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BIG BLUESTEM AUDUBON SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER Volume 53 ǀ Number 3 ǀ January/February/March 2018 http://bigbluestemaudubon.org/

PROGRAMS FIELD TRIPS

January 18, 2018 ǀ Marlene Ehresman ǀ The Bats of January 13, 2018 (***2nd Sat.***) Bats are often portrayed with “fangs” bared, blood dripping from February 10, 2018 (***2nd Sat.***) their mouths, and bloodshot eyes glowing in the dark. They, like March 10, 2018 (***2nd Sat.***) other nighttime wild ones, have been given a bad rap in myth and movie. There are a lot of misconceptions about these fascinating flying mammals. Marlene Ehresman, executive director of the Iowa Note: Field trip destination and target will be determined by Wildlife Center (IWC), will present “Bats Aren’t Birds, Bats Aren’t the group that assembles at that time and will usually be confined Rats” to share cool facts about Iowa’s nine bat species and bust to Story, Boone, Polk, or Hamilton Counties. some well-known myths. The program will include a live bat.

February 15, 2018 ǀ Mike Shannon ǀ Ducks Unlimited Living Lakes Monthly field trips are free and open to the public. Unless stated otherwise, all field trips will meet at 7:30 AM on the first Saturday of Initiative each month (Sept-May). We will meet at the public parking lot bordered March 15, 2018 ǀ To be announced by Wild Birds, Unlimited (213 Duff Ave), Harold Pike Construction, and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks (GPS coordinates: 42.024014, - April 19, 2018 ǀ Craig Meyers ǀ Information Coming Soon 93.611582). The destination and target birds will be determined by the May 17, 2018 ǀ Dick and Sharon Stilwell ǀ Florida’s Corkscrew group that assembles at that time and will usually be confined to Swamp Story, Boone, Polk, or Hamilton counties. Expect to be back at the parking lot generally between noon and 1:00 PM. For more information, contact Eric Ollie at (515) 238-3610 or [email protected]. Carpooling is highly encouraged.

SPECIAL NOTE BY LARRY DAU

After the super cold weather we have experienced of late, I felt we all deserved a view and a feel of the tropics. Therefore, all the pho- tos in this issue will be by Eric Ollie from the BBAS South field trip.

White-tailed Hawk at Boca Chica Photo by Eric Ollie EVENTS OF INTEREST

Program meetings take place in the Ames Public Library (515 Douglas BBAS Board Meeting ǀ January 8, 2018 at 6:30 PM ǀ Home of BBAS Ave.). Meetings begin at 6:30 PM; programs begin at 7:00 PM. President Eric Ollie (1513 Ridgewood Avenue, Ames, IA) Directions available at bigbluestemaudubon.org.

2 Officers and Committees; President’s Corner; Membership Form Notice to New Members of Big Bluestem Audubon Society Only: 3 30 Years Ago in BBAS We are sending you this printed version of our BBAS newsletter for the 4 Barn Owl Nesting; Pat Schlarbaum Retires first two issues after you have joined the National Audubon Society or become a local member. We have now converted to a mostly 5 Current Status of Peregrines and Ospreys; Field Trip Reports; electronically-delivered newsletter to save costs and be more green. If What Do We Do at an Audubon Meeting? you want to receive a printed version, please notify me. Otherwise, you New members 6 will receive the online version. If you supplied your email address upon joining, we will send you a notice and link for the newsletter each time a new version is available.

