December 2019 Volume 86, No. 4 - The Audubon Society of Missouri Missouri's Ornithological Society Since 1901 - The Missouri Birding Society
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
December 2019
Volume 86, No. 4
The Audubon Society of Missouri
Missouri’s Ornithological Society Since 1901
The Audubon Society of Mssouri
Officers Regional Directors
Bill Eddleman*+, President (2020); Charles Burwick+ (2020)
608 Teton Lane, Cape Girardeau, MO Springfield (417) 860-9505
63701, (573) 579-7978
Lottie Bushmann+ (2021)
eddlemanw@sbcglobal.net
Columbia (573) 445-3942
Dana Ripper*+, Vice President (2020);
27331 Highway WW, Marshall, MO
Jeff Cantrell+ (2020)
65340-0000, (660) 837-3888 Neosho (471) 476-3311
dana.ripper@hotmail.com Mike Doyen+ (2020)
Rolla (573) 364-0020
Phil Wire*+, Secretary (2020)
Sherry Leonardo+ (2021)
1245 Boone St., Troy, MO 63379-2471
Grandview (816) 763-1393
(314) 960-0370
phw222@gmail.com Brent Galliart+ (2021)
St. Joseph (816) 232-6038
Pat Lueders*+, Treasurer (2020)
1147 Hawken Pl., St. Louis, MO Greg Leonard+ (2022)
63119; (314) 222-1711 Columbia (573) 443-8263
pllueders479@aol.com Terry McNeely+ (2022)
Honorary Directors Jameson (660) 828-4215
Richard A. Anderson, St. Louis** Mike Grant+ (2022)
Nathan Fay, Ozark** Chesterfield (314) 779-8032
Leo Galloway, St. Joseph**
Jim Jackson, Marthasville
Chairs
Lisle Jeffrey, Columbia**
Floyd Lawhon, St. Joseph** Bill Clark, Historian
Patrick Mahnkey, Forsyth** 3906 Grace Ellen Dr.
Rebecca Matthews, Springfield** Columbia, MO 65202
Sydney Wade, Jefferson City** (573) 474-4510
Dave Witten, Columbia**
John Wylie, Jefferson City** Kevin Wehner, Membership
Brad Jacobs, 2016 Recipient of the 510 Ridgeway Ave.
Rudolf Bennitt Award Columbia, MO 65203
(573) 815-0352
Jim Jackson, 2012 Recipient of the
kevinwehner@gmail.com
Rudolf Bennitt Award
Dr. David Easterla, 2006 Recipient
+ Board Position
of the Rudolf Bennitt Award
* Executive Committee Member
Paul E. Bauer, 2004 Recipient of the **Deceased
Rudolf Bennitt Award
Page i THE BLUEBIRD
The Bluebird
The Bluebird Editor:
Allen Gathman*+, PO Box 1, Pocahontas, MO 63779, (573)
579-5464, agathman@gmail.com
Christmas Bird Count Compiler:
Randy Korotev, 800 Oakbrook Lane, St. Louis, MO 63132,
(314) 884-2189, rlkorotev@outlook.com
Communication Services:
Kevin Wehner+, Webmaster, http://mobirds.org,
Susan Hazelwood and David Scheu, Co-owners Listserve,
mobirds-l-request@po.missouri,edu
ASM Scholarship Committee:
Sue Gustafson, Chair, 429 Belleview Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119
(314) 882-8006, smgustafson@juno.com
MO Bird Records Committee:
Brad Jacobs+—Chair, 11300 Vemers Ford Road, Columbia, MO 65201,
(573) 874-3904, robertbjacobs@gmail.com
Bill Rowe—Secretary, 7414 Kenrick Valley Drive, St Louis, MO 63119-
5726 (314) 962-0544, rowemb45@gmail.com
Seasonal Survey Editors:
Spring: Lisa Berger, 1947 South Kings Avenue, Springfield, MO 65807-
2733, (417) 860-9108, goshawk@att.net
Summer: Allen Gathman, PO Box 1, Pocahontas, MO 63779, (573) 579-
5464; agathman@gmail.com
Fall: Mary Nemecek, 7807 N. Merimac Ct, Kansas City MO 64151, (816)
210-5148; msnemecek@aol.com
Winter: Pete Monacell, 2324 West Main Street, Jefferson City MO 65109,
(573) 289-8116; plmonacell@ccis.edu
* Executive Committee Member
+ Board Position
Deadlines for submission of material for publication in The Bluebird
Manuscripts for The Bluebird—to the editor by:
Feb. 1 for March issue; May 1 for June issue;
Aug. 1 for Sept. issue; Nov. 1 for Dec. issue
Deadlines for submissions to the Seasonal Survey Editors
Winter (Dec. 1-Feb. 28)—to Pete Monacell by Mar. 10
Spring (Mar. 1-May 31)—to Lisa Berger by June 10
Summer (June 1-July. 31)—to Allen Gathman by Aug 10
Fall (Aug. 1-Nov. 30)—to Mary Nemecek by Dec. 10
Page ii THE BLUEBIRD
Table of Contents
December 2019 Volume 86, No. 4
159 President’s Corner—Bill Eddleman
162 It’s Official — We are now the Missouri Birding Society
- Bill Eddleman
163 We Welcome Our New ASM Members! — Kevin Wehner
164 ASM Membership Renewal Notice — Kevin Wehner
165 Missouri Bird Conservation Plan— Sarah Kendrick
167 Attitudes of Natural Resource Professionals about voluntary use of
nonlead hunting ammunition -John Schulz and Sonja Stannis
169 Missouri State Life Lists —David Easterla and Allen Gathman
171 Spring Seasonal Report March 1– May 31, 2019 — Lisa Berger
181 Kendzora Conservation Area Birders’ Guide
— Sherry Leonardo and Laura Robinson
Front Cover— Kentucky Warbler, Bonniew View Sanctuary 19 May 2019.
Photo Paul McKenzie
Western Grebe, Schell-Osage CA St. Clair 7 Apr 2019
Photo Pete Monacell
THE BLUEBIRD is published quarterly by The Audubon Society of Mssouri. The submission of
articles, photographs, and artwork is welcomed and encouraged. The views and opinions ex-
pressed in this journal are those of each contributing writer and do not necessarily represent the
views and opinions of The Audubon Society of Mssouri or its officers, Board of Directors, or edi-
tors. Send address corrections to ASM, 2101 W. Broadway, PMB 122, Columbia, MO 65203-1261.
Page iii THE BLUEBIRD
President’s Corner—Bill Eddleman
The time is perhaps 55 years
ago, and I am staying at my ma-
ternal grandparents’ farm dur-
ing a week in June. (I often did
until the death of my grandpar-
ents a few years later.) One of
the things my sister, cousins,
and I would do was sit on the
stairway leading up to the back
porch and play with the farm
cats. It is dusk, and as I was
sitting on the steps, my grand-
father walked out to stand and
listen and look at the sky to try
and predict tomorrow’s weather.
As we often heard at dusk, a
bobwhite gave a flocking call,
and my grandfather often whis-
tled back at them. As it got
dark, Whip-poor-wills called from half a dozen directions. We could
see the entire backbone of the Milky Way, and a Great Horned Owl
started to hoot off in the distance.
