The BLUEBIRD

THE AUDUBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI

VoJ.. 52, No. 4

The Audubon Society of Missouri Founded 1901

PURPOSE The Audubon Society of Missouri Is o 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 citizenr:y toward appreciation of the natural world, and to working for wise conservation practices related to people and wildlife.

OFFICERS

President 816-665-1005 James H s h a d d y2103 N Oak Lane, Kirksville, 63501

Vice-president 314-636-2765 ,Randall Washburn 2319 Gray F o x Terr. ~ # D , j e f f e r s o n City, 65101

Treasurer 314-655-0402, Sydney Wade 2114 St Louie Road, j e f f e r s o n City, 65101

Secretary 314-433-2433. ,Charlene Jackson Rt 2, Box 1 3 6 a , m a r t h a s v i l l e , 63357

EDITORS

The Bluebird 314-474-4510. .Bil1 Clark 3906 Grace Ellen .Dr; c o l u m b i a , 6 5 2 0 2 - 1 7 9 6

Bird Survey 314-634-3312 jimD. wilson4 0 2 m e i e r d r i v e , j e f f e r s o n c i t y , 65101

Conservation 314-433-2433 j a m e s P. j acksonRt 2, Box 1 3 6 a marthasvi l le , 63357

REGIONAL DIRECTORS William Reeves 314-756-4932Paul Bauer 314-921-3972Joan j e f f e r s o n

David Easterla JoAnn Garrett Lyle Pursell 314-364-6589Rebecca Matthews 417-869-1000 Leo Galloway 816-232-8035 J. Marshall Magner }14-961-4588 Nathan f a y (honora ry)Floyd Lawhon (Honorary),

f a r m i n g t o n. f lor issantk a n s a s City

maryville Raymore

Rolla s p r i n g f i e l d .st. Joseph

.Webster Groves o z a r k

st. Joseph

MISSOURI BIRD ALERT - Hot Line - 314-449-7938

(COVER AND HEADINGS BY DAVID PLANK)

The Bluebird Vol. 52, N o . 4

f r o mt h e p r e s i d e n t ' s CIRCLE

.

Jim shaddyk i rksv i l le , missouri

I recently presented a program to the Ozark Rivers Audubon Society o n "Why Not Eat Insects?" Being an entomologist, t h i s is a subject that is dear to my heart. Dur1ng the flight to Rolla (I have a commercial pilot's license) on a perfectly beautiful day, I began t o consider t h e b o u n t y the earth has produced f o r u s t o h a r v e s t :

This caused me to reflect on how fortu-nate we really are to live in hte U . S . A I've had the privilege of traveling behind the Iron Curtain, China, and other parts of the world

n thus affording me an even greater appreciation for what we have. Yet some around us seem to take it all for granted. Their behavior would indicate that all is going well regard-less of the abuses to our environment that are so obvious . . .soil erosion, damming rivers, loss of tropical f o r e s t .

However, putt ing our problems aside for d a minute, I would like to ask each o f you, as

we enter into the Thanksgiving/Christmas ;1oli-day s e a s o n to pause with me just briefly t oreflect on our riches and to extend thanks to our Lord for providing for us.

I would like to wish each of you the happiest h o l i d a y season ever.

AS m b o a r d meet ingThe ASM Board met on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 5, 1985, and

came up with some of the most progressive and constructive legislation in recent years. In a capsule, here's w h a t happened:

1 - Made n o disposition of the People Along the r iver program which had been approved at the spring meeting. The People Along the River program w a s contacted, out did not respond.

2 - No disposition of Wilderness Coalition money was made. Though contacted, the Coalition did not respond concerning a stipend of $100 allocated by the ASM.

3 - Directed Alverta Loomis to list the expiration dates of the board members on the cover of The Bluebird.

4 - Elected the following directors to serve until 1988: Bill Reeves, Farmington; Dave Easterla, Maryville; Marshall Mayner, Webster Groves.

5- Directed The Bluebird editor to print the treasurer's report in the Dec. Bluebird.

6 - Established a validation committee (also to be known as the records committee). See article on following pages.

7 - Directed Dave Easterla to revise the Checklist of Missouri Birds, which was compiled by Dave and Dick Anderson in 1467 and revised in 1971 and in 1979. Since the last revision,

many changes have oeen made by AOU which are not reflected by our checklist. Dave was directed to have the 3,000 copies p r i n t e d which would be no longer than the normal field guides with an update thru 1985. $ 2 6 0 was earmarked for the printing.

8- Gave Bill Clark the approval to organize the logistics to produce a bird-finding guide for the State of Missouri which could become an ASM project. No money was allocated for the project until the feasibility has been established. See article in fo 11 owing pages.

9 - Went on record as a sponsor of the Missouri Breeding Bird Atlas being established by Jim Wilson with the assistance of Tim Barksdale. Pledged ASM support in helping commit the 200 helpers needed to make the project a success. See article later in Bluebird.

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10 - Approved the continuation of the ASM Hotline and paid oack bi 11 s for the notl i ne which had been carried by Tim Barksdale. Tim will continue to operate the notline for ASM. Story on following pages.

11 - Promoting the ide a of county coun t s and directed The Bluebird editor to carry such c o u n t s as a part of the total reporting procedure in Tne Bl uebi rd. Story 1 ater.

12 -Approved membersnip in the American Ornithologists Union for the ASM.

13 -Approved a field trip format to oe under the direction of Paul Bauer, who will serve as ASM field trip co-ordir1ator. Story in following pages.

14 - Set the spring meeting for May 9-11 and Dave Easterla will be the host in Northwest Missour1 - in all probablility at Squaw Creek NWR. More in the March Bluebird.

15 - Fall meeting dates were set for Oct. 3-5, once again at Camp Clover Point.

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meet in g r e pp o r tOne of the smaller turnouts gathered at Camp Clover p o i n t for

the annual Fall meeting of the Auaubon Society of m i ssouri on o c t .4-6- but they were not disappointed. A fine fall total of 101 species was seen on the field trips, many wildflowers were still in full bloom- and the thrust of the entire w e e k e n d was wildlife photography. t h e weather was perfect for the proJeCt.

Jim Rathert, former ASM president, presented the forma1 program on Saturday ni gnt, discussing many of the aspects of outdoor photography and der,Jonstrating the equipment .. mich one needs to be reasonaoly successful. He exhibited some of his work --which acted as role m o d e l s for those of us who have d r e a m s of some day seeing our work in print.

Paul Bauer led field trips geared to practicing what Jim had preached. And John Wylie, as usual, kept his f o l l o w e r s enthralled with his walking t a l k s about the flora and fauna of the area. dave Easterla and Tim Barksdale led birding expeditions to t h e marshes and lakeshore which wer.e rich in their produce.

The major problem was deciding which field trip to take. And the food, as usual, was outstanding.

a n n u a l repor t or t h e t r e a s u r e rs e p t e m b e re r 2 0 , 1984 to s e p t e m b e r 20, 1 9 8 5

b a l a n c e o n HAND s e p t e m b e r 20, 1984c h e.. c k i n gc e t l fi c a t e or c o n s u l tt. g e n e r a l s a v i n g s

r e c e i p t s dues

d u e s1 1 n schola r s h i p fs t a t e meet ing

s p r i n g m m e e t i n g sp a t c h e s

- ·:ow c h e c k i n g - ow as c h o l a r s h i p fundg e n eral savin g s c; .... o l t

t o t a l c e BE ACCOil:liE!'.I i'OR

d i s b u r s e m e n t ss t a t e m e e t i n g - 1 ~ P 4

m e a l sp .. r k f e eU.tllltlel'l a w .. r d .' l a g u es u p p l i e s

b l u e b i r df r i r t i n gword processs ingi·l" l l i n ga i r l e s s l a b e l s (li·''J)

h o t l i n e

r e b e l rs o t h e r EXPENSES

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c o n s e r v e .. t i o n f e d e r a t lon nat ional Au1ubon Aff. d e l e g a t e to c f m :orr, p o s t a g e

a f f . 250.00

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b a l a n a c e s o k HAND septemberchecking

30, 1985

cer t i f ica tes of d e p o s i t generaa l s a v i n g s s c h o l a r s h i p fund

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Jim Jackson and Bill Clark served as the judges for the annual photo contest and placed their stamp of excellence on these efforts by ASM members:

Prints - 1. Paul Bauer, Florissant. 2. JoAnn Garrett, Raymore.