Thanks, The mission of the Big Bluestem Audubon Society is to enjoy the Larry Dau observation and study of birds and natural ecosystems, contribute to their 1644 Maple View Pl. conservation and restoration, engage in educational activities to benefit Boone, IA 50036 humanity, and gain a broader understanding and deeper appreciation of the [email protected] world in which we live. BIG BLUESTEM AUDUBON SOCIETY PRESIDENT’S CORNER WITH ERIC OLLIE OF CENTRAL IOWA OFFICERS The full force of winter is now upon us! While this fact may give many of us reason to grum- ble and lament, it should also give the birder in all of us reason to take heart and rejoice. President ǀ Eric Ollie The current irruption of Snowy Owls that we are in the midst of has many of us quite excit- 515-238-3610; [email protected] ed, but the Arctic has much more to share with us than white owls and polar outbreaks. Vice-President ǀ Doug Harr Snowy Owls may be much harder to find now that we are blanketed in snow, but the other 515-275-4818; [email protected] visitors from north of the taiga are now quite a bit easier to find. Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings, who, along with Snowy Owls, nest in the Arctic, have appeared in droves, Secretary ǀ Hank Zaletel seemingly out of thin air now that the snow has forced them to the roads. Drive out on the 515-382-5427; [email protected] gravel roads to the most treeless, barren, and windswept farmland, and it shouldn't be long Treasurer ǀ Brian Schilling until you meet up with a jittery flock of longspurs or their indigenous counterparts, Horned [email protected] Larks. Snow Buntings are not quite as common, but if you search through the flock, you may find a few. Don't worry if you get too close and spook the flock. They have a tendency BOARD MEMBERS to fly around in circles and land close to where they took off. The farmland north of Nevada has been a great place to look for longspurs, buntings, and larks for many years. Matt Wetrich Snowy Owls are majestic creatures that excite us all, but they aren't the only owl excite- 712-210-4614; [email protected] ment to be found out in the open country. Short-eared Owls are regular winter visitors to Wolf Oesterreich Iowa. They are the night-shift counterparts on the prairie to the day-shift Northern Harrier. [email protected] They have the same bobbing, weaving, fluttering flight pattern of the harrier that many liken to that of a bat or a butterfly. Marlene Ehresman 515-233-1379; 515-249-8138 (cell) ǀ Continued on page 3 [email protected]

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS

Archivist ǀ Hank Zaletel 515-382-5427; [email protected] Membership Application Form -A-Thon ǀ Barb Krumhardt [email protected] New member of the National Audubon Society. You will Conservation ǀ Bruce Ehresman receive the Audubon magazine, the Big Bluestem Flyer, 515-296-2995; membership card. — $20 [email protected] Please make your check payable to National Audubon Field Trips ǀ Eric Ollie Society and include “Chapter Code H-57” on the check 515-238-3610; [email protected] Name Badge Coordinators ǀ Jon and Joyce Bahrenfus Subscribe to the Big Bluestem Flyer for one year and 515-275-3263; [email protected] participate in some Big Bluestem Society Activities — $10 Restrictions are that you will not be a National Audubon Society member or Newsletter Coordinator and Audubon have voting privileges, and you cannot be an officer or committee chair. Membership ǀ Larry Dau Please make your check payable to Big Bluestem Audubon 515-230-3492; [email protected] Society. Newsletter Editor ǀ Stefany Hulsebus 515-720-9322; [email protected] Send your check and this coupon to: Big Bluestem Audubon Society Publicity & Outreach ǀ Eric Ollie P.O. Box 543, Ames IA 50010 515-238-3610; [email protected]

Refreshment Coordinator ǀ Hank Zaletel Name 515-382-5427; [email protected] Address

Schools Liaison ǀ Jerry Keys City State ZIP 515-232-2516; [email protected] Phone E-mail Webmaster ǀ Karl Jungbluth [email protected] Please do not use this form for renewals For Official Use Only to the National Audubon Society. C1ZH570Z

2 CONTINUED PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Drive out on the gravel roads—the fewer trees and the more grassland the better—roughly between 4:30 and 5:30 PM, and you could see a perched owl on a post preparing for its busy night or a silhouette of an owl skimming over a patch of grassland or even a roadside ditch searching for a mouse or vole. If you are lucky, you may hear its bark-like call. They can be seen around sunrise as well, but people seem to find more success in the evening. Northern Saw-whet Owls, Long-eared Owls, Northern Shrikes, Merlins, Rough-legged Hawks, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Amer- ican Tree Sparrows are other northern breeders that visit Iowa in the winter. Iowa is one of the top Bald Eagle hot spots in the nation in the winter, and we even see the occasional Altamira Oriole in Salineno Golden Eagle. Red Crossbills, White-winged Crossbills, and Common Redpolls don't visit Io- Photo by Eric Ollie wa in numbers on a regular basis, but this year has been the exciting exception. I think that it is safe to say that Winter is not in the top three of many of our lists of favorite seasons. I will admit to the occasional winter grumble and lament myself, but despite its cons, Winter most certainly has its pros as well. Our winged winter visitors from the north top that list for me!

