The

BLUEBIRD THE AUDUBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI

VOLUME 49, Number 3 September, 1982

j

The Audubon Society of Missouri Founded 1901

PURPOSE The Audubon Society of Missouri is a non-profit statewide society organized

in 1901 and affiliated with The National Audubon Society. It is dedicated to the preservation and protection of birds and all wildlife forms and habitat, to the education of the c i t i z e n r y toward appreciation of the natural world, and to working for wise conservation practices related to people and wildlife.

OFFICERS

President J. Marshall Magner 516 Bacon Ave., Webster Groves 63119

Vice-president. . . . . . . . . . Harry Gregory 8707 Crystal Lane Apt 2, Kansas City 64138

Treasurer Mrs Katherine Wade 2114 St Louis Road, Jefferson City 65101

Secretary Mrs Alverta Loomis 3110 Hogan Drive, Jefferson City 65101

EDITORS

The Bluebird Hugh Hadley 1243 West 7lst Terrace, Kansas City 64114

Bird Survey Editor James D. Wilson Conservation Dept., PO Box 180, Jefferson City, 65102

Conservation Editor . . James P. Jackson Route 1, Box 136A, Marthasville, 63357

Dr. Lyle Pursell .. Miss Bonnie Dunlap, Dr. David Easterla Jim Rathert :

REGIONAL DIRECTORS

Dr. Leo Galloway .. Paul Bauer. . . . . Mrs. Rebecca Matthews William G. Reeves .. Dr. James Shaddy Nathan Fay (Honorary Director) Floyd Lawhon (Honorary Director).

Rolla .Jefferson City

Maryville Columbia

St. Joseph Florissant

Springfield Farmington Kirksville

. Ozark

.St. Joseph

(COVER AND HEADINGS BY DAVID PLANK)

The Bluebird VOLUME 49, Number 3 September, 1982

F r o m

t h e p r e s i d en t ' s c i r c l e

By J. Marshall Magner Since the Design for Conservation program began

with the 1/8-cent tax our Missouri Department of Con-servation has purchased or approved for purchase a total of 134,229 acres (the goal is 300,000 acres) distributed in 97 counties. Areas range from the 1-acre Humphrey Access in Platte County to the Weldon Spring Wildlife Area addition of 7,361 acres in St. Charles County, plus the adjacent 2,575-acre Howell Island Wildlife Area and the 8,776-acre Castor River, Clubb Creek, Little Whitewater and Coldwater State Forests in Bollinger County. Missouri's total public acreage is 2.5 million, compared to state-owned land only in Michigan of 6 million acres, Minnesota 9 million and Wisconsin 5 million-plus acres. The citizens of Miss-ouri can be proud of our Depart rnent of Conservation staff in their wisdom in selecting irreplaceable nat-ural unique or endangered sites for future generations.

An agreement between the M.D.C. and Kansas City has been reached for the Department to develop and manage wildlife-related facilities on the Riverfront Park and Wildlife Area.

If you are visiting the Swan Lake Refuge, be on the lookout for river otters. Twenty received in a trade with Kentucky for 36 wild turkeys were released there last spring.

The Ruffed Grouse Society has funded a cooperative 12-year study on the University of Missouri Ashland Wildlife Research Area.

Adversity, the first authenticated bald eagle hatched in Missouri in 40 years, was moved from the Harry S Truman Reservoir to a nest at Mingo Refuge,

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where it joined two others in a hacking tower. The passage of Constitutional Amendment #1 in June

will help soil conservation cost-share programs in 110 Missouri counties that have soil and water conservation districts. In addition, funds will be provided to the Depart ment of Natural Resources for capital improve-ments in state parks and historic sites, and the devel-opment of several new parks,

A Roper Survey reported in the Baltimore Sun states that 64% of nonhigh school graduates, 70% of high school graduates and 70% of college graduates believe either that present environmental regulation is about right or not s t r o n g enough,

In late May a U.S. Senate hearing was held on 5.1964 (Irish Wilderness) and S.l965 (Paddy Creek) and it was hoped the bills would move quickly from the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Reserved Water, and thence through the Senate, This has not been the case. The two bills are bottled up in committee because of pressure by mining interests. Write: Senator Malcolm w a l l o p , Chairman, Subcommittee on Public Lands and Reserved Water, 204 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Wash-ington, D.C. 20510.

Another hearing was held in May on H.R. 5686, w h i c h covers the Irish, but not Paddy, Of our Con-gressmen, only Clay (1st) and Volkmer (9th) are co-sponsors. As chairman of the House Rules Committee, Congressman Bolling (5th) has made a policy of not co-sponsoring bills, but he is supportive of H.R.5686. Congressman Bailey (8th) has been opposed to it. Con-gressman Emerson (lOth), as a member of the full House committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, could be a key to passage of this bill. All other Missouri Congressmen Young(2nd), Gephardt (3rd), Skelton (4th), coleman ((6th) and Taylor (7th) have indicated strong interest, no opposition and unfamiliarity with a com-promise (Gephardt) with the mining interests.

We must see that these bills are passed before N o v e m b e r ! Please write to Senators Danforth and Eagleton (both cosponsors of S.l964 and S.l965) and thank them for their efforts, and encourage them to get these bills "unstalled", Also, write to your

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Congressmen, and based on the above information, thank them for support of H.R. 5686, and encourage them to sponsor an amendment to include Paddy Creek, or if they have not indicated s u p p o r t , encourage them.

It hardly seems possible that with this issue of The " b l u e b i r d " my two years as p r e s i d e n t will have ended, and that your dedicated Editor will have an easier time in meeting deadlines.

This period has seen some· of the worst attacks by legislation and regulation (or lack of) on our natural resources of the century. Hopefully we shall see a turn for the good of all in our country. There are more of us who want protection of our natural resources than those opposed. We must make our Federal and State legislators get the message!

I hope to see many of you Sept. 25-26 at our Fall meeting at Camp Clover Point. For all of you, I want to thank you for the honor of serving as your pres-ident. The job was made easy by the great support of all of you and the wonderful officers.

