[From Nature Notes (the journal of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society), Vol. 73, No. 1, Jan., 2001]

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We want to thank our friends Kathy Andria, Kathleen O'Keefe and Jack Norman at American Bottom Conservancy for their purchase of Canteen Lake in Madison County, Illinois. This will ensure the preservation of that lake, which had been for sale. Canteen Lake is the 200-acre body of water on the left side of Ill. Hwy. 111 as you are driving north from I-70 toward the main entrance of Horseshoe Lake.

In October's issue, we mentioned the problem of birds striking windows. Dr. Klemm of SIU-Carbondale, has studied this problem extensively. Since World War II, many more picture windows and glass sliding doors are being used in houses. Large numbers of birds strike these glass structures and this is often fatal. A simple solution is to not put a bird feeder directly in front of any large glass window. Another solution is to offset the angle of the window by 5 degrees. The observation windows at the Missouri Department of Conservation's Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City have offset glass. Other simple measure will be discussed next month.

Twenty Common Loons were present at CL on 11/6 (m. ob.). A Western Grebe was hotlined from REDA on 11/30 by the Thursday Group. On 11/24, Yvonne Homeyer and others found 11 Great Egrets and 20 Great Blue Herons at Canteen Lake. Two Cattle Egrets were seen at REDA on 11/3 (JM). On 11/26, a Black-crowned Night Heron was located at HL (FH). Two White-fronted Geese were observed in flight on 11/11 (YH) and 20 more were found at Baldwin Lake on 11/12 (JL). A Ross's Goose was also seen at Baldwin Lake that day (JL). Jeannie Moe found 18 Trumpeter Swans off of Hwy. 367 near West Alton and 20 Trumpeter Swans were seen in a West Alton cornfield on 11/27 (CM). At the beginning of the month, Ruddy Ducks, Redheads, Scaups, Ring-billed Ducks and Coots were building in number across our area. Connie Alwood reported 6 Wood Ducks at HL on 11/18. A White-winged Scoter was seen at Reiter's Sewage Lagoon on 11/6 (T Bo) and another was present there on 11/18 (JC, G&TB). Mike Nelson found 4 Surf Scoters at REDA on 11/4. A Black Scoter and a Surf Scoter were observed at the Reiter's Sewage Lagoon on 11/18 (DK). On 11/12, David Becher found the area's first Goldeneye at REDA and Bill Rudden located the first Common Merganser on 11/19 at HL. The Malones had a male Oldsquaw at REDA on 11/27. The remains of a dead Coot were found on the 14th floor of Barnes Hospital, on 11/15 (RAB); this was probably dinner for a Peregrine Falcon.

A Bald Eagle was seen at Peabody Coal on 11/12 (JL) and on that same day, Bill Rowe found a Golden Eagle in St. Charles County. On 11/19, Frank Holmes and others observed a light phase immature Rough-legged Hawk at HL. An apparent dark-phase Rough-legged Hawk was observed on Sand Prairie Lane on 11/26 (JM) and on 11/30, the Thursday Group saw a Merlin there. The staff of MTNWR reported 6 Sandhill Cranes on 11/2. The Barkers found an Avocet at REDA on 11/2. Fifty-five Killdeer were seen at the Emerald Turf Farm, Monroe Co., Ill., on 11/16 (JZ). On 11/2, the Thursday Group found 5 Black-bellied Plovers at REDA. The Malones were treated to several species of shorebirds on Salle Road, St. Charles Co., including Snipe, Dunlin, 4 Least, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs and 6 Westerns. Many people were lucky to see thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls on 11/6 at CL. Tom Borman had 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at CL on 11/16. Dan Kassebaum found a probable Parasitic Jaeger at CL on 11/5 and the bird was seen again the following day. Helen Wuestenfeld* and others had 2 sightings of Jaegers on 11/11 at the Brussels Ferry. A Barred Owl was seen at BCA on 11/23 (YH). Short-eared Owl was reported from Peabody Coal on 11/12 (JL) and 2 were found at Clarence Cannon by Dave Hoehne. On 11/6, hundreds of Tree Swallows were present at CL (T Bo). From approximately 11/10 to 11/17, a probable Ruby-throated Hummingbird was visiting a feeder off Hwy. 109 at the home of Janet Baker.

A late Ruby-crowned Kinglet was observed in East Alton on 11/21 (FH). Helen Wuestenfeld found a Hermit Thrush near Grafton on 11/18. A wintering Brown Thrasher was seen at Lake 24, BCA, on 11/23 (YH). On 11/4, an entertaining Sedge Wren was captured on video at close range at BCA (YH) and several LeConte's Sparrows were observed in the same spot (JZ, YH). LeConte's and Sharp-tailed Sparrows continued to be numerous in November, with both seen on Bend Road on 11/5 (CA). On 11/26 at HL, a LeConte's Sparrow was observed for several minutes running back and forth (YH); nearby was a flock of Savannah Sparrows (JZ). Several sightings of Harris's Sparrow included an immature on 11/5 at REDA (MT), an adult at HL on 11/24 (FH, BR) which was re-found on 11/26 (JZ), and another on 11/26 on Bend Road (JM). Brewer's Blackbirds first occurred in St. Charles County on 11/11 (T Bo) and Rusty Blackbirds were seen area-wide from 11/10 to 11/19 (BR, FH). Lapland Longspurs were first heard on 11/12 in St. Charles County (BR) and they appeared in numbers at CL on 11/16 (T Bo).

COMMENTS: A first occurrence for Connie Alwood's back yard was a Brown Creeper earlier this month. Charlene Malone found a patagial-tagged White Pelican at HL on 11/2.

ABBREVIATIONS: Busch = BCA; Carlyle Lake = CL; Horseshoe Lake = HL; Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge = MTNWR; Marais Temps Clair = MTC; Riverlands = REDA; Tower Grove Park = TGP.

CONTRIBUTORS: Connie Alwood, George & Terry Barker, David Becher, Rose Ann Bodman, Tom Bormann, Jackie Chain, Frank Holmes, Yvonne Homeyer, Dan Kassebaum, John Loomis, Jim & Charlene Malone, Jeannie Moe, Bill Rowe, Mike Thelen, Helen Wuestenfeld, Jim Ziebol, many observers. An asterisk means "documents". To submit a report email Yvonne at homeyer@postnet.com by the last day of the month.

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