Slides - 1. Bob Aramant, Kansas City. 2. Dave Easterla, Maryville.

some excellent work by several ASM photo buffs, but we need more participation in the future. Make the judges really work at it.

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BecKy Matthews and Jim Jackson, long-time a s m members and outdoor writers, were honored for their long serv1ce and contributions to Missouri Natural h i s t o r y by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Jim, of course, is well-known as an author wnose most recent work is Passage of a Stream, a chronicle of the Merdmec River. He's a contributor to many publications, including The Bluebird, on conservation issues and serves as the ASM's representative to the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

Becky currently serves the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society as president and for many years has been a n a t u r e c o l u m n i s t for the Springfield Newspapers, Inc. She's a former editor of The Bluebird and a frequent contributor here as well as elsewhere.

Each received a large, beautiful plaque from Jonn Wylie, the director of the natural History Section of the Missouri Dept. of Conservdti on.

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Top 10 b i r d s oF 1984-85The Top 10 Bird List for the state of Missouri for the 12

months from July 1, 1984-June 30, 1985, was announced by Jim D. Wilson, the state ornithologist, at the end of the evening on Saturday night. He and his committee pi c k e d the following:

1 - Varied Thrush. First Missouri record. Jan. 20-March 10 at the Mark Robbins' family home in Maryville.

2 - Band-tailed pigeon. second for state. Last year, tne first sighting tooK second behind the Slaty-backed Gull. This one was seen March 29-April 20 at the Jo Seeman home in Kansas City.

3 - Rock Wren. Seen Oct. 7 in Shannon County by Joel Greenberg, a veteran Illinois birder.

4- Trumpeter swans. Free-flying birds. Ten individuals seen by many observers from Jan. 15-March 7.

5- Black Rail. Discovered May 10 at Whetstone W1ldlife Area in Montgomery County by Jim Grace and Tom Hutton. (see June Bluebird). Fourth Missouri record.

6- Say's Phoebe. A single bird discovered in Independence by Mrs. Richard Franklin. Moved back a notch from '84.

7 - Sabine's Gull. Seen at the Montrose Wildlife Area from Sept. 29-0ct. 1. Discovered by Bob Fisher, Chris Hobbs, and JoAnn Garett. .

8 - Lark Bunting. A pair seen by Mark Robbins 1 ast Sept. 10 in Holt County.

9 - Ruff. Discovered on August 12 at StocKtorl Lake by Jerry sowers.

1U - Rufous Hummingbird. Two sightings. Fist seen by Amy Zimmerman Sept. 4-11 at Rogersville. Second sighting by Floya lawhon Sept. 20-Dec. 2 at Lake Contrary.

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A fine total of 101 species was r e c o r d e d on a lovely weekend in early October. Those seen were:

Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Canda Goose, Snow Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, American p i g e o n , northern Shoveler, Wood Duck, Ring-r1ecked Duck, Turkey Vulture, Gosnawk, Sharp-shi nned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-ta i 1 ed Hawk, Red-shouldered h a w k , Broad-winged Hawk, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Kestrel, Bobwhite, TurKey, Killdeer, Common Snipe, Ring-billed Gull, Franklin's Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, r o c k Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Screech Owl, Great Horned o w l , Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Common Flicker (YS), Pileated w o o d p e c k e r , Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Downy woodpecker, Eastern phoebe, Eastern Wood pewee, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Horned La4rk, Bank Swallow, rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay, Common Crow, Carolina c h i c k a d e e , Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, carolina Wren, Brown Thrasher, American Robink, Eastern Bluebird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Starling, White-eyed Vireo (late), Solitary Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Ye1low-rumped Warbler (Myrtle), Black-throated Green Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Blackburnian Warloer, Blackpoll Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, House Sparrow, Eastern MeadowlarK, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Oriole (Baltimore), Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Scarlet Tanager, summer Tanager, Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Rufous-sided Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, LeConte's Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow.

Three new spec1es thus join the list of the birds of the fall meeting--White Pelican, Bonaparte's Gull, and f r a n k l i n ' s Gull. That trio brings the list to a corrected total of 152--and we refer you to the upcoming update of additional species from the past.

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CooKie.s One of the highlights of the fall meeting was the platter of

pink cookieJ supplied by long-time member Iris Healzer of Gravois M i 11 s. Many asked for the recipe - and Iris was kind enough to pass it along to the ASM membership.

Gooey Bars (Clover Point PinK Cookies)

1 pkg. yellow cake mix 1 egg (chicken type) 1 sticK Oleo

m i x Together

Press into jellyroll pan.

The topping: 2 eggs beaten (chicken type) 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese 1 box powdered sugar

Mix Together

Pour over top of first mixture in pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes - or until topping is shining and a little brown around the edge. DO NOT OVER BAKE.

Iris notes that the topping can be tinted red or green and is especially nice for Christmas treats. And she adds: "I thought Mr. wylie's nature w a l k s were outstanding."

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s p e c i a l d at e sSpring Meeting - Northwest m i s s o u r i (Squaw creek, etc.)

May 9-11, 1986 Fall Meeting -Camp Clover Point (As usual)

Oct. 3-4-5, 1986 Make your plans now. Your editor guaranttes both will be

spectacular outings.

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k n owThese b i r dds? In going over t h e ASM's Pocket List of Missouri Birds from

1947, this newcomer to Dirding (Ye Ed) found some very interesting names. Can anyone identify the following?

Lesser Loon, Holboell's Grebe, Water TurKey, Man-o'-War bird, Ward's Heron, Hutchins' Goose, Red-legged Black Duck, American Merganser, Duck HawK, Little Brown Crane, Florida Gallinule, Richardson's owl, Inland Dowitcher, Nuttall's Poorwill, Arkansas King bird, Hoyt's Horned Lark, Florida Nuthatch, Texas Wren, Hermit Thrushes (dwarf, Sierra, and Audubon's), Russet-backed Thrush, Willow Thrush, Migrant shrike, White-rumped shrike,b l u e - h e a d e d Vireo, Sycamore Warbler, No. pileolated Warbler, Grinnell's Waterthrush, g i a n t Red-winged Blackbird, Bendire's Crossbill, Red-eyed Towhee, Arctic Towhee, Nelson's Sparrow, montana Junco.

It would be interesting to have some up-dates on the above list. It is interesting, too, to go over the 1947 list (compiled by Rudolf Bennitt of the Uni v. of M o . ) , and note the many species listed as hypothetical. The 1947 list of birds seen at the annual ASM meeting was on Bennitt's checklist which had not been revised since 1937 and the names were based on the AOU checklist from 1931.

Some of the birds seen in 1947 were Little Sparrow Hawk, Prairie Horned Lark, Prairie Marsh Wren, Migrant ShriKe, Eastern Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Cowbird, Bronzed GracKle, Red-eyed towhee Mississippi Song Sparrow. There was considerable speciation noting eastern, western, n o r t h e r n and southern species. In 1947, sightings included eastern species of Red-tails, Bobwhite, Kingfisner, Hairy (out we nad Northern Downy, No. Blue Jay and No. Flicker), Crow, Winter Wren, Mockingbird, both Kinglets, Cardinal, Goldfinch and most of the common Sparrows.

ASM HoTl i n e31 4- 4 4 9- 793 8

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f a l l mee t i ng LisT To 18 6Research by both JoAnn Garrett and Dave Easterla has turned

up 34 new species to be added to tne list of birds seen at tne fall meetings at Lake of the azarks State Park. The total now stands at ld6 species since the first report from 1947. As time passes, we' 11 try to uncover the 1 i sts from any meet1 ngs we're m i s s i n g .. . .but the list is nearing the limit for that time of year.