J. Marshall Magner

CLOVER POINT's THE PLACE; Sept. 24-26 THE DATE!!

Vice-President Harry Gregory has rounded up an excellent program for our annual meeting the weekend of Sept. 24-26 at Camp Clover Point, Lake of the Ozarks State Park.

An evening program feature will be Walt Liddell of St. Louis with his film on Sri Lanka, "Land of Serenity," and accenting its wildlife. Walt also will judge the natire photo contest, so get yours ready! Steve Oden of Warrensburg will discuss Great Blue Heron rookeries, and Jim Wilson, state ornithologist, will tell of various birding programs which have their foundation in amateurism, such as the Breeding Bird Survey. It's amateurs, in the best sense, which make them go, he says.

Good food as usual, by Mrs. Henry Boessen, so get your $25 checks ($20 for students and children, plus $3 for Friday night) to Mrs. Katherine Wade, 2114 Old St. Louis Road, Jefferson City, Mo. 65101. After Sept. 15, slowpokes, call her at (314)685-3853.

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c o n s e r v a t i o n c o m m e n t s

t by James P. Jackson

STATE ISSUES All is quiet on the legislative front during Missouri's summer, but the pot will be stirred again in September. First will be a special session to determine exactly how a first allotment of the $600 million bond issue, narr owly passed by the voters on June 8, is to be divided. The State Parks system is ultimately to receive some $54 million, but will have to make a strong case before the Legislature for every portion of it; we should remain alert to support our State Parks' needs. By winter we can surely expect renewed and devious att acks by the Legislature to take some of the 1/8-cent tax away from the Missouri Department of Conservation's excellent Design for Conservation. What we must do when that time comes is to rally a united and active front for its total defense, then support the State Parks through the process of legislative funding.

IRISH WILDERNESS -- Were it not for persistent opposition from administrative forces in Washington, D.C., we would now probably have permanent protection for the Irish. Both senators and most congressmen from Missouri support an Irish Wilderness bill. But the Forest Service hierarchy in Washington wants lead prospecting to come first, knowing only too well that the results of such prospecting will be withheld from public disclosure and thus delay the wilderness desig-nation indefinitely. While we may have but little i m p a c t on the administration's hierarchy, we can and should inform our congressional delegation, and part-icularly Congressman Emerson of the local district, that we continue our strong support of the Irish w i l d e r n e s s bill pending in Congress.

WILDLIFE -- Enough letters of protest to Secretary

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of the Interior James Watt might serve to prevent him from reinstating the use of 1080 for killing coyotes on western public lands. It is not too late. The poison 1080, previously banned by Secretary Cecil Andrus of the Carter administration on the basis of its terrible environmental effects, was proven to be a totally indiscriminate killer of all sorts of our wildlife, including majest ic golden eagles and even the endangered bald eagle. It should not be reinstat ed.

REAGANOMICS LAND GRAB -- First there was the sagebrush rebellion, a conspiracy of western ultra-conservatives to turn over vast areas of our public lands to the states. Next there were efforts -- some of them successful -- to relinquish protection of such lands to the exploitive designs of big industry. Now there is an administration effort to promote the sale of certain public lands to the private sector in order to reduce the budget deficit. The President's 1983 budget projects $17 billion in additional revenues during the next five years from sale of Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense and other Federal properties. To allow the current admin-istration a free rein to sell of whatever portions of our public heritage it chooses would be to deprive future generations of what we have come to enjoy as our property. We need to watch very closely and prevent this ultimate conspiracy.

THANKS, DAVID PLANK!! Our thanks should go

to that widely known and popular bird artist, David Plank of Salem, Mo., also a member of the Audubon Society of Missouri, for this kestrel, and also the other bird pictures in The Bluebird, along with column headings and other art work. We are always pleased to see David Plank at fall roundups. A real pro!

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TRUMPETER SWANS ARE COMING TO MISSOURI! The Missouri Department of Conservation will

transfer a family of Trumpeter Swans from Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge near Martin, S.D., to the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge near Puxico, Mo., this summer. The stubs of the clipped primaries will be removed so that the swans will regain their flight ability over winter.

Cygnets usually return to where they learn to fly. It is hoped that they will be imprinted to winter at Mingo, before they accompany the parents back to Lacreek. In this way it is hoped to build a migratory flock that will winter in southeast Missouri.

These experimental Trumpeter Swan restoration trials are planned for three years, with annual evaluations. Representatives of the Department's Natural History section and Wildlife division will discuss their restoration plans at the 8th biennial Trumpeter Swan Society Conference at MSC-Kellogg Gull Lake Conference Center, Michigan, Sept. 9 - 11.

Harry Gregory of the Kansas City Zoo in Swope Park, and vice-president of the Audubon Society of Missouri, will report on the experience with Trump-eters at the Kansas City Zoo. Harold Burgess, Resident Biologist at the Martha Lafite Thompson Nature S a n c t u a r y at Liberty, and President of The Trumpeter Swan Society, will co-chair the conference.

The Audubon Campus Alliance in Columbia is an exciting demonstration of how a dynamic chapter can insure its future growth --- and that of Audubon. Susan Flader of Missouri Audubon, also of the Dept. of History at the University of Missouri, has taken a lead role in organizing the new group. Jim Disinger and John Tandarich have led field trips, and the Alliance hopes to concentrate on problems of pollution. John Bauman, cochairman of the Conservation Comm-ittee of Columbia Audubon, represents Audubon, Susan Flader represents the campus function, and students, Doris O'Connor (Enviromental Education Organization) and Robert Brundage of Missouri Audubon

DOGGONE IT! ESTELLE SNOW MISSED THE MULE RIDE!

(Estelle Snow, a longtime birder from Bunceton, sent us the following piece, borrowed from the Daily News of Boonville (April 20). She commentedl "I was invited, but didn't get to go because of other comm-itments. Those to whom I talked reported a very enjoy-able trip and good birding along both rivers.")

