[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 72, No. 7, Sep., 2000]

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Abbreviations: Busch = BCA, Horseshoe Lake = HL, Riverlands = REDA, Carondelet Park = CP, Carlyle Lake = CL, Castlewood State Park = CSP, Lost Valley Trail = LVT, Tower Grove Park = TGP, Forest Park = FP, Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge = MTNWR, Marais Temps Clair = MTC, Rockwoods Reservation = RKWD.

Bill Ford reported a Common Loon from BCA on 5/6. A Neotropic Cormorant was a very good find at CL on 5/20 (DK). Forty-eight Little Blue Herons were feeding in the Shorebird Area of BCA on 5/25 (JL) and Jeannie Moe also observed 3 Snowy Egrets there, indicating a likely nesting colony or colonies in St. Charles County. A very good bird at the Shorebird Area was a White-faced Ibis on 5/2 (G&TB). A White-fronted Goose was present at Spanish Lake on 5/13 (PB). Mississippi Kites had a very good showing this spring, with early sightings on 5/5 in TGP (LS), one in Des Peres on the same day (DH), and one on 5/8 in TGP (LB). The first report from Webster Groves was on 5/26 (BM). An Osprey was observed on 5/13 at MTNWR, as well as Sanderling and Wilson's Phalarope (HW, m. ob.). Dennis Bozzay discovered nesting Cooper's Hawks in a cemetery in BCA. He also saw 2 Red-shouldered Hawks on 5/30, one at Hilda Young CA and one off Hwy. 40 in Chesterfield. Rail sightings included Sora and King Rail on 5/18 at REDA (DH), Virginia Rail on 5/15 at REDA (KL), and a King Rail on 5/5 at REDA (CM). A Common Moorhen was photographed on HL on 5/6 (FH) and was seen throughout the summer by many birders.

We had a good variety of shorebirds in relatively good abundance this spring, many of which were seen at Riverlands. Paul Bauer has been working with the Riverlands biologists to manage for shorebird habitat and their joint efforts have obviously been successful. WGNSS and other groups are currently talking with Dept. of Conservation staff to accomplish the same goal at Busch and MTC. An extraordinary count of 70 Semipalmated Plovers, with 3 Wilson's Phalaropes, were seen at REDA on 5/3 (CA). Jim Jackson had 4 Avocets and some Dowitchers on 5/2 at Little Creve Coeur Marsh. Ruddy Turnstones first appeared on 5/13 at REDA (DB) and were also seen there on 5/20 (BK). A shorebird highlight for May were 3 Whimbrels at CL on 5/26 (DK, Al Seppi's photo). A high count of 14 Wilson's Phalaropes and 1 Hudsonian Godwit were found at MTNWR on 5/11 (CM). On 5/27, a Red Knot was seen at MTNWR (LH, HW). The Solodars found a female Red-necked Phalarope on 5/10 at REDA and Paul Bauer located a Stilt Sandpiper there. Other high counts include 10 Hudsonian Godwits with Sanderling on 5/13 at REDA (Viola Buchholtz), 135 Least Sandpipers with 20 Semipalmated Plovers in Madison County on 5/6 (FH), and 45 Pectoral Sandpipers at REDA on 5/21 (D Bz). Tom Borman reported Dunlin, Stilt and White-rumped Sandpipers were in very good numbers. Charlene Malone found 30 Franklin's Gulls near Elsah, Ill. on 5/10. A Laughing Gull was observed at REDA on 5/6 (RK, BR). Terns sightings included 100+ Black Terns at HL on 5/14 (T Be, m. ob.), 15 Common Terns with 15 Black Terns at REDA on 5/20 (CA), and 20+ Black Terns at MTNWR on 5/28 (G&TB).