JoAnn's additions come from the 1970's and early 1980's and include these 15 species:

Ring-necked Duck (79), Lesser scaup (79), Common Merganser (78), Common scoter (78), Virginia Rail (76), Loggerhead shrike(79), Yellow-throated Vireo (79), Bell's Vireo (82), Red-eyed Vireo (79), Philadelphia Vireo (73), Cerulean Warbler (78), Ovenbird (73), Canada Warbler (78), Northern Oriole (78), Pine Siskin (79).

Dave sent along a number of meeting check lists from as far back in history as 1947 and extending into the mid 1970's. His lists added 19 species-- plus the Spotted Towhee (56), which is now a race of the Red-eyed Towhee of 1956 -- w e call them both now the Rufous-sided Towhee. Dave's additions:

American Bittern (56), Goshawk (72), Peregrine Falcon (68), American Woodcock (68), Eastern Winter Wren (now simply the Winter Wren) (47), Traill's Flycatcher (77), Solitary Vireo (then called Blue-headed) (56), Water Pipit (then called American) (63), Magnolia Warbler (47), La. Waterthrush (47), Conneticut Warbler (47), Golden-crowned Kinglet (47), Purple Finch (63), Sharp-tailed Sparrow (56), Vesper Sparrow (56), LeConte's Sparrow (56 l, s w a m pSparrow (47), Fox Sparrow (47), White-crowned Sparrow (47). In addition to the Spotted Towhee in lY56, Dave added an interesting spotting in 1976- a partially albino Gadwall.

Only a few years remain to uncover - but w e could soon break the 200 marK for the Park. Surely the possibility of being the one to find the 200th species there will make birding all the more exciting 1n years to come

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Comm. In recent years, Missouri birders have come under severe

criticism and scrutiny by others in the world of ornithology -primarily because of fragmented reporting which often did not go thru the state ornithologist nor any of the other recognized channels. Now the ASM has made a move to eliminate criticism of Missouri's reporting and insure the future.

At the fall board meeting, the ASM established a long-discussed records committee which will make decisions on the authenticity of rare and unusual reports within the state.

The state ornithologist will become the chairman of the records committee and will appoint an initial committee of not less than five memoers who have the knowledge, availability, interest, and enthusiasm to give time and effort substantiate the unusual within the state.

Jim D. Wilson, the state ornithologist, will be working on the make-up and rules of the committee with the general directions of the ASM as his foundation. The Board suggested a somewhat geographical distribution of members and discussed procedures which give weight first to at least one member of the records committee seeing the bird in question, viewing photos, and finally by reviewing written documentation. The committee will meet as needed, and will report at both the spring and fall meetings.

No budget was allocated to the committee at this time, but thepossibility was left open for future consideration.

Jim Wilson will continue to receive reports and documentation, but w h e n the c o m m i t t e e is announced, local birders w i l l be asked to contact the closest person for help in verification. The Bluebird will announce the committee and its phone numbers in the March issue.

The commi ttee wi11 oe in p 1 ace by Jan. 1 and will de a 1 with the current and the future. It would review past records only upon request and when reasonaole documentiation would still be available. It is primarily a committee of the moment.

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A B i rd f i n d i n g guideYour editor - Bill Clark - has been quite verbal in the

recent past about the need for a bird-finding guide for Missouri. In recent issues of The Bluebird, one of tne most popular sections has been a birding guide f o r a particular area within tne state.

The ASM Board has directed Ye Ed to work out the plans for such a guide. The project starts on this page.

What we plan to accoplish is what many birders nave come to appreciate - a guide to birds in a particular area of the state so that they can spend a few hours in the field, regardless of where they are in the state, and enjoy the rich birding which Missouri offers.

This would be a commercial venture . . .designed to sell to every birder, amateur and professional, with the income going to finance the ASM, not the editor.

Also - it will not be a scientific publication. Rather - it will be a guide to birding areas, the proper roads and landmarks, county maps, and general comments about which birds, flowers, unusual animals, etc., can normally be found in that particular area.

So-- 01' Clark will be approaching many of you to taKe time to help list the birding spots in all 114 counties in our state.

You'll be receiving a letter seeking your participation. We'll even accept volunteers. It will be a fun project. You already know your area. You know basically what to expect there and you know the little pockets which w o u l d be so much fun for someone who has never been in your county. You '11 a 1 ready know what roads are accesible, what parks are open during which hours, the phone numbers and fees, the places you like to haunt.

I nave birding guides from a number of states around Missouri which are abso 1 ute jewe 1 s and they've been put together by peop 1 e just like you ... people wno know and love their area of the state and are willing to share tne fun and knowledge of that area.

This should be a project which will involve the ASM membership with a minimum of time and a maximum of enjoyment.

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The Audubon Society of Missouri approved co-sponsoring the Missouri Breeding Bird Atlas with the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and the Missouri Bird Observatory at the a u t u m n board meeting,

The Atlas ProJect will have a five-year life, beginning in 1986 and continuing thru 1990. It will be much more demanding than helping with the birding guide book, but it will be a wonderful challenge to the serious birders in the state.

Jim D. Wilson and Tim Barksdale will be the statewide coordinators for the Atlas Project. They are requesting the ASM membership to jump in and help out.

The project will encompass a total of 1,700 sampling blocks uniformly distributed throughout the state. The cooperators will not fall ow a route as in breeding bird survey, but wi 11 search throughout the state. The cooperators will not follow a route as in a breeding bird survey, but will search throughout the sampling block for breeding bird activity.

Jim and Tim MUST have personnel to cover all 1,700 blocks. They note that a volunteer's knowledge of birds and their identification is not as essential as a firm committment to the project's quality. Success depends on the dedication of the volunteers.

The project will provide otherwise unavailable baseline data with which to c o m p a r e and contrast breeding bird occurances and distribution in the future. The information will oe vital to government, industry, and individuals as they make environmental impact decisions.

The project will eventually provide uptodate distribution maps, an inventory, a data base, a list of fragile and unusual habitats of both the common and rare birds of our state.

To be a part - please Jim D. Wilson PO Box 180Jefferson City, Mo. 65102 314-751-4115 {Ext. 196)

contact either Tim Barksdale 221 Elliott Drive Columbia, Mo. 65201 314-443-1929

The Breeding Bird Atlas Project is the most important project in Missouri in many a moon. The ASM is proud to be a part of it. Now we ask each individual member to do his share in making this p r o j e c t a h u g e s u c c e s s 13

Asm F,e.td t r i p sPaul Bauer, past president of the ASM and a birder of

worlwide fame, will head up a new proJect of the ASM - statewide field trips.

Paul will be planning a series of field trips within the state which will give us a chance to see places we may normally miss.

His schedule is not yet set, but will be announced after tne first of the year. Paul will be leading field trips outside the country (see later info on those) and will schedule in-state trips to fit both his scheaule and the peak birding seasons at the state's best hotspots.

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Help The HoTliNe Need for input on the ASM Birding Hotline increases.

Tim Barksdale maintains the hotline and changes it as often -as needed. But he needs input from you -the birders of Missouri. Please call in with your unusual sightings and rarities - and 0ther items which will be of interest to both Missouri birders andto those who are passing thru the area and use the hotline to guide them as they travel. Call the Hotline at 314-449-7938 and wait until the end o f the tape for the allotted time to relay your message. Everyone will appreciate your input - and benefit fromit.

a s HoTliNe, 3 1 4 - 4 4 9 - 7938

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Summer Survey June 1 -July 31, 1985

Compiled by James D. Wilson

All in all this has been a good year weather-wise for birds. The spring was not as wet as the last two years. June had about twice the normal p r e c i p i t a t i o n , b u t this was not too impactive. July was dry. We did not have the e x c e p t i o n a l heat of the last several summers. It has rarely reached the mid-90's.

Very exciting this summer has been the success of two bald eagle nests. Unusual species included a late summer Rufous Hummingbird and a Magpie. Cuckoos, Kingfishers, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays and Bell's Vireos s e e m e d to be in lower numbers. Bewick's Wrens, E. Bluebirds and Robins had a great nesting year.

