Wolf's Corner

Tundra Swans are uncommon at the Park.  However, we sometimes find one among the Trumpeter Swans during the Winter months.  They are slightly smaller, with a different bill shape (slightly concave), with the eyes more isolated from the bill, and can have yellow on the bill (near the eye).  In the photo above, the Tundra Swan is the one in the middle forefront, surrounded by Trumpeter Swans, both adults and immatures.  This swan was observed on two days (26th-27th).

A total of 56 (plus 1 domestic sp. & 1 hybrid sp.) avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 2nd highest February (tied with 2024) among 28 years of records.  This total is 9 species more than last month and the same as February 2024.  February 2017 with 63 species remains as the highest February total, while February 2001 with 17 species remains as the lowest.

Based on citations in the 3rd 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 Ring-billed Gulls on the 3rd may set a new extreme early Spring record (former record set on 5 Feb 2005 at AHHP). 

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, sa=sub-adult), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard).  The order follows the 65th Supplement (2024) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 24th Supplement to the 7th Edition (1998).


AVIAN

ROSS’S GOOSE: 4-11 (1 w im), 13-15 (1 w im), 26 (2)


GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 2 (8), 26 (174), 27 (32)


CACKLING GOOSE: 1 (2), 2 (3), 3 (2), 5-7 (3), 8 (2), 11 (3), 14 (3), 22 (3), 24 (3), 25-27 (1)


CANADA GOOSE: 1 (1366 + FY 17), 2 (1020 + BY 362), 3 (1100 + BY 100), 4 (1150 + BY 169), 

          5 (1375 + BY 509), 6 (1875 + BY 327), 7 (1190), 8 (1050), 9 (790), 10 (675 + BY 15), 11 (625 + BY 

          5), 12 (825 + BY 27), 13 (950 + BY 3), 14 (975 + BY 470), 15 (1050), 16 (715), 17 (975 + BY 361), 

          18 (BY X), 19 (810 + BY 1031), 20 (1050), 21 (975), 22 (1100 + BY 27), 23 (1050 + BY 40), 

          24 (2053), 25 (1386 + BY 67). 26 (1213 + BY 44), 27 (366), 28 (275)


Domestic Goose: 8 (1)


TRUMPETER SWAN: 1 (68 ad + 14 im), 2 (58 ad + 20 im), 3 (23 ad + 9 im), 4 (46 ad + 12 im), 5 (42  

          ad + 20 im), 6 (38 ad + 11 im + BY 2 ad), 7 (28 ad + 16 im), 8 (21 ad + 12 im), 9 (16 ad + 8 im + BY 

          2 ad), 10 (27 ad + 11 im), 11 (11 ad + 7 im), 12 (38 ad + 8 im), 13 (56 ad + 14 im), 14 (58 ad + 15 

          im), 15 (54 ad + 14 im + FY 9+), 16 (68 ad + 13 im), 17 (67 ad + 17 im), 18 (BY X), 19 (58 ad + 10 

          im), 20 (71 ad + 14 im), 21 (74 ad + 23 im), 22 (75 ad + 19 im), 23 (71 ad + 14 im), 24 (79 ad + 15 

          im), 25 (106 ad + 16 im), 26 (84 ad + 16 im), 27 (73 ad + 15 im), 28 (13 ad + 2 im)


TUNDRA SWAN: 26-27 (1 ad)


GADWALL: 3 (1♂), 23-25 (1♀), 26 (3♂ + 3♀), 27-28 (1♀)


AMERICAN WIGEON: 28 (2♂ + 2♀)


MALLARD: 1 (18), 2 (2), 3 (28), 4 (74), 5 (60), 6 (29), 7 (13), 8 (6), 9 (19), 10 (28), 11 (84), 12 (25), 

          13 (11), 14 (33), 15 (11), 19 (6♂ + 3♀), 20 (2♂ + 3♀), 21-22 (2♂ + 1♀), 23 (5♂ + 2♀), 24 (11♂ + 

          3♀), 25 (5♂ + 2♀), 26 (18♂ + 6♀ + BY 10), 27 (8♂ + 5♀), 28 (12♂ + 7♀ + 13)


NORTHERN PINTAIL: 6 (3♂), 10-11 (3♂), 12 (2♂), 13 (1♂), 14 (3♂), 26 (5)


GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 3 (2♂ + 1♀), 6-8 (2♂ + 1♀), 12-13 (1♂), 15 (2♂ + 1♀), 23-24 (1♂ + 1♀), 

          26 (3♂), 27-28 (2♂ + 1♀)


CANVASBACK: 27 (2♂), 28 (1♂)


REDHEAD: 27 (4♂ + 2♀), 28 (6♂ + 4♀)


RING-NECKED DUCK: 26 (4♂ + 1♀)


GREATER SCAUP: 19-28 (1♂)


LESSER SCAUP: 3-7 (1♀), 9-10 (6♂ + 3♀), 11 (4♂ + 2♀), 12-13 (5♂ + 2♀), 14 (5♂ + 1♀), 15 (4♂ + 

          2♀), 16-17 (5♂ + 2♀), 19-25 (7♂ + 2♀), 26 (22♂ + 7♀), 27 (7♂ + 3♀), 28 (39♂ + 18♀)


BUFFLFEHEAD: 28 (1♂)


COMMON GOLDENEYE: 26 (3♂), 28 (1♂)


HOODED MERGANSER: 26 (2♂ + 1♀)


COMMON MERGANSER: 28 (1♂)


WILD TURKEY: 1 (1♀)


RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 24 (1♂), 25 (3♂), 27 (1)


MOURNING DOVE: 1 (2 + BY 1), 3 (BY 2), 7-8 (BY 2), 9 (BY 3), 10 (BY 5), 11 (BY 2), 12 (BY 10), 

          13 (5 + BY 6), 14 (BY 4), 15 (BY 1), 16 (BY 3), 17 (BY 2), 18 (BY 3), 19 (BY 2), 20 (9), 21 (BY 1), 

          22 (BY 2), 24 (7), 25 (2 + BY 10), 26 (8 + BY 1), 27 (11 + BY 1), 28 (6 + BY 1)


RING-BILLED GULL: 3 (3)


SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 3 (2 ad), 9 (1 im), 17 (BY 1)


BALD EAGLE: 1 (1 im), 6 (2 ad + 1 im), 7 (1 ad + 1 im), 8-9 (1 im), 10 (1 ad + 1 im), 11 (1 im), 13 (2 

          im), 14 (1 ad + 2 im), 16 (1 im), 22 (2 im), 23-24 (1 im), 28 (1 ad + 1 im)


RED-TAILED HAWK: 7 (2), 8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (3), 13 (2), 14 (2 + BY 1), 22 (1), 23 (3), 27 (1)


BARRED OWL: 10-11 (BY 1), 22 (1), 25 (1 + BY 1)


RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 (1), 6 (BY 1♀), 7 (1), 9 (1), 10 (2), 11 (BY 1♀), 13 (2), 18 (BY 1♀), 

          19 (1), 21 (1), 22 (1 + BY 1♂), 23-24 (1), 25 (2), 26-28 (1)


DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1 (1♂ + 1♀), 2 (3), 4 (BY 1♀), 5 (BY 1♂), 7 (BY 1♂), 9 (2♂ + 3♀), 10 (2♂), 

          13 (2♂ + 1♀), 14 (2♂ + 2♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 17-19 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 20 (1♂ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 21 (BY 1♂ 

          + 1♀), 22 (3), 23 (4 + BY 1♀), 24 (5), 25 (3), 26 (8), 27 (5), 28 (8)


HAIRY WOODPECKER: 9 (1♂), 24 (1)


NORTHERN FLICKER Yellow-shafted): 2 (5), 5 (3), 6 (4), 7 (3), 9 (5), 10 (6), 17 (3), 19 (1), 24 (1), 

          26-28 (1)


AMERICAN KESTREL: 6 (1)


NORTHERN SHRIKE: 10 (1), 22 (1)


BLUE JAY: 1 (BY 1), 4 (BY 2), 5-7 (BY 1), 10 (5 + BY 1), 11 (BY 1), 12 (1 + BY 2), 13 (BY 2), 14-15 (1 

          + BY 1), 19 (1), 21 (BY 1), 22 (2 + BY 1), 23 (3 + BY 1), 24 (1), 25 (2), 26 (4), 27 (2 + BY 2), 28 (2)