Some bird watchers (sic) will go to any lengths to observe birds in their native habitat, even if it means jumping on a mule or a mule-driven wagon.

That's just what members and guests of the Mosage Audubon Society did Sunday as they went on a six-mile mule trail ride near Otterville. And although they did see a few birds, the participants had more fun "horsing around" if you pardon the pun.

Everyone knew it was going to be a crazy afternoon when the organizer of the mule ride, Uncas McGuire, started the ride by jumping on a mule backwards.

About 50 persons gathered at 2 p.m. that Sunday at the Buford Jenkins farm four miles southeast of Otterville for the trail ride. Several Audubon members were there with their guests, and others were there mainly because they owned mules or wagons.

Joyce and Raymond s h a w , for instance, came all the way from Wellington with their mules. "We like trail rides like this; we always have a good time," she said.

John and Winnie Dillon of rural Boonville brought a team of mules and a wagon, and their daughter Cheryl's mule cart was the hit of the day. "We're not members of the Audubon Society, but we cert:aonly had a good time," Mrs. Dillon said.

As for the bird w a t c h e r s themselves, Mrs. Dillon reports that many bird species were identified during the 4-hour trip. The group left the Jenkins farm at mid-afternoon, followed a trail which dropped down into the Lamine River valley, and headed acriss the fields. Mrs. Dillon said the mule train crossed Flag and Richland Creeks, and finally crossed the Lamine River itself.

"It was about 3 or 4 feet deep, and was kind of challenging." Ernie Herigon's wagon floated, but the mules kept going and pulled it out of the river,"she said.

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After the river crossing, the party rested on a gravel bar and had a wiener and marshmallow roast before r e t u r n i n g to the Jenkins fann at 6 p.m.

a f t e r the bird-watching mule ride, Audubon membersare probably wondering what Uncas McGuire will think of next.

(Article by Doug Whitaker of the Boonville Daily News staff, who supplemented it with pictures of Uncas McGuire riding the mule, and of John Kempf and Cheryl Dillon in a gig cart drawn by a frolicsome mule).

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THE VERY LATEST IN A.O.U. LUMPS AND SPLITS "We lose a few and pick up a few species," says

JoAnn S. Garrett, Cass County Summer Bird Count compiler, as she forwarded a rundown on the newest actions taken by the A.o.u. Checklist Committee.

''You can bet within a few months there will be new A.o.u. checklists with the new listing. I rather liked the way they were."

JoAnn was referring to the effort by A.o.u. to make all American bird listings match those worldwide. The "lumps," putting two or more species into one previously existing:

1. Mexican Duck is no more; a race of the Mallard, it will b e c a l l e d Mallard.

2. Arizona's Brown-throated Wren is now House Wren. 3. Black, Gray-crowned, and Brown-capped rosy

Finches are just one, Ro.sy Finch. 4. Gray-headed Junco is just another .Dark-eyed

Junco, along with the Oregon, White-winged and Slate-Colored the AOU limped in 1973-.--

5. Mexican Junco is still a species, but now is the Y e l l o w - e y e d J u n c o . (name changed).

SPLITS 1. Screech Owl Now Eastern and Western

Screech Owls (voice is the clue). 2. Red-faced race of the Yellow-bellied -----Sapsucker is now a full species -- Red-Breasted

Sapsucker. 3. Tropical Kingbird is two kingbirds. Arizona

bird is Tropical Kingbird; the Texas bird is Couch's Kingbird.

And Mrs. Garrett added these changes of English names made by the AOU in an effort to standardize them with World namesa

Whistling Swan to Tundra Swan; Pintail to Northern Ointail; White-tailed Kite to Black-shouldered Kite; Common Gallinule to common Moorhen; Saw-whet

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Owl to Northern Saw-whet Owl; Arizona,(or Brown-backed) Woodpecker to Strickland's Woodpecker ; Louisiana Heron to Tri-colored Heron; Weid's Flycatcher to Brown-crested Flycatcher; Olivaceous Flycatcher to Dusty-capped Flycatcher; Coue's Flycatcher to Greater Pewee; Rough-winged Swallow to Northern Rough-winged Swallow; White-necked Raven to Chihuahuan Raven; Northern Parula Warbler to Northern Parula; Bobwhite to Northern Bobwhite; Everglades Kite to Snail Kite (priot to 1975); Black-headed Oriole to Audubon's Oriole; Northern Phalarope to Red-necked Phalarope; Poorwill to common Poorwill.

"As I learned them that way, it will be difficult to change the names to conform to the new listing," JoAnn admitted. "Good luck."

Mrs. Norman D. Garrett R.F.D. # 4

Box 395 A Pleasant Hill, Mo. 64080

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LC

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GET SET TO GO TO FAYETTEVILLE FOR AUDUBON ACTION! The 1982 West Central Regional Audubon c o n f e r e n c e

at Fayetteville, Ark., will be held just as the o z a r k s reaches its peak of foilage beauty. Ron Klataske and Ed Pembleton, our regional reps, say an outstanding program has been planned for this all-important meet, October 15-17, at the beautiful new Center for con-tinuing Education in downtown Fayetteville. Meals will be taken at the Fayetteville Hilton, and members are being sent information about other hotels, motels, camping arrangements, convention information and m a t e r i a l about field trips and post-convention outings.

Russell Peterson, national Audubon president, will head a list of speakers and talk with chapter members. sessions will be informative and challenging, and the special following the Saturday banquet and Russ Peter-son's address will be the exciting "Sassafras -- a nOzarks Odyssey," a 52-minute sight-and-sound multi -image program prepared at Southwest Missouri State University. •Nuff said, for quality, There will be workshops, outings, owl prowls, bird walks, challenges and information.

Tom and Cathy Aley will lead a post-conference field trip to the Ozark Ubderground Laboratory at Protem, Mo., on October 18. A float trip also is planned.

