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In Iowa, Eastern Forktails can be found from May through October. This species is commonly abundant in many parts of its range (from the east coast west to the western edge of the plains. They are less common in the southern coastal states. They inhabit ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow streams. Males perch in dense vegetation at the water’s edge or cruise through the vegetation in search of prey and females.
The photo is that of an adult male. Females tend to be blue and black, while immature females are orange. Eastern Forktails are classified as damselflies, due to their size and the folded wings along the abdomen.
Total Length = 20-33 mm
Hindwing Length = 11.19 mm
A total of 71 avian species (plus 1 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 10th lowest and 11th highest (tied with 2010) among 28 years of records. June 2008 with 87 species remains as the highest June, while June 2001 with only 42 species as the lowest. This total is 66 species less than last month and 8 less than June 2024.
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, g=gosling, d=duckling, f=fawn), 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).
There are no records for the 15th through the 28th. I was in California.
AVIAN
CANADA GOOSE: 1 (136 + 6 g + BY 28), 2 (193 + 6 g), 4 (34 + 6 g), 5 (11 + 6 g), 6 (7 + 6 g), 7 (18 +
6 g), 8 (9 + 6 g), 9 (6 + 6 g), 10 (2 + 6 g), 11 (3 + 6 g), 12 (52 + 6 g), 13 (57 + 6 g), 14 (19), 29 (7 +
4 g), 30 (10 + 4 g)
TRUMPETER SWAN: 10 (2 ad)
WOOD DUCK: 1 (10♂ + 5♀ + 33 d), 2 (6♂ + 5♀), 4 (4♂ + 5♀), 5 (18♂ + 8♀), 6 (19♂ + 11♀ + 3),
7 (6♂ + 5♀), 8 (5♂ + 9♀ + 5 d), 9 (6♂ + 6♀ + 5 d), 10 (9♂ + 7♀ + 12), 11 (2♂ + 5♀ + 15 d), 13 (5♂
+ 5♀), 14 (2♂ + 5♀ + 9 d), 29 (2 d), 30 (1♂)
BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 5-6 (2♂), 13 (2♂), 14 (1♂)
MALLARD: 1 (2♂), 2 (5♂), 4 (3♂), 5 (1♂ + 1♀), 6 (1♂), 7 (6), 8 (3♂ + 1♀ + 4), 9 (2♂), 10 (4♂ + 4♀),
11 (3♂ + 2♀ + 5 im + 1), 12 (10♂ + 3♀), 13 (3♂), 14 (1♂)
HOODED MERGANSER: 4 (1♀ + 4 d), 8 (2♀ + 12 d), 9 (4 d), 10 (2♀ + 12 d), 11 (1♀ + 6 d), 12 (1 d),
29-30 (2 im)
Duck sp.: 5 (4 d)
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1-2 (3), 4-5 (4), 6-7 (3), 8-9 (4), 10 (6), 11-12 (4), 13 (2), 14 (4), 29 (1),
30 (2)
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 1 (1), 7 (1), 13 (1), 29 (1)
MOURNING DOVE: 1 (4 + BY 1), 2 (11 + BY 1), 3 (BY 2), 4 (8), 5 (6 + BY 1), 6 (7), 7 (3 + BY 4), 8 (4),
9 (11 + BY 2), 10 (6 + BY 1), 11 (8), 12 (9 + BY 1), 13 (5), 14 (9 + B 1), 29 (11), 30 (10 + FY 1)
CHIMNEY SWIFT: 1-2 (2), 4 (2), 5 (1), 9-10 (7), 11 (1), 29 (1)
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD: 1 (2 + FY 1), 4 (2), 10 (2), 13 (1), 29 (1), 30 (2)
KILLDEER: 1 (1), 5 (2), 6-8 (1), 10 (1), 29 (1)
LEAST BITTERN: 8 (1, heard only)
GREEN HERON: 1 (7), 4 (3), 5-6 (2), 8 (3), 9 (2), 10 (1), 11-12 (3), 14 (1), 29-30 (2)
GREAT EGRET: 29 (1)
GREAT BLUE HERON: 1 (8), 2 (1), 4 (6), 5 (4), 6 (2), 7 (3), 8-9 (4), 10 (2), 11 (5), 12-13 (3), 14 (2),
30 (1)
TURKEY VULTURE: 1 (3), 4 (3), 7 (2), 9 (6 + FY 1), 10 (2), 11 (1), 12 (4)
COOPER’S HAWK: 2 (1), 9 (1 ad), 13 (1)
BALD EAGLE: 1-2 (1 ad), 4-6 (1 ad), 8-12 (1 ad), 14 (1 ad), 29-30 (1 ad)
RED-TAILED HAWK: 6 (1 im)
