Iowa & Missouri 
Stephen J. Dfnsmore 
T he 2009 spring season continued the 
cool and wet pattern experienced in 
2008, although not to record levels. 
March was a month of extremes, with a more 
than 80° F temperature fluctuation in Iowa; 
Missouri exhibited a more normal pattern. 
The first half of April was cool Regionwide, 
with more normal temperatures appearing af- 
ter mid-month. A late snowstorm dropped up 
to 25 cm of snow across central Iowa on 4-5 
April, and much of the eastern part of the Re- 
gion was wetter than normal. May weather 
patterns were near normal, although all but 
northwestern Iowa remained wetter than nor- 
mal. There were few strong cold fronts in May 
to stall migrants, but persistent southwesterly 
air flow in early May produced numerous 
western rarities. The best finds included Red- 
throated Loon, Brown Pelican, Neotropic 
Cormorant, Anhinga, Ferruginous Hawk, 
Snowy Plover, Ruff, Little Gull, and a Fork- 
tailed Flycatcher in each state (a hrst for Mis- 
souri). The season had a distinctly western 
flavor, with reports of Western Tanager, 
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Black-headed 
Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, and Iowa’s hrst Vi- 
olet-green Swallow, and Mountain Bluebird. 
Abbreviations: E.B.C.A. (Eagle Bluffs C.A., 
Boone, MO); Hawkeye (Hawkeye W.A., John- 
son, lA); O.S.C.A. (Otter Slough C.A., Stod- 
dard, MO); R.M.B.S. (Riverlands Migratory 
Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles, MO); Riverton 
(W.A., Fremont, lA); S.C.R. (Squaw Creek 
N.W.R., Holt, MO); Saylorville (Saylorville 
Res., Polk, lA); S.O.C.A. (Schell-Osage C.A., 
Vemon/St. Clair, MO); W.B.S.P. (Weston Bend 
S.P, Platte, MO). 
WATERFOWL 
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks continue to 
appear in the Region. Iowa had singles at Di- 
amond L., Poweshiek 30 Apr (tMPr, m.ob.) 
and at Hobbs Pits, Carroll 1 May (tSJD, 
m.ob., ph.), and 2 were in Missouri at 
E.B.C.A. 14-16 May (tDick Baskett, m.ob.). 
Snow Geese were numerous only in Iowa, 
with a peak of 100,000 in Monona 13 Mar 
(GLV). Ross’s Geese were plentiful this sea- 
son, vHth 500 at Grand Pass C.A., Salme, MO 
11 Mar (EW) and 3500 in Page, lA 5 Mar 
(KDy). Trumpeter Swans were widely report- 
ed in both states, while the only Tundra 
Swans were in Iowa through 4 Apr. Cinna- 
mon Teal were scarce: 3 males were in nw. 
Missouri 13 Mar-14 May (m.ob.), and one 
male was in Boone, lA 6 Apr (Jim Moreland). 
Scoter reports included single Surf Scoters at 
Saylorville 28 Apr-4 May QB, m.ob.) and in 
Crawford, lA 3-21 May (SJD, m.ob.); single 
White-winged Scoters were noted at R.M.B.S. 
1 Mar (PKe) and in Grundy, lA 20 Mar (RIA, 
PHA); and 4 Black Scoters were at R.M.B.S. 4 
Apr OWE). Four Long-tailed Ducks were de- 
tected in a narrow window, 12-17 Mar, in 
both states. Among the tardy waterfowl re- 
ported this spring were an American Wigeon 
at R.M.B.S. 15 May GPU), a Greater Scaup on 
10 May in Marion, lA (SJD, JG), 2 Bufheheads 
at O.S.C.A. 26 May QPU et al), and a Com- 
mon Merganser in Guthrie, lA 11 May (DTh). 
