May 1, 2020: Wolf's April 2020 Wildlife Report

It's always a grand time when the Common Loons arrive on their northward migration.  I never observed more than 5 this year.  The eerie call of a loon is something everyone should experience.  Some of us were even fortunate enough to see some pair establishment behavior.  Unlike ducks, it takes some scurrying across the water before they can become airborne. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 4/10/20)

A total of 125 avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the highest April among 23 years of records.  April 1998 with only 61 species is the lowest.  This total is 46 species more than last month and 2 more than April 2019.  So far, a total of 136 species have been recorded this year at the park.  Two species, Pileated Woodpecker (#276) and Western Tanager (#277) were added to my Park List.

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, anb=adult non-breeding), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard).  The order follows the 60^th Supplement (2019) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 19^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

[Several shorebird species were recorded by others that I wasn't able to observe.  They usually arrived late in the afternoon or early evening, long after my ride was completed, and departed before I rode past the area in the morning.]

AVIAN

     SNOW GOOSE: 5 (1 w), 9 (1 w), 14 (1 w), 16 (1 w)

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 23 (65)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-30

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 10 (6 ad), 19 (4 ad)

     WOOD DUCK: 1 (7), 2 (13), 3 (21), 4 (5), 5 (7), 6 (6), 7 (24), 8 (6), 9 (9), 10 (5), 11-12 (10), 13 (8),

          14 (9), 15-16 (3), 17 (20), 18 (2), 19 (1), 20 (18), 21 (1), 22 (9), 23 (19), 24 (18), 25 (9), 27 (6),

          28 (4), 29 (16), 30 (1)

     BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 1 (22), 2 (14), 3 (74), 4 (41), 5 (49), 6 (35), 7 (22), 8 (70), 9 (66), 10 (35),

          11 (40), 12 (144), 13 (57), 14-15 (42), 16-17 (29), 18 (39), 19 (58), 20 (48), 21 (25), 22 (92),

          23 (27), 24 (151), 25 (34), 26 (61), 27 (49), 28 (85), 29 (57), 30 (30)

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 1 (27), 2 (54), 3 (80), 4 (84), 5 (35), 6 (62), 7 (24), 8 (65), 9 (35), 10 (38),

          11 (74), 12 (26), 13 (45), 14 (27), 15 (13), 16 (25), 17 (17), 18 (22), 19 (32), 20 (52), 21 (27),

          22 (47), 23 (22), 24 (43), 25 (23), 26 (15), 27 (13), 28 (2), 29 (3), 30 (2)

     GADWALL: 1 (33), 2 (42), 3 (128), 4 (70), 5 (51), 6 (46), 7 (28), 8 (39), 9 (52), 10 (46), 11 (72),

          12 (26), 13 (21), 14 (31), 15 (16), 16 (33), 17 (28), 18 (31), 19 (36), 20 (23), 21 (31), 22 (24),

          23 (27), 24 (12), 25 (11), 26 (8), 27 (10), 28 (4), 29 (5), 30 (2)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 3 (10), 4 (2♂), 8 (1♂), 24 (1♂)

     MALLARD: 1-30

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 2 (4), 3 (143), 4 (16), 6 (4), 8 (19), 12 (23), 13 (3), 14 (4), 24-25 (5)

     REDHEAD: 2 (1 pair), 4 (2♂ + 1♀), 20 (2♂ + 1♀), 27 (1♂ + 1♀)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 1 (1♂), 2 (2), 3 (6), 4 (3♂ + 1♀), 6-7 (1♂), 12 (1 pair), 14 (1♂)

     LESSER SCAUP: 1 (4), 2 (24), 3 (28), 4 (33), 5-6 (10), 7 (8), 8 (2), 9 (4), 12 (9), 13 (2), 15 (7), 17 (2),

          19-20 (5), 21 (7), 24 (16), 26-27 (1♂)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 1 (1 pair), 2 (2♂ + 6♀), 3 (11♂ + 19♀), 5 (3♂), 6 (2♂), 7 (1♀), 8 (1♂ + 4♀), 11 (2♀),

          15 (1♂ + 20♀), 17 (2♂), 20 (1♀), 22 (1♀), 24 (7♀)

     HOODED MEGANSER: 1 (2♀), 2 (3♀), 12 (4♀), 14 (1♀), 16 (1♀), 22 (1♀), 24 (1♀)

     COMMON MERGANSER: 1 (1♂), 10 (9), 15 (2)

