Wolf's Corner

Eastern Bluebirds (female on the left, with the male on the right) have been Winter residents for many years. As long as they can find food, such as berries and fruit at this time of year, they’ll stick around. We don’t know if the ones we see in Winter are the ones that actually breed at the Park. They have used Tree Swallow nesting boxes found below the Upland Trail.

A total of 58 (plus 1 sp.) avian species was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 2nd highest February among 29 years of records. This total is 13 species more than last month and 2 more than February 2025. February 2017 with 63 species remains as the highest February total, while February 2001 with only 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 Snow Geese on the 3rd tie with 2017 sighting at AHHP, as the extreme early Spring record for Story County. The Yellow-rumped Warbler on the 23rd may set a new extreme early Spring record (former record set on 15 March 2020 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, sa=subadult, ad=adult, y=yearling), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard). The order follows the 66th Supplement (2025) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 25th Supplement to the 7th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

SNOW GOOSE: 3-4 (1 w + 1 b), 14 (1 w), 15 (9 w), 16 (3 w + 2 b + 1 im), 17 (60 w/b)

ROSS’S GOOSE: 17 (1)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 2 (1), 21 (4), 26 (5), 27 (369)

CACKLING GOOSE: 2-3 (1), 4 (2), 5 (3), 6 (1), 9-11 (1), 14 (4), 15 (2), 16 (1), 17 (2), 25 (1), 27 (1)

CANADA GOOSE: 1 (2113 + BY 471), 2 (2000 + BY 289), 3 (2207 + BY 4), 4 (2762 + BY 121),

5 (2200 + BY 436), 6 (1756 + BY 365), 7 (1577 + BY 169), 8 (1745 + BY 109), 9 (906), 10 (631 +

BY 76), 11 (1823), 12 (813 + BY 9), 12 (845 + BY 80), 14 (602 + BY 10), 15 (930 + BY 16),

16 (859), 17 (274 + BY 22), 18 (239), 19 (137), 20 (75 + BY 53), 21 (47 + BY 46), 22 (34 + BY 6),

23 (8), 24 (18), 25 (181 + BY 11), 26 (625), 27 (627), 28 (321)

TRUMPETER SWAN: 1 (158 ad + 16 im), 2 (200 ad + 19 im), 3 (211 ad + 19 im), 4 (212 ad + 21 im),

5 (218 ad + 15 im), 6 (143 ad + 8 im), 7 (67 ad + 8 im + BY 3 ad), 8 (77 ad + 13 im), 9 (48 ad + 5

im), 10 (40 ad + 10 im), 11 (34 ad + 12 im), 14 (4 ad), 17 (89 ad/im), 19 (2 ad)

WOOD DUCK: 28 (1♂ + 1♀)

GADWALL: 9-10 (1♂ + 1♀), 13 (1♂ + 1♀), 16 (1♂)

MALLARD: 2 (6), 3 (2♂ + 1♀), 4 (1♂ + 1♀), 5 (2♂ + 2♀ + BY 127), 6 (9♂ + 3♀ + BY 7), 7 (6♂ + 2♀),

8 (7♂ + 3♀), 9 (8♂ + 3♀), 10 (18), 11 (7), 14 (23), 16 (29), 17 (2♂ + 2♀), 18 (19♂ + 10♀), 19 (10♂

+ 6♀), 20 (3♂ + 3♀), 23 (2♂), 27 (1♂ + 1♀), 28 (3♂ + 3♀ + 3)

NORTHERN PINTAIL: 5 (1♂), 13 (2♂), 16 (1♂), 17 (3♂), 19 (1♂), 28 (3♂)

GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 17 (1♂ + 1♀)

REDHEAD: 11 (3♂ + 2♀), 14-15 (1♀), 26 (3♂ + 3♀)

RING-NECKED DUCK: 9 (5♂), 16 (2♂), 17 (2♂ + 1♀)

GREATER SCAUP: 10 (1♂)

LESSER SCAUP: 8 (2♂), 9 (1♂), 10 (8♂), 11 (9♂), 14 (6♂), 15-17 (5♂)

COMMON GOLDENEYE: 5 (1♀), 7 (1♀), 9 (1♂), 11 (1♂), 27 (1♂)

HOODED MERGANSER: 26 (3♂ + 2♀), 27 (2♂ + 1♀)

COMMON MERGANSER: 8 (2), 10 (1), 11 (1♂ + 1), 16 (10♂ + 4♀)