AMERICAN CROW: 1 (40 + BY 2), 2 (8 + BY 1), 3 (7 + BY 3), 4 (11 + BY 1), 5 (7 + BY 3), 6 (11 + BY 

          1), 7 (33 + BY 3), 8 (4 + BY 1), 9 (17 + BY 7), 10 (58 + BY 1), 11 (6 + BY 2), 12 (40 + BY 4), 13 (3 + 

          BY 3), 14 (10+ BY 1), 15 (5 + BY 1), 17 (2 + BY 3), 19 (1 + BY 1), 20 (3 + BY 2), 21 (4 + BY 2), 

          22 (24 + BY 2), 23 (43 + BY 3), 24 (12 + BY 2), 25 (30 + BY 2), 26 (11 + BY 1), 27 (39 + BY 1), 

          28 (50 + BY 2)


BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1 (BY 2), 2 (1 + BY 1), 3 (BY 2), 4 (2 + BY 2), 5 (BY 2), 6 (BY 4), 7 (2 

          + BY 2), 8 (BY 3), 9 (4 + BY 3), 10 (5 + BY 2), 11 (1 + BY 2), 12 (BY 2), 13 (1 + BY 3), 14 (3 + BY 

          2), 16-17 (BY 3), 18 (BY 4), 19 (1 + BY 3), 20 (BY 3), 21 (1 + BY 2), 22 (3 + BY 2), 23 (BY 1), 24 (5 

          + BY 1), 25 (6 + BY 1), 26 (1 + BY 1), 27 (1 + BY 2), 28 (3 + BY 1)


CEDAR WAXWING: 23 (BY 9), 24-25 (4)


WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 2 (2 + BY 1), 5 (1), 6 (BY 1), 9 (BY 1), 13 (3), 14 (1), 17 (BY 1), 

          19 (BY 1), 20 (1 + BY 1), 21-22 (BY 1), 23 (1), 25-26 (2), 27 (1), 28 (2)


BROWN CREEPER: 13 (1)


EUROPEAN STARLING: 1 (139 + BY 55), 2 (34 + BY 15), 3 (9), 5 (3), 7 (44), 9 (21), 10 (38), 11 (BY 

          40), 13 (34), 14 (11 + BY 42), 15 (2), 16 (BY 3), 17 (1), 19 (7), 20 (13), 21 (BY 2), 22 (3 + BY 2), 

          23 (6), 24 (8), 25 (69), 26 (61), 27 (38), 28 (21)


EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 (5), 2 (2), 5 (2), 6-7 (4), 10 (3), 14 (4), 23 (3), 24 (1), 25 (2♂ + 2♀), 26 (1♂ + 

          1♀), 27 (3♂ + 1♀), 28 (4♂ + 3♀)


AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-2 (1), 3 (10), 4 (BY 1), 7 (42), 9 (1), 13 (10), 14 (1 + BY 1), 16 (BY 2), 17 (1 + 

          BY 2), 19 (5 + BY 1), 20 (1 + BY 1), 21 (2 + BY 4), 22 (6 + BY 1), 23 (5 + BY 1), 24 (21), 25 (18), 

          26 (12), 27 (26), 28 (19)


HOUSE SPARROW: 1 (30 + BY 18), 2 (16), 3 (2), 4 (BY 3), 5 (2 + BY 4), 6 (1 + BY 2), 7 (15 + BY 5), 

          8 (FY 1), 9 (31 + BY 7), 10 (27 + BY 3), 11 (BY 17), 12 (BY 2), 13 (9 + BY 5), 14 (14 + BY 7), 

          15 (BY 1), 16 (BY 1), 18 (BY 2), 19 (10 + BY 2), 20 (13 + BY 2), 21 (10 + BY 2), 22 (18 + BY 1), 

          23 (31 + BY 2), 24 (30 + BY 2), 25 (25 + BY 2), 26 (13), 27 (33 + BY 1), 28 (17)


House Sparrow x Eurasian Tree Sparrow: 27 (1♂)


EURASIAN TREE SPARROW: 24 (1), 26 (1)