BELTED KINGFISHER: 4 (1), 6 (1), 8 (1)
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 1 (2), 2 (1), 4-7 (2), 8 (1), 9 (3), 10 (2), 11 (4), 12 (2), 13 (5), 14 (3),
29 (2), 30 (5)
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 (1), 4-6 (1), 7-8 (2), 9 (1), 10 (2), 13-14 (1)
DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1 (2), 4 (3), 5 (1), 8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (3), 13 (1)
HAIRY WOODPECKER: 2 (1)
NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 1 (1), 2 (3), 4 (2), 5 (3), 6-7 (1), 9 (2), 10 (1), 11 (2), 12 (3),
13 (2), 30 (1)
PILEATED WOODPECKER: 4 (1)
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER: 1 (2), 2 (3), 4 (2), 5 (1), 6-8 (3), 9 (4), 10-13 (1), 29 (2), 30 (1)
EASTERN KINGBIRD: 1-2 (4), 4 (6), 5 (2), 6 (1), 8 (3), 9 (4), 10-11 (2), 12 (3), 13 (2), 14 (1), 29 (6),
30 (2)
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE: 1-2 (1), 6 (1), 13 (2)
WILLOW FLYCATCHER: 1 (1)
LEAST FLYCATCHER: 2 (1), 5 (1)
BELL’S VIREO: 7 (1), 29 (1)
WARBLING VIREO: 1 (5), 2 (4), 4 (4), 5 (3), 6 (5), 7-9 (3), 10 (5), 11 (3), 12-13 (2), 29 (4), 30 (6)
RED-EYED VIREO: 1 (1), 29 (1)
BLUE JAY: 1 (2), 2 (3 + BY 1), 4 (4 + BY 1), 5 (2), 6 (3 + BY 2), 7-8 (4), 9-10 (3), 11 (3 + BY 1), 12 (1
+ BY 1), 13 (2 + BY 1), 14 (BY 1), 29 (1), 30 (2)
AMERICAN CROW: 1 (2 + BY 1), 2 (1), 5 (3), 6 (5), 10 (4), 11 (2), 12 (4), 13 (3), 29 (2), 30 (1)
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-2 (2), 3 (BY 1), 4 (2 + BY 1), 5 (1), 6-7 (BY 2), 8 (1), 9 (1 + BY 1),
12 (1), 13 (2), 29 (1), 30 (1 + BY 1)
TREE SWALLOW: 1 (19), 2 (24), 4 (21), 5 (15), 6 (22), 7 (16), 8 (23), 9 (27), 10 (33), 11 (31), 12 (18),
13 (35), 14 (25), 29 (28), 30 (47)
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 1 (2), 4 (3), 5 (5), 6-7 (1), 9 (4), 10 (1), 11 (5), 13 (1)
PURPLE MARTIN: 1-2 (44), 4 (44), 5 (39), 6 (33), 7 (35), 8 (27), 9 (41), 10 (26 + BY 1), 11 (26 + BY
1), 12 (38), 13 (33), 24 (24), 29-30 (24)
BARN SWALLOW: 1 (7), 2 (12), 4 (5), 5 (4), 6 (10), 7 (8), 8 (5), 9 (6), 10 (2), 11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (3),
14 (5), 29 (12), 30 (6)
CLIFF SWALLOW: 14 (1)
CEDAR WAXWING: 1 (1), 4 (26), 6 (3), 8 (1), 9 (2), 10 (5), 12 (2), 13 (1), 30 (1)
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1 (1), 2 (2), 3 (BY 1), 4 (2), 5-6 (1), 10 (1), 11 (1 + BY 1), 12-14 (1),
30 (1)
NORTHERN HOUSE WREN: 1 (13), 2 (9), 4 (9), 5 (7), 6 (6), 7 (8), 8 (11), 9 (12), 10 (15), 11 (11),
12 (13), 13 (12), 14 (5), 29 (14), 30 (13)
GRAY CATBIRD: 1 (13), 2 (5), 4 (12), 5-6 (11), 7 (9 + BY 1), 8 (7), 9 (6), 10 (13), 11 (10 + BY 1),
12 (8), 13 (15), 14 (7), 29 (12), 30 (7)
BROWN THRASHER: 1 (2), 2 (1), 4-5 (1), 9 (1), 14 (1)
EUROPEAN STARLING: 1 (15), 2 (8), 4 (78), 5 (15), 6 (13), 7 (9), 8 (11), 9 (14), 10 (8), 11 (12),
12 (9), 13 (18), 14 (6), 29 (19), 30 (15)
EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 (1♂), 2 (2♂), 5 (1♂), 7 (1♀), 8 (3♂), 9 (2♂), 10 (1♂)
AMERICAN ROBIN: 1 (50 + BY 1), 2 (31 + BY 1), 3 (BY 1), 4 (33 + BY 3), 5 (44 + BY 1), 6 (56 + BY
2), 7 (44 + BY 2), 8 (38), 9 (46 + BY 1), 10 (43 + BY 1), 11 (33 + BY 1), 12 (46 + BY 1), 13 (40 + BY
1), 14 (41 + BY 2), 29 (45), 30 (42 + BY 2)
HOUSE SPARROW: 1 (23 + BY 1), 2 (17 + FY 2), 3 (FY 2), 4 (14), 5 (13), 6 (28 + FY 2), 7 (16),
