[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 72, No. 9, Nov., 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.

The Little Gull found at REDA on 9/29 was the highlight of the month. This is the second Little Gull found by David Becher in the area.

There were no early Eared or Horned Grebes reported. On 9/23, there were 92 Great Blue Herons, 54 Great Egrets, 10 Snowy Egrets, and 2 Little Blues at Outlet Road, Monroe Co., Ill. John Loomis and the Thursday Group found a Little Blue Heron at BCA on 9/21. There were 40 Cattle Egrets seen at HL on 9/10 (FH). By 9/8, over 1,000 White Pelicans were counted at MTNWR (HW). Joe Smentowski found 200-300 White Pelicans and 2 Ospreys near Pere Marquette on 9/16 and by 9/23, Helen Wuestenfeld estimated 5,000 White Pelicans at MTNWR. A Black Duck was seen near HL on 9/22 (T Be). One hundred-sixty Coots were at HL by 9/21 (FH). Two Osprey were seen at BCA on 9/21 (John Loomis & Thursday Group). The only large number of Broad-wingeds reported were 463 at the Arboretum on 9/24 (BR, MT, et al.). There was a brisk movement of Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks area-wide in September. A Merlin was seen at CL on 9/23 (T Be). On 9/17, at BCA, 6 species of raptors were observed, including 3 Osprey (Mark Peters, JZ). A Sora was observed at REDA on 9/9 (DB) and another at MTNWR on 9/23 (HW). Torrey Berger located 2 Black-bellied Plovers on the South Levee Road on 9/3. Another Black-bellied Plover was found at CL on 9/8, along with hundreds of peeps (m. ob.). Dennis and Mary Regen found 20 Avocets, along with Forster's and Black Terns, at Moredock Lake on 9/9. A somewhat late Spotted Sandpiper was seen at BCA on 9/21 (JL). Tom Borman had 3 Sanderlings at CL, Parking Lot 3, on 9/16. A Red-necked Phalarope was a good find at CL on 9/30 (JM, T Be, m. ob.). On 9/6, 75 Pecs, along with one Sanderling, a Dowitcher and some peeps, were seen at HL (T Be). A good place to find Buff-breasted Sandpiper was the Emerald Turf Farm on Steppig Road, Monroe Co., Ill., with 10 found there on 9/3 (T Be) and 6 found there on 9/9 (D&MR) and Buff-breasted was also seen on 9/8 at MTNWR (HW). Long-billed Dowitcher was under-reported this fall, but some were found at CL on 9/10 (DK). On 9/23, David Becher found Dunlin, Pectoral, Lesser Yellowlegs and peeps at Eagle Park. This remains some of the best shorebird habitat at this time. The first Herring Gull of September was observed on 9/26 near Alton (FH). A Long-tailed Jaeger was seen at CL on 9/16 (J&CM) but was not refound. A first-year Laughing Gull was at CL on 9/16 (DK) and one was seen there on 9/30 (G&TB). Kent Lannert found the first Sabine's Gull at CL on 9/16; this bird was unusual because it was an adult. Other Sabine's sightings included 5 at CL on 9/24 (JM), 2 at REDA on 9/24 (Jeff Lundt), 3 at CL on 9/30 (T Be), and 2 at REDA on 9/30 (DB). An immaculate juvenal-plumaged Little Gull was seen by many observers at REDA from 9/29-10/1 (DB*, video JZ). Four Caspian Terns were seen at REDA on 9/20 (FH). Tern sightings at CL included 13 Caspian, 3 Forster's, a Common, and 40 Black Terns on 9/16 (DK). Black Terns were seen in good numbers until the end of the month.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were down somewhat in number; one was seen at the Arboretum on 9/24 (MT). A Western Kingbird was observed on 9/3 at HL (FH). Marsh Wrens were found in very good numbers area-wide. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was observed at the bubbler in TGP on 9/5 (T Be) and the first Golden-crowneds were found at Eagle Park on 9/30 (FH). Five Water Pipits were located at CL on 9/29 (T Bo). Philadelphia Vireo was found in TGP on 9/21 (JZ) and 9/22 (T Be). Two Red-eyed Vireos, 2 Philadelphia Vireos, one Yellow-throated Vireo, 5 White-eyed Vireos, and one Blue-headed Vireo were found at CL on 9/23 (T Be). On 9/23, a Cape May Warbler was seen in TGP (Mary Ann Auer, Jim Jackson). Mourning and Golden-winged Warblers were good finds at TGP on 9/2 (DC, G&TB). An unusual fall Connecticut Warbler was seen near HL on 9/29 (T Be). On 9/14, Jeannie Moe found Scarlet Tanager and Blue Grosbeak at Weldon Spring Trail. On 9/23, one of the first Lincoln's Sparrows was also found at Weldon Spring (T Bo). Frank Holmes found a male and female Blue Grosbeak with a fledgling near HL on 9/3. Three Bobolinks, unusual sightings for fall, were found at REDA on 9/30 (P&BJ). A flock of about 500 Cowbirds was seen in St. Charles County on 9/3 (J Mo). Good migration days in TGP included 9/16 when Torrey Berger saw 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 3 N. Flickers, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, 5 Swainson's Thrush, 2 Blue-headed Vireos, 6 Red-eyed Vireos, Philadelphia Vireo, Blue-winged, Tennessee, Nashville, 2 Magnolia, Black-throated Green, 2 Chestnut-sided, 3 Black-and-white, and 3 Ovenbirds; and on 9/21, Doug Willis of Farmington, Mo. found Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, several House Wrens, Winter Wren, 5 Swainson's Thrush, 10 Catbirds, 10 Brown Thrashers, 10 Red-eyed Vireos, Philadelphia Vireo, 10 Black-and-white, Chestnut-sided, Redstart, Nashville, Ovenbird, and 5 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.

COMMENTS: An apparent Northern Saw-whet Owl was seen the evening of 9/27 by Bob Lamberton near Washington University. This would be an early record sighting. Nighthawks had a very good migration this year, from the third week of August through the end of September (D Bz). The warbler migration toward the end of the month was also very good, with a Black-throated Blue seen at CL on 9/30 (Ill. Ornithol. Society).

CONTRIBUTORS: George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Torrey Berger, Tom Borman, Doug Corbett, Dennis Bozzay, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Kent Lannert, John Loomis, Jim & Charlene Malone, Jeannie Moe, Dennis & Mary Regen, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented".

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