I think about vignettes like that often, and try and imagine what my
grandsons will experience on the deck of my house in the next few
years. No quail, certainly. The last time the field where the house
stands was planted in corn, some 4 decades ago, my dad and a friend
flushed five coveys in about 10 acres. Except for a lone bird that
stayed only a day or so several years ago, they are gone from the
neighborhood now. The Whip-poor-wills that used to call in the
woods, even coming down to the house to call on the back porch at
times, have been gone for 15 years. We still get a reasonable view of
the Milky Way, although light pollution from town has blurred it.
About the only given from my childhood is that there are still the
“big three” owls in my woods. I know I can still find quail and the
nightjars, but I just have to travel to do it.
Upon the recommendation of Paul McKenzie, I just purchased a
book, Paradise Found, that takes all the old traveler and explorer
Page 159 THE BLUEBIRD
accounts and attempts to reconstruct, not only what we’ve lost to extinction, but the incredible abundance of many species under more pristine conditions. Thanks to that book, I can now put a name to the feeling I have about the natural world that my grandsons will never know they have lost: “…Since extinction is an all or nothing event, you know, quite simply, that you will never see a living, breathing dodo or great auk. Abun- dance, on the other hand, is more subjective, reflected in something that has been called the ‘changing baseline syndrome.’ When, as chil- dren, we first become aware of our own environment, we assume that what we see around us is the normal state of affairs. From that start- ing point, judging changes over our individual lifetimes is difficult enough; childhood summers always seemed warmer, butterflies more numerous, with more birds’ nests and lizards to find. And maybe that really was the case. However, we are judging any changes against a different baseline from our parents, which is different again from our grandparents, and since we have no direct experience of their childhood baselines, our perception of how much has changed, our ‘gut feeling,’ must be somewhat incomplete. Over ten or twenty generations, the baseline can drift, unnoticed by most, until we step out of our time machine to stare openmouthed at a world we had no idea ever existed.” Changing baseline syndrome is precisely what I thought of when the recent American Bird Conservancy report came out on the loss of 1/3 of our bird abundance in the last 50 years. Yes, even though about 30% of the loss was common species like Red-winged Blackbirds and exotics like starlings, House Sparrows, and Rock Pigeons, we have still lost a high percentage of other species—especially those of grasslands and successional habitats like shrubby fields. Those of us who have birded for a while suspected much of this any- way because of our field experience. But, for new birders, this IS the baseline they will remember. It is my hope that most of them will come into birding with a full commitment to conservation, so the decline in bird abundance slows and halts. Page 160 THE BLUEBIRD
The bylaws revision to implement the new name, “Missouri Birding Society,” passed at the fall meeting. More on that below. It is my hope that those who have misgivings about the change will accept that and continue to work to advance the organization. This fall meeting also marked the last meeting that was part of our experiment to see whether we should continue to alternate meeting at Camp Clover Point. Our attendance was down nearly 20 from last fall, so we are not likely to meet at Camp Clover Point regularly again. It is a shame, and the end of an era, since we met there in the fall for over 60 years. Too many members do not like staying in the cabins and the limited options for meals, so they have voted with their feet and stayed away from the fall meetings in recent years. I announced at the Fall Meeting that we have received a large be- quest from a deceased active member, Christy Lundy, for our pro- grams. I asked Board members to discuss potential uses of this be- quest with members before our next Board meeting. We have a vari- ety of possibilities, all related to our mission of education and con- servation, but we want to hear your ideas! We will be meeting in Cape Girardeau (always a popular meeting, with lots of birds to be seen), and tentatively in St. Louis next fall. Hope to see all of you out birding, contributing to CACHE and SPARKS, or at one of the future meetings! Sincerely, Bill Eddleman, ASM President Pauly, D. 1995. Anecdotes and the shifting baseline syndrome of fisheries. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 10: 430. Nicholls, S. 2009. Paradise Found: Nature in America at the Time of Discovery, p. 2. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. Page 161 THE BLUEBIRD
It’s Official —
We are now the Missouri Birding Society
-Bill Eddleman
The proposed amendment to the Bylaws implementing the change
from “Audubon Society of Missouri” to “Missouri Birding Society”
passed with a 2/3 majority of those present at the fall meeting. Ac-
cordingly, we will be phasing in the new name over the next year.
Some changes will occur pending a check on legal requirements for
the name change, while others began immediately. For example,
MOBIRDS-L began using the name in the signature block very soon
after the meeting. We are still in the process of determining all the
changes that have to be made, so stay tuned. The goal is to complete
the changeover within a year.
Thank you to all the members who provided feedback on the process
and different aspects of the change. Please continue to provide feed-
back as we go through the next steps to implement the name
change. We hope with this change that we can further the goals of
the organization as we move forward to the future.
Orchard Oriole, Grand Tower Island Perry 30 Jul 2018
Photo Bill Rowe
Page 162 THE BLUEBIRD
WE WELCOME OUR NEW ASM MEMBERS!
Kevin Wehner
Remember, new members are our future. If a new member lives
near you, say, “Howdy and welcome to ASM.” In addition, recruit
another new member. Welcome to these 22 new ASM members
in the 4th quarter of 2019!
Lee Beckwith Rolla, MO
Rajshree Bhatter St. Louis, MO
Leon & Patricia Book Cape Girardeau, MO
Cameron Collins St. Louis, MO
Jack Cowan St. Louis, MO
Mary Dodds & Stan McCarthy Columbia, MO
Melissa Hilboldt & Angie Zaun St. Louis, MO
Morris & Debbie Finkelstein St. Louis, MO
Anne Munroe Kirkwood, MO
David Nussbaum Cape Girardeau, MO
Michael Pelc Columbia, MO
Stephen Price Farmington, MO
Amy Richards Chicago, IL
Linda Ryba Foristell, MO
Lisa Saffell Overland, MO
Maureen Thomas-Murphy St. Louis, MO
Carol Thompson Foristell, MO
Paige Witek Arrow Rock, MO
Page 163 THE BLUEBIRD
AUDUBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL NOTICE
The Audubon Society of Missouri membership year runs from Janu-
ary 1 to December 31. All ASM memberships other than Life Mem-
berships are due for renewal now. If you are a new member who
joined ASM after September 1, 2019, you do not need to renew until
December 2020. You may renew your membership online or use the
membership renewal form on the back cover of any recent Bluebird,
To renew online, go to ASM’s website, www.mobirds.org/ASM/
Membership.aspx and follow the directions.
Online renewal has an advantage in that you may use the online
form and still write a traditional check, or you can pay directly, us-
ing PayPal. You do not need to establish a PayPal account to use
this service. Yes, ASM pays a small fee (74 cents per membership)
for this PayPal service. This online service saves the Membership
Chair and the Treasurer (both volunteers) a lot of time and work.
Further, this saves you the need for a stamp and envelope and
makes the renewal process direct. PayPal sends an email receipt for
the transaction to you.
Your membership is important. Membership dues support ASM’s
mission of conservation and education, and the services to enhance
your birding experience in Missouri.