Duck sp.: 16 (7), 28 (4)

RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 2 (1), 16 (1)

MOURNING DOVE: 1 (BY 1), 2 (2 + BY 1), 3 (7 + BY 1), 4 (BY 2), 5 (BY 1), 7 (1 + BY 1), 8 (2 + BY 1),

9 (1 + BY 1), 10-11 (BY 1), 12 (10 + BY 1), 14 (BY 2), 15 (2 + BY 2), 16 (16 + BY 2), 17 (6 + BY 1),

18-19 (2 + BY 1), 20 (BY 1), 21 (5), 23 (1 + BY 1), 24 (1 + BY 2), 25 (3 + BY 1)

AMERICAN COOT: 1 (1), 3-17 (1)

RING-BILLED GULL: 17-18 (2)

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 3 (1 im), 5 (1 im), 12 (1 im), 23 (1 ad), 24 (1)

COOPER’S HAWK: 3 (BY 1 im), 13 (1), 25 (1 ad), 28 (1)

BALD EAGLE: 1 (2 im + BY 1 im), 2 (1 ad + 1 im), 3 (1 im), 4 (2 im), 5 (1 ad + 1 im), 6 (4 ad + 5 im),

7 (3 ad + 5 im), 8 (2 ad + 3 im + BY 1 ad + 1 im), 9 (1 im), 10 (1 ad + 2 im), 11 (1 ad + 1 im), 12 (1

im), 14 (1 ad), 16 (1 ad), 19-21 (1 ad), 28 (1 sa)

RED-TAILED HAWK: 2-4 (1), 6 (1), 9 (2), 12 (2), 23 (1), 24 (2), 26 (2)

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 13 (1 dark)

GREAT HORNED OWL: 18 (BY 1)

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 (1), 2 (1♂), 4 (1♂), 8 (1), 9 (2), 11-13 (3), 14 (2), 15 (1), 16 (2),

17 (BY 1♀), 18 (1 + BY 1♂), 19 (2), 21 (2), 23 (2), 25 (2), 26 (3 + BY 1♀), 27 (1 + BY 1♀), 28 (BY

1♀)

DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1 (4), 2 (6), 3 (1♂), 4-5 (4), 6 (1♀), 7 (2), 8 (4), 11 (2♀), 12-13 (5), 14 (2),

15 (5), 16 (2), 17-18 (3), 19 (2), 21 (1), 23 (3), 24 (2 + BY 1♂), 25 (1♂), 26 (4), 27 (4 + BY 1♂),

28 (1♂ + 1♀)

HAIRY WOODPECKER: 12 (1), 21 (1♂)

NORTHERN FLICKER: 15 (1), 19 (1), 28 (1♂)

MERLIN: 10 (1)

NORTHERN SHRIKE: 3-4 (1), 7 (1), 13-14 (1), 26 (1)

BLUE JAY: 1 (1), 4 (1), 5 (2), 9 (3), 10 (2), 11 (7), 12 (1), 13 (3), 14 (1), 15-16 (2 + BY 1), 17-18 (1),

21 (2), 22 (1), 23 (6), 24 (1 + BY 1), 25 (3 + BY 2), 26 (2), 28 (2)

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

9 (4), 10 (20 + BY 1), 11 (4 + BY 1), 12 (16), 13 (7 + FY 1), 14 (5 + FY 1), 15 (7 + FY 1), 16 (3),

17 (2), 18 (4 + FY 2), 19 (18), 20 (1), 21 (4 + BY 1), 22 (BY 1), 23 (1), 24 (4 + BY 1), 25 (5 + BY 2),

26-27 (2), 28 (3 + BY 4)

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1 (1 + BY 1), 2 (5 + BY 1), 4 (1 + BY 1), 5 (2), 6 (1), 7 (BY 1), 8 (BY

2), 9 (BY 1), 10 (2 + BY 1), 11 (1 + BY 2), 12 (3 + BY 1), 13 (2 + BY 1), 14 (1), 15 (2 + BY 1),

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

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

CEDAR WAXWING: 3 (12), 4 (14), 7 (3), 10 (21), 12 (15), 20 (BY 2), 22 (5 + BY 6), 27 (6)

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 2 (2), 3 (1), 4 (2), 5-6 (1), 11 (3), 12 (BY 1), 14-15 (2), 16-19 (1),

