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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.

In spite of the enjoyment that we all have watching and listing birds, many of these birds are drastically declining in numbers. Currently, window strikes and outdoor domestic cats account for about 2 billion bird fatalities a year. Communication towers account for 100 million more deaths. The communication towers issue is being studied and strategies such as disguising cell phone towers as trees and other everyday objects is being used, as well as dismantling the extremely tall towers. What you can personally do is keep your cat indoors. They live longer and won't menace the local wildlife. Simple alterations to picture windows will be published shortly. Reflective glass is harmful to migrating birds. We as a group and individually can address these matters.

Highlights for October included a record number of Sabine's Gulls and another good flight of Sharp-tailed and LeConte's Sparrows. Numbers of LeConte's Sparrows like these haven't been seen in eastern Missouri since the mid-80s.

By the third week of October, Common Loons were being seen across the area and 5 were seen at REDA on 10/26 (JL & Th. Group). Dave Becher reported a Red-throated Loon at REDA on 10/14; it was still being seen at the end of the month. On 10/22, Frank Holmes found 23 Horned Grebes at HL. Jeannie Moe observed an estimated 1500 White Pelicans in flight and a Greater Yellowlegs on Black Walnut Road, St. Charles Co., on 10/7. About 250 White Pelicans kettling like hawks were noted at Route 66 State Park on 10/8 (PH). About 250 Double-crested Cormorants, along with 300 Coots, were seen at REDA on 10/21 (J Mo) and 300 Cormorants were reported there on 10/29 (PB). Two dark Ibis species were seen at REDA on 10/26 (T Bo et al.) and another Plegadis Ibis was seen at Clarence Cannon on 10/22 (T Be). On 10/19, 400+ herons and egrets were observed at Hwy. 270 where it crosses the Mississippi River in north county (JZ). A late Osprey was seen at MTNWR, along with 2 Baird's Sandpipers, on 10/28 (HW). A first year Bald Eagle was seen at REDA on 10/20 (T Be). The Barkers found a Sharp-shinned Hawk at the Calhoun Refuge on 10/14. A Cooper's Hawk and a Barred Owl were perched in the same tree at the Gaddy Bird Garden, TGP, on 10/7 (MT). A Northern Goshawk was observed at Little Creve Coeur Marsh on 10/7 (PB, Joe Eades, m. ob.). Another large accipter was found in TGP on 10/14 (CA, et al.). A Harlan's Hawk appeared on the Levee Road, Monroe Co., Ill., on 10/14 (JZ) and a Krider's was seen at REDA on 10/5 (CM). On 10/29, Paul Bauer observed his first Pheasant at REDA since the flood of 1993. On 10/14, Tom Borman found 2 Black-bellied Plovers, with Dowitchers, at Eagle Park and the Thursday Group observed a Black-bellied Plover at REDA on 10/26. On 10/10, Snipe and Semi-palmated Sandpipers were found along Collinsville Road and 150 shorebirds, including Pectorals and Semi-palmated Sandpipers, were seen at Eagle Park (D Bz). Many thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls outnumbered the Ring-billed Gulls at CL on 10/29 (DK). Lesser Black-backed and Laughing Gulls were also observed at CL on 10/29 (DK). A Little Gull remained at REDA until mid-October, along with an assortment of Sabine's Gulls, some being adults. (MT*, CM*, FH photo, D Bn, KR). A somewhat late Forster's Tern was reported at REDA on 10/5 (FH). Two late Yellow-billed Cuckoos were found at Prairie Slough, Lincoln Co., Ill. on 10/22 (T Be).

One of the earliest Short-eared Owls reported for the area was on 10/7 at REDA (KR). Anne McCormack reported a Great Horned Owl occasionally calling from a water tower near her Kirkwood home. A Nighthawk was reported at his home on 10/13 (JZ) and Chimney Swifts were last reported on 10/14. Anne McCormack's home was again visited by a rare hummingbird on 10/8. Hummingbird bander Lenny Chambers captured the bird and banded it; it is an apparent immature male Rufous. Two Ruby-throats were also in her yard on 10/9 and by 10/16, another Selasphorus hummingbird was seen in her yard, possibly the same bird as the one banded on 10/8. A Selasphorus hummingbird was also seen at the home of Jan Eaton in Rosewood, Ill. at the end of the month. A Winter Wren visited his home on 10/14 (PH). Sedge and Marsh Wrens were reported in very good number this October, with both present at BCA, along with Barred Owl, on 10/5 (JZ, Mike Quinn). A Marsh Wren was also seen at the Gateway Racetrack parking lot on 10/21 (G&TB). By 10/1, both Kinglets were seen at Eagle Park (FH). On 10/7, Dennis Bozzay reported 30 Golden-crowned Kinglets at White Cliff Park and on 10/8, he had a mixed flock of Kinglets in Forest Park. A mixed flock of approximately 2500 Tree, Barn and Norther Rough-winged Swallows were observed at Ellis Bay, REDA, on 10/7 (MT). On 10/22, 100 Tree Swallows were still present at Clarence Cannon (T Be). A high count of 35 Hermit Thrush occurred in TGP on 10/16 (DW). A late Blue-headed Vireo was seen in TGP on 10/28 (JC). Two Chestnut-sided Warblers were found on 10/7 at her home (A Mc). A first year male Mourning Warbler was found dead under the SLU library windows on 10/3 (NB). Four American Tree Sparrows were located on Layton and Bend Roads on 10/18 (T Be). The first Sharp-tailed Sparrows was found at HL on 10/7 (DB et al.). By 10/10, LeConte's and Sharp-taileds were being reported area-wide. It was a good year for Clay-colored Sparrows, with reports from St. Louis University on 10/3 (NB), Bruns Road on10/5 (T Be), MTNWR on 10/7 (HW), and BCA on 10/15 (D Bz, J Mo). Margie Richardson had a White-throated Sparrow at her home on 10/6. The first Fox Sparrow reported was at HL on 10/15 (FH). Torrey Berger found 200 Savannah Sparrows at Clarence Cannon on 10/22. A Lincoln's Sparrow was seen at the Calhoun Refuge on 10/14 (G&TB). The only Vesper Sparrow reported was seen on 10/7 at Little Creve Coeur Marsh (T Be). Numerous Swamp Sparrows were sighted at REDA on 10/14 (CA). Good numbers of Pine Siskins, including adults and immatures, were seen at BCA, with 12 reported on 10/15 (D Bz, J Mo) and 17 reported on 10/17 (KL). Several Bobolinks were found this fall, with 1 at REDA on 10/14 (CA). A Great-tailed Grackle was a fly-over at Clarence Cannon on 10/29 (BR). A good species account occurred at the shorebird area of BCA on 10/15, with LeConte's, Pine Siskins, Clay-colored Sparrows, a Sedge Wren, and others seen (D Bz, J Mo). Yard birds included House Wren, White-throated Sparrow, Black-throated Green, and Catbird (WK).

CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, Nick Barber, George & Terry Barker, Paul Bauer, David Becher, Dianne Benjamin, Torrey Berger, Tom Borman, Dennis Bozzay, Jackie Chain, Peter Hoell, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Paul & Barbara Johnson, Dan Kassebaum, Wilma Kennell, Kent Lannert, John Loomis, Jim & Charlene Malone, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, Kevin Richmond, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, Doug Willis, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documented".

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