For information on the conference or any field trip write the West Central Regional Audubon Office, 210 South Wind Place, Manhattan, Kan. 66502.

If you have suggestions for individuals to serve as officers or directiors, ways to improve our program or the Society, please contact any of the officers or directors. The Editor appreciates articles and notes for the Bluebird. Copy deadlines are February 1, May 1, August 1 or November 1.

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J MARSHALL MAGNER, President

AMONG

THE

BRANCHES

Lots of things going on with the East Ozarks group at Farmington under President Bob Lewis and others. They

.conducted their second Breeding Bird survey, were repre-sented at several a r e a Boy Scout events with good dis-plays and programs by Lewis, Steve Dilks, Karen Adams, Jim Moore and Shirley Jackson and others, and had good outings such as a river walk, cave visits and geology field trip.

Among honorees of the Conservation Federation of Missouri at its annual awards dinner at Tan-Tar-A was the Burroughs Audubon Society of Kansas City. President Jerry Overton accepted the unique wildlife award made by the Deaton Museum, for "Conservation Organization of the Year." A member, Dr. Richard Myers, was honored as Conservation Educator.

Don't forget! Russ Peterson, Oct. 16-17 at the West Central Regional Conference in Fayetteville, Ark.

Burroughs Audubon Birdathon saw 15 counters, with 181 sponsors, 686 species (including duplicates, of course) and total contributions of $1,023.59. Wendell Mohling got the George Kester carving for most dollars, and Harry Gregory for most species (110). Aaron Rhodes of Sibley and Rick Malcolm of Shawnee were student tops.

Webster Groves Nature Study Society reports sighting of a scissor-tailed flycatcher May 7 by Dick Deane, near Lambert Field. Their Big Day May 8 got 168 species!

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NATIVE PRAIRIE IS IN THE MAKING It was a hot day in early July, and Donald

Taylor of Union Star had already put in 95 hours of his scheduled 40-hour week, but he skillfully guided the tractor pulling the planter which left nearly 35 pounds of native prairie grass seed on a 3.1-acre plot at the Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary near Liberty.

It was all part of a program which will see the prairie restoration effort extended to 863 acres of Missouri Department of Conservation Land and 1,260 acres of private land this year, plus 94 acres of co-operatively owned land and 167 acres in other categories. The Thompson Sanctuary includes the 42-acre Rush Creek Natural History Area, part of the Design for Conservation.

Taylor, who works out of the St. Joseph M.D.C. office as a drill operator for the Wildlife division, brought his heavy drill by truck to the sanctuary that Sunday morning and worked with Jim Wieser, Sanctuary manager, and Harold Burgess, resident biologist, in seeding the newly plowed area, which had been prepared with other plantings over the previous three years.

The seeding included 19 pounds of Little Bluestem, 1.5 pounds of Indian grass, 4 pounds of Big Bluestem, 1.5 pounds of Switchgrass, 6 pounds of Side Oats Grama, 3 ounces of Maximilian Sunflower, 3 ounces of Pitcher Sage_ :ounces of Purple Prairie Clover, and 6 ounces of Gray-headed Prairie Coneflower.

Joe Werner, Urban Biologist for the M.D.C. in the Kansas City region, and president of the Thompson Sanctuary board, said he was excited over the chances for restoring prairie in this area, and hoped to add more prairie acreage in other parts of the sanctuary.

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S p r i n g Survey Compiled by J i m D. Wi 1son

March 1 t h r o u g h May 31, 1982

The weather during the spring period was, in general, very wet with slightly below nonnal temperatures. March produced some violent weather in many parts of the state. Tornados destroyed two heronries in the southwest. A hard freeze (in most areas) in early April forced re-nesting on many of the monittored bluebird trails about the state and it probably affected s o m e other species as well. Unusually hard, almost daily rains in M a y produced a monthly total of 7 inches in central Missouri and over 9 inches in other regions. Southeast regions remained dry until mid-May but by the end of the period all parts of the state had received excess precipitation. Shorebird habitat was scarce and the warbler migration was poorly observed because of the weather.

m a n y of the species whose populations are more affected by cold weather, now appear to have come through the winter in.good shape. Eastern bluebirds appeared in good numbers and Carolina wrens seemed to be in their greatest numbers in five years in the Ozarks. There were a number of excep-tional and even bizarre reports during the period. Most notable were the reeve, snowy plover, laughing gull and long-billed curlew. Glossy ibis in the northwest and glaucous gull in the southwest were also unusual.

A search for Swainson's warbler by two separate parties turned up a total of ten singing m a l e s on the Eleven Point River between Greer Springs and the Arkansas line. Bald eagles nested in Henry County on the Grand Arm of Truman Lake producing one chick that hatched about May 1. Another nest attended at Mingo NWR was not productive. Another roadrunner was sighted in the southwest and Sprague's pipit was observed.

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Species

l o o n s THROUGH IBIS

Common Loon

Homed Grebe

Eared Grebe

Western Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

Wh f te Pe 1 i can

Date

4/9

4/24

4/23

3/20

4/17

5/30

Location No. Observers

ABWA RC

Smithville Res (Clay Co.)

(Nos. seemed low this spring - JW)

"Observed a few times since 3/19 but in small nos."- FL

MTCWA R N

No Reports

(3 nests initiated at TSWA in late May, but were destroyed by hi9h w a t e r - J W )

Lake Contrary (Buchanan CO) 50 FL

SCNWR 2000 FL, BM

SCNWR 75 FL

comments

M.Ob. (State Aud.Spring Mtg.

first obs.

Peak nos.

Double-crested Cormorant 3/23 S c n w r 3

4

FL

Rl

RC

FL

First obs.

Great 81 ue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Cattle Egret

4/6

4/9

4/17

4/24

5/2

5/30

CRCOLK

ABWA

SCNWR

D C W A

M N W R

S C N W R

250

25

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6

KA, SD, BL

BR, SD, 8L

FL

Peak Nos.