If you have any questions or problems with the renewal process,
please feel free to contact me.
This same online process is used for new memberships also.
Kevin Wehner
ASM Membership Chair
2101 W. Broadway, PMB 122
Columbia, MO 65203-1261
kevinwehner@gmail.com
(573) 815-0352
Page 164 THE BLUEBIRDThe Missouri Bird Conservation Plan
Sarah Kendrick
With so many bird conservation challenges in today’s world, it can
be difficult to know where to begin. Which birds most need our at-
tention? How do we help? Where do we go from here? Missouri is
blessed with a network of conservation partnerships that work to
tackle big challenges together. With limited funds and time, a bit of
guidance is sometimes needed to make on-the-ground conservation
work as effectively as possible for the species that need it most.
Last year, I was tasked with leading a team of bird professionals
across conservation agencies and organizations to develop a strate-
gic plan to guide bird conservation efforts in the state and step down
regional and national bird conservation strategies. The Missouri
Bird Conservation Plan (Bird Plan) aims to bring focus to bird con-
servation in the state so we can move forward collaboratively within
the bird conservation community across state agencies and organi-
zations to achieve common, high-level goals to maintain and in-
crease bird populations in Missouri. The Bird Plan 1) provides con-
text for bird conservation efforts by assigning a Missouri Concern
Score for statewide priority bird species and outlines broad manage-
ment guidelines for breeding habitat by species; 2) identifies current
and future research and monitoring needs; and 3) will organize high
-level goals for birder outreach. The Bird Plan is meant to be a go-to
reference document for both public and private land managers that
outlines which of our birds are the most threatened and which most
need conservation focus.
The first part of the Bird Plan is a Technical Section, which is now
complete and available online at https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/
files/downloads/MOBirdConservationPlanTech.pdf. For the Tech-
nical Section, we brought together natural resource professionals
with technical knowledge of bird response to management to form a
Technical Team. This team reviewed many data and trends, and
discussed the status of over 30 species of regional conservation con-
cern to assign each a Missouri Concern Score. The Technical Section
of the Plan was not built to set detailed habitat acreage or popula-
tion goals, but to provide high-level context and a starting point for
more detailed goals and objectives by agency or organization. The
Technical Team also compiled an Appendix with some of the data
Page 165 THE BLUEBIRDand trends that they considered when assigning the Missouri Con-
cern Score. It was all incredibly tedious, but a necessary part of the
process (I thought it was awesome!).
The second (and equally important) part of the Plan is an Outreach
Section, which is currently in development. The Outreach Team in-
cludes agencies and organizations that conduct bird conservation
education and outreach in Missouri. This Team will work to outline
high-level bird conservation messages or potential initiatives that
the state can move forward together. The Outreach Team includes
Missouri Department of Conservation and Department of Natural
Resources State Park staff, Missouri Birding Society (formerly
Audubon Society of Missouri), one rep from each National Audubon
chapter, Missouri River Bird Observatory, the St. Louis Zoo, World
Bird Sanctuary, and others. The point is not to dictate which mes-
sages are disseminated, but to find opportunities to work together to
educate the public on targeted messages or bird conservation needs
identified by the group that require the public’s attention and calls
to action. Stay tuned!
Red-Necked Grebe, Busch CA St. Charles
14 Apr 2019. Photo Austin Hess
Page 166 THE BLUEBIRDAttitudes of natural resource professionals
about voluntary use of nonlead hunting
ammunition
John H. Schulz and Sonja Wilhelm Stanis
Deer hunting is a popular outdoor recreational activity across the
midwestern United States, but use of traditional lead hunting am-
munition poses a risk to wildlife and human health. Lead exposure
occurs when wildlife ingests bullet fragments in gut piles or
unretrieved animal carcasses that have been shot with lead-based
ammunition (Fig.1).
The preliminary results reported below were part of a larger multi-
method project assessing a USFWS outreach program during 2016–
2018 on 54 NWRs in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Socio-political factors
prevented us from surveying deer hunters from the general public;
however, we were able to explore hunters’ beliefs and attitudes
about nonlead ammunition within the context of USFWS staff who
were both hunters and nonhunters.
We focused on attitudes related to mortality factors facing bald
eagles, lead poisoning in bald eagles, human health risks from lead
bullet fragments in venison, and other issues related to nonlead
ammunition. We examined differences in attitudes if participants
were deer hunters, choice of ammunition, and behavioral intentions
toward ammunition. Of 168 natural resource professionals, 61.9%
reported being a deer hunter and 38.1% as a nonhunter, with 57.0%
of deer hunters using lead ammunition and 43.0% using nonlead.
Alternatively, 63.6% of hunters reported likely intentions to use
nonlead, while 36.4% reported nonlead use was unlikely.
Important variables related to nonlead use included firearm
compatibility, minimal complexity, usefulness of shooting demon-
strations, and ballistic characteristics of nonlead ammunition.
Other factors affecting nonlead intentions included reduced eagle
mortality, seriousness of the issue, and reduced human health risk
from lead bullet fragments in venison. In comparison, variables af-
fecting lead ammunition use included the high cost and reduced
availability of nonlead, perceived damage to firearms, and reduced
accuracy and lethality of nonlead. Factors supporting continued
lead use included insufficient scientific information, belief that most
Page 167 THE BLUEBIRDeagles likely recover from lead poisoning, and lack of friends or rela- tives who use nonlead ammunition. Because this study focused on natural resource professionals, our results likely represent a best-case scenario for voluntary use of nonlead ammunition among deer hunters. Positive messages related to human health were considered important for future out- reach programs given people are at risk of lead exposure from veni- son. Our results suggest the importance of perceived norms and the use of messages targeting friends and relatives of deer hunters recognizing the risk of sharing lead-tainted venison; this message could also be expanded to venison donations at food banks. Editor’s note: John Schultz is a PhD candidate at University of Mis- souri—Columbia. This research was supported in part by an ASM Graduate Research Scholarship. Fig 1a. Fig 1b. Figure 1. Lead bullet fragments in a deer carcass (A) and ingested in a dead bald eagle (B) found in northwestern Iowa during January 2017 (photos Project SOAR, Saving Our Avian Resources; Kay Neumann). Page 168 THE BLUEBIRD
Missouri State Life Lists:
A dialogue and an invitation
David Easterla and Allen Gathman
I (AG, editor) recently received a letter from Dr. David Easterla,
which read as follows:
************************
A list commonly kept by birders is the state life list -- a lifetime list
of how many species of birds one has identified in a given state.
During the 1950s when Richard (Dick) Anderson (St. Louis, MO,
ASM Honorary Director, now deceased) and the writer were re-
searching and working on the first edition of the Checklist of Mis-
souri Birds of the ASM (published 1967, 4 pages, card foldout; then
382 species positively recorded in recent years, 8 hypothetical spe-
cies), we began keeping a Missouri state list. Although competitive,
we always kept our rivalry at a friendly level. After Dick’s passing,
others were also keeping Missouri state lists. During those years
Dick and I competed back and forth for the top Missouri list. The
American Birding Association, in its journal Birding, published an-
nually for many years various list totals including state lists. Unfor-
tunately this is no longer true. However, today Iowa and other
states do annually publish state bird lists.
