (1), 31 (1)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 24 (1 im BY)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 1 (1 ad BY), 2 (1), 7-8 (1 ad BY), 11 (1♂ ad), 13 (1♂ ad),

          14 (1 ad), 16 (1 ad), 19 (1 ad), 21-22 (1 ad)

     Accipiter sp.: 26 (1)

     BALD EAGLE: 3 (2 ad), 4 (1 im), 5 (2 ad + 1 im), 8 (2 ad + 1 im), 9 (1 ad), 10 (2 ad),

          11 (2 im), 12 (1 ad + 2 im), 14 (3 ad + 2 im), 15 (1 ad), 16 (1 4-yr + 1 im),

          18-19 (1 ad), 23 (1 im), 25 (1 4-yr), 26 (1 ad), 27 (1 im), 28 (1 ad + 1 4-yr + 2 im),

          30 (1 im)

     RED-SHOULDERED HAWK: 23 (1)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 (2), 2-3 (1), 4 (3), 5 (2), 6-7 (1), 10 (2), 12 (1), 14 (1), 15-17 (3),

          18 (1), 19 (2), 20 (1), 23-25 (2), 26 (4), 27 (1), 28-29 (3), 30-31 (2)

     ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 15-16 (1)

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 11-13 (1)

     BARRED OWL: 28 (1)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 23 (1), 28 (1), 31 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 (1), 6-7 (1), 8 (2), 9-10 (1), 11 (2), 12 (1), 13 (2),

          14 (1), 16-17 (3), 18-19 (2), 20 (1), 22 (1), 24 (1), 26-27 (3), 29 (1), 31 (1)

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1, 5-14, 16-31

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 6 (1), 8 (1), 20 (1)

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 16 (1), 23-24 (1), 25 (2), 27 (2), 29 (2), 30 (1)

     EASTERN PHOEBE: 28 (1)

     AMERICAN KESTREL: 25 (1♂)

     NORTHERN SHRIKE: 22-23 (1), 25-26 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 2, 6-7, 10, 12, 15-29, 31

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-8, 10-31

     TREE SWALLOW: 27 (1), 28 (2)

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1, 3, 5-9, 11-31

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 5-6 (1), 8 (2), 12 (2), 13 (1), 16 (2), 17-18 (1), 19 (2),

          21 (3), 22-23 (1), 24 (2), 25-26 (1), 28 (1), 30 (1), 31 (3)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 17 (1♂), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 21 (1), 22 (4), 24 (2)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 8 (1), 10 (2), 12 (16+), 13 (5 + 7 BY), 14-31

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1, 5-6, 8, 10-29, 31

     CEDAR WAXWING: 6 (15), 8 (21), 10 (15+), 11 (1), 12 (40+ & 138 BY),

          13 (35+ & 130+ BY), 14 (66+), 15 (3), 16-17 (31+), 18 (9), 21 (20), 23 (12), 24 (29),

          25 (3), 27 (25+), 28 (9 + 8 BY), 29 (~40), 30 (56+), 31 (9 BY + 46+)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1, 3-29, 31

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-31

     PURPLE FINCH: 11 (3♀ BY), 22 (1♀ BY), 28 (1♂)

     PINE SISKIN: 22 (1 BY)

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 16 (2), 17 (7), 19-31

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1, 3-29, 31

     FOX SPARROW: 26 (1), 27-28 (2), 29 (3), 30 (1), 31 (2)

     SONG SPARROW: 4-5 (1), 7 (1), 15 (1), 16 (2), 17 (1), 18 (3), 19 (4), 20-31

     SWAMP SPARROW: 29 (1)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 1 (1 BY), 6-10 (1 BY), 12-14 (1 BY), 16-20 (1 BY),

          22-23 (1 BY), 28-29 (1 BY), 31 (1 BY)

     HARRIS’S SPARROW: 7 (1 BY), 12 (1 BY)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1, 3-31

     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 22 (1), 29 (1)

     Meadowlark sp.: 13 (1), 17 (1), 21 (1), 27 (1)

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 13 (2♂), 14-31

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 17 (4♂), 18 (7♂), 19 (4♂), 20 (2♂), 21 (5♂ + 1♀),

          22 (2♂), 23-24, 26-31

     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 14 (1♂), 24 (5), 25 (36+), 26 (15+), 27 (19), 28 (2), 29 (10+),

          30 (9)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 15 (1), 16 (3), 17-31

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-31

MAMMALIAN

     VIRGINIA OPOSSUM: 11 (1)

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-18, 20-26, 28-31

     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 22, 24, 27-29, 31

     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-2, 4-31

     MEADOW VOLE: 5 91), 7-8 (1)

     COMMON MUSKRAT: 11 (1), 24 (1), 27 (1), 29 (1), 31 (1)

     NORTHERN RIVER OTTER: 14 (1)

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 4 (3 BY), 8 (3 BY), 9 (6), 10 (5 BY), 12 (8 BY), 13 (1),

          14 (3 BY),  15 (3 + 3 BY), 17 (7), 20 (1), 21 (2 BY + 7), 22 (5), 25 (4 BY), 26 (3),

           27 (1 + 5 BY), 28 (2 BY), 29 (21), 30 (1 + 4 BY), 31 (3 + 5 BY)

AMPHIBIAN

     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 27-30

     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 21 (1), 27 (2)

LEPIDOPTERA

     WOOLLY BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth): 25 (2)

Wolf. Oesterreich