30 YEARS AGO IN BIG BLUESTEM AUDUBON (BBAS) BY HANK ZALETEL

Programs for February-April, 1988 included: Central Iowa Geology or A Peek at the Des Moines Lobe by State Geologist Jean Prior; Eagles of Alaska by Bob Livermore of Sioux City; Birds Under Feather or What Holds Them Together by Dr. Any Fix, ISU Veterinary Common Pauraque in Santa Anna, Texas. See if you can find this bird in the Pathologist. photo ǀ Photo by Eric Ollie Field trips went for owls at the Lost Lake Trail at Ledges, waterfowl at Bay’s Branch near Panora, Woodcocks at Izaak Walton Park, and Hendrickson Marsh for waterfowl. Ames Christmas Bird Count fielded 42 observers and 48 species, while the Boone Count had 33 individuals in the field and 55 species, including two Saw-Whet Owls.

FIELD TRIP REPORT BY ERIC OLLIE

November 11-18, 2017 ǀ 2017 BBAS South Texas Birding Adventure Twenty-four birders from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Missouri participated in the Beautiful Green Jays in Salineno BBAS trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Gulf Coast of Texas. The trip went off without Photo by Eric Ollie a hitch; friendships were strengthened and created anew; many great encounters with na- ture were had; and everyone had a truly great time! Over the six days of birding, the group was able to find 175 species of birds (plus four not officially countable), including most of the LRGV specialties. Everyone, including the leaders, added new life birds to their lists, with some people adding over 50 lifers. The group was wowed by each new birding location we visited, including Santa Ana NWR, Estero Llano Grande SP, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, South Pa- dre Island Birding & Nature Center, and the Salineno feeding station, but the Brownsville Landfill and the boat excursion to Aransas NWR seemed to be the most memorable of all. Of the many great birds that were seen, a few of the many highlights were Common Pauraque, Whooping Crane, Black Skimmer, Roseate Spoonbill, Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, Green Parakeet, Red-crowned Parrot, Tamaulipas Crow, Olive Sparrow, and Tropical Parula.

PHOTOS AND CONTENT FOR NEWSLETTER BY LARRY DAU

Please send any photos you have of events, birds, wildlife, or BBAS members in the field that you would like to see in the newsletter. We are also looking for short con- tent items and announcements to include. Stefany Hulsebus edits all content and creates The rare Whooping Crane in the layout of the BBAS Newsletter. We appreciate her expertise and help. Photo by Eric Ollie

3 NATURALLY SPEAKING ARTICLE FROM AMES TRIBUNE BY STEVE LEKWA

The recent Ames area Audubon Christmas Bird Count held a cou- vealed that the facial patterns, though faint, weren't right for a ple of surprises for our Nevada count area. We stopped by the sharp shinned hawk, either. Thinking about our mistake several old tile plant pond next to the Story County Shelter early days later, I came up with another clue that might have made us in the morning to check out the variety of waterfowl there. We look closer. It was perched in the open on a tall power pole. A expected to see lots of geese and a few mallard ducks, sharp shinned hawk is far more likely to perch lower down but closer looking with binoculars revealed several ring-necked amidst tree branches and brush, where they prefer to wait in ducks, a relatively common diving duck during migration. They hiding to ambush small birds. Had the bird flown, we'd have feed by diving rather than dabbling in shallow water like the seen another more distinct identification feature. Falcons have more common mallards. We were ready to split up and head for pointed wing tips, whereas accipiters (e.g., Coopers hawks, other areas when one last scan revealed a lone northern pintail sharp shins, and northern goshawks) have rounded ones. I was drake. Four others thoroughly scanned the area for several describing our mistaken identity to another birding friend days minutes, but we missed him without that final look. later just up the road from where the had been seen. As I We split into two search parties as we left the pond. The lead spoke, the little merlin raced along at high speed as falcons usu- counter, one of the most experienced birders in central Iowa, ally do; its pointed falcon wings easily seen. spotted a small raptor perched on a tall power pole nearby. He All birders want to find that unusual or rare bird that no one else photographed it for later reference. Four knowledgeable birders has seen. It's as much a trophy as the big buck that a hunter looked at his photo during a mid-morning coffee break. We all bags, and it comes with all the bragging rights trophies are marveled at how good the photo was even though it was taken known for. The desire to see that special bird sometimes leads a with a simple digital camera without a fancy telephoto lens. All birder's mind to add details that aren't really there to make the agreed it was a juvenile sharp shinned hawk. It appeared to be sighting more exciting. Many birds share enough identifying fea- the right size and color. Sharpies are a fairly common migrant tures to allow the common and expected to become a rare and and winter resident in our area, so they are a bird we'd expect to unexpected prize. Juveniles, females, and birds in their winter see. Case closed, or so we thought. Some of the Ames area non-breeding plumage often have less distinct features that can counters compared notes later that evening and studied the confuse even experienced birders. Groups like the Iowa Orni- photo of the small hawk on the pole. One of them noted that thologist Union request photo confirmation of unusual sightings. the little hawk had dark eyes—something we had overlooked. A That's now much easier to do than before since digital cameras young sharpie has yellow eyes. That little detail changed our or smartphones can zoom in and capture photos that only a well sharp shinned hawk into a young merlin, a small northern pine -equipped wildlife photographer could have taken years ago. woods falcon that sometimes visits in the winter. I think it was Bird identification requires the common details like size and col- the only one seen that day. or patterns, but other clues like behavior, sound, and habitat Four experienced birders had jumped to a conclusion without type and season when seen also can be important. Whether it's considering all the details. The dark eye was the only clear differ- a missed feature or an added one, accurately identifying birds is ence in the photo, and we had missed it. Closer scrutiny re- all in the details.