There are a number of Missouri birders who have for many years
kept a state list; birders such as Kirby Goslee, Jack Hilsabeck, Larry
Lade, Steve Kinder, Peter Kondrashov, Bill Reeves, Edge Wade, Tim
Barksdale, Bill Eddleman, Jim Jackson, Brad Jacobs, Terry
McNeely, Susan Hazelwood, Paul McKenzie, Joe Eades, and Josh
Uffman come to mind (names not listed in any particular order, and
no offense if your name is not mentioned). Perhaps publishing a
state list annually in The Bluebird would not only be fun, but would
be an added impetus for birders to chase.
For a beginning, the author submits his 395 species for his Missouri
bird list obtained over some 70 years. What other Missouri state
lists are to be submitted?
***************************************
Shortly after I received his letter, Dr. Easterla called me to discuss
this topic. He asked if there was an online repository for such lists
at Mobirds.org, and I pointed out that those of us who use eBird
Page 169 THE BLUEBIRDhave our state life lists compiled there automatically. For those who
are unfamiliar with it, ebird.org is a freely available database that
allows birders to record their sightings and share the data with sci-
entists, birders, and others who are interested. If, like me, you rec-
ord all your sightings there, it serves as a record of your life list,
your year lists, your state lists, and so on. I find it has made me
aware of ways to fine-tune my birding goals that I would never have
thought of before. Thus I know that the county where I have the
highest lifetime species count is Alexander County, Illinois, with 212
species – even though I live in Missouri. Or that my 2019 Missouri
year list is 198 birds so far. And my Missouri life list, to return to
the original point, is a rather anemic 257 species (which puts me in
126th place among eBird users).
However, Dr. Easterla raises a good point, as generations of Mis-
souri birders had state life lists in the “dark ages” before the Inter-
net, and even now many birders do not use eBird. Perhaps it would
be of interest to record Missouri life lists occasionally in the pages of
the Bluebird. In our phone conversation, we agreed to collaborate
on this appeal. So I endorse Dr. Easterla’s idea, and invite readers
of the Bluebird to submit their Missouri life lists for an article that
will appear here in the future. For the purpose of these submis-
sions, we’ll consider all birds listed in Mark Robbins’ The Status and
Distribution of Birds in Missouri (2018, KU Scholarworks), along
with any additional species recognized in the MBRC checklist.
Email your list to me (agathman@gmail.com).
Great Egrets, Lake Contrary Buchanan 22 Apr 2019.
Photo Tom Nagel
Page 170 THE BLUEBIRDSpring Seasonal Report
March 1—May 31, 2019
Lisa Berger
Spring 2019: It was the state’s worst flooding in a generation,
where flood levels reached record highs along the Missouri and Mis-
sissippi Rivers not seen since 1993 and 1995. On the heels of the 6th
wettest December to March on record, Missouri experienced the wet-
test spring on record. In addition to loss of life, homes, businesses,
crops and commerce, many refuges, conservation areas, and parks
sustained extensive damage to roads, levees, and hydraulic systems.
A long recovery process continues before things return to normal
(pers. comm. Steve Kinder).
March began on a frigid note in Missouri, with the first week being
the coldest start to the month in nearly 60 years. The average
statewide March temperature was 41.4 degrees, a little more than 2
degrees below the long-term average. It was the second consecutive
below normal month, the coldest March in five years, and the wet-
test in over a decade. The average March rainfall total was 4.24
inches, or nearly 1 inch above the long-term average.
April: Data indicate a statewide average temperature of 56.0 de-
grees, slightly more than 1 degree above the long-term average. Da-
ta for April indicate below average precipitation with an annual
statewide total of 3.39 inches, or 0.59 inches below the long-term
average. North central and west central Missouri experienced driest
conditions with 1-2 inches observed. In the bootheel, more than 25-
inches have been reported since January 1.
May: The brief reprieve in April was devastatingly reversed when
unprecedented wetness returned in May. Data indicate tempera-
tures were near normal with a statewide average of 64.5 degrees, or
0.2 degrees above the long-term average. The statewide average
precipitation total was 10.82 inches, more than double the normal. It
was the wettest May in 125 years of records, and third wettest
month of all time.
Page 171 THE BLUEBIRDOf 15 accepted documentations for the state this season, the status
was casual for 11 statewide, while four were casual within a region.
There were four new earliest and one new latest spring records es-
tablished. At least nine new highest counts were noted, with at least
14 records toppling 2nd and 3rd earliest, latest, or highest records.
Note: Records marked with a single asterisk (*) indicate that docu-
mentation has not yet been received by the Missouri Bird Records
Committee (MBRC). The MBRC has received documentation for rec-
ords marked with a dagger (†), and those marked (acc.) have been
accepted by the MBRC.
WHISTLING-DUCKS through SHOREBIRDS
The prior record high count of 29
Black-bellied Whistling-
Ducks from spring 2018 was
more than doubled when 62 were
tallied at Nash Pond Scott 12
May (ph. Jared Gorrell, Kyle
Witkor), after (ph. Leon Book)
first found 14 on 4 May, and 57
were last observed 14 May (ph.
Allen Gathman). Twelve were
reported 17 May Lake Contrary
Buchanan (ph. TN); 1 near Wil-
more Park St. Louis City 4-13
May was first spotted by Jona-
than Lidgus (ph., m. obs.); 1 at
EBCA 9 May (KA, m. obs.); 3 at
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Nash Pond
Bangert’s Lake Cape Girardeau 8
Scott 14 May 2019. Photo Allen Gathman
May (MH), and 2 near East Prai-
rie Mississippi 31 May (TK). There are seven prior spring records for Ful-
vous Whistling-Duck. This season 4 were seen first by a game warden at
Whipple Park Mississippi on 14 May (ph. TK, MH). Five were observed 21-
22 May near Matthews New Madrid (ph. TK, ph. ML). It’s possible the two
observations were of the same flock. A 3rd highest Snow Goose count was
1.1 million, 3 Mar at Thomas Hill Reservoir Randolph (ph. BJ, ph. PM).
Record high spring counts in the east included 350 Ross’s Goose at Horn-
ersville, which included one dark individual 3 Mar (ph. Timothy Jones). A
new record high number for the east was established with 13,000 Greater
White-fronted Goose also 3 Mar at Thomas Hill Reservoir Macon (ph. BJ,
ph. PM). On 4 Mar, 301 Trumpeter Swans at EBCA (BJ, PM) represent a
highest spring count for that site. Maxima for rarer Tundra Swan were: 1-
6 at EBCA 4-8 Mar (ph. PMo, ph. BJ); 6 at TSCA 16 Mar (ph. Ashley Ca-
Page 172 THE BLUEBIRDsey); 3, Perry Memorial CA John-
son 1 Mar (DC); 2 at Old Mud Lake
Buchanan 10 Mar (ph. TN); and 2
at LBNWR 9 Mar (SL, Karen
Stair). Single Cinnamon Teal
were at five locations this spring:
30 Mar-4 May at EBCA, initially
photographed by Reed Gerdes (m.
obs.); 16-18 Apr BKLCA (ph. JH,
ph. m.obs.); 21 Mar-6 Apr Aldrich
Arm Stockton Lake Polk (SM, DM,
ph. KL, m. obs.); 10-12 Apr Little Red-necked Grebe, Busch CA 13 Apr 2019
Creve Coeur Marsh St. Louis Photo Doug Hommert
County (ph. DH, Anne Kirkpat-
rick, Mary Dueren); and 17 Apr RMBS (ph. BR, TP, Kent Lannert). White-
winged Scoter made two showings with 1 at Bradford Farms 2 Mar (ph.