Missouri Department of Conservation projects which were responsible for some of this information include a Mississippi Kite survey, survey and research of nesting accipiters and the Least Tern, and solicitation of nest reports of Barn Owls.

GREBES THROUGH IBIS

Pied-billed Grebe - Only one summer report -1 pair through mid-July at Farmington Sewage Lagoon (breeding suspected but not confirmed)(BRe). Am. White Pelicans- have

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had early June stragglers each of the last three years so 14 on June 14 at Bagnall Dam (Camden Co.)(JW) were not surprising. Five late stragglers were on June 25 at Springfield (Nancy Selement). Double-crested Cormorant- 2 imm., 1 ad. -June 8 at Springfield (Amy Simmerman); 1 ad. -June 10, Forsyth (PM); 1 imm. -June 25 at Springfield (EE). No nesting indicated at any locale. Am. Bittern - 1 - June 8 on Cass County Count (JG, et. al.). Great Blue Heron- 127 active breeding colonies (average 28.5 nests per colony) found as result of MDC heronry survey (129 were found in 1984). Great Egret-nesting known for two sites only, Caruthersville (Pemiscot) and Sikeston (Scott Co.) heronries. Large colonies of egrets on the Mississippi River all are on t h e Illinois side. Post-nesting dispersal evident all over state after mid-July. Snowy Egret - two nesting colonies known: four or more nests at Sikeston Heronry and at least one (possibly 5 to 10) at Caruthersville Heronry (JW). Little Blue Heron - see Spring 1985 Report for nesting. Post-nesting dispersal in late July. Cattle Egret - see Spring 1985 Report for nesting. No reports of transients. Black-crowned Right-Heron - see Spring 1985 Report for nesting. Ibis spp. - 1 juv. -June 18 at Sikeston Rookery (Brian Lockwood, Don Kimner- MDC).

WATERFOWL THROUGH FALCON

Mute Swan- 2 - June 15, Springfield (J & HK, CB). Tundra Swan (probably) -(has white spots near 1ores). 1 -since winter, St. Louis (DJ). Ruddy Duck- 1 M (breeding possible here but no indication) - June 15, Platte Co. (KH, et. al.). Black Vulture- 2 nests (one with 1 chick, one with 2) - July, MNWR (JW). Mississippi Kite- Nine locations

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(individuals always found on repeated visits) found as a result of MDC survey (AW, JW). Six were on the Mississippi River: two in Pemiscot Co., one on Anderson Tully tract in New Madrid Co. (14 individuals max.), two in Mississippi Co. near Dorena and Wolf Island (8 individuals max.), also at Cape Girardeau (4 individuals), MNWR and Lake Wapapello (Wayne Co.). No nests were found. Bald Eagle - two nests each fledged t w o y o u n g during July, the first verification of successful fledging of bald e a g l e s in Missouri since 1 9 6 0 ! One was a MNWR nest where they had been attempting to nest since 1981 and the other on a central Missouri river. One adult - July 19, Long Branch (Mark llutchings-MDC). Northern Harrier- 8 nests on Prairie State Park, Barton Co. (BT). Two fledged 4 young each, two fledged 3 young each, two were destroyed by predators and two were still unfledged at er.d of period. One nest at Taberville Prairie, St. Clair Co. (BT). Individuals: 1- June 8, Cass Co. (JG); M & F- June 11, Diamond Grove Prairie, Newton Co. (JW). Sharp-shinned Hawk- three productive nests located (one when its tree was felled) in central and southern Missouri (KK). Cooper's Hawk- Seventeen productive -nests throughout southern half of state (KK, BT). Red-abouldered Hawk- considered more numerous than red-tails in Taney County (PM). Broad-winged Hawk - numerous reports, some observers claiming this species was in its best numbers in recent years. Swainson's Hawk - no confirmation of nesting but intriguing reports of individuals: 1 - June 13, So. Barton Co. (BT) - same place as last summer; 1 -July 7, Springfield area (AS); 1 - July 16, a different Springfield locality (BD).

17

GROUSE THROUGH TERNS

Ho. Bobwhite- up from last year (JW). Still low in east (WHa). Should have had an excellent nesting season. Virginia Rail -2 -June 8, Cass Co. (JG et. al.). No evidence of nesting. Com. Moorhen - nest with 13 eggs- June, TSWA (JSm). Showing up in several localities by mid-July were Solitary, Least and Pectoral Sandpipers and Yellowlegs. Com. Tern - 1 - June 19, Springfield (MG). Least Tern- the nesting colony in Pemiscot Co. experienced a very favorable river level regime this year but some predation. A new colony was discovered in New Madrid Co. (JSm fide). One individual - July 24, Missouri River, Saline Co. (Brian Lockwood, Don Kimner). Black Tern - several reports by late July; highest no. 106 - July 24, Missouri River, about Saline Co. (Brian Lockwood, Don Kimner).

DOVES THROUGH WOODPECKERS

Black-billed Cuckoo- 1 -June 11, Springfield (CB). Yellow-billed Cuckoo-Seemingly fewer than last year; CB and WHa support this. Com. Barn-Owl - Pair + 2 young in nest- July 21, Lawrence Co. (JO); nest with several young - July 29, Foster (Bates Co.)(Anthony Kottwitz-MDC). These made a total of ten nests confirmed this year: 3 in St. Charles Co. (some parents banded indicating they were some of the ones stocked there last year); and single nests in Butler, Holt, Johnson, New Madrid and Pemiscot Cos. Com. Nighthawk and Chimney Swift - thought to be less common each year in Eureka (St. Louis) vicinity (WHa). Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Fall migration became obvious by mid-July. Generally more being seen.

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Rufous Hummingbird - 1 M - July 25 through period, 4 mi. north of Corning, Atchison Co. (Evon Strickler Wright- doc., m.ob.). Belted Kingfisher - noticeably fewer in central and Springfield area. Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpecker - rare in central (JW) and St. Louis area (WHa).

FLYCATCHERS THROUGB VIREOS

Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1 - July 30, Springfield's earliest fall arrival date (LC); 2 -July 31, north Taney Co. (PM). Willow Flycatcher - 1 - June 14, Platte Co. (KH); pair- through period, Farmington Sewage Lagoon (BRe). Purple Martin- CR monitored nest boxes in Fayette, Howard Cos.: 13 colonies, 42 nests, 190 eggs, 146 young. Martins generally had good success and numbers finally appeared normal. Blue Jay -some suggest they are in lower numbers. (Black-billed) Magpie - 1 - mid-July (3-4 times), southeast of Cassville, Barry Co. (Dr. John Baumgardt-doc). Bewick's Wren-more numerous throughout southern Missouri. Eastern Bluebird - had an excellent nesting season including the most substantial third brood in years. 129 fledged on Greater Ozark Audubon Society trails at Lake Springfield. The 82 nest boxes near Jefferson City fledged 235, an increase from 178 in 1984. Also, size of clutches increased from a 4.0 to a 4.5 average from 1984 to 1985 at the Jefferson City trails (Harry Trickey). Swainson's Thrush- 1 -June 1, Clinton County (BF, et. al.). Am. Robin- "another bumper year" CB, "very plentiful" (WHa). Cedar Waxwing - 25+ through mid-June, south of Farmington (BRe). Bell's Vireo- several complaints of low numbers; two reports of loss due to habitat destruction.

19

This photo of the central Missouri active bald eagle nest was taken on June 21, 1985, from a high bluff at 0.4 of a mile distance (the only vantage point). A 600mm lens with a 2X converter resulted in an effective 1200mm lens. Photo by Jim Rathert. 21

WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES

Blue-winged Warbler - "very much down in numbers" in Springfield (CB). Yellow-throated Warbler - 1 - June 15, Platte County Count (KH) - usually far north. Cerulean Warbler - encouraging reports. Scarlet Tanager- 1 -July 2, Ironton (Iron Co.)(ML). Painted Bunting - 1 M- through period, Eagle Rock (Barry Co.)(VJ); 1 M- July 28, Springfield (JD). Dickcissel- very numerous. Orchard Oriole - one feeding a fledgling cowbird (WHa). House Finch- pair present from May through period and male seen feeding two young on July 10, Cape Girardeau (Joyce Peerman, JW). Pine Siskin- 2- June 8, Cass County Count (JG); 2 -June 17, Jefferson City (JW). No nesting confirmed this year.

