Feb 1, 2022: Wolf's January 2022 Wildlife Report

January's high count of Trumpeter Swans was 196 on the 8th, 81 birds less than the high count of January 2021.  From the 16th through the remainder of the month, the number of swans was rather consistent (128-144), with a mean of 137.3 birds.  The photo shows 3 American Crows as they descended upon a dead adult swan on the 29th.  Later that afternoon, four of us (Ken & Diane Birt, Cindy Barrowcliff, and I) walked out onto the ice and retrieved the swan.  I took the swan to the Iowa Wildlife Center and they transported the swan to the ISU Veterinary Diagnostics Lab.  During the autopsy, an Iowa DNR veterinarian found a large lead object inside, which probably means that lead poisoning was most likely the cause of death, or at least precipitated it. (Wolf. Oesterreich, 1/29/22)

A total of 43 avian species (+ 1 hybrid) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 3^rd highest January 2021.  January 2019 with 49 species remains as the highest January total, while January 1998 remains as the lowest, with only 18 species.

 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 3 Common Goldeneyes on the 2^nd may represent a new extreme late Fall record (former record set on 30 December 2021 at Ada Hayden HP).  The Hooded Merganser pair on the 4^th may also represent a new extreme late Fall record (former record also set on 30 December 2021 at Ada Hayden).

 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, ad=adult,), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard).  The order follows the 62^nd Supplement (2021) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 21^st Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

 AVIAN

     SNOW GOOSE: 5 (1 b), 12 (1 im), 15 (1 b)

     ROSS’S GOOSE: 5 (1 im), 7 (1 im)

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 2 (1), 3 (2), 5 (1), 12 (1), 18 (1), 21 (1)

     CACKLING GOOSE: 2 (3), 4 (1), 15 (2)

     CANADA GOOSE: 1 (889 + 89 BY), 2 (1500), 3 (1600), 4 (809 + 125 BY), 5 (1300 + 32 BY), 6 (250), 7 (1100), 8 (1500), 9 (1200), 10 (1600), 11 (1200), 12 (2241), 13 (1516), 14 (258), 15 (1294), 16 (1200), 17 (1100), 19 (120), 20 (900), 21 (1256), 22 (700), 23 (900), 24-25 (1100), 26 (800), 27 (1245 + 67 FY), 28 (700), 29 (758), 30 (1100), 31 (1000)

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 1 (6 ad), 2 (142 ad + 45 im), 3 (99 ad + 43 im), 4 (30 ad + 27 im), 5 (121 ad + 43 im), 6 (17 BY), 7 (145 ad + 41 im), 8 (146 ad + 50 im), 9 (143 ad + 39 im), 10 (143 ad + 48 im), 11 (137 ad + 50 im), 12 (145 ad + 50 im), 13 (134 ad + 49 im), 15 (85 ad + 20 im), 16 (103 ad + 31 im), 17 (98 ad + 33 im), 18 (2 ad), 20 (107 ad + 21 im), 21 (13 ad), 22 (107 ad + 37 im), 23 (107 ad + 35 im), 24 (105 ad + 33 im), 25 (12), 26 (107 ad + 33 im), 27 (108 ad + 36 im), 28 (100 ad + 33 im), 29 (102 ad + 33 im), 30 (105 ad + 35 im), 31 (103 ad + 36 im)

     TUNDRA SWAN: 2 (2 ad), 7-12 (1 ad), 13 (2 ad), 15-17 (1 ad), 20 (1 ad), 22-24 (1 ad), 26-27 (1 ad)

     MALLARD: 1 (821), 2 (734), 3 (428), 4 (595 + 57 BY), 5 (275), 7 (325), 8 (387), 9-10 (325), 11 (275), 12 (235), 13 (275), 15 (275), 16 (225), 17 (571), 18 (665), 20 (150), 21 (579), 22 (525), 23 (225), 24 (275), 25 (215), 26 (225), 27 (316), 28 (315), 29-30 (275), 31 (315)

     AMERICAN BLACK DUCK: 1 (1)

     LESSER SCAUP: 2 (1♂)

     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 1 (1♀), 2 (1♂ + 3♀)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 1-4 (1♂ + 1♀)

     COMMON MERGANSER: 1 (2♂ + 5♀), 2-4 (1♀)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 18 (3), 20 (2♂)

     MOURNING DOVE: 5 (1), 8 (5), 9 (3 + 1 BY), 11-13 (1 BY), 14 (2 BY), 15 (4), 16 (1 + 1 BY), 20-22 (1 BY), 23 (1 + 1 BY), 24 (1 BY), 25 (1), 26-28 (2 BY), 29 (1 + 2 BY), 30 (2 + 3 BY)

     AMERICAN COOT: 1 (1), 3-4 (1)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 4 (1 im), 7-9 (1 im BY), 13 (1 im ♂), 25 (1 im BY)