KA, ph. m. obs.), and 1, Ellington Sewage Lagoons Reynolds 1 Mar (JR,
Shannon Ehlers). A Long-tailed Duck was spotted 16 Mar at Old Hwy 86
Campground Stone (SM, DM, ph. Austin Hess), while another was at the
Brenda Kay Sand Pit Scott 22 Mar (TK). Greater Prairie-Chickens were
reported 21 Mar-25 May. Maximum counts: 1 at Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie St.
Clair 8 Apr (DBl, BBl); 5 at Taberville Prairie St. Clair 12 Apr (ph. BJ, ph.
PM), and 22 Dunn Ranch Harrison 14 Apr (ph. Terry McNeely). The 10th
spring record Red-necked Grebe was present 13-19 Mar Busch CA (ph.
Dave Gibson, ph. m. obs.). With one exception, Eared Grebes were ob-
served in the west as singles: 26 Mar Stockton Lake Dade (Reggie
Schwarzentruber, ph. SM, DM); 7 Apr Smithville (ML, Steve Bingham); 7
May Longview (ph. EWa); and in the east, 3 Apr Duck Creek CA Bollinger
(ML, EO). A Western Grebe was found at SOCA St. Clair 5 Apr (ph. ML,
EO) which lingered until 8 Apr (ph. DC, m. obs.). A new 2nd highest record
of 75 Common Nighthawks was set 11 May EBCA (ph. PM, ph. BJ). The
previous Ruby-throated Hummingbird seasonal high of 30 was topped
by a count of 40 in Reynolds 3 May (JR). Two instances of apparent nesting
Sandhill Crane were reported:
Two adults with a colt were pho-
tographed 15 May LBNWR (Eric
Wilhoit). The second was a colt
with adults 6 May private proper-
ty Johnson (DC), who was not
able to relocate the colt. The only
Piping Plover this season was
observed (ph. KL) 18 Apr at
Schell Osage CA Vernon and pre-
sent the following day (m. obs.).
The sole Whimbrel observation
was of 2 at Horseshoe Lake Bu-
chanan 18 May (ph. TN). Rare in
Ruff, Hornersville 12 Mar 2019 the east, 4 Hudsonian Godwits
Photo Kent Freeman were spotted along Red School/
Page 173 THE BLUEBIRDCora Island Roads St. Charles on 17 May (DBe, DH, m. obs.). Up to 5 Mar- bled Godwits were moving between RMBS and Red School/Cora Island Roads St. Charles 14 Apr (Chrissy McClarren, Andy Reago, ph. NR, m. obs.). Two Ruff/Reeves visited Missouri this period. The first (acc.) estab- lishing the new earliest state and 15th spring records, was discovered by (ph.) Kent Freeman† 12 Mar Hornersville. The 16th spring record Reeve was found 21 May (ph. PMo) at EBCA (ph. BJ, ph. DBr, ph. PM, m. obs.). Casual in the east, a single Buff-breasted Sandpiper (acc.) was observed by Peter Kondrashov† and Frankie Cuculich 19 May on Mokane Road Callaway. There were four observations of Western Sandpiper, which is rare statewide in spring: EBCA 27-30 Apr (ph. BJ, ph. m.obs.); 1 in the Palmetto area Greene 2 May (ph. KL); 2 at SOCA Vernon 15 May (TE); and another, 15 May at Horseshoe Lake Buchanan (ph. TN). A group of 26 American Woodcock was seen 8 Mar on Scrivner Road CA Cole (ph. PMo). Thirty Solitary Sandpipers were observed 29 Apr CBCA (ph. BR, TP). Rare in the east, a maximum of 20 Willets was counted 1 May RMBS (ph. Charlene Malone, ph. Jim Malone, et al.) In the west were 31 at Smithville 29 Apr (Terry Miller). Setting a 2nd highest spring record, 2040 Greater Yellow- legs were counted at FRCA Bates (ph. BJ, PM, PMo). GULLS through CORVIDS All Laughing Gull sightings were in the St. Louis area with 1-2 at CBCA 25 Apr (Pat Lueders, m. obs.); 1-2, possibly the same birds, along Cora Island/Red School Roads St. Charles 10-12 May (BR, Cornelius Alwood, m. obs.). A latest spring record was es- tablished when Mary Nemecek† (ph.) identified a Thayer’s type Iceland Gull (acc.), 30 Mar Smithville among 400+ gulls present. Twelve Herring Gulls remained at CBCA 24 Apr Iceland Gull, Smithville 30 Mar 2019 (BR). RMBS held an adult Lesser Photo Mary Nemecek Black-backed Gull 2 Mar (ph. NR), and a single there, age not indicated, was the last of the season 5 Apr (Lane Richter). Two at Longview 2 Mar (SL); singles at Stockton Lake Dade 16 Mar (ph. DBl, BBl); and Smithville 30 Mar (ph. MN). Single Glaucous Gulls lingered into spring at two spots 1 Mar: Longview (SL, et al.); and RMBS (DHa), the latter remaining until 2 Mar (Brian Prather). The sea- son’s high counts for Least Tern were 50, along 711 Road New Madrid 24 May (ph. ML, MT), and 28 at RMBS 31 May (Edge Wade, KA). Away from breeding areas along the Mississippi River, a single was found 21 May along Mokane Road Callaway (BJ, PM). A 2nd earliest record Caspian Tern was at RMBS 25 Mar (ph. Tom Caraway). An unusually high tally of 61 For- ster’s Terns for Fellows Lake Greene occurred 7 May (DBl, BBl). Red- Page 174 THE BLUEBIRD
throated Loons (acc.) were reported 2 Mar-7 Apr from the Mutton Creek
Campground/Arcola areas of Stockton Lake Dade. Setting the 13th spring
record, 1 on 2 Mar, discovered by Reggie Schwartzentruber, Steve Martin†,
Debbie Martin† was determined to be an adult 8 Mar by Paul McKenzie†
and (ph. BJ). On 9 Mar (ph. Merle Wegner) reported two individuals pre-
sent, and 22 Mar two were sighted again ph. Pete Monacell†, (ph. m. obs.)
with both remaining until 7 Apr (EO, Paige Witek). An adult Pacific Loon
(acc.) was photographed by Kendell Loyd† 2 Mar at Old Highway 86 Access
Table Rock Lake Stone, establishing the 8th record for this period. Another
Pacific Loon (acc.) discovered and photographed (EWa) 7 May at Longview
makes the 9th spring record. Two Neotropic Cormorants, each spending
almost six weeks, were spotted in the west. The first occurred 4 Apr-17 May
at Lake Springfield Park Greene (ph. KL, m. obs.). The other, 8 Apr-17 May,
was at SOCA St. Clair/Vernon (ph. TE, DC). The sole Glossy Ibis this
spring was photographed 27 Apr at OSCA Stoddard (MH). Still considered
rare outside the northwestern part of the state, nine counties hosted White-
faced Ibis with a maximum count of 20 at EBCA 27 Apr (PK). In the west
were 30 at SWLNWR Chariton/Linn 2 May (Steve Kinder).