(Total of 103 nesting colonies reported on annual heronry survey done by c o n s e r v a t i o n agents in every county - up from 87 reports last year. Only 5 colonies north of w h e r e Missouri River bisects state. Average size of Great Blue colonies - 27.4 nests. Range 5 to 143 nests - JW, heronry survey coordinator).

Late May 1 1/2 miles north of Minor Mo(Scott Co) (ttiner Rookery)

450 nes ts in a PH newly established nesting colony

4/17 4/24 5/2

5/26

S C N W RSOWASt. Louis

Kansas City

Late M A y same Colony as Little 81 ue Herons above

15

individual FL 1 SS, et.al.

20 RK

9 KH

750 nests PH new fn this area

only one seen

flying throughprojector b e a m adrivein t h e a t e r 10 p .m .

oecies

r e a t Egret

snowy Egret

llack- Cr. Night Heron

Yellow-Cr. Night Heron

. eas t Bittern

America Bittern

gl ossy lbi s

da te

4/9

Location No. Observers

( n e s t i n g in at least 4 of the colonies in south central missouri which also contain Great b l u e herons - J\1)

S C N W R LR ( a few ever since)

May (many at TSWA which a r e believed to nest in a l a r g e , mixed rookery n e a r b y on an island on t he Illinois side of the Mississippi River- JW)

Late M a y Miner Rookery(the same as supuorts

Cattle Egrets above)4 / 2 4 S O W A5/12 SCNWR

5/21

4/4

TSWA

Farmington

{Scott Co) 6-7 nests PH the Little Blue and

SS, et.al. John Robinson

JB

firstt obs .

4/10 ScNWR

Late May-Miner Rookery ( s c o t t Co) 2 0 +

JL

LG

PH

_[first obs.seen sev. timessince

4/29

5/23

5/8

4/17

4/24

5/8

scnwrSt. Louis

MTCWA(several MTCWA

S C N W R

M N W R DCWA

MTCWA

Late M a y TSWA

5/28 SCNWR

first seen

3+ initiating nests at TSWA and JW)

(1) first -several since

2 SD

RK

nests - at least 1 fledged young by end of May

FL

LG

BR

M.Ob.

KJ

Fritz Reid

doc.

Wate r fowl THROUGH f a l c o n i f o r m e s

whi te-fronted Goose

Blue-winged Teal

Ci nnan1on Tea 1

R i ng-necked Duck

Hooded Merganser

3/21

4/24

4/26

5/9

5/12

4/10

4/26 (5/Hl {5/18 5/23

SD

L B M

19

26 M.Ob. - (State Aud. Spring Meeti ng)

St. Joseph

SOWA

17

13

LG, FL

MC, KM, CH (In smaller nos. than usual at SCNWR) FL

TSWA

n e a r SCNWR

nest w 11 eggs

LG, et. al

SCNWR 1 BR e l e v e n Point River (Oregon Co) J\1 St. Charles CO. 1 VB

Jack Broyles

doc

mid-may DCWA 16 4 nests detected

JW

Species

Mississippi Kite

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Date location !lo. Observers Comments

Early llay (over about a 10 day period)

5/2')

4/24

5/31

Forest p a r k 1 or 2

M N W R 1 Ad. JW

(seen frequently t h r o u g h March a n dApril in St. Joseph and SCNWR Areas)

Shaw Arboretum (St. Louis)l RK

M.Ob. severa l R e p

FL

(only 2 other r e p

Jefferson Co. nest w i t h s i t t i n g M Pbird

(several reoorts of singles f rom east and southern 'li ssouri - JN)

Red-shouldered Hawk 4/1 Shaw Arboretum (St. louis) 1 MG

5/19 All red l ake (Butler CO) 2 J W

Broad-winged Hawk 4/13 Jefferson CO. 2+ M W

Swainson's Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk

Bald Eagle

Osprey

Peregrine Falcon

4/24

5/l

5{7

5/12

4/17

Shaw Arboretum (St. Louis) 15

St. Joseph 3 FL,

St. Joseph FL

(few reports - departing generally in early March - JW)

KJ

(Fewer in St. Joseoh area in recent years) FL

T S W A 1 imm. JB

·(Nesting commenced in late ;larch at a site

M.Ob.

(Scarce in MO)

Only. one r e p o r t e d l o w numbers

a late immature

in SW Missouri. At end of period one nestling is being reared by one parent. Believed to have hatched Aoril 30 or May l. First nest to have r e a c h e d this stage in MO since '62. a n o t h e r nest rebuilt in march and .attended by 2 adults throughout period in SE m i s s o u r i but no eggs were believed 1ayed) - JW

between Kansas City & SOWA 15 M C e t . al.

5/24 Taberville Prairie (St. Clari Co.) lM lF JH

5/25 Gay Feather Prairie (Vernon CO) IM 1 F

(Scarce throughout period in St. Joseoh Area) - FL

4/20

4/24

4/24

TSWA

DCWIA

Shaw Arboretum (St. Louis CO)

JB

SK, KA, BL

4/27 & 29 LBW & Vicinity 1 FL

JW (suspected n e s t i n g )

M.Ob.

3/6&10 Near Little Dixie (Bonne Co.) . 1 4/15 Tabet-ville Prairie (St. Clair CO) 1

SS,et.al. Steve Sheriff do

4/20 T S W A JB (no doc .. ) 4/24 SOWA RB5/1 Forestt Park (St. Louis) RK (doc)