8 (11), 9 (15), 10 (16 + FY 2), 11 (19 + BY 1), 12 (21 + FY 1), 13 (16 + BY 1), 14 (6 + FY 2), 29 (21
+ FY 1), 30 (23)
HOUSE FINCH: 1 (5 + BY 2), 2 (6 + BY 1), 3 (BY 1), 4 (10), 5 (8 + BY 1), 6 (9 + BY 3), 7 (8 + BY 2),
8 (6 + BY 3), 9 (1 + BY 1), 10 (4 + BY 1), 11 (8 + BY 1), 12 (6), 13 (6 + BY 2), 14 (6 +FY 1), 29 (11),
30 (7 + BY 1)
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1 (10), 2 (12), 4 (11 + BY 2), 5 (11), 6 (6 + FY 1), 7 (17), 8 (8 + BY 1),
9 (10), 10 (15), 11-12 (9), 13-14 (4), 29-30 (6)
LARK SPARROW: 6 (1)
SONG SPARROW: 1 (6), 2 (8), 4 (6), 5 (4), 6 (9), 7 (10), 8 (7), 9 (8), 10 (7), 11 (11), 12 (14), 13 (10),
29 (13), 30 (10)
EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 2 (1), 5 (1), 9 (1), 13 (1), 14 (2)
ORCHARD ORIOLE: 9 (1♂), 14 (1), 29 (2)
BALTIMORE ORIOLE: 1 (9), 2 (13), 4 (21), 5 (16), 6 (7), 7 (11), 8 (13), 9 (10), 10 (11), 11-12 (12),
13 (16), 14 (8), 29 (4), 30 (3)
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1 (66), 2 (51), 3 (BY 1), 4 (48), 5 (62), 6 (64), 7 (51), 8 (42), 9 (58),
10 (63), 11 (49), 12 (54), 13 (47), 14 (56), 29 (51), 30 (68)
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1 (15♂ + 5♀), 2 (6♂ + 4♀), 4 (20♂ + 5♀), 5 (9♂ + 4♀), 6 (11♂ + 5♀),
7 (16♂ + 11♀), 8 (10♂ + 4♀), 9 (10♂ + 3♀), 10 (2♂ + 2♀), 11 (10♂ + 7♀), 12 (10♂ + 4♀), 13 (15♂
+ 4♀), 14 (5♂ + 4♀), 29 (13♂ + 5♀), 30 (15♂ + 5♀)
COMMON GRACKLE: 1 (27 + BY 1), 2 (36 + BY 2), 4 (44), 5 (49), 6 (31 + BY 1), 7 (54 + BY 1),
8 (34), 9 (40), 10 (36 + BY 2), 11 (59), 12 (34 + BY 1), 13 (57 + BY 2), 14 (39), 29 (28), 30 (28 + FY
1)
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 1 (8), 2 (5), 4 (5), 5 (7), 6 (8), 7 (3), 8-9 (4), 10 (9), 11 (7), 12-13 (4),
14 (3), 29 (6), 30 (8)
AMERICAN REDSTART: 4 (1)
YELLOW WARBLER: 1-2 (1), 5 (1), 6-7 (2), 8 (1), 11 (1)
NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1 (9 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 2 (8 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 3 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 4 (7), 5 (9), 6 (11
+ BY 1♂ + 1♀), 7 (6), 8 (6 + BY 1♂), 9 (5 + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 10 (6 + FY 1), 12 (8), 13 (9 + BY 1♂),
14 (2), 29 (6), 30 (9 + BY 1♂)
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK: 1 (4), 2 (1), 3 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 4 (BY 1♂), 5 (BY 1♀), 6 (1 + BY 1♂ +
1♀), 7 (2 + BY 1♀), 8 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 9-10 (1), 11 (1♂ + 1♀), 12 (5), 13-14 (2), 29 (6), 30 (2)
BLUE GROSBEAK: 8 (1, heard only), 12 (1)
INDIGO BUNTING: 2 (1♂), 4 (2♂), 5 (1♂), 7 (1♂), 8 (2♂)
DICKCISSEL: 1 (2), 2 (1), 4 (2), 6-7 (1), 8 (3), 9 (2), 10 (1), 11 (2), 12 (4), 13-14 (5), 29 (6), 30 (3)
MAMMALIAN
EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1-13, 29-30
EASTERN CHIPMUNK: 1 (1)
THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 2 (1), 5 (2), 9 (1), 11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (1), 30 (1)
EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-11, 13, 30
NORTHERN RACCOON: 1 (BY 1), 2 (1 + BY 1), 4 (BY 1), 9 (1)
AMERICAN MINK: 10 (1)
WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (8 + 1 f + BY 1), 2 (1♀ + 1 f + BY 1), 4 (1♂ + 4 + BY 1♂ + 1), 5 (8), 6 (2 +