White-faced Ibis, RMBS 30 Apr 2019
Photo Doug Hommert
An impressive number of Black Vultures for the St. Louis area included
27, carefully counted 11 May at a roost in Klondike Park St. Charles (ph.
JU, BR, TP, Matt Rowe). Breeding Osprey numbers continue to expand in
the state. A new high count of 10 adults was made around Stockton Lake
Dade 10 Apr. Five pairs were observed on four occupied nests, with an ap-
parent fifth under construction (ph. DBl). Four Golden Eagles were ob-
served this period. One apparent adult was seen 5 Mar Duck Creek Wayne
Page 175 THE BLUEBIRD(MH); an immature 6 Mar at RMBS (TP); 1, Edwin A. Pape Lake Layfayette 11 Mar (LO); and an immature 17 Apr Graham Cave SP Montgomery (ph. PM, ph. PMo). An early arriving Broad-winged Hawk set a 2nd earliest seasonal record 14 Mar Creve Coeur Lake St. Louis (DBe). Swainson’s Hawks migrating through the western part of the state rose to 52, on 13 Apr Muskrat Lake Buchanan the 3rd highest count for spring (ph. TN). Barn Owls were discovered in Cape Girardeau, Cedar, Clinton, Dade, and Mississippi Counties this spring. Likewise, single Long-eared Owls were present in Holt, Polk, and Randolph Counties. Three Peregrine Falcons on 1 May tie the high count at an area of shorebird concentration EBCA (ph. BJ). A single Prairie Falcon was observed 21 Mar at Deer Ridge CA Lewis (JR). Eleven Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on 5 May are notable for early May. All were viewed along Mokane Road Callaway (ph. CBa, ph. Brenda Morris). Yellow-bellied Flycatchers are rare in the west. Single birds were seen and heard 18 and 19 May, near MDC Neosho District Headquar- ters, and Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center, both Newton (JC) and (JC, Kim Banner). A Say’s Phoebe initially found 13 Feb (KL) depart- ed 10 Mar Greene (ph. KL, ph. m. obs.). Andrea Kipping† and Lawrence Kip- ping discovered and photographed an adult male Vermilion Flycatcher (acc.) 16 Mar Triplett Chariton, establishing the 4th spring and 11th state records for the species. Even one Loggerhead Shrike is an event in many parts of Missouri. This spring there were several observations of two, mostly in an area encompassing Appleton City and Wah’Kon-tah and Taberville Prairies, St. Clair and Cedar, 1 Mar-8 May (m. obs.). Two shrikes were no- table 3 May Shannon (ph. DBr, Gail Gagnon). A photogenic Northern Shrike, first viewed by Eric Schuette 20 December lingered until 22 Mar at BKLCA (JH). Highest recorded counts for Blue Jay are “in the hun- dreds” and 185 birds (Robbins, 2018). This spring a remarkable 384 were seen 5 May at Longview (EWa). Fish Crows made a nice showing with 60 spotted 12 May along Mokane Northern Shrike, BKLCA 2 Jan 2019 Road Callaway, potentially set- Photo Doug Hommert ting a new 2nd highest spring count (PMo). NUTHATCHES through BUNTINGS Many Red-breasted Nuthatches remained into spring from the fall and winter incursion. This season’s high count was 8 at TGP 4 May (NR, m. obs.). Five Bewick’s Wrens, 1 adult feeding 4 young, were noted 22 May Talbot CA Lawrence (aud. JM). Three wrens present at two sites: 3 Apr near Page 176 THE BLUEBIRD
Augusta St. Charles (Craig Kunde); and 6 May Russellville Cole (CBa). A
private residence has hosted a pair for decades near Roscoe St. Clair 3 May
(aud. MR, JB); 2 at Audubon Trails Nature Center Phelps 20 May (ph. Rod
Lentz); 1-2 Franklin 27 Apr-30 May (ph. aud. JF and SF); 1-2 Columbia
Audubon/Bonnie View Nature
Sanctuary Boone 7 Apr-16 May
(Joseph Bieksza, ph. m. obs.). A
Townsend’s Solitaire (acc.) first
photographed 15 Apr by Karen
Davis†, continued until 17 Apr at
Longview. The species is casual
outside the northwest corner of
Missouri and establishes the 2nd
latest state spring record. A new
seasonal record high Veery count
of 21, observed 6 May Ben Cash
Levee Dunklin, toppled the previ-
ous highest count (aud. MR, JB).
Two female Purple Finches set
new spring 2nd and 3rd latest dates
with 1 along Acorn Trail Phelps
29 May (ph. Gary Mueller), and 1
Rocky Ridge Franklin 28 May
(JF, ph. SF). Both birds appeared
to have conjunctivitis. While
Townsend’s Solitaire, 17 Apr 2019
American Tree Sparrow does
Longview. Photo Karen Davis linger into spring, 125 on 23 Mar
at CBCA represents a high num-
ber there (BR, TP). Similarly, 122 Savannah Sparrows at CBCA was no-
table 23 Mar (BR, TP). Where most common, Henslow’s Sparrow maxi-
mum numbers reached: 14, at Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie Cedar 31 May (JM); 10
Hi Lonesome Prairie Benton 1 May (Marge Lumpe); and 10 Dunn Ranch
Harrison 20 Apr (Miguel Acosta). In the Ozark Border were 9 at Weldon
Spring St. Charles 17 April (JU, Christopher Brown, Bill Duncan). Twenty
Swamp Sparrows on 1 May at RMBS were notable (BR). Impressive for
the eastern one-third of the state was a high count of 20 Yellow-headed
Blackbirds 21 Apr at RMBS (ph. MT, m. obs.). A remarkable, multi-species
fallout 14 May at LBNWR produced a spring record high count of 79 Or-
chard Orioles (MR). The previous maximum, 65, also occurred at this loca-
tion. An early bird Worm-eating Warbler (acc.) detected by Peter Kon-
drashov† 11 Apr along the Katy Trail Boone set a new earliest record. A 3rd
highest count was established with 26 Northern Waterthrush, 6 May Ben
Cash Levee Dunklin (aud. MR, JB). A rare Lawrence’s Warbler-type phe-
notype was observed 4 May Ray (Steve Dillinger). Lawrence’s Warbler is a
hybrid backcross between a Brewster’s and Golden-winged Warbler. A
Brewster’s-type is a hybrid of Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers.