5 / 9 SOWA CH et. al. (docl 17

Species

e rl in

andhi 11 Cranes

AI L THROUGH TERNS

. i nq Rail

.'irginia Rail

Cora

A m . coot

common Gallinule

Semipalmated Plover

'iping Plover

A m . Golden Plover

!lack-bellied Plover

Ruddy Turns tone

long-billed c u r l e w

n irnb rc 1

'pland Sandpiper

Date

4 / 2 )5 / 3

location

Col 'J' b iaS C N W R

N o Reports

Late M a y TSWA

5/20 DCWA

4/23 M T CWA

4/24 LBM vicinity

4 / 2 4 LBM vicinity

5/8 M T C W A

4/17 st . J o s e p h e Area 1 akes and SCNWR

4/23 MTCWA

5/23 MTCWA

5/8 St. Charles co. 5/10 SCNWR

5/17 SCNWR

4/17 SCNWR

4/17 SCNWR

M a r . St. Charles co. 3/25 SCNWR

4/24 L B M

5/l SCNWR

5/20 SCNWR

5/20 MTCWA

5/20 SCNWR

5/20 Overton, MO Bottoms

4/6 SCNWR

5/20 Overton, MO

4/11 St. Joseph Area

5/13 Friendly Prairie

5/15 Paint Brush Prairie (Pettis CO)

Observers c o m m e n t s

SS, et. al. [lH (doc)

2 nests JB

nest JW

R W

first seen KJ

fi ,-s t

4

12,000

75

6

500

seen

RK

FL

RW

RK

LG,

LG,

LG,

LG,

Pat

KJ

M.Ob.

FL

KJ

KJ' FL

KJ , FL

&ppe t e Hobson

14 KJ, FL, LG

6 M.Ob. (Soring - State Aud. Meeting)

4

16

10

KJ, FL

M R , FL

RW

FL, MR

BG, et. a 1.

LG

SS, JT

LG

doc.

doc.

nest w i t h 4 eqgs JH

4 (2 pair) JW

18 1

Species·

w i 11 e t

Whi te-rumped Sandpiper

Short-billed dowitcher

Stilt sandpiper

marbled godwit-------

Hudsonian godwit

Am. Avocet

Northern Phalarope

Glaucous Gull

Laug:1 i ng Gull

Frankl in's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

Caspian Tern

CUCKOOS THROUGH wr e n s

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Black-billed Cuckoo

Roadrunner ----

date

4!17

5/9

5/1

5/19

5 /3

5/20

4/17

4/24

5/20

4!17

4/1 7

4/17

4/17

5/18

5/18

3/13

5/12

4/4

4/10

4/12

4/10

4/10

4/24

5/8

5/19

5/2

5/10

l o c a t i on

SCNWRSCNWR

SCNWR

S C N W R

SCNWR

SCNWR

Aldrich Ann of Stockton LK (Polk CO)

Overton, MO

SCNWR

No.

300

6

38

Ob s e rve rs

FL, LG, K J

FL

KJ, FL

LG, KJ, FL

MR, FL

FL, LG, K.J

RM et.al.

SS, JT

KJ, LG, FL

K H , M . OB .

same one Ralph Coe

Creve Coeur Lake & Park (St. Louis CO)

SCNWR

SCNWR

5 RL

M R

MR

SOWR (2nd yr) LG

SCNWR

TSWA 4

Alton Dam (St. Charles CO)

Creve Coeur Lake & Park 2 (St. Louis CO) Aldric:1 Arm Stockton LK 25 (Polk CO)

Alton Dam

DCWA

Swan Lake NWR

SCNWR

50

5

38

A D . BH

JB

M.Ob.

RL

BD

M.Ob.

SD, K A , BL

JO et. a 1 .

M R , FL

Forest Park first obs. R K(about in nomal nos.-FL)

(not often reported in Soringfield, but 3 reports this s p r i n g - CB)

comments

doc.

doc (one of few.. state reco

doc.

doc.

doc.

ncar Blue Eye (Stone Co.) MM (doc.) This is one of two rcnorts received s i nee 1 as t summer. These two were the first since 1 9 7 9 , previous to which this species wa s rather regular in this county and other border ing ArkJnsas in SW M i s s o u r i .

Species

Ruby-throated Hummingbi rd 4/18

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5/1

Western Kingbird 5/10

location No. o b s e r v e rrs

N o . W a s h i n g t o n Co. f irst seen s dBel ieved in general to t.e in n o r m a l n umb e r sa l t h o u g h correspondents in some regions e x p r e s s e d alarm at their absence.

last seen CB

St. J o s e p h e Region first seen MM

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 4/2 Near l i b e r a l (vernon Co.) KH (early)4 / 2 5 F o r t u n a W i l d l i f e Area 1 M - 1 F JW

( M o n i t e a u County)

5!7 St. L o u i s County Dick Deane {no doc.)

5/22 KA, SD reoeat nesting in a r ea

Yellow-bellied.. Flycatcher 5/7 KA

Alder Flycatcher

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Purple Mart in

Fish Crow

Chickadee

R e d - b r e a s t e d Nuthatch

win te r w r e n

Bewick's Wren

caro l ina wren

5/21 St. Joseph

5 /23 Hawn St. Park (Ste. G e n e v i e v e Co.)

5/23 Maryville

3/22

5/7

5/8

St. Jos e p h

Mo. River B r i d g e at Waverly

Grand River BridgeHighway 24 at new B runswi ck

FL

SD

1 seen M R , KV, FL 2 more heard

FL

50 nests KH

5 nests KH

(seem to be d o w n in n u m b e r s so far this year- FL)

3/16 Farmington (first)

3/22 Creve Coeur Lake(St. Louis County)

4/17 St. Louis

4/18 so:.JA

Farmington

St. Joseph

so

VR

3 RA

individual CH, MCsinging both black-capped & Carolina song

2 BL, BR

FL

{no snring reports in Springfield - first time in at least 6 years - C B

(good numbers in Sorir.gfield - CB)

(several reports and reports of nesting but down from l as t year- c b )

. 2 0

His earliest record in 3') yrs.

Species Date Location N o . Observers Comments

Long-billed Marsh Wren 5/2 Aldrich Arm of L. Stockton (Polk Co.) M. Ob.