     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 1 (1♂), 2 (2♂), 3-4 (4♂), 5 (2♂), 6 (1♂), 9 (2♂ + 6♀), 14 (3♀),

          15 (1♂), 21 (2♀), 23-24 (1♀), 26-27 (1♀), 30 (1♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 3 (67), 5 (1♀), 6 (8), 9 (9), 12 (14), 17 (1♂ + 3♀), 20 (4), 24 (17)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1 (4), 2 (3), 3 (6), 4 (4), 5 (3), 6 (4), 7 (3), 8-9 (5), 10 (4), 11 (5), 12 (1),

          13 (6), 14 (5), 15-16 (4), 17 (6), 18 (4), 19 (3), 20 (6), 21-22 (4), 23 (3), 24-26 (5), 27 (3), 28 (5),

          29 (2), 30 (3)

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1 (5), 2 (8), 3 (17), 4 (8), 5 (7), 6 (3), 7 (7), 8 (9), 9 (6), 10 (5), 11 (10), 12 (17),

          13 (13), 14 (14), 15 (17), 16 (15), 17 (12), 18 (10), 19-20 (8), 21 (11), 22 (4), 23 (7), 24 (21), 25 (5),

          26 (9), 27-28 (5), 29 (7), 30 (2)

     HORNED GREBE: 1 (1 anb + 1 bp), 2 (1 anb), 3 (1 bp), 4-6 (1 bp + 1 anb), 7 (2 bp + 1 anb),

          8-16 (1 anb)

     EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 1-5 (1), 6 (2), 7 (1), 9-19 (1), 21 (1), 23-28 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 1-2 (4), 4 (2), 5 (3), 6 (4), 7 (5), 8 (6), 9 (9), 10 (8), 11 (6), 12 (1), 13-14 (2),

          15 (7), 16 (2), 17-18 (6), 19 (4), 20 (9), 21 (4), 22 (8), 23-24 (7), 25-26 (6), 27 (10), 28 (6), 29 (3),

          30 (4)

     CHIMNEY SWIFT: 30 (2)

     VIRGINIA RAIL: 28 (1)

     SORA: 18-19 (1), 26-29 (1), 30 (2)

     AMERICAN COOT: 1 (76), 2 (67), 3 (323), 4 (454), 5 (200), 6 (125), 7 (188), 8 (115), 9 (153),

          10 (117), 11 (93), 12 (258), 13 (248), 14 (222), 15 (216), 16 (167), 17 (128), 18 (136), 19 (203),

          20 (214), 21 (122), 22 (95), 23 (60), 24 (57), 25 (20), 26 (25), 27 (12), 28 (21), 29 (24), 30 (30)

     SANDHILL CRANE: 17 (2)

     KILLDEER: 1 (1), 2 (2), 4 (2), 5 (1), 6 (4), 7 (2), 10 (2), 11 (1), 13 (5), 14 (1), 23 (6), 24-25 (2), 30 (2)

     WILSON’S SNIPE: 11 (1), 17-20 (1)

     SPOTTED SANDPIPER: 23 (2), 24-25 (1), 27-28 (1)

     SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 28 (2), 29 (3)

     LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 3 (4), 13 (1), 19 (1), 22 (7), 23 (13), 24 (6), 25 (7), 26 (3), 27 (6), 28 (4),

          29 (3), 30 (6)

     WILLET: 24 (26)

     GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 3 (1), 19 (3), 24 (3)

     WILSON’S PHALAROPE: 26 (1♂ + 1♀)

     BONAPARTE’S GULL: 18 (~45), 19 (13), 21 (37)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 1 (4), 2-3 (1), 5 (1), 7-9 (1), 11 (3), 13 (5), 16 (1), 18 (4), 19 (2), 22 (14),

          23-24 (1)

     COMMON LOON: 1 (5 bp), 2-3 (4 bp), 4 (2 bp), 5 (3 bp), 6-7 (4 bp), 8 (3 bp), 9 (1 bp), 10 (3 bp),

          11 (2 bp), 12 (3 bp), 13 (4 bp), 14-15 (3 bp + 1 anb), 16 (2 bp), 17 (4 bp), 18 (5 bp),

          19 (3 bp + 1 anb), 20-21 (4 bp), 22-23 (1 bp), 24 (1 bp + 1 anb), 25 (1 bp)

     DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 1 (5), 2 (2), 5 (6), 6 (4), 7 (1), 8 (18), 9 (45), 10 (2), 11 (10),