Buying from the businesses listed on this page not only benefits the birds but also helps our local economy and provides funding for BBAS. Donations fund our various habitat restoration and educational projects. Present the coupons at the time of your purchase and a donation will be given to BBAS.

Brekke’s Town & Country Store, Inc.

1 1/2 miles east of I-35 on new U.S. 30 and 1/4 mile north

Hours: 8-6 M-F, 8-4 Sat. (515) 232-7906

Purchase Donation Up to $15 $1.50 $15 and over $3.00 $35 and over $5.00 Over $70 $7.50

Brekke’s offers Big Bluestem Audubon Society a donation when bird or other bird products are purchased.

Present this coupon with your purchase and a donation will be given to BBAS.

Offer good until June 30, 2018

4 AMES CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS BY SHANE PATTERSON

Pleasant weather doesn’t always correlate with productive birding. But on our 2017 Ames CBC, we enjoyed one of the calmest, clearest, mildest days ever we’ve ever had for this annual event, and we also encountered a record number of bird species (79), which kept us very close to peak tallies from recent years (78 in 2016 and 76 in 2015). Spanning a variety of taxa, our uncommon finds (based on wintertime criteria) included Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Gray Partridge, Red- shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Long-eared Owl, Northern Shrike, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Fox Sparrow, and Common Redpoll. Also on the list this year are two species (Mute Swan and Lincoln’s Sparrow) that are rare enough across Iowa in winter to require thorough documentation (already supplied by meticulous field counters). Perhaps most heartening were the welcome reappearances of Eastern Screech-Owl and Red-headed Woodpecker after multi-year absences. Likewise, we accumulated exceptional individual totals for some other charismatic species, most notably Trumpeter Swan, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, and Winter Wren. Whether next year’s CBC features a warm, sunny day like this one or a vicious Arctic blast like the year prior, I’m confident that we’ll bring home another satisfying result. Most of all, I extend a sincere thank-you to our many indefatigable contributors, and I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2018!

Greater White-fronted Goose 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 Common Grackle 3 Snow Goose 1 Downy Woodpecker 211 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Cackling Goose 187 Hairy Woodpecker 55 Purple Finch 3 Canada Goose 6676 10 House Finch 282 Mute Swan 2 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Common Redpoll 2 Trumpeter Swan 93 American Kestrel 6 Pine Siskin 27 Gadwall cw Northern Shrike 3 American Goldfinch 208 Mallard 503 Blue Jay 284 House Sparrow 681 Northern Pintail 2 American Crow 3950 Green-winged Teal 3 Horned Lark 41 Total Species: 79 Ring-necked Duck 4 Black-capped Chickadee 482 (plus 3 count week) Lesser Scaup 1 2 Total Birds: 18844 Common Goldeneye 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 13 Common Merganser 17 White-breasted Nuthatch 263 Gray Partridge 5 Brown Creeper 34 Ring-necked Pheasant 47 Carolina Wren 3 Wild Turkey 43 Winter Wren 5 Bald Eagle 58 Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Northern Harrier 7 Eastern Bluebird 14 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 Hermit Thrush 2 Cooper's Hawk 11 American Robin 41 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Brown cw Red-tailed Hawk 81 European Starling 1524 Rough-legged Hawk 3 Cedar Waxwing 136 American Coot 1 Lapland Longspur 65 Killdeer 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 Rock Pigeon 331 American Tree Sparrow 558 Eurasian Collared-Dove 38 Fox Sparrow 2 Mourning Dove 260 Song Sparrow 10 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 18 Swamp Sparrow 1 Snowy Owl cw White-throated Sparrow 43 16 Harris's Sparrow 1 Long-eared Owl 1 Dark-eyed Junco 701 Belted Kingfisher 13 361 Red-headed Woodpecker 4 Red-winged Blackbird 109 Red-bellied Woodpecker 252 Meadowlark species 9