OBSERVERS:

(CB) Catherine Bonner, (LC) Leonard Confer, (BD) Betty Dyer, (JD) Jerry Dobbs, (EE) Etna Eastland, (BF) Bob Fisher, (JG) Joanne Garrett, (MG) Mark Goodman, (WHa) Wayne Harness, (KH) Kelly Hobbs, (VJ) Vada Jenkins, (DJ) David Jones, (J & HK) Jean and Henry Knabb, (KK) Kevin Kritz, (ML) Melda Lashley, (BL) Bob Lewis, (PM) Pat Mahnkey, (JO) Jerry Overton, a Cal Royall, (BRe) Bill Reeves, (AS) Amy s i m m e r m a n , ( j s m ) John Smith, (BT) Brian Toland, (AW) Ann Wildman.

In addition, many people too numerous to mention, contributed to this survey.

AREAS:

(MNWR) Mingo National Wildlife Refuge -Stoddard and Wayne Counties, (TSWA) Ted Shanks Wildlife Area - Pike County.

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bald eagle n e s t i n g IN M o. by James D. Wilson, Ornithologist

Missouri Department of Conservation

Bald eagles fledged from two nests in Missouri in 1985; the first confirmation of natural fledging in the state in over 20 years. A nest at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge fledged two young in July and a nest on a central Missouri river fledged two in late July and early August. The apparent absence of significant problems or distur-bances leads to anticipation that these nests will be active again in 1986. Additional nesting possibilities indicate that breeding bald eagles may be making a comeback in Missouri.

Mingo NWR Nest - 1985

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge near Puxico is a 21,676-acre area with about 15,000 acres of forested bottomlands. The eagle nest is about 40 feet above water in a bald cypress in the south part of Monopoly Marsh. The marsh is a 3,000-acre shallow lake characterized by emergent herbaceous vegetation and numerous cypress trees.

Two adult bald eagles were observed at the nest regularly beginning in January 1985. By late March, the eagles were apparently incubating. On April 28, a raised posture indicated eggs may have hatched and on May 21 two downy eyases, approximately four weeks old, could be observed in the nest at a distance of 0.5 mile.

The eaglets fledged the second week of July at about 11 weeks of age. The first fledgling was observed out of the nest in a

22

nearby tree on July 8. On the 9th, both were in the nest but on the 10th, both were to-gether in a nearby tree. Throughout the remainder of July they were observed in and around the nest tree and often back in the nest by sunset. On August 2, both young were observed taking and feeding on fish near the nest site. One adult was occasionally seen with the young through early August.

The tenacity which eagles exhibited at this nest site over the years is. especially noteworthy. A nest was first noticed in the tree in the mid-1970s, but eagles had never been seen using it. It had fallen into disrepair by 1981, but during April of that year an adult bald eagle and its transition-al-plumaged mate (indicating recent or near sexual maturity) rebuilt the nest (Keith Thompson, pers. comm.). They subsequently attended the nest until June 23, 1981, but no egg laying was confirmed.

Two adults were at the nest again from winter until May in 1982, but no reproduction occurred.

In 1983, incubation was suspected during April when the two adults were observed exchanging positions on the nest. However, a bolt of lightning struck the tree April 29, killing the incubating eagle with two eggs in the nest (Eric Sipco, pers. comm.). The surviving eagle left the area a few days later.

In 1984 an adult eagle and one in transitional plumage attended the nest from March through late April. No eggs were observed. This may be the same pair that returned in 1985 and finally consummated nesting.

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Now that this nest has been successful, it is likely to be active annually. It is well protected by the Refuge which seasonally closes Monopoly Marsh to human access.

Central Missouri Nest - 1985

This nest is 60 feet above ground in a sycamore tree that projects above the canopy but is well buffered within the floodplain forest about 100 yards from the bank of a major river. The location cannot be divulged because of protection and landowner consider-ations.

The nest was discovered January 7, 1985. The fact that it was active was discovered on April 12, 1985, when an adult was seen sit-ting tightly on the nest. Subsequent obser-vations were made from a bluff with a 40-power scope at a distance of 0.4 mile. Two adult eagles were observed about the nest throughout the nesting period. On May 21, two eaglets, approximately three weeks old, were observed in the nest.

The nest proceeded with no apparent difficulties except for a windstorm in June which dislodged about one-third of the nest structure. Branching of one of the young was first observed July 24 and it had fledged by July 26. The second fledged August 2 to 5. Fledging occurred at about 12 to 13 weeks of age. Parental birds were rarely seen during the latter part of the nesting period.

Historical Perspective

Bald eagles apparently nested regularly in Missouri prior to the mid-1800s. Before settlement, they likely nested in association with many of the streams, rivers, lakes and

24

swamps throughout eastern North America (Brown and Amadon, 1968). The journals of Prince Maxmillian of Wied in 1833 and Audubon in 1843 mentioned nesting bald eagles along the Missouri River (Griffin, 1978). As early as the 1890s they were considered nearly eliminated as breeders from all but the swamplands of southeast Missouri, accord-ing to Widmann (1907). He attributed their decline to plume hunting and wanton killing.

Griffin (1978) assembled the records of bald eagle nests in Missouri prior to the 1970s. A total of eight nests were men-tioned: near New Madrid in 1907; on the m i s s i s s i p p i River near Crystal City in the early 1900s; at the mouth of the Missouri (active from 1911 to 1918); on the Eleven Point River near Thomasville in 1938; on the Osage River near Old Bagnell in 1960 (two young were observed and are believed to have fledged); on the Current River near Doniphan in 1960 and 1961; on Lake of the Ozarks from 1960 through 1962 (unsuccessful nesting attempts); and near Tunnel Dam on the Niangua River (active from 1959 through 1965 but never progressed beyond the incubation stage). One of these nests was the subject. of an article by Easterla (1962).

In 1980 and 1981, a nest nine miles below Bagnell Dam on the Osage River was attended by adults, but no reproduction occurred. Observations of a local farmer indicate that in earlier years young may have fledged from the nest. The nest structure has now fallen from the tree.

In 1982, a nest near the Bucksaw Marina on the Grand Arm of Truman Lake produced one eaglet. The nest tree was a huge dead oak in flooded timber. A small refuge barring human

25

approach from within 200 yards of the nest probably drew attention to the site more than it protected it. One parent disappeared around May 1, the estimated date of hatching, and the other during the first week of July, when the eaglet was 10 weeks old and still unfledged. The malnourished eaglet subse-quently was rehabilitated and hacked to the wild. The nest structure remains in the tree but has never been reused.

Other Nests

The Missouri Department of Conservation routinely checks suspected eagle nests and reports of summering adult pairs. We are currently aware of seven inactive eagle nests. Two have existed since before 1978. Of the five built since 1981, three were constructed in March and April and two in November or early December. Although no reproduction has been confirmed, all three spring nests have been attended by adult pairs until at least mid-April and hold

-promise for future nestings. Additionally, judging from the remoteness of some of the known bald eagle nests, it is likely that there are others in Missouri that remain undetected or unreported.

Discussion

The hatching and fledging dates of the 1985 successful nests are similar to those of bald eagles in the northern Great Lakes States and adjacent Canada, perhaps indicat-ing that some individuals wintering in Mis-souri from that region are remaining to nest. It is also possible that the 1985 nests are a result of successful nests in nearby states or hacking (restoration) programs in Missouri or elsewhere. Of 18 bald eagles hacked in

26

Missouri since 1981, five are conceivably old enough to breed. However, none of this year's nesting eagles could be seen well enough to determine whether or not they were banded as a result of restoration programs.

Acknowledgements

Appreciation is expressed to. Tom Bell, Gerald Clawson, Rocky Hayes, Paul Price, Eric Sipco, Paul Ticknor, Russ Titus, Keith Thompson, Ann Wildman, Steve Zap and many others for contributing information and to June Hunzeker for reviewing this manuscript.