HOUSE FINCH: 1 (5 + BY 10), 2 (11), 3 (BY 1), 4 (FY 1), 5 (1 + BY 28), 6 (BY 1), 7 (2 + BY 7), 8 (BY 

          3), 9 (26 + BY 12), 10 (22 + BY 11), 11 (BY 24), 12 (BY 11), 13 (29 + BY 12), 14 (8 + BY 33), 

          15 (BY 23), 16 (BY 14), 17 (31 + BY 5), 18 (BY 12), 19 (9 + BY 12), 20 (15 + BY 10), 21 (2 + BY 

          11), 22 (20 + BY 7), 23 (9 + BY 10), 24 (8 + BY 2), 25 (16 + BY 3), 26 (11 + BY 1), 27 (10), 28 (13)


PURPLE FINCH: 23 (2♀)


AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 2 (2), 9 (5), 10 (6), 14 (11), 19 (1), 22 (4), 23 (BY 1), 25 (3), 27 (2), 28 (1)


AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1 (2), 2 (29), 4 (5), 5 (6), 7 (8), 8 (3), 9 (29), 10 (27), 13 (BY 1), 14 (3 + 

          BY 3), 15 (BY 1), 17 (BY 1), 19 (4), 20 (6 + BY 1), 21 (3 + BY 1), 22 (4 + BY 1), 23 (6), 24 (9), 

          25 (2), 26 (19), 27 (1), 28 (3)


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

          BY 4), 8 (BY 1), 9 (2 + BY 2), 10 (6 + BY 2), 11 (BY 4), 12 (BY 8), 13 (2 + BY 3), 14 (11 + BY 11), 

          15 (BY 3), 16 (BY 2), 17-18 (BY 4), 19 (2 + BY 3), 20 (BY 4), 21 (1 + BY 3), 22 (4 + BY 9), 23 (4 + 

          BY 2), 24 (9 + BY 1), 25 (3 + BY 1), 26 (6), 27 (4 + BY 2), 28 (3)


WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 1-2 (1), 7 (1), 9 (1), 20 (1), 26 (1)


HARRIS’S SPARROW: 1 (BY 2), 2 (1), 4-5 (BY 1)


WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 2 (BY 1), 14 (BY 4), 15-16 (BY 1), 18 (BY 1), 22 (BY 2), 24 (BY 1), 

          26 (BY 2), 27 (BY 1)


SONG SPARROW: 1 (1), 22 (1)


RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 27 (1♂)


NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1 (2 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 2 (1 + BY 1♂ + 2♀), 3 (1 + BY 1♂), 4 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 

          5 (BY 2♂ + 2♀), 6 (1♂ + 1♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 7 (1 + BY 1♂ + 2♀), 8 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 9 (3♂ + 1♀ + BY 

          1♂ + 1♀), 10 (5 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 11 (BY 1♂ + 2♀), 12 (BY 1♂ + 3♀), 13 (3♂ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 14 (3♂ 

          + 2♀ + BY 2♂ + 2♀), 15 (BY 1♂ + 2♀), 16 (BY 1♂ + 4♀), 17 (BY 2♂ + 3♀), 18 (BY 2♂ + 1♀), 

         19 (BY 1♂ + 2♀), 20 (1♂ + 1♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 21 (1♂ + BY 1♂ + 2♀), 22 (8 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 23 (6 + 

          BY 1♂), 24 (9 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 25 (9 + BY 1♀), 26 (8), 27 (7), 28 (15)



MAMMALIAN

EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 2, 4, 6-22, 24-28


EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-14, 16-28


NORTHERN RACCOON: 7 (BY 2), 10 (BY 1), 24 (BY 1), 27 (BY 2), 28 (BY 3)


WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (BY 1♂ + 1), 2 (6 + BY 3), 4 (BY 3), 5 (7), 6 (2 + BY 3), 7 (15 + BY 3), 8 (BY 

          2), 9 (9 + BY 4), 10 (11 + BY 3), 11 (BY 3), 12 (BY 1), 13 (2♂ + BY 3), 14 (1♂ + 4), 16 (BY 1), 

          17 (BY 1♂ + 4), 18 (BY 1♂), 19 (7 + BY 2♂ + 4), 20 (BY 4), 21 (2 + BY 1♂ + 4), 22 (3 + BY 2), 

          23 (12 + BY 2), 24 (7 + BY 2), 25 (3 + BY 1), 26 (2), 27 (BY 2), 28 (10 + BY 3)

Unless indicated otherwise, the White-tailed Deer were antlerless.  


Wolf. Oesterreich