5 BOONE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS BY ALEX KRETZINGER

It was a frigid December day, however, a group of 26 brave volunteers ventured out to survey Boone County’s birds. The weather on December 30, the day of the count, hovered around 0 degrees Fahrenheit at the warmest point of the day. The wind chill ranged from 10-20 degrees below zero, creating difficult conditions. Yet the sun was out, and so were the birds. As a whole,the count registered 61 different species, a near record high for the count. There were several highlights from across the county. Near Seven Oaks, one team got a good look at an immature Golden Eagle, a great find for the day! An Eastern Bluebird flock of nearly 40 was counted near Frasier, adding some color to an otherwise white and brown backdrop. From a flock of Redwing Blackbirds and a record number of Red-headed Woodpeckers to a Belted Kingfisher and Long-eared Owl, the day was full of great birds and good fun. The most unexpected sighting of the day was of a Spotted Sandpiper in McHose park, a bird that was found near open water in the creek. Despite the difficult conditions for us humans, our feathered friends were out en force, and for those who made the journey out, it was a wonderful gift to see them on such a cold day.

Gr. White-fronted Goose 0 Rock Pigeon 163 Eastern Towhee 0 Canada Goose 1190 Eurasian Collared-Dove 6 American Tree Sparrow 254 Cackling Goose 0 Mourning Dove 13 Field Sparrow 0 Trumpeter Swan 54 Eastern Screech-Owl 3 Savannah Sparrow 0 Swan species 0 Great Horned Owl 2 Fox Sparrow 1 Wood Duck 0 Barred Owl 5 Song Sparrow 2 Mallard 14 Long-eared Owl 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 0 Gadwall 0 Short-eared Owl 0 Swamp Sparrow 0 Hooded Merganser 0 Northern Saw-whet Owl 0 White-throated Sparrow 9 Common Merganser 0 Owl species 0 White-crowned Sparrow 0 Duck species 0 Belted Kingfisher 1 Harris's Sparrow 2 Gray Partridge 0 Red-headed Woodpecker 38 Dark-eyed Junco 898 Ring-necked Pheasant 59 Red-bellied Woodpecker 151 Oregon Junco 0 Wild Turkey 117 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Lapland Longspur 260 Northern Bobwhite 0 Downy Woodpecker 171 Snow Bunting 0 Double-crested Cormorant 0 Hairy Woodpecker 46 Northern Cardinal 194 Great Blue Heron 0 Northern Flicker 15 Red-winged Blackbird 331 Turkey Vulture 0 Pileated Woodpecker 10 Western Meadowlark 0 Bald Eagle 42 Loggerhead Shrike 0 Meadowlark species 0 Northern Harrier 2 Northern Shrike 0 Rusty Blackbird 0 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 Shrike species 0 Brewer's Blackbird 1 Cooper's Hawk 5 Blue Jay 246 Common Grackle 1 0 American Crow 174 Brown-headed Cowbird 0 Accipiter species 2 Horned Lark 441 Blackbird species 6 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 Black-capped Chickadee 267 Purple Finch 27 Red-tailed Hawk 50 Tufted Titmouse 34 House Finch 209 Harlan's Hawk 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 5 Common Redpoll 37 Krider's Hawk 0 White-breasted Nuthatch 142 Pine Siskin 10 Rough-legged Hawk 8 Brown Creeper 4 American Goldfinch 266 Buteo species 1 Carolina Wren 4 Evening Grosbeak 0 Golden Eagle 1 Winter Wren 1 House Sparrow 637 American Kestrel 5 Golden-crowned Kinglet 0 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Merlin 2 Eastern Bluebird 61 Falcon species 0 Hermit Thrush 1 Total Species Count Day: 61 Hawk species 1 American Robin 9 Total Species Count Week: 63 Killdeer 0 Brown Thrasher 0 Total Birds: 7236 Wilson's Snipe 1 European Starling 491 Ring-billed Gull 0 Cedar Waxwing 27 Herring Gull 0 Yellow-rumped Warbler 0 Gull sp. 0 Spotted Towhee 0