GROUSE THROUGH RAPTORS 
Gallinaceous birds were not well reported this 
spring. Gray Partridge were detected in hve 
cen. and n.-cen. Iowa counties, where most re- 
cent reports have occurred. No Ruffed Grouse 
were reported from their remaining haunts in 
Iowa. Greater Prairie-Chicken numbers con- 
tinue to dwindle in Missouri with fewer than 
100 reported on leks statewide 
(Bj); a maximum of 15 was re- 
ported at the Kellerton, Ring- 
gold lek in Iowa. A Red-throat- 
ed Loon at Badger Creek 
Recreation Area, Madison, lA 
22-28 Mar (RIA, PHA, JG, ph.) 
was unusually early and a rare 
spring find. The large grebes 
appeared only in Iowa, with 6 
Red-necked Grebes at hve lo- 
cales 25 Mar-21 May and 
Western Grebes at 10 locales 
25 Apr-27 May. Missouri host- 
ed 2 Brown Pelicans this 
spring: an imm. lingered from Feb through 3 
Mar at L. of the Ozarks, Gamden (tBJ), and an- 
other imm. was at R.M.B.S. 11-31 May (tBRu, 
m.ob.). The season’s only Neotropic Cor- 
morant, a subad., appeared 25-26 Apr at 
S.O.C.A. (TBJ, EW, m.ob.). A lone Anhinga at 
O.S.C.A. 11 & 26 Apr (tCBa) was also no- 
table. Southern heron reports were lean. Little 
Blue Herons were reported from one Iowa and 
two Missouri locales 7 Apr-2 May; Snowy 
Egrets were at four Iowa locales 20 Apr-10 
May; and a Tricolored Heron was at S.O.C.A. 
25 Apr (BJ, ph.). White-faced Ibis had a good 
spring showing in both states, with up to 14 at 
13 Iowa locales 24 Apr-22 May and a peak of 
42 in Holt, MO 9 May (DE). Surprisingly, there 
were no reports of Glossy Ibis. 
Black Vultures continue to march north- 
ward in Missouri; 1-7 birds were reported from 
Camden, Dallas, St. Charles, and Ste. Genevieve, 
and nesting is now suspected at the latter site 
GPU et al.). Mississippi Kites returned early to 
Missouri, with 1-2 birds at O.S.C.A. 25 Apr 
GWE) and in Jasper (LH); in Iowa, 1-2 birds 
returned to Polk beginning on 19 May GB et 
al). Three Northern Goshawks in Iowa 29 
Mar-1 1 Apr were surprising after a lackluster 
winter showing. Large spring flights of Broad- 
winged Hawks are seldom witnessed, so 1500 
in Decatur, lA 23 Apr was notable (Ben Bald- 
win). An ad. Ferruginous Hawk in Van Buren, 
lA 24 Mar (tJWR) furnished one of few spring 
records for the state and was far from the 
species’ normal Missouri River Valley haunts. 
Rough-legged Hawks lingered through 15 Mar 
in Benton, MO G^E) and through 22 Apr in 
Kossuth, lA (MCK). Six Golden Eagles in Iowa 
l-TI Mar represented an above-average num- 
ber for the spring season. 
RAILS THROUGH TERNS 
The only Yellow Rails were in Story, lA, with 
2 on 22 Apr (SSP) and one on 3 May (Carl 
Kurtz). Single King Rails were found at 
O.S.C.A. 2 & 9 May GWE et al), in Holt, MO 
22 May (MBR et al.), and in Greene, lA 28-29 
May (Tyler Harms, SJD), a poor showing for 
this once uncommon breeder. Common 
Moorhen was reported from seven Iowa lo- 
cales 29 Apr-24 May, mostly in the n. half of 
the state. Sandhill Cranes continue to solidify 
their breeding range in the Region. Broods 
were seen Polk (BE et al), Winnebago (CJF), 
This adult male Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Iowa's second record in less than two 
years, was seen by many 25-27 (here 26) April 2009 near Oysart, Tama County. 
Photograph by Stephen J. Dinsmore. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
437 