Literature Cited

Brown, L.H. and D. Amadon. 1968. Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons of the World. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. 945 pp.

Easterla, D.A. 1962. The Bald Eagle Nesting" in Missouri. The Bluebird. Vol. 29, No. 2. pp 11-13.

Griffin, C.R. 1968. The Ecology of Bald Eagles Wintering at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, With Emphasis on Eagle-Waterfowl Relationships. Unpublished M.S. Thesis, Columbia, Missouri. Univ. of Missouri.

Widmann, 0. 1907. Birds of Missouri: a preliminary catalog. Trans. Acad. Sci., St. Louis 17:100-101.

27

By Brian Toland

Wildlife Biologist Route 4 Box 165

Columbia, Missouri 65201

Vo l o

Most studies indicate that Ospreys {Pandion haliaetus) feed virtually entirely on live fish {Fisher 1893, Koplin 1971, Frencn 1972, Garber 1972, MacCarter 1972, UeoKa and Koplin 1973). However, Ospreys sometimes augment their diet with birds i 11c l udi ng storm petrels, d u c k s , sandpipers and wading birds {Brown and Amadon 1 9 6 8 ) ; small mammals including rice rats (Oryzomys palustris), cotton rats {Sigmodon hispidus), ground squirrels and rabbits (Oernent ev and Gl adkov 1951, McCoy 1966, Long 1968 Wi 1 ey and Lohrer 1973); reptiles including turtles, water snakes, seasnakes, and an alligator (alligator mississippiensis; may 1935, Bent 1937, Grossman and Hamlet 1964, Wiley and Lohrer 1973); amphibians including frogs {May 1935, Witherby e t al. 1 9 3 9 ) ; and invertebrates including crustaceans, sea snails and insects {Grossman and Hamlet 1964, Brown and Amadon 1968).

Rarely, certain nesting pairs of Ospreys have been knwon to prey more frequently on prey other than live fish, espec1ally on inland marshes {Wiley and Lohrer 1973). Several possible redsons for Ospreys taking non-ichtyian prey include scarcity of fish due to a kill {Trait et al. 1972), inclement weather or murky water {Dement ev and Gladkov 1951), lack of fishing skills by inexperienced juveniles {Brown and Amadon 1968), or the attraction to easily captured crippled birds, captive birds, and colonial nesting herons (Kuser 1929, Dement ev and Gladkov 1951, Brown and Amadon 1068).

At 10 a.m. on 5 October, 1985, I was driving on county road M around three miles west of Ashland in southern Boone County. As I slowed the car to observe an adult Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) perched in a nearby tree, an Osprey suddenly flushed

28

from a fescue pasture about 25 meters from the road. The raptor had been on the ground in vegetation about 2 feet (0.61 meter} high approximately 20 to 25 meters from a small lake. As the bird rose into the face of 20 to 30 mph winds, it was obvious that it had prey in its ta 1 ons. The Osprey flew directly over my car at a distance of no more than 15 meters, enabling me to identify theprey as a prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster}. In 106 previous hunting attempts by migrating Ospreys in Missouri, 100% were on fish (Toland-in press}. High winds during this time had plagued southern Boone County for severa 1 days and may have made foraging for fish difficult by disturbing tne water's surface or roiling aquatic substrate enough to impair tne vis1on of this sight-feeder. Alternatively, if the local vole population is experiencing a significant increase or boom, at least some Ospreys have the behavioral plasticity to exploit an abundant alternative food source, in this case a prairie vole.

Literature Cited

Bent, A.C. 1937. Life histories of North American birds of prey. Part 1. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull., 167.

Brown, L.H. and D. Amadon. 1968. Eagles, hawKs and falcons of the world. McGraw Hill, New YorK.

Dement ev, G.P. and N.A. Gladkov, Editors. 1951. Birds of the Soviet Union. Vol. 1. Sovietskaya Nauka, Moscow.

Fisher, A.K. 1893. The hawks and owls of the United States in their relation to agriculture. U.S. Dept. of Agr., Div. Ornithol. and Mammal., Bull. 3.

Garber, D.P. 1972. Osprey nesting ecology in Lassen and Plumas Counties, California. Unpubl. M.S. Thesis, California

State Univ. Humbolt, Arcata, California.

Grossman, M.L. and J. Hamlet. 1964. Birds of prey of the world. Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., New York.

French, J.N. 1972. Distrioution, abundance ana breeding status of Ospreys in northwestern California. Unpubl. M.S. Thesis, California State University-Humbolt, Arcata, California.

Koplin, J.R. (ed.} 1971. Osprey workshop: summary of research findings and management recommendations. Californai-Nevada Section, the wildlife Society 1971 transactions: 114-122.

29

Kuser, C.D. 1929. An Osprey feeds on ducks. Bird Lore 31: 260-261.

Long D.A.C. 1968. Food of Osprey in Kent. Br. Birds 61: 172. MacCarter, D.S. 1972. Food habits of Ospreys at Flathead Lake,

Montana. Unpubl. M.S. Thesis, Humbolt State College, Arcata, California.

May J.B. 1935. The hawks of North America. National Audubon Society, New York.

McCoy, J. 1966. Unusual prey for Osprey. Chat. 30: 108-109. Tait, W.W., H . M . Jonnson, and W.D. Courser. 1972. osprey

carrying a mammal. Wilson Bull. 84: 341. Toland, B.R. In Press. Hunting success of some m i s s o u r i

raptors. Wilson Bull. Ueoka, M.L. and J.R. Koplin. 1973. Forag1ng behavior of

Ospreys in northwestern California. Raptor Res. 7: 32-38.Wiley, J.W. and F.E. Lehrer. 1973. Additional records of non-

fish prey taken by Ospreys. Wilson Bull. 8 5 : 468-470. Wltherby, H.F., F.G.R. Jourdain, N.F. Ticenurst, and B.W.

Tucker. 1939. The handbook of British Birds. Vol. III. Hawks to ducks. H.F. and G. Witherby, Ltd., London.

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(Ed. Note: JoAnn Garrett sends along the tale of Roscoe, a Great Blue Heron, who takes his place alongside Brian Toland's Osprey (no official name, but Oscar would be a good one for h i m ) in the ever-captivating wor.ld of wild creatures and what they do.)

By JoAnn Garrett Raymore, Mo.

On October 2nd 1 Roscoe, our resident great blue heron was as usual stalking the outer perimeter of the pond for fish, frogs and craw fish. The south side of the pond had overflown from the excessive rains in September which created a marshy area. It was here later in the morning I saw Roscoe with his long neck out-stretched in a frozen position. LiKe an arrow his head sho and in his piercing bill was a squirming mammal. I grabbed my binoculars;stepped out on the patio ,and watched astounded as he shook his head vigorously from side to side w i t h a grizzly, brown, short-tailed cotton rat dangling feet first from his bill. He then manuevered the cotton rat about, tossed it in the air, and caught it coming down head first. It apparently wasn't dead or wasn't in the right position to swallow as the heron dropped his head and shookit until the cotton rat was emitted. He picKed it up and once more shook it from side to side, tossed it up, caught it h e a d first and down it went. He stood there a few moments shook his head, stretched his wings and s t a l k e d back 1nto the edge of the pond.

m t5S o u r ij B i r d e r s ... the BReed ing b IR d att l a s

n e e d s

y o u31

By Peter Goldman

Northeast Mo. State University

Now that the furor caused by Ted Williams' dove hunting article in Audubon has subsided, I must admit that several years ago I set out to slay a deer. For a person who lets his fruitflies go after lab rather than dumping them into the alcohol vial, my ambition seems quite aberrant in retrospect. So far,neither Dr. Traumarbeit nor I have obtained much insight into this period, but we keep probing.