SAYLORVILLE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS BY STEVE DINSMORE

The Saylorville Reservoir CBC was held on Sunday, December 17 with great weather, abundant open water, and a final tally of 95 species. Highlights included 20 waterfowl species, Pied-billed Grebe, Merlin, Wilson's Snipe, 6 gull species (Franklin's, Glaucous, and Lesser Black-backed were notable), Long-eared and Short-eared owls, Carolina and Winter wrens, Fox Sparrow, Rusty Black- bird, Great-tailed Grackle, and Common Redpoll. Many thanks to all those who helped this year!

Greater White-fronted Goose 27 Great Horned Owl 31 Rusty Blackbird 6 Snow Goose 2 Barred Owl 15 Common Grackle 1 Cackling Goose 288 Long-eared Owl 2 Great-tailed Grackle 1 Canada Goose 5432 Short-eared Owl 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 4 Trumpeter Swan 4 Belted Kingfisher 2 Purple Finch 11 Gadwall 9 Red-headed Woodpecker 3 House Finch 195 American Wigeon 4 Red-bellied Woodpecker 127 Common Redpoll 115 American Black Duck 6 Downy Woodpecker 145 Pine Siskin 4 Mallard 4152 Hairy Woodpecker 36 American Goldfinch 179 Mallard X Am. Black Duck 1 Northern Flicker 52 House Sparrow 316 Northern Shoveler 4 Pileated Woodpecker 4 Northern Pintail 1 American Kestrel 14 Total Species: 95 Green-winged Teal 7 Merlin 2 Total Birds: 28156 Canvasback 4 Northern Shrike 3 Redhead 1 Blue Jay 272 Ring-necked Duck 38 American Crow 159 Lesser Scaup 21 Horned Lark 16 Common Goldeneye 297 Black-capped Chickadee 416 Common Merganser 1446 Tufted Titmouse 29 Red-breasted Merganser 3 Red-breasted Nuthatch 14 Ruddy Duck 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 184 Ring-necked Pheasant 30 Brown Creeper 18 Wild Turkey 6 Carolina Wren 7 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Winter Wren 1 American White Pelican 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Eastern Bluebird 106 Bald Eagle: Adult 65 American Robin 108 Bald Eagle: Immature 63 European Starling 896 Bald Eagle: Unknown 4 Cedar Waxwing 521 Northern Harrier 6 Lapland Longspur 40 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Snow Bunting 4 Cooper’s Hawk 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler 15 Red-tailed Hawk 86 American Tree Sparrow 1696 Rough-legged Hawk 4 Fox Sparrow 4 Wilson's Snipe 1 Song Sparrow 29 Franklin's Gull 1 Swamp Sparrow 25 Ring-billed Gull 6836 White-throated Sparrow 22 Herring Gull 348 Harris’ Sparrow 1 Iceland Gull 2 White-crowned Sparrow 1 Glaucous Gull 1 Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco 1010 Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco 2 Rock Pigeon 103 Northern Cardinal 350 Eurasian Collared-Dove 154 Red-winged Blackbird 1271 Mourning Dove 176 Western Meadowlark 1 Eastern Screech-Owl 11 meadowlark sp. 5

NEW MEMBERS OF NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

Ames Tim Garnet Craig Hartman Wallace Sanders Delayne Stokke Boone Patty Heath Grand Junction Debbie Shaw Nevada Anne Bortz Robert Stevens Spirit Lake Pamela Wingert Webster City Dan Mason

Red-crowned Parrots in McAllen, Texas ǀ Photo by Eric Ollie

NEWSLETTER Volume 53 ǀ Number 3 ǀ January/February/March 2018

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