BY 1♂ + 1), 7 (1 + BY 1♂ + 1), 8 (9), 9 (2 + BY + 2♂ + 2), 10 (1♂ + 8), 11 (1 + BY 1), 12 (6 + 1 f),
13 (4), 18 (BY 1), 19 (BY 2♂), 25 (BY 2♂ + 1), 27 (BY 2♂ + 1), 28 (BY 1), 29 (BY 1), 30 (3 + 2 f +
BY 1)
REPTILIAN
DEKAY’S BROWN SNAKE: 10 (1)
PLAINS GARTER SNAKE: 9 (1), 12 (1)
SNAPPING TURTLE: 7-8 (1)
WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE: 1 (5), 2 (4), 4 (37), 5 (19), 6 (8), 7 (2), 8 (11), 9 (7), 10 (21), 11 (28),
12 (43), 13 (20), 29 (17), 30 (14)
RED-EARED SLIDER: 1 (1), 4 (2), 5 (4), 6 (2), 8 (2), 10-12 (2), 13 (3)
WESTERN SPINY SOFTSHELL: 30 (1)
AMPHIBIAN
AMERICAN TOAD: 6 (2), 11 (1), 13
BLANCHARD’S CRICKET FROG: 4-8, 10-11, 13, 29-30
AMERICAN BULLFROG: 1 (3), 2 (2), 4 (5), 5 (9), 6 (3), 7-9 (4), 10 (6), 11-12 (7), 13 (8), 29 (2), 30 (3)
NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG: 13
LEPIDOPTERA
LEAST SKIPPER: 30 (1)
EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL: 2 (BY 1), 11 (1)
CABBAGE WHITE: 4 (1), 8 (5), 10 (6 + FY 1), 11 (2), 12 (10 + FY 1), 13 (8)
ORANGE SULPHUR: 6 (1), 8 (1), 11 (1), 12 (2), 13 (1), 29 (4), 30 (3 + FY 1)
Sulphur sp.: 13 (1)
GRAY COPPER: 29 (4), 30 (5)
SPRING AZURE: 4 (1), 5-6 (2), 10 (2), 11 (6), 12 (5 + FY 1), 13 (3 + BY 1)
PEARL CRESCENT: 29 (6)
MOURNING CLOAK: 6 (1)
RED ADMIRAL: 5 (1), 12 (1)
MONARCH: 11 (2 + FY 1), 12 (1), 30 (1)
CHICKWEED GEOMETER: 29 (1)
LARGE LACE-BORDER: 6 (1)
ODONATA
SLENDER SPREADWING: 4 (1 im ♂), 30 (2)
BLUE-FRONTED DANCER: 10 (3), 11 (5), 12 (1), 30 (3)
POWDERED DANCER: 29 (2), 30 (1)
ORANGE BLUET: 4 (1 im ♂)
EASTERN FORKTAIL: 4 (1♂ + 1 im ♀), 29 (3), 30 (2)
COMMON GREEN DARNER: 5 (1), 11 (2), 12-13 (1), 29 (1)
PRINCE BASKETTAIL: 29 (1)
HALLOWEEN PENNANT: 29 (1)
EASTERN PONDHAWK: 30 (2)
WIDOW SKIMMER: 29 (4), 30 (3)
TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER: 12 (1), 30 (1)
CHERRY-FACED MEADOWHAWK: 30 (1♀)
WHITE-FACED MEADOWHAWK: 13 (1♀)
BLACK SADDLEBAGS: 11 (2), 12 (17), 13 (4), 29 (5), 30 (1 + BY 1)
RED SADDLEBAGS: 11 (1), 12 (2)
Wolf. Oesterreich
Links to previous reports
Links to previous reports
Wolf's June 2023 wildlife report
Wolf's July 2023 wildlife report
Wolf's August 2023 wildlife report
Wolf's September 2023 wildlife report
Wolf's October 2023 wildlife report
Wolf's November 2023 wildlife report
Wolf's December 2023 wildlife report
Wolf's January 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's February 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's March 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's April 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's May 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's June 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's July 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's August 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's September 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's October 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's November 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's December 2024 wildlife report
Wolf's January 2025 wildlife report
Wolf's February 2025 wildlife report
Wolf's March 2025 wildlife report
Wolf's April 2025 wildlife report
Wolf's May 2025 wildlife report
Wolf's June 2025 wildlife report
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