Swainson’s Warbler is a casual transient away from the southern two
tiers of counties in Missouri. Apparently the 9th state record (acc.) outside
the breeding range, a singing male was first heard by John Besser† 4 May
Page 177 THE BLUEBIRDat Grindstone Nature Area Boone, causing excitement in the Columbia area
(ph. aud. Cara Joos†, ph. Nicholas March†, ph. Paul McKenzie†, aud. Peter
Kondrashov†, m. obs.). A maximum of 3 were reported in the Greer Spring
and Eleven Point River areas, 4-10 May Oregon, Shannon. Single Connect-
icut Warblers were observed at two locations: One was found (Michael
O’Keefe) then relocated (LO) 9 May at Pertle Springs Johnson. Another, on
23 May was at TGP (DHa, ph. Mike Grant, m. obs.). This spring a fallout of
Common Yellowthroat set a new 2nd high count with 107 at LBNWR 14
May (MR). See Orchard Oriole account, above. A rare transient in the west,
single Cape May Warblers were noted: 3 May at a residence Boone (Lori
Hagglund); 9 May Rock Bridge SP Boone (PM, PMo, BJ); one each at resi-
dences, both 10 May, Saline (Ethan Duke), and Pulaski (Brian Nelson). The
remainder included a high of 5 at Carondelet Park 10 May (ph. PM, ph.
PMo). A record high count of 55 Northern Parula, 16 Apr along Sugar
Camp Scenic Drive Barry tops the previous high of 50 (DBl, BBl). The same
extraordinary spring fallout at LBNWR produced yet another record count;
this time 122 Yellow Warblers on 14 May at LBNWR (ph. MR). Single
adult male Black-throated Blue Warblers were present in two distinct
areas of the state with all but one observation in St. Louis City: 9 May, For-
est Park (ph. Brad Warrick, m. obs.); 10 May, the Missouri Botanical Gar-
den (Stephanie Green); 13 May, Missouri Botanical Garden (ph. Thibaud
Aronson); 10 May Carondelet Park (PMo, PM); and an adult singing male,
10 May at McCormack Lake Oregon (DBl, BBl). A Black-throated Green
Warbler total of 12 at TGP 10 May tied the 2nd highest count (MH). A casu-
al transient adult male Western Tanager (acc.) was photographed by Di-
ane Bricmont†, setting the new 12th state and 10th spring records 14-17 Apr
at a residence St. Louis (ph. m. obs.). On the heels of the prior documenta-
tion and toppling the old record by a month, Diane Bricmont† observed and
photographed an extremely early adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
(acc.) 7 Mar-24 Apr at a residence St. Louis, establishing a new earliest
spring record for the state. Black-headed Grosbeak (acc.) is a rare transi-
ent, with records documenting at least 14 spring and a dozen fall individu-
als (Robbins, 2018). An adult male, first photographed by Francis
Abramovitz 9 Apr and last seen 17 Apr, Barry sets a new earliest seasonal
state record. Documentation was submitted on the observer’s behalf by Sa-
rah Kendrick, State Ornithologist. An adult male Painted Bunting (acc.)
was photographed by Shelly Colatskie† 18 May at a feeding station in St.
Louis, where it remained through the season. With 13 extralimital records
north of the Missouri River, the observation establishes the 14th spring rec-
ord in the northern part of the state.
Observers – Multiple Citations:
Kathleen Anderson (KA), Chris Barrigar (CBa), David Becher
(DBe), David Blevins (DBl), Barbara Blevins (BBl), Diane Bricmont
(DBr), Jeff Cantrell (JC), Dan Cowell (DC), Tony Elliott (TE), Mark
Haas (MH), David Haenni (DHa), Jerry Hemmersmeyer (JH), Doug
Hommert (DH), Brad Jacobs (BJ), Tim Kavan (TK), Peter Kon-
Page 178 THE BLUEBIRDdrashov (PK), Sherry Leonardo (SL), Kendell Loyd (KL), Matt Lon-
gabaugh (ML), Debbie Martin (DM), Steve Martin (SM), Paul
McKenzie (PM), Pete Monacell (PMo), Joseph Mosley (JM), Tom
Nagel (TM), Larry Olpin (LO), Eric Ost (EO) Tom Parmeter (TP),
Natalie Rekittke (NR), Mark Robbins (MR), Bill Rowe (BR), Jethro
Runco (JR), Mike Thelen (MT), Joshua Uffman (JU), Eric Walters
(EWa)
Abbreviations:
(*) documentation has not been received by the Missouri Bird Records
Committee
(†) documentation has been received
(acc.) documentation has been accepted
ad. adult
aud. audio
CA Conservation Area
det. details
et al. and others
imm. Immature
MDC Missouri Department of Conservation
m. obs. multiple observers
NFWR National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
NWR National Wildlife Refuge
MO Missouri
pers. comm. personal communication
ph. photo
SP State Park
TNC The Nature Conservancy
vid. video
Location Abbreviations:
BKLCA BK Leach CA, Lincoln County
Bradford Farms University of Missouri Bradford Research Center,
Boone County
Busch CA Busch Conservation Area, St. Charles County
Carondelet Park Carondelet Park, St. Louis City
Page 179 THE BLUEBIRDCBCA Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, St. Louis County
CCNWR Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge, Pike County
EBCA Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Boone County
FRCA Four Rivers Conservation Area, Bates/Vernon Counties
Hornersville Hornersville Swanp, Dunklin County
OSCA Otter Slough Conservation Area, Butler/Stoddard Counties
Longview Longview Lake, Jackson County
RMBS Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles County
RRSP Roaring River State Park, Barry County
LBNWR Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, Holt County
SLNWR Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge,
Chariton/Linn Counties
Smithville Smithville Lake, Clay County
SOCA Schell-Osage Conservation Area,
St. Clair/Vernon Counties
TSCA Ted Shanks Conservation Area, Pike County
TGP Tower Grove Park, St. Louis City
Literature Cited:
Robbins, M.B. The Status and Distribution of Birds in Missouri. University
of Kansas Biodiversity Institute, Lawrence Kansas. 2018.
eBird Basic Dataset. Version: EBD_relJun-2019. Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. May 2019.
Guinan, P. (Apr 2019). April 2019 Weather and Its Impacts on Missouri.
Missouri Climate Center. Retrieved from:
http://climate.missouri.edu/news/arc/apr2019.php
Guinan, P. (May 2019). May 2019 Weather and Its Impacts on Missouri.
Missouri Climate Center. Retrieved from:
http://climate.missouri.edu/news/arc/may2019.php
Guinan, P. (Jun 2019). June 2019 Weather and Its Impacts on Missouri.
Missouri Climate Center. Retrieved from:
http://climate.missouri.edu/news/arc/jun2019.php
Page 180 THE BLUEBIRDKendzora Conservation Area
Sherry Leonardo and Laura Robinson
746 Acres, Buchannan and Platte Counties. DeLorme 26, B-5
GPS: 39°32'00.1"N 94°38'44.3"W
MDC owned; for more information call (816) 858-5718
Directions: From Kansas City take US 169 north about 27 miles
from downtown airport, turn left onto SW State Highway Z. After
3.7 miles, turn right onto N. Platte Ave/ Union Mill Rd. Go past
homes and enter CA. Restroom and gas are available in Trimble on
US 169.