A really nice find was a Chuck-will's-widow perched across a tree limb near Lake 3 of BCA, along with Blackburnian, Redstart, Chestnut-sided, Wilson's, and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers on 5/20 (YH, J Mo, m. ob.). Six Western Kingbirds, nesting in Madison County, were photographed on 5/4 (FH, DK). A Least Flycatcher was reported on 5/5 at TGP (LB). Five + Acadian Flycatchers were in the Gaddy Bird Garden on 5/2 (BE). More than five hundred Cliff Swallows were counted in Madison County on 5/6 (FH). There were several sightings of Black-billed Cuckoo, with one in FP on 5/19 (RK, KC), one at Weldon Springs on 5/16 (D Bz),one on 5/23 at BCA (D Bz), and 2 at Columbia Bottoms in early May (BW). On 5/14, a Bewick's Wren was seen in George Winter Park in Fenton (T Bo) and another was seen in CSP (LB). A somewhat late Ruby-crowned Kinglet was found in TGP on 5/18 (J Mo). Catbirds were numerous, with 10+ in a Brentwood park on 5/7 (YH). Philadelphia Vireo and Worm-eating Warbler were observed in BCA on 5/3 (P&BJ). On 5/29, Connie Alwood found a Bell's Vireo and a Black-billed Cuckoo at MTC and 3 Bell's Vireos were found in Madison County on 5/28 (FH). Golden-winged Warblers came through in a very short period of time, with 4 in FP on 5/1 (FK), 1 at BCA on 5/1 (BCA naturalists, m. ob.), 1 in TGP on 5/2 (J Mo), and a female on 5/9 in TGP (JC). A Cape May was found in FP on 5/6 (LB). As many as 10 Cape May Warblers, adults and immatures, were seen at the bubbler in TGP on 5/9 (JC, JZ). A Blackburnian Warbler was seen in TGP on 5/4 (Laura Kleen, G&TB). Blackburnians had a very good year, with Randy Korotev reporting 7 in one day. Mark Peters reported Prairie Warbler at his home in Jefferson County on 5/8. Mary Ann Auer found a Connecticut Warbler and an Olive-sided Flycatcher in TGP on 5/17 (relocated by the Barkers on 5/18). A Mourning Warbler was a good find in TGP on 5/12 (PB) and on 5/16 (LB). On 5/11, Canada Warbler was one of 12 warbler species seen in TGP (J Mo, G&TB). On 5/7, Mike Thelen reported the following from FP: Chestnut-sided, Swainson's Thrush, Yellow-rumped, Red-eyed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Ovenbird, Nashville, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Magnolia, and Philadelphia Vireo. Hooded Warbler sightings included one in FP on 5/6 (PB), one in TGP on 5/13 (BK) and a singing male in BCA on 5/23 (D Bz). Charlene Malone located 2 singing Henslow's Sparrows at BCA near Bunker 70 on 5/23 and a few days later, she found 4 to 6 Henslow's in a field between Lakes 34 and 35 (photographs by Dennis Bozzay). This prairie species is classified as a Species of Conservation Concern by the Department of Conservation. These birds stayed in that field in June and July, apparently nesting. If so, that would be a breeding record for St. Charles County, as the Dept. of Conservation database for endangered species does not contain any prior record of this bird nesting in St. Charles County. Charlene and Jim Malone also saw 3 Dickcissels near Bunker 70. Blue Grosbeaks were seen at HL on 5/6 (FH) and at Mark Peters' home on 5/7. Between 5/5 and 5/7, Bobolinks were widely reported. On 5/6, Grasshopper Sparrows were found at HL (FH) and on Bruns Road (P&BJ, m. ob.). Dennis Bozzay found a Western Meadowlark on the late date of 5/21 at REDA near the dam. On the same date, he reported 10 warbler species at Hilda Young CA, including Cerulean, Yellow-throated, and Worm-eating.

Some early spring arrival dates: 4/30, Nighthawk (AM); 5/8, Olive-sided Flycatcher, TGP (m. ob.), 5/11, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, TGP (KL); 5/12, Willow Flycatcher, HL (JZ); 5/13, Alder Flycatcher, Lost Valley Trail (DC); 5/2, Bell's Vireo, Weldon Spring (P&BJ); 5/2, Wilson's Warbler at the Johnson's home; 5/4, Mourning Warbler, Carondelet Park (JZ); 5/17, Connecticut Warbler, TGP (BK, m. ob.).

COMMENT: Shorebirds were reported in very good numbers. Land birds were average, with a few exceptions, and Nightjars were very poorly reported. Wilma Kennell's wintering Catbird apparently found a mate and they are nesting in her yard.

CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, Loy Barber, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, Loy Barber, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Tom Borman, Dennis Bozzay, Ken Cohen, Jean Cook, Dick Coles, Barbara Estill, Lou Hanes, Dottie Herwig, Dave Hoehne, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Bob Kleiger, Randy Korotev, Kent Lannert, John Loomis, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Brian Meilleur, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Bill Rowe, Lawrence Schriewer, John & Nancy Solodar, Mike Thelen, Bruce Wettheroth, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented".

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