S h o r t - b i l lled Marsh (Sedge) W r e n5/8 MTCWA 4 RK

MIMIDS THROUGH WARBLERS

Hood Thrush

Eastern Bluebirds

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Sorague's Pipit

Philadelphia Vireo

Prothonotary Warbler

Swainson's Warbler

Go 1 den-winge d warb1 e r

Blue-winged w a r b l e r

Cape m a y Warbler

Cerulean Warbler

5/30 TSWA

(slow coming back in N W MO - FL)

3/17 St. Louis Co. (early)

dummy nests observed

CP

JW

(nos. up. Heavy rains forced renestinq on many bluebird trails, but reproduction seemed good - JW)

4/12

4/17

5/15

Osage Co.

St. Joseph Area

Last seen in Kansas City

5/16 Last seen in St. Louis

3/13

5/8

Taberville Prairie

St. Francois State Park (St. Francois Co.)

JW (detected in central M O )

FL (detected in N W )

LG doc.

BL, BR

(very.numerous in Springfieldregion - CB)

5/19 Eleven Point River south of Hwy 142 in Oregon Co.

5/22&23 Eleven Point River Greer Springs to Riverton (Oregon Co)

5/5 Forest Park

5/15

5/18

5/24

Van Meter

Mi 11 St ream Gardens (Reyno 1 ds Co.)

Forest Park (St. Louis)

5 singing males - JW This reach of the Eleven Poi has never beer searched to myknowledge.

5 singing males SS, TB, BG

8

RK

Ch, KH

JH

RK(alanningly few in Springfield region - CB)

5/3 Forest Park 4 RK

5/3 South of Farmington BR

5/15 Van Meter CH, KH

4/19 Forest Park RK

5/15 Hawn State Park RK (Ste. Genevieve Co.)

21

Species No. Obse r v e rrs comments

ye l low- th roa ted w a r b l e r 4/13 M N

B l ackpoll Warb l e r

Pine '.iarbler

Hcoded Wa r ble r

4 / 24

5/16

4/15

4/ l 7

5/15

5/19

5/25

5/28

so: IA

Forest Park

Forest Park

Hawn State Park 12 (Stc Genevieve Co.)

Forest Park

Eleven point River South 8 of Hwy 160 ( Oregon Co.)

Shaw Arboe tum

Forest Park

RK

N M

RK

M.Ob.

RK

RK

JW

M.Ob.

MP, RK

I c t e r i d s Th r o u g h Fr ig i l l ids

Bobol ink

Mea dow1 ark

4 / 4

(early)MTCWA George & Terry Barker Migration o c c u r r e d in Central M i s s o u r ibetween M a y 5 and 10. Four nesting areas identified in nor thwes t M i s s o u r i by end of period - JW

M o s t l y weste rn Meadowlarks in win te r and mostly eastern in spring and summer in St. j o s e p hregion - FL)

yellow-headed Blackbird 4/23 RW

Rusty Blackbird

B r e w e r ' s Blackbird

Great-tailed Grackle

Black-headed Grosbeak

Painted Bunting

4/24

4/27

4/1

LBM

Farmington

MTCQA

3/31 St. Joseoh (late date)

3/15 St. Joseph (late date)

3/2 Near Scnwr

3/27 Near s c n w r

1 ate MAy Near s cnwr

Apri 1 Forest Park

5 /10 2-3 mi. NE of Rock - Barry

Eagle co.

4/24 Bonne Terre (S E M O )(feeders)

5/2 & 5/3 Tyson Research Center (St. Louis CO)

22

3m m.ob. ~ ( S t a t e Audubon on territories /Spring meeting

1 BL, SD, BR, KA ...----doc

DJ

2 FL

FL

lm. FL, LG doc

17 KJ (highest)

some sti 11 oresent FL

1 F. DJ

several MM

6 so

RC

Species Date Location No. observers c o m m e n t s

Common Redpoll 3/7 Delassus, MO ( SE MO) B L(feeder)

3/23 St. Louis co (feeder) 30 Fred R u e g s e g g e r

3/24 St. Louis CO (feeder) Fred Ruegsegger

Pine Siskin 5/27 Tyson Research Center 2 RC (St. Louis CO)

( Unt i1 1 ate M a y in St. Joseph - FL)

Red Crossbill 3/7 Delassus (SEMO) {Feeder) 3 George W a r d5/5-30 Columbia 2-15 W.E . Starn

White-winged Crossbill

Hens 1 ow' s sparrow

Clay-colored Sparrow

Lapland Longspur

3/1-4

5/24

5/25

5/8

5/14

4/3

Chestnut-colla red lungspur

U n c o r r o b o r a t e d :

Fide SS

Springfield (SMS Campus) 2M2F Bernice '.larren doc.

Taberville Prairie

Gay Feather Prairie (Vernon County)

St. Joseph Region

St. Joseph Region

St. Joseph Region

Near St. Joseph

8

3

12

5

Don simpson

JW

JW

LG, KJ

FL

KJ

with laplands RJ doc.

The anhinga and magnificient frigatebird s i g h t i n g s in the southwest m a y be c r e d i b l ebut must be listed as uncorroborated. The latter was s1ghted by an adept b i r d e r a.ter tornadic weather conditions but was seen briefly. The anhinga was w e l l documented but required more support.

Anhinga 4/14

Magnificent Frigatebird 4/2

w h i t e - t a i l ed Kite 4/ll

Cape Fair (Stone Co)

t1arshfield ( w e b s t e r Co.)

St. Louis

Gerald Dobbs Doc.