          13 (1), 14 (57), 15 (7), 16 (10), 19 (50), 20 (22), 21-22 (1), 27 (7), 28 (34)

     AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 6-7 (28), 8 (19), 21 (1)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 1 (4), 2 (1), 3 (2), 4 (1), 5 (3), 7 (4), 9-10 (1), 11 (3), 13 (3), 14 (1), 15 (3),

          16-17 (2), 19 (3), 20-22 (4), 23 (1), 24 (2), 25 (5), 26 (1), 27 (3), 28 (2), 29 (5), 30 (4)

     GREAT EGRET: 12 (1), 16 (3), 19 (3)

     BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON: 27-28 (1 ad)

     WHITE-FACED IBIS: 19 (3)

     TURKEY VULTURE: 1 (3), 2 (12), 3-4 (1), 5 (4), 6 (20), 7 (3), 8 (9), 9 (5), 10 (25), 11 (14), 12 (2),

          13 (3), 14 (13), 15 (3), 16 (23), 17 (5), 18 (7), 19 (10), 20 (4), 21 (6), 22 (8), 23 (11), 24 (7), 25 (4),

          26 (8), 27 (11), 28 (2), 29 (6)

     OSPREY: 5 (2), 6-7 (1), 8-14 (2), 15 (4), 16-17 (3), 18 (1), 19-21 (2), 22-23 (1), 24 (2), 25 (1),

          27-29 (1), 30 (2)

     NORTHERN HARRIER: 29 (1♀)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 10 (1 ad), 21 (1)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 2 (2 ad), 4 (1 ad), 5 (2 ad), 7 (2 ad), 8-9 (1 ad), 10 (1 ad + 1 ad BY), 13-14 (1 ad),

          18 (2 ad), 19 (1 ad), 20-21 (2 ad), 23 (2 ad), 24-30 (1 ad)

     BALD EAGLE: 1 (1 ad + 1 im), 2-3 (1 ad), 6 (1 im), 7-8 (1 ad), 13-15 (1 ad), 17 (1 ad + 1 im),

          18-20 (1 ad), 22 (1 im), 24 (1 ad + 1 im), 26-28 (1 ad), 29-30 (1 im)

     BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 19 (1), 27 (3), 29-30 (2)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 1-3 (3), 4 (4), 5-8 (2), 9 (1), 10-11 (2), 13 (3), 14 (1), 16-17 (2), 18 (1), 19-20 (3),

          21 (2), 22 (3), 23 (1), 24-26 (2), 27 (1), 28 (2), 29 (1), 30 (2)

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 1 (2)

     BARRED OWL: 1 (1 BY), 6-7 (1 BY), 10 (1), 16 (1)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 1 (1), 4-6 (1), 13 (1), 14 (2), 16 (1), 19 (1), 22 (1), 29 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1-2 (4), 3 (1), 4-5 (3), 6 (2), 7 (3), 8 (1), 9 (4), 10 (3), 11 (4), 12 (2),

          13-16 (3), 17 (1), 18-20 (2), 21-22 (3), 23 (2), 24 (1), 25-26 (3), 27-28 (2), 30 (1)

     YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 21 (1♂), 23-26 (1)

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1 (5), 2-3 (1), 4 (5), 5 (9), 6 (3), 7-26, 28-30

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 1 (1 BY), 13 (1)

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 2 (7), 3 (6), 4 (8), 5 (7), 6 (6), 7 (5), 8 (2), 9 (7), 10 (6),

          11 (10), 12 (1), 13 (14), 14 (10), 15 (9), 16 (6), 17 (14), 18 (8), 19 (4), 20 (6), 21 (9), 22 (4),

          23 (7), 24 (2 + 1♀ BY), 25 (3 + 1♀ BY), 26 (4 + 1♀ BY), 27-28 (1), 29 (2), 30 (1)

     PILEATED WOODPECKER: 19 (1)

     AMERICAN KESTREL: 2-3 (1♀)

     MERLIN: 14 (1♀), 24 (1)

     EASTERN KINGBIRD: 28 (1)

     EASTERN PHOEBE: 3 (2), 4 (1), 6 (1), 10 (2), 13 (3), 14-15 (1), 16 (2), 17-18 (1), 20 (1), 21 (2),

          22-23 (1), 27-28 (2), 30 (1)

     LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE: 16-17 (1)