ADA Information: Not wheelchair accessible.
When to visit/ Species to expect: Spring and fall migrations for
passerines and waterfowl. This is a conservation area that is not
visited much and birders often have the area to themselves, unless
it’s hunting season. Since the road is a throughway, there is traffic,
but very sparse.
Features of interest to birders: The land donated by Anthony
and Beatrice Kendzora comprises wet and dry woodland in 200 acres
of bottomland and 300 acres timber, 190 acres grassland, wetlands,
a small lake, the Platte River, and some fallow cropland, which can
be good for shorebirds after rain.
Birders can walk along levees to get behind ponds managed for duck
hunting. Surrounding farm roads to the north are good for sparrows
and grassland birds. Water levels vary due to management and
weather.
The best way to bird is to come from the south and work north. Just
past Edgerton homes are low-lying woods to the left/west and high-
er, drier woods to the right/east. Both sides are good for birds such
as woodpeckers, warblers and vireos. As water levels are managed
and weather dependent, low-lying areas may be swampy.
Park in the designated lot on the right. Across the road is access to
a levee trail, which is usually maintained. It can be walked for
about ¾ mile but does not loop. On the left are woods and river and
on the right are ponds. At the entrance, look for a Yellow-Billed
Cuckoo pair and Prothonotary Warblers, Yellow Warblers, Common
Yellowthroat and woodland species like vireos. Along the ponds:
egrets, Great Blue and Green Heron, kingfishers, ducks, eagles and
Page 181 THE BLUEBIRDhawks may be present. Be sure to look for night-herons. Often seen are beaver and muskrat. Starting from the parking lot, take the trail northeast and stay to the right to get to the lake. It’s about 1/2 mile to the lake and does not loop. Here, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated, Downy and other woodpeckers may be seen, along with towhees, orioles, sparrows, Summer Tanager, Dickcissel and Blue Grosbeaks. The next parking stop is the gate on the left, about midway between the two designated parking lots on the MDC map, across from the spillway area. (About ¼ mile from first parking area.) This is the lowest point and may be inaccessible during heavy rain events. Park at the edge of the gate, do not block it. Behind the gate, walk slowly atop the levee, which is usually maintained, eventually veer- ing right. Access along the levee is about ½ mile and does not loop. Here is where American Pipit, swallows, ducks, geese, warblers, kingfisher, Merlin, eagles and cormorants have been seen. Teal, grebes, blackbirds, catbirds and Red-Shouldered Hawks are regu- lars. Look for Snipe; also Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers. Across the road is the spillway, which often has Wood Ducks and the occasional Northern Waterthrush. Along the road on the lake/ northeast side is good, sloped woodland, but there is a gully, which often has water so there is little access to the slope. At one point, there is a small bridge to get across, but it is usually inaccessible due to lack of maintenance. Pond edges along the road are often loaded with Prothonotary and Yellow Warblers along with Northern Parulas. Keep and eye out for occasional Swamp Sparrows. Next, stop at the far end of the main road, just before it turns north. There is space to park on the left/pond side. The ponds end and fal- low fields begin. If there is shallow water in the fields there may be Yellowlegs and Killdeer and Sandpiper. This has been good for sparrows, Blue Grosbeak and raptors. Back in the car, turn north along N. Platte Ave./ Union Mill Road. It becomes 361 at this point. There is another parking area, on the left, with the Kendzora sign, but this area is usually not mowed, so it’s bush whacking and not worth the stop. Continue by car (there are farm dogs) and bird slowly to check for Grasshopper and other sparrow species along the way, especially the fencerows. Nearing the corner, stay aware for Bobolink, then Northern Bobwhite, East- ern Bluebird and Lark Sparrow. Continue birding for grassland birds as the road veers right to become SE West Rd. Page 182 THE BLUEBIRD
Birding ends at intersection of N. County Rd. B. Take a right and head back to Edgerton. While there is a restaurant in Edgerton, it’s recommended to bring snacks/lunch or head to Plattsburg or Smith- ville. There is an excellent butcher shop in Trimble called Paradise Locker Meats, well worth the side trip. Toilets: None. Camping: None Hazards/Limitations: During heavy rain events, N. Platte Ave./ Union Mill Road through the CA may be inaccessible. Nearby birding sites: Smithville Lake or Hartell CA and McGee CA, both near Plattsburg. Page 183 THE BLUEBIRD
Page 184 THE BLUEBIRD
The Bluebird
Awards Committee: The ASM Executive Committee
Webmaster: Kevin Wehner
Executive Committee: Mark Haas, Bill Eddleman, Scott Laurent, Pat
Lueders, and Allen Gathman
Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative: Susan Hazelwood
Conservation Partnership Coordinator: Edge Wade
Grassland Bird Coordinator: Mike Doyen
Missouri Bird Records Committee:
Brad Jacobs, Chair
Bill Rowe, Secretary
Brad Jacobs, Paul McKenzie, Mark Robbins, Lisa Berger, Josh Uffman,
Joe Eades, and Bill Rowe
—————————————————————————————————
ADDRESS CHANGES
If you move to a new address or you register a temporary address with the
post office, please let ASM know. For an address change, just send me an
email with your new address, or mail me a note. If it is a temporary ad-
dress, do the same thing, but also let me know the date of your return and
whether you want THE BLUEBIRD sent to your temporary address or held
and sent after you return home. You can also change your address anytime
on your own by logging into your profile at MOBIRDS.ORG. Thank you!
Kevin Wehner
ASM Membership Chair
2101 W. Broadway, PMB 122
Columbia, MO 65203-1261
(573) 815-0352
kevinwehner@gmail.com
——-JOIN
The Audubon Society of Mssouri
Membership Brings You
The Bluebird—quarterly journal of the ASM
Birding Fellowship
Spring and Fall Birding Weekends
Organized Input into Conservation Issues
Birding Education
Go to www.mobirds.org and pay using PayPal, or by mail:
Application for ASM Membership
Name: ____________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
City / State / Zip: ___________________________________________________
Preferred Phone: _________________________________________
Email Address: _____________________________________________________
_____ Do NOT Publish My Phone Number in the ASM Membership Directory
_____ Do NOT Publish ANY of My Information in the ASM Membership Directory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**Indicate whether this is a NEW membership or a RENEWAL**
_____ New _____ Renewal
**Please check the Membership Category that applies and your BLUEBIRD choice**
_____ Individual—$20.00 _____ Contributing—$50.00
_____ Family—$25.00 _____ Benefactor—$150.00
_____ Student—$15.00 _____ Life—$250.00
_____ Mail paper BLUEBIRD—$5.00 per year (FREE for Life members)
_____ I’ll read the BLUEBIRD online at MOBIRDS.ORG—FREE!
$______________ Total Enclosed
Send checks (payable to Audubon Society of Mssouri) to:
The Audubon Society of Mssouri
2101 W. Broadway, PMB 122
Columbia, MO 65203-1261
THE BLUEBIRD
The voice of ASM since 1934You can also read