Perhaps the romantic tales of wily white-tails told by friends or read in outdoor magazines seduced me into hunting. Perhaps I wanted to share the comradery of the hunt, although no one I know owns a pot-bellied stove. For whatever dark reasonsJI became barely proficient with bow and arrow and spent several chilly mornings hiding behind trees, all to no avial. I attributed my hunting failure to the white-tail's fundamental guile. I envisioned snickering deer hiding behind their own trees nearby. I vowed to buy buck musk next time, as well as a set of GoreTexed, camouflaged long underware. A friend even recommended bathing in a baking soda solution to remove the human scent. I have since learned better about the guile of deer.

A Canadian biologist named Geist, noted for his superb field studies of mountain sheep, maintains that a human can s t a l k to within petting distance of any large mammal in Nortn America. (Readers of Field and Stream should snicker themselves at this point). Dodging q u e s t i o n s about the wisdom of sneaking up on and petting a rutting bull moose, oozing t e s t o s t e r o n e - i n d u c e d oellicosity, Geist claims that we are superb stalkers because our forefathers tried to make their livings this way. By forefathers he does not mean those who came to Ellis Island, but rather the ones who snuck around thousands of years ago. According to Geist natural selection honed our sKills at skulking. He even argues

32

that the soles of our feet have extreme tactile sensitivity so that we can detect small sticks that might break and tip off our position to potential prey.

I nci dentally, to pet a moose Geist says you have to shed your clothes because they produce so much noise and limit our sensitivity. We feel nothing through two inch vibram soles. Petting a testosterone - crazed moose while naked in the north woods in NovemDer does not have much appeal for me.

As contrary to tne hunting mystique as his opinion is, believe Geist because over the last few years I have e n c o u n t e r e ddeer that lacked even a modicum of vigilance. For example, one morning I stood at the edge of a forest watching for activity at a bird nest some distance away. My spotting scope, mounted on a glistening metal tripod, stood before me. A stopwatcn hung from the tripod, and a breeze b l e w the watch back and forth so it struck the tripod like a bell's clapper. I raised and lowered my binoculars as birds appeared before me, worked another stopwatch, and made entries in my notebooK. I wore bluejeans and a light-colored, checkered shirt, not a full set of camouflaged clothing. I had not painted my face black that morning, and others have told me that I sometimes talk to myself.

Along the edge came an adult doe that I first noticed at about 100 feet. While browsing on low plants she c o n t i n u e d to approach until she was about 10 feet away. She still seemed to have not detected me, or, if she had, she chose to ignore me. To avoid a potentially dangerous situation I said "Good Morning.". She stopped abruptly, looked up, and stood for perhaps 15 s e o n d s

before bolting. Certainly others who spend much time in the w o o d s

have similar experiences, and while I h a v e not gotton this close to a deer again, I nave stalked to within 20 meters of deer on many occasions. o n numerous occasions deer nave themselves walKed this close to me. In all instances I remained fully clothed. Slaying a deer has lost its glamour, but stalKing them has not.

Try as I might and lackluster though it be, I cannot turn off my mind. I nave tried teaching for the 1 ast 20 years, I have watched c o m m e r c i a l TV, and I have even guzzled enormous quantities of Red, White, and Blue beer. My mind has survived all this and more, and as a final desperate attempt I have even tried watching baseoall. Yet my mind continues to find things in nature about which to wonder. When it does, it drags me out of bed at absurd hours and subjects me to a cold nose, wet feet, biting insects, dnd other discomforts. Flirtdtions with Adair County

3 3

white-tails have started this cursed syndrome all over again.

When white-tails flee from potential predators, they often use a peculiar gait called stotting. When a deer stots, it bounds into the air and describes a path like a bouncing b a l l ' sFrequently, though not invariaoly, a stotting deer also exposes its white rump patch. Less frequently it combines stotting, tail flagging, and snorting out its alarm call. Stotting seems peculiar because tne gait does not move a deer as rapidly from point X to point Y as possible. Going up and down takes time. Moving away from a threat as quickly as possible would seem important to the deer, so stotting is puzzling behavior. White-tails share this behavior with many other hoofed mammals, and apparently snowshoe hares also stot. Stotting impala are a sight to behold, since they bound 8 feet into the air.

As I watched white-tails stot, my mind started mulling over this enigmatic behavior while the rest of me grew apprehensive. A little reading taught me that others have wondered about stotting, and many hypothetical explanations for the behavior exist. Apparently no one has ever tried to expose these to the light of evidence. I decided to try to find which ones were hogwash and which had some substance.

I imagined that studying deer had its special charms and special challenges. Large mammals have a mystique, and perhaps inevitably a biologist weaned on "Wild Kingdom" winds up chasing some large mammal. Preferably grizzly bears, but if every biologist who would love to study GRIZ did so, population density in northwestern Montana would exceed that of Hong Kong. If my neighborhood has no GRIZ, deer have to do.

The challenge9 have proved more formidable than I naively anticipated. First, deer are rare compared to, say, grasshoppers. In this respect deer resemble other large mammals. (Why large mammals are inevitably rare is an interesting question. For some ideas about this read P.A. Colinvaux's charming little book "Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare".) Second, deer and people have reverse activity cycles, and people, unaided by sophisticated technology, cannot penetrate very deeply into a deer's world. Third, while you can study lots of things aoout deer in a lab, the taxpayers of our state w o u l d probably take offense at financing a lab large enough for stotting deer. Think how high you would have to maKe the ceilings. Fourth, and maybe most importantly, conditions that shaped deer behavior\ no longer exist. Througnout history wolves and deer have probably played cat and mouse, but

today no wolves stalK Adair County.

Given these hurdles) people who study deer behavior haveadopted a research strategy that involves making critical observations. Based on some hypothesis about behavior,they predict when deer should and should not use the behavior and then try to evaluate the prediction by watching deer. And watching, and watching, and watching. Evaluating ideas aoout rare, uncooperative organisms this way requires enormous investment of time, but usually people who study biology this way enjoy wandering through the natural world even if the JOUrney does not produce data.

To illustrate this approach1 consider tail flagging ana now a person would try to evaluate ideas about its significance to w h i t e - t a i l s . To do this we need an idea, and among many is the thought that deer tail flag to help coordinate their flight. Many biologists believe that predators have greater success capturing isolated individuals than individuals in groups once the predator has put the prey to flight. If this were true (and I have no idea about this in the case of deer), then a deer could use consp1cuous white tail flags to find and stay with the group. Of course while a white tail indicates a deer's location to other deer, it simultaneous] sends the same message to the predator. The behavior then would seem to have concurrent costs and benefits.

If all this is true, then a biologist would predict that when fleeing from a potential predator, deer in groups should flag w h i l elone deer should not. (Notice how the writer has depersonified the prose to avoid any accusation of sloppy thinking.) Armed with prediction rather then compound how the biologist can then go afield to see if the quarry behaves as expected. Unfortunately when this biologist w e n t afield armed in this manner, he learned that lone wnite-tails flag just as frequently as deer in herds. In each case, deer flagged about 80% of the time he encountered them. While behavioral similarity may mean several things and need not necessarily indicate tne social cohesion idea is bad, it probably does. Back to the old drawing board.

d ues p a i d

35

m d c a d d sby

John E. Wylie

Mo. Dept. of Conservation

Prairie buffs will be gldd to Know that the Missouri Conservation Commission approved the purchase of a 160-acre tract in northeast Atchison County which contains a 30-acre prairie. Numerous searches for prairie remnants have led us to conclude that this is the largest prairie remaining north of Highway I-70.

This property was owned and protected by Mr. and Mrs. Russell Mackay for many years.

Some of the 80 acres of cropland and 30 acres of pasture will be restored to prairie plants.

This site also harbors a population of a very rare orchid, the white-fringed prairie orch1d. A part of the area will likely be designated a natural area.

***********************************

At their same meeting the commission approved the purchase of a 30-acre tract in Stone County on the south shore o f Tab 1 e RocK Lake tnat contains one of the 1 argest stands of Ashe Juniper knownin the state. Associated glade plants include Trelaease's Larkspur. This t o o will likely become a natural area.

B e A P a rT- - - o F thenew b i r d -find ing g u i d e

c o n t a c t your e d i t o r36

p ionee r sBy ESTELLE SNOW Bunceton, Mo.