     WARBLING VIREO: 30 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 1-30

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-30

     TREE SWALLOW: 1 (2), 2 (20+), 5 (1), 6 (39), 7 (29), 8 (66), 9 (56+), 10 (15+), 11 (33+), 12-13 (3),

          15 (31), 16 (14), 17 (13), 18 (12+), 19 (33+), 20 (50+), 21 (31), 22 (41+), 23 (97), 24 (50+),

          25 (84+), 26 (49+), 27 (50+), 28 (48+), 29 (12+), 30 (55+)

     NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 21 (1), 24 (2), 27-28 (1), 29 (21+)

     PURPLE MARTIN: 3 (1), 5 (2), 6 (1), 7-8 (3), 9 (4), 10 (3), 11-12 (6), 13-14 (4), 15 (5), 17 (2), 18 (3),

          19 (9), 20 (17), 21 (11), 22 (10), 23 (18), 24 (13), 25 (18), 26 (24), 27 (27), 28 (21), 29 (6), 30 (24)

     BARN SWALLOW: 15-16 (1), 19 (1), 20-21 (2), 22 (3), 24-25 (5), 26 (2), 27 (3), 28 (5), 29 (28+),

          30 (12+)

     CLIFF SWALLOW: 29 (2)

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-30

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1 (1), 5 (2), 6-7 (1), 11-12 (1), 15 (3), 16 (4), 17-18 (2), 19 (1),

          21-22 (1), 24 (2), 26 (2), 28 (1), 30 (1)

     BROWN CREEPER: 1 (1), 4 (1), 18 (1)

     HOUSE WREN: 22-23 (1), 26 (4), 27 (2), 28 (7), 29 (5), 30 (4)

     MARSH WREN: 24 (2), 28-29 (2), 30 (1)

     BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER: 28 (3)

     GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 6 (1), 15-16 (1), 18 (1), 22 (1)

     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 3 (2), 5-6 (1), 7 (2), 9-10 (1), 11 (2), 13 (1), 14 (7), 15 (12), 16 (10),

          17 (6), 18-19 (4), 20 (12), 21-22 (10), 24 (4 + 1 BY), 26 (4), 28 (3), 29 (6), 30 (7)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 (1), 3-4 (2), 5-7 (1), 8 (3), 9 (1), 10-11 (2), 13-14 (2), 15 (1), 17 (2), 20 (3),

          21 (1), 22-23 (3), 24-26 (2), 28 (3), 29 (1), 30 (3)

     SWAINSON’S THRUSH: 25 (1)

     HERMIT THRUSH: 12 (2), 13 (6), 14 (5), 15 (3), 16 (2), 17 (5), 18 (1), 19 (5), 20 (4), 21 (2), 22 (1),

          24 (3), 26 (2), 28 (1)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-30

     BROWN THRASHER: 12 (1 BY), 13 (1 BY + 1), 14 (2 + 1 BY), 16-17 (1), 19-21 (1), 22 (3),

          24 (1 + 1 BY), 25 (3), 26-27 (1), 28 (1 BY + 1), 29 (1), 30 (2)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1-30

     CEDAR WAXWING: 6 (9), 7 (13), 9 (55), 17 (5)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-30

     House Sparrow X Eurasian Tree Sparrow: 2 (1), 5-8 (1). 14-17 (1), 19-24 (1), 27 (1), 30 (1)

     EURASIAN TREE SPARROW: 5-9 (1), 11 (1), 15-17 (1), 19-21 (1), 23 (1), 26 (1), 27 (2)

     HOUSE FINCH: 1-30

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1-30

     CHIPPING SPARROW: 18 (3), 26 (2), 27-28 (1), 29 (10), 30 (2)

     CLAY-COLORED SPARROW: 29-30 (1)

     FIELD SPARROW: 2 (1), 4-6 (1), 13 (2), 14-15 (1), 23-24 (2), 25 (1), 26-27 (3), 28 (2), 29 (1), 30 (5)

     FOX SPARROW: 1 (2), 2-5 (1), 6 (3), 7 (1), 16 (2), 17-18 (1 BY), 19-20 (2)

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 4 (2)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1 (10), 2 (6), 3 (2), 4 (7), 5 (5), 6 (2), 7-9 (1), 10 (1 BY),

          11 (1 + 2 BY), 12 (1 BY), 13 (1 + 3 BY), 14 (2 BY + 1), 15 (3 BY), 16 (1 + 3 BY), 17-18 (1 BY),

          20-21 (1 BY)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 17-18 (1 BY), 22 (7), 23 (4 + 1 BY), 24 (3 + 1 BY), 25 (1),