Jerry sowers (Doc would be new state record

Larry Haskin no doc. (see commentsSt. l o u i s R e

ABBREVIATIONS - ABWA -August A. Busch Wildlife Area {St. Charles County-E. MO); m t cwa mariasTemps Clair w i l d l i f e Area (St. Charles County-E. Mo); t s w a Ted Shanks Wildlife Area (Pike County-NE MD); S C N W R Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuqe (Holt c o u n t y - n w m o ) ; c r c o l k Creve Coeur Lake (St. Louis County-E. MD); DCWA Duck Creek w i l d l i f e Area (Bollinger County-SE M o ) ;M N W R Mingo National Wildlife Area (Stoddard & wayne Counties-SE m o ) ; s o w a Schell-Osage wildliArea (Vernon County-SW mo); LBM- Little Bean Marsh (pla t te County- NW Mo).

c o n t r i b u t e r s (lA) Ike Adams, (KA) Karen Adams, (RA) Richard Anderson, (TB) Tim Barksdale, (CB) Catherine Bonner, (JB) Jack Broyles ( m g r . Tswa), (VB) Viola Buchholtz, (HB) Harold Burgess, (RC) Richard Coles, (MC) Mel Cooksey, (RD) Rick DeCoster, (SD) Steve Dilks, (BD) Betty Dyer, (LG) Leo Gallaway, (BG) Bill Goodge, {BH) Berlin Heck ( m g r . scnwr), (PH) Paul Heye, (CH) Christopher Hobbs, (KH) Kelly Hobbs, (BB) Bob Brundage, (OJ) David Jones, (RK) Randy Koretc, (RL) Ralph Laffey, (FL) Floyd Lawhon, (BL) Bob L e w i s (JL) Joyce Lewis, (RM) Rebecca Matthews, (MM) Michael McKenzie, (NM) Norman McLaughlin, (JO) Jerry Overton, {CP) CarmenPatterson, (MP) M a r k Peters, (BR) Bill Reeves, ( M R ) M A r k Robbins, (CR) Cal Royall, (SS) Sherman Suter, (JT) John Taylor, (MW) Mary Wiese, (JW) Jim Wilson, (RW) Roger Wombwell (Mgr. M t c w a )

23

Notes and Feathers that fall on the edi tor 's desk

HUGH G. HADLEY, Editor Missouri Auduboners are mainly interested in the

observation of birds and plants, and in the conservation of an environment favorable to them. There are other organizations with somewhat similar interests, and we should keep abreast of their activities. Here's a few:

New member of the Missouri Conservation Commission is John B. Mahaffey of Springfield, deep into radio and real estate, and also into hunting, fishing and conser-vation. He replaces Peter C. Myers, now head of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service. The C.F.M. will hold its fall meeting Sept. 17-19 at Camp Clover Point.

A new Missouri field office of the Nature Conser-vancy is at 7208 Weil, St. Louis, Mo. 63119. Telephone, 645-6822. G. Rodney Miller is director and Carol Suth-erland is secretary. A. Timon Primm III, president, has announced a Konza Prairie field trip for Sept. 24-26, unfortunately the dates o f A > S > M > ' s fall roundup.

The Year of the Eagle will be celebrated by your purchase of one of a limited edition of 500 prints of Charles Schwartz's drawing of the bald eagle, made available by the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Order for $ 2 5 plus $3 handling from CFM Eagle, 312 East Capital, Jefferson City, Mo. 65101. Each 16" by 20" print is numbered and signed by the artist. The proceeds help Conservation Federation programs.

The Missouri Prairie Foundation has negotiated a long-term lease with the Norfolk & Western to manage a srip of right of way 1,584 feet long and 32 feet wide, along M-22 between Centralia and Mexico, to be called "Wayside Prairie." It was a final achievement of Jim Lehr, M.P.F. outgoing president, who has been succeed-ed by G. Andy Runge of Mexico. New vice-presidenrt is Ben Duffield of Eldon. Editor remains Jerry Overton.

Jim Wilson will be the speaker for the Sept. 16 annual potluck supper of the East Ozarks chapter of A.S.M., Sept. 16 at Memorial Methodist in Farmington. They heard Leonard Hall in July. Bob Lewis is some persuader, yes?

24

AUDUBON ORGANIZATIONS IN MISSOURI

NA Audubon Society of Missouri

NA M,N M,N N M,N M M,N M NA N M,N M,N N N M

Bootheel Audubon Society ... . Burroughs Audubon Society ... . Chariton Valley Audubon Society. Columbia Audubon Society ... East Ozark Audubon Society .. Elsberry Garden Club . . . . . Greater Ozarks Audubon Society Hawthorn Garden Club .... . Ladue Garden Club ...... . Ozark Gateway Audubon Society. Ozark Rivers Audubon Society River Bluffs Audubon Society . St Joseph Audubon Society .. . St Louis Audubon Society .. . Webster Groves Nature Study Society.

... Kennett

.Kansas City Kirksville . Columbia Farmington . Elsberry

.Springfield Jefferson City

.St. Louis . ... Joplin . . . . . Ro 11 a Jefferson City

St. Joseph . St. Louis . St. Louis

N: Chapter, National Audubon Society NA: Affiliate, National Audubon Society M: Affiliate, Audubon Society of Missouri

SCHEDULE OF MEMBERSHIP DUES All dues should be sent with your name, address, and zip to

Mrs. Katherine Wade, 2114 St. Louis Road, Jefferson City, 65101

Regular Family Student . Sustaining

$ 5.00 6.00 3.00

10.00

Contributing $20.00 Benefactor . . . 50.00 *Affiliate ·{Individual) 3.00 *Affiliate (Organization) 12.00

Patron (Life Member) $100.00

* An organization in accord with the purposes and activities of the Audubon Society of Missouri becomes an Affiliate Organization upon payment of dues according to a sliding scale based upon membership: $12.00 for the first 200 members and $12.00 more for each additional 400 members or fraction thereof.

Individuals belonging to an Affiliate Organization may join the Missouri Audubon Society (membership includes a subscription to The Bluebird) for $3.00 provided their dues are remitted through their local treasurer.

The Bluebird is the official quarterly publication of the A u d u b o n

Society of Missouri. Articles essays and stories on all phases of natural history and conservation are invited and will be printed within the limits of available space. Copy to be used should reach the editor by February 1, May 1, August i, or November 1 for the next issue.

After 10 Days return to Audubon Society of Missouri c/o Mrs. Alverta Loomis 3110 Hogan Drive Jefferson City, Ho. 65101

Dr Ross Silcock RR 2 Malvern IA 51551

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D Jefferson City, Mo.

Pennit No. 233