     BALD EAGLE: 1 (1 im + 1 BY), 2 (1 im), 3 (1 ad), 7-9 (1 ad), 11 (1 ad), 13 (3 ad), 16-17 (2 ad), 21 (2 im), 26 (2 ad), 29-30 (1 im), 31 (1 ad)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 3-4 (2), 7 (1), 8 (2), 9 (1), 10 (2), 11 (3), 12-13 (2), 15-16 (1), 17 (2), 18 (1), 22 (2), 24 (1), 27 (3), 29-31 (1)

     ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 3-4 (1 dark), 24 (1 dark), 27 (1 dark), 29 (1 dark)

     BARRED OWL: 7 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 2 (1 + 1 BY), 3 (3 + 1 BY), 4 (1 BY), 6 (1 BY), 8-9 (1), 10 (1 + 1 BY), 11 (1), 12-13 (2), 15 (1), 17 (2), 18 (1 + 1 BY), 22 (1), 25 (1 + 1 BY), 26 (1 BY), 29 (2), 30 (1 + 1 BY), 31 (1)

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 2 (2), 3 (5), 4 (1 BY), 5 (2), 7 (2 + 1 BY), 9 (1), 10-12 (2), 13 (1), 14 (1 BY), 15 (4), 16 (1 BY), 17-18 (2), 20 (3 + 2 BY), 21 (1 BY), 22 (1 + 1 BY), 23 (1 + 2 BY), 24 (2 BY), 25 (2 + 2 BY), 26 (1 BY), 27 (2 + 2 BY), 28 (1), 29 (2 + 2 BY), 30 (2 + 1 BY), 31 (2 + 2 BY)

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 3 (1), 12 (1), 25 (1 BY)

     AMERICAN KESTREL: 3 (1♀), 29 (1♀)

     BLUE JAY: 2 (1), 7 (1 BY), 12 (3), 17 (1), 21 (1 BY), 29 (1), 31 (2)

     AMERICAN CROW: 1 (2), 2 (1 BY), 3 (2), 4 (1), 7 (2 BY), 8 (2), 9 (1), 10-11 (3), 12 (4), 13 (5 + 1 BY), 14-15 (1 BY), 16 (1), 17 (11), 18 (5), 20 (6 + 1 BY), 21 (3 BY), 22 (6 + 1 BY), 23 (1 BY), 24 (4), 25 (3 BY), 26 (12 + 1 BY), 27 (14 + 3 BY), 28 (7 + 7 BY), 29 (5 + 1 BY), 30 (9 + 2 BY), 31 (6 + 1 BY)

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1 (2 BY), 2 (4 + 1 BY), 3 (6 + 1 BY), 4 (3 BY), 5 (2), 6 (2 BY), 7 (2 + 3 BY), 8 (1 + 3 BY), 9 (2 BY), 10 (3 + 1 BY), 11 (2 BY), 12 (1 + 2 BY), 13 (2 + 1 BY), 14 (2 BY), 15 (4 + 2 BY), 16 (1 BY), 17 (2 BY), 18 (1 + 2 BY), 19 (1 BY), 20 (5 + 2 BY), 21-22 (2 BY), 23-24 (3 BY), 25 (2 + 3 BY), 26 (3 + 3 BY), 27 (1 + 3 BY), 28 (2 + 2 BY), 29 (1 + 2 BY), 30 (2 + 3 BY), 31 (2 + 2 BY)

     CEDAR WAXWING: 12 (3 BY), 16 (6 BY), 30 (7 BY)

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 2 (5), 3 (3), 6 (1 BY), 7 (2 + 1 BY), 8 (1 BY), 9 (1), 10 (3), 11 (1), 12 (3), 13 (1), 16 (1), 17 (4), 18 (1 + 1 BY), 20 (1 BY), 22 (1 BY), 24-25 (1), 26 (1 BY), 28 (1 BY), 29 (2 + 1 BY), 30 (1 + 2 BY), 31 (3)

     BROWN CREEPER: 31 (1)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1 (33 + 3 BY), 2 (3 BY), 3 (1), 4-5 (3), 7 (2), 11 (11), 12-13 (12), 15 (1), 20 (2 + 1 BY)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 29 (1)

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1 (2 BY), 2 (9 + 7 BY), 3 (5 + 7 BY), 4 (3 + 1 BY), 5 (21 + 4 BY), 6 (3 BY), 7 (7 + 8 BY), 8 (6 + 7 BY), 9 (14 + 2 BY), 10 (4 + 2 BY), 11 (1 + 8 BY), 12 (3 + 6 BY), 13 (1 + 6 BY), 14 (11 BY), 15 (6 + 3 BY), 16 (8 BY), 17 (8 + 7 BY), 18 (6 + 9 BY), 19 (2 BY), 20 (9 + 5 BY), 21 (2 BY), 22 (4 + 8 BY), 23 (2 + 6 BY), 24 (10 BY), 25 (8 + 5 BY), 26 (2 + 8 BY), 27 (5 BY), 28 (3 + 5 BY), 29 (5 + 3 BY), 30 (5 + 27 BY), 31 (6 + 15 BY)