          26 (2 + 2 BY), 27 (6 + 5 BY), 28 (9 + 8 BY), 29 (4 + 17 BY), 30 (9 + 4 BY)

     SAVANNAH SPARROW: 27 (1), 29 (1)

     SONG SPARROW: 1 (35), 2 (30+), 3 (39), 4 (73), 5 (50), 6 (60), 7 (38), 8 (56), 9 (46), 10 (53), 11 (39),

          12 (18), 13 (50), 14 (31), 15 (35), 16 (29), 17 (56), 18 (29), 19-20 (27), 21 (28), 22 (26), 23 (18),

          24 (25), 25 (31), 26 (28), 27 (19), 28 (37), 29 (25), 30 (21)

     LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 22 (1), 24 (2), 28 (6), 30 (2)

     SWAMP SPARROW: 3 (1), 4-5 (2), 7 (1), 9 (1), 13-14 (1), 15-16 (6), 17 (3), 18 (4), 19 (3), 20 (5),

          21 (6), 22 (3), 23 (6), 24 (10), 25 (2), 26 (5), 27 (1), 28 (7), 29 (3), 30 (2)

     EASTERN TOWHEE: 20 (1♀)

     YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: 16 (1♂)

     EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 1-2 (1), 4 (3), 5-6 (2), 7 (1), 10 (3), 11 (2), 14 (2), 15 (1), 16 (2), 17 (1),

          19-20 (2), 21 (1), 22-23 (2), 24 (3), 25 (2), 26 (4), 27 (1), 28 (3), 30 (2)

     BALTIMORE ORIOLE: 28-29 (1♂), 30 (3♂)

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-30

     BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1-30

     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 11 (2)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 1-30

     NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH: 28-29 (1)

     BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: 28 (2)

     ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 24 (2), 26 (1), 29 (3), 30 (6)

     NASHVILLE WARBLER: 28 (1), 29 (2)

     COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 28 (1♂), 29-30 (4)

     YELLOW WARBLER: 28 (2♂), 29 (3♂), 30 (1♂)

     PALM WARBLER: 23 (2), 26 (1), 28 (3), 29 (1)

     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 7-8 (1), 9 (5), 10 (1), 11 (6), 12 (15), 13 (17+), 14 (5),

          15-16 (7), 17 (4), 18 (8 + 1 BY), 19 (11), 20 (16), 21 (13), 22 (21), 23 (7), 24 (12), 25 (11), 26 (16),

          27 (5), 28 (13), 29 (20), 30 (19)

     WESTERN TANAGER: 29 (1)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-30

MAMMALIAN

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-30

     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-30

     WOODCHUCK: 19 (1)

     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 24 (1)

     EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 4, 6, 20, 22, 24

     AMERICAN BEAVER: 6-7 (1)

     COMMON MUSKRAT: 7 (1), 12 (2), 18 (1), 20 (1), 24 (1), 25 (2), 26 (1), 29 (1)

     AMERICAN MINK: 16 (1), 21 (1), 24 (1)

     NORTHERN RIVER OTTER: 12 (1), 23 (1)

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 6 (2 BY), 8 (5 BY), 9 (3), 10 (3 BY), 12 (3 BY), 13 (4), 15 (3 BY + 3), 17 (2)

          19 (3 BY), 21 (3 BY + 2), 22 (2), 23 (4), 25 (1 BY), 28 (2), 29 (6 + 1 BY), 30 (3 + 3 BY)

REPTILIAN

     PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 18 (1), 26 (1)

     COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE:

     WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE: 7 (16+), 8 (7+), 11 (1), 19 (3), 20 (4), 21 (2), 22 (6), 23 (17+), 25-27,

          29-30

     RED-EARED SLIDER: 7 (2), 20-22 (1), 26 (1), 30 (1)

AMPHIBIAN

     AMERICAN TOAD: 24-29

     BOREAL CHORUS FROG: 1-2, 6-9, 19-25

     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 6-8, 19, 22, 24-28

     AMERICAN BULLFROG: 28 (2), 29 (1)

LEPIDOPTERA

     CABBAGE WHITE: 23 (2), 24 (1), 25 (2), 28 (2), 30 (1)

     SPRING AZURE: 23 (1)

     PEARL CRESCENT: 30 (1)

     MOURNING CLOAK: 26 (1)

     RED ADMIRAL: 28 (1)

     WOOLLY BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth): 23 (1)

ODONATA

     COMMON GREEN DARNER: 23 (10+), 27 (3), 28 (1), 30 (1)

Wolf. Oesterreich