21 (1), 26 (2), 28 (1)

EUROPEAN STARLING: 1 (71), 2 (26), 3 (29 + BY 821), 4 (244), 5 (86), 6 (305), 7 (26 + BY 2), 8 (29

+ FY 2), 9 (16), 10 (30), 11 (22), 12 (85), 13 (80), 14 (44), 15 (30 + BY/FY 12), 16 (39), 17 (28),

18 (44), 19 (5), 20 (148 + BY 2), 21 (34), 22 (8 + BY 1), 23 (17), 24 (29), 25 (23 + BY 170), 26 (15 +

FY 3), 27 (20 + BY 1), 28 (31)

EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 4 (3), 6 (4), 7-8 (1♂), 12 (2♂ + 1♀), 15-16 (3), 17 (1♂ + 1♀), 18 (2), 19 (1♂ +

1♀), 20 (4♂ + 1♀), 23 (2♂ + 1♀), 24 (3♂ + 1♀), 25 (1), 26 (3), 28 (5)

AMERICAN ROBIN: 2 (1), 3 (9 + BY 1), 4 (2), 5 (10), 6 (16), 7 (25 + BY 1), 8 (14 + BY 2), 9 (18),

10 (13), 11 (10), 12 (12), 13 (17 + FY 1), 14 (15), 15 (16 + BY BY/FY 2), 16 (27 + BY 2), 17 (17 +

BY 1), 18 (8 + BY 7), 20 (1 + BY 1), 21 (7 + BY 2), 22 (2), 23 (5), 24 (9), 25 (14), 26 (12 + BY 1),

27 (32 + BY/FY 3), 28 (13)

HOUSE SPARROW: 1 (19 + BY 3), 2 (20 + BY 1), 3 (53 + BY 2), 4 (22), 5 (24), 6 (25 + BY 1), 7 (7),

8 (15), 9 (23), 10 (6), 11 (20), 12 (21), 13 (23), 14 (29), 15 (14 + BY 5), 16 (9 + BY 1), 17 (31 + BY

1), 18 (19 + BY 1), 20 (50 + BY 3), 20 (4 + BY 7), 21 (9 + BY 13), 22 (10 + BY 9), 23 (4 + BY 7),

24 (3 + BY 5), 25 (6 + BY 4), 26 (12 + BY 2), 27 (15 + BY 2), 28 (20 + BY 4)

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW: 15 (1)

HOUSE FINCH: 1 (11 + BY 5), 2 (16 + BY 1), 3 (8 + BY 1), 4 (26 + BY 4), 5 (27), 6 (10), 7 (24), 8 (5 +

BY 4), 9 (12 + BY 1), 10 (1), 11 (21), 12 (2 + BY 4), 13 (13 + BY 2), 14 (14 + BY 1), 15 (5 + BY 1),

16 (5 + BY 3), 17 (2 + BY 3), 18 (4 + BY 2), 19 (28 + BY 4), 20 (15 + BY 4), 21 (37 + BY 7), 22 (51

+ BY 7), 23 (23 + BY 6), 24 (14 + BY 8), 25 (14 + BY 7), 26 (16 + BY 6), 27 (13 + BY 5), 28 (5 + BY

9)

PURPLE FINCH: 27 (BY 2♀)

PINE SISKIN: 6 (7), 9 (2), 14 (1), 17 (10), 18 (3), 19 (8 + BY 1), 20 (2 + BY 2), 21 (1), 22 (4), 23 (1),

25 (3), 27 (BY 2), 28 (3 + BY 3)

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1 (9), 2 (4), 3 (5), 4 (19), 5 (7), 6 (5), 7 (7), 8 (19), 9 (3), 10 (BY 1), 11 (4),

12 (6), 13 (8), 14 (9), 16 (18 + BY 3), 17 (9), 18 (BY 3), 19 (6), 20 (BY 6), 21 (5 + BY 1), 22 (7 + BY

1), 23 (3 + BY 1), 24 (BY 1), 25 (BY 1), 26 (1), 27 (6 + BY 1), 28 (2 + BY 1)

AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1 (16), 2 (15), 3 (31), 4 (18), 5 (4), 6 (9), 7 (7), 8 (8), 9 (19), 10 (11),

11 (4), 12 (3), 13 (23), 14 (13), 15 (10), 16 (8), 17 (10), 18 (17), 19 (29), 20 (37), 21 (81 + BY 2),

22 (29), 23 (23), 24 (82), 25 (5), 26 (26), 27 (52), 28 (64)

DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1 (18 + BY 14), 2 (8 + BY 8), 3 (2 + BY 5), 4 (17 + BY 3),

5 (7 + BY 3), 6 (18 + BY 4), 7 (7 + BY 5), 8 (21 + BY 6), 9 (39 + BY 3), 10 (23 + BY 4), 11 (23 + BY

3), 12 (9 + BY 4), 13 (13 + BY 4), 14 (19 + BY 2), 15 (8 + BY 6), 16 (17 + BY 4), 17 (8 + BY 10),

18 (4 + BY 5), 19 (20 + BY 11), 20 (9 + BY 12), 21 (19 + BY 14), 22 (10 + BY 6), 23 (11 + BY 9),

24 (12 + BY 9), 25 (13 + BY 7), 26 (17 + BY 6), 27 (7 + BY 6), 28 (7 + BY 10)

DARK-EYED JUNCO (Oregon): 19-20 (BY 1), 28 (BY 1)

HARRIS’S SPARROW: 1 (BY 1)

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 10 (1), 14-15 (1), 26 (1)

SONG SPARROW: 2-3 (2), 4 (4), 9-10 (1), 19-20 (1), 21 (7), 22 (4), 23 (5), 24 (7), 25 (5), 26 (3), 27 (1)

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 8 (1♂), 16 (2♂), 17 (4♂), 18 (8♂), 19 (11♂), 20 (2♂ + BY 10), 21 (4 + BY

1), 22 (7), 23 (2), 25 (2 + BY 1), 26 (7), 27 (10), 28 (16)

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 27 (1♂)

COMMON GRACKLE: 19 (2)

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle’s): 23 (1)

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

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

10 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 11 (6♂ + 1♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 12 (5♂ + 1♀ + BY 1♀), 13 (6♂ + 2♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀),

14 (7♂ + 1♀ + BY 1♀), 15 (9♂ + 2♀), 16 (13 + BY 1♂), 17 (7♂ + 1♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 18 (2♂ + BY

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

1♂ + 1♀), 23 (7♂ + 1♀ + BY 2♂), 24 (5♂ + 2♀ + BY 1♂), 25 (5♂ + 5 + BY 4♂), 26 (7♂ + 1♀ + BY

1♂ + 1♀), 27 (5♂ + 3 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 28 (6♂ + 2♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀)

MAMMALIAN

EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1 (BY 2), 2 (BY 1), 4-5 (BY 1), 11 (BY 1), 13 (BY 2), 15-16 (BY 1), 17 (1 +

BY 1), 18 (BY 2), 19 (1 + FY 1), 21 (BY 1), 24 (BY 1), 25 (BY 2), 26 (1 + BY 2), 27 (1), 28 (BY 2)

EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1 (BY 4), 2 (2 + by 3), 3 (BY 4), 4 (1 + by 3), 5 (BY 1), 6 (BY 3), 7 (2 +

BY 2), 8 (BY 2), 9 (1 + BY 4), 10 (4 + BY 1), 11 (1 + BY 1), 12 (3 + BY 1), 13 (BY 2), 14 (2), 15 (1

+ BY 1), 16 (BY 2), 17 (6 + BY 2), 18-19 (BY 2), 20 (1 + BY 1), 21 (BY 2), 22 (BY 1), 23 (BY 4),

24 (BY 3), 25 (1 + BY 5), 26-27 (BY 2), 28 (7 + BY 5)

COMMON MUSKRAT: 16 (1)

NORTHERN RACCOON: 2 (BY 1), 4-5 (BY 1), 7 (BY 1), 13 (BY 2), 18 (BY 2), 27-28 (BY 1)

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

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

4), 6 (BY 2), 7 (BY 2), 8 (8 + BY 8), 10 (BY 3), 11 (6 + BY 5), 12 (BY 4), 13 (5 + BY 4), 14 (1♂ +

11), 15 (3 + BY 1), 16 (4 + BY 6), 17 (7), 18 (5 + BY 5), 19 (7 + BY 5), 20 (BY 7), 21-22 (BY 5),

23 (8 + BY 2), 24 (BY 1♂ + 2), 25 (5 + BY 10), 26 (BY 1♂ + 4), 28 (8 + BY 2)

Wolf's Corner

Links to previous reports