     House X Eurasian Tree Sparrow: 2 (1♂), 4 (1♂), 8-9 (1♂), 15 (1♂), 20 (1♂), 25 (1♂)

     EURASIAN TREE SPARROW: 4-5 (1♀), 13 (1♀), 15 (1♀), 20 (1♀ + 1 BY), 26 (1 BY)

     HOUSE FINCH: 1 (1 BY), 2 (21 + 12 BY), 3 (12 + 4 BY), 4 (4 + 4 BY), 5 (10 + 2 BY), 6 (6 BY), 7 (2 + 4 BY), 8 (3 + 5 BY), 9 (26 + 3 BY), 10 (4 + 3 BY), 11 (4 + 6 BY), 12 (13 + 3 BY), 13 (3 BY), 14 (39 BY), 15 (16 + 4 BY), 16 (5 + 16 BY), 17 (3 + 6 BY), 18 (5 + 3 BY), 19 (5 BY), 20 (4 + 4BY), 21 (7 BY), 22 (18 + 8 BY), 23 (3 + 10 BY), 24 (36 BY), 25 (32 + 14 BY), 26 (12 BY), 27 (4 + 6 BY), 28 (11 + 9 BY), 29 (18 BY), 30 (36 + 16 BY), 31 (6 + 20 BY)

     COMMON REDPOLL: 23 (1♂)

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 2 (1), 3 (5), 5 (1), 7 (6), 8 (2 + 1 BY), 9 (5 + 1 BY), 10 (3), 12 (1), 13 (3), 15 (3), 18 (1 BY), 22 (1 + 1 BY), 23-24 (1 BY), 25 (3), 30 (3)

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 2 (1 + 1 BY), 3 (1 BY), 4 (32), 5 (33), 7 (80), 8 (153), 9 (8), 10 (18), 11 (2), 12 (31), 13 (6), 15 (33 + 1 BY), 16 (2 + 3 BY), 17 (2 BY), 18 (20 + 2 BY), 20 (9 + 2 BY), 21 (22), 22 (7 + 1 BY), 23 (37), 24 (17 + 1 BY), 25 (18 + 1 BY), 26 (19 + 2 BY), 27 (21 + 2 BY), 28 (24 + 1 BY), 29 (5 + 5 BY), 30 (36 + 2 BY), 31 (34 + 2 BY)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 2 (3 BY), 3 (11 + 1 BY), 4 (5 + 2 BY), 5 (9 + 2 BY), 6 (4 BY), 7-8 (3 BY), 9-10 (2 + 2 BY), 11 (8 + 2 BY), 12 (2), 13 (5 + 1 BY), 14 (3 BY), 15 (14 + 2 BY), 16 (2 BY), 17 (3 + 4 BY), 18 (1 + 1 BY), 20 (3 + 5 BY), 21 (1 + 4 BY), 22 (3 + 6 BY), 23 (8 + 10 BY), 24 (15 + 6 BY), 25 (2 + 2 BY), 26 (3 + 3 BY), 27 (11 + 3 BY), 28 (2 + 2 BY), 29 (1 + 8 BY), 30 (12 + 5 BY), 31 (2 + 4 BY)

     WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 3-4 (1 im), 7 (1 im), 11-12 (1 im), 15 (1 im), 21-23 (1 im), 30 (2 im)

     SONG SPARROW: 5 (1), 8 (3), 9 (2), 11-12 (2), 16 (2), 17-18 (1), 20 (2), 21 (1), 23 (1), 24 (4), 25 (1), 26 (2), 27 (1), 28 (3), 30 (3), 31 (1)

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1 (5 BY), 2 (7 BY), 3 (3 + 6 BY), 4 (19 BY), 5 (1 + 5 BY), 6 (7 BY), 8 (13 BY), 9 (3 + 7 BY), 10 (2 + 10 BY), 11 (6 + 7 BY), 12 (5 + 7 BY), 13 (3 BY), 14 (15 BY), 15 (10 BY), 16 (1 + 9 BY), 17 (7 BY), 18 (6 BY), 19 (19 BY), 20 (13 BY), 21 (18 BY), 22 (3 + 8 BY), 23 (2 + 24 BY), 24 (2 + 8 BY), 25 (2 + 9 BY), 26 (11 BY), 27 (9 BY), 28 (2 + 13 BY), 29 (4 + 6 BY), 30 (3 + 9 BY), 31 (6 + 5 BY)

 

MAMMALIAN

     VIRGINIA OPOSSUM: 18 (1 BY)

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 2-3, 7, 12, 26, 28

     EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-31

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (BY 4♀), 2 (2♀ + BY 4♀), 4 (3♀), 5-6 (BY 2♀), 13 (3♀), 15 (BY 3♀), 16 (BY 5♀ + 1 spike ♂), 17 (BY 1♀), 19 (BY 2♀), 21 (BY 2♀), 22 (BY 12♀), 23 (3♀ + BY 1♂ + 2♀), 26 (BY 4♀), 27 (BY 3♀), 29 (2♀), 30 (BY 5♀)

Wolf. Oesterreich