Birds, both wild and tame, were important to early settlers in Missouri.

Peafowls were, in the deep South, symbols of wealth since they were seldom seen anywhere except on large plantations. The beauty of a peacock, as he spread his tail and paraded around the yard to attract the peahen, was admired by everyone who witnessed it. Landowners felt that the birds enhanced the dignity of their lawns. Since the days of King salmon, peafowls have been thus admired and treasured. As in the deep South, peafowls were seldom seen in early Cooper County except on the farms of the we a 1 t h ier landowners.

Before, during, and after the Civil War, peafowls also served as "watch dogs" in Missouri as well as in the sou. thern states. -When anyone, especially a stranger, approached a home, the screams of the peacock alerted family members and slaves.

Another common and very valuaole "watch dog" was t h e guinea fowl. Guineas saved many a man from capture and death during the Civil War. Mrs. m a r y Chilton, a widow who lived with her two daughters southeast of Buncetun, kept a p e n of guineas in her yard near the front gate, because soldiers and tramps often stopped by. She also told of guineas alerting her when an Osage Indian appeared one evening at the yard fence. Then, and for years afterward, gypsies and peddlers were often greeted with a guinea chorus.

These birds were also valuable oecause tney protected tame poultry. When nawKs, foxes, bobcats, and other wild creatures threatened the flocks, the guineas would sound their alarm. Even today, some Cooper County families keep a f e w f o r protection and because guinea meat is excellent when properly cooked.

37

Wild and tame ducks, geese, and turkeys suppl1ed food for early settlers. Goose and duck feathers were used for stuffing pillows and feather-beds.

When Cooper County was first settled, dense forests and acres of undergrowth stood where towns were later located. Mr. Charles Tutt, who was then a boy of 12, told how the wild turkeys would come into the yard to fight the tame gobblers. One spring morning Mr. Tutt saw a tame gobbler in a death grip with a wild tom. he ran for a rope and succeeded in lassoing them.

He yelled for help, and his grandfather, Phillip Tutt, arrived in time to release the tame gobbler and tie the wild tom down. He then gave Charles a quarter as a reward for his daring feat.

Prairie chickens, grouse, and quail were plentiful and supplied excellent meat for the early settlers. Meadow larKs w e r e

also killed for food.

Mr. Tutt wrote: "I would go wi til my grandfather to net quails in a field that is now covered oy tne town of Bunceton. Tne quails were driven into the net somewhere north of the present location of Main Street in a dense net of hazel brush and vines that was almost impenetrable. To shoot quails at that time was a waste of auvnunition and time, and spoiled good food . . .To one skilled in the art, it was an easy matter on locating one of the countless flocks to spread a net along a na tu ra l runway beside a clump of bushes, with wings extending wide and so gradually sloping inward that the quails were prisoners before they suspected danger, and to circle about in the direction opposite the net cautiously until the entire flock had been driven inside . . .

"The pioneer who trapped a covey of quails would release one or more pairs, unhurt, to produce more food for another season."

As girls and young women, my grandmother and her sister trapped snow birds during the winter. After dressing tnem, they were roasted on spits over tne fire in the fireplace. Just what

38

they called snowbirds is hard to tell, and probably included juncos, redpolls, pine siskins along with numberous sparrow and finch species. Under a cedar tree near the house, a large sieve was tilted on its edge with a small stick placed under the rim to hold it up. Corn, oats, wheat, and sometimes bread crumbs were spread under the sieve. A long string was tied to the stick, run to the house and through the window. When birds lit under the sieve, one of the girls would pull the string. This caused the sieve to drop, and the birds were trapped.

Passenger pigeons were killed by the thousands as they provided excellent food. Many were shipped to the east where the marKet for them was good. There were three pigeon roasts in Cooper County. One was south of Pisgah in an oak forest.

When thousands of pigeons were coming in, the sound they m a d e

resembled thunder. This noise alerted the people, horses were hitched to wagons, barrels and clubs were loaded into the wagons, and men, women, and children hurried to the roosts. The birds were knocked off tree limbs.

Later the birds were dressed, salted down in barrels, and shipped down the Missouri to start their journey to the east, after the pioneers dressed enough for their own use. Hogs were driven to the forest to eat the dead and wounded birds left under the trees.

Long before the disappearance of the last passenger pigeons in 1904, Missourians were killing mourning doves and "barn" pigeons for food. The meat of doves closely resembeled that of the passenger pigeon.

Purple martins were welcomed on m i s s o u r i \ farms, just as tney are today. Their ability to rid farm yards of mosquitoes caused pioneers first to erect gourd houses for them (a custom borrowed from the Indians). Later wooden houses were built to accommodate larger numbers, since it was known that they ouilt colonies.

John James Audubon once said, "the better the Martins house, the better the tavern," as his stage coach approached a tavern with a martin house above the door. Pioneers often placed martin houses on close proximity to the "summer kitchen" so the birds waul d keep mosquitoes away from the aoor.

Barn swa 11 ows and chimney swifts were a 1 so befriended, as they, too, dispatched large n u m b e r s of insects. In early days,

39

swifts bui l t their nests in hollow trees. When log cabin fireplaces appeared, swifts began to b u i l d nests in chimneys -hence the name "chimney s w i f t . " Early settlers called them "chimney sweeps." Tiley gave the birds credit for sweeping soot from chimneys. This belief has long oeen discredited. However, in early spring, I h a v e had great amounts of soot loosened in myfireplace chimney by the swifts wing movements as they builT their nests and flew in and out to feed their young. So the name"chimney sweep," still used today, isn't entirely wrong.

Early settlers seldom disturbed nests of swifts, barn swallows and purple martins. This was also true of oriole, mockingbirds, robins, and wren nests. One farmer came from the field when the dinner bell rang, laid his straw hat on the back porch wood box, washed, and went in to dinner. When he returned to the porch for his hat, he found that it held a wren nest. Needless to say, the hat was left undisturbed until the eggs hatched and the little wrens had flown away.

The settlers !<new these birds destroyed insects. 'they were a 1 so valued for their beauty and songs and were a de 1 i ght to o 1 d and young alike. Many a lonely housewife found her spiri t renewed by these bird neighoors, whose nest building, family duties, and

songs were a delight during the spring and summer days.

Barn swallows, phoebis, and barn owls were protectea, as they -destoyed mice and rats that fed on stored grain.

Crows often served as pets. Caro 1 ina parkeets were sometimes tamed and taught to talk. The last flock of these birds was seen in the Florida Everglades in 1904. Since they destroyed crops, especially fruit, the pioneers killed large numbers of them. When one was killed others would gather around the dead bird. This made their destruction very simple. This parrot, the only one native to the United States, was also killed for its brilliant red, green, and yellow feathers which were used on hats.

Since the passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet were the only birds decimated by Misssouri pioneers it would seem that the settlers as a whole proved to be c o n s c i e n t i o u s keepers of their feathered friends.

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REESTABLISHMENT OF SUPREMACY (Red-bellied Woodpecker)

Of course, they forgot over the summer, like little children or mindless old men. You know, they always do.

And then, when autumn came at last, with chill and frost, and falling leaves, and the Great Giant returned,

they fluttered back to the Place, from 1 eave, chirping like silly, giggling schoolgirls, to partake of the giant's gifts.

But they forgot, over the summer, like dolts, idiots, dunces, fools -just as they always do:

I, the great master sergeant, with the red helmet and all the stripes, have a much higher rank than they.

I signaled with my head and foot; they kept hopping about, eating seeds. As though it were a party, or something.

I hope it doesn't take too long to whip these little punKs into shape. They're really dumb, these birds.

Can you De 1 i eve I had to te 11 tnem to leave, as this was the officers' mess? Enlisted men -- outrageous!

Sylvia Spotts Route 12 Columbia, Mo., 65201

41

s o lvin g(JoAnn Garrett sends along this answer to Sylvia Spotts

regarding the little white garbage parcels carried fromtheir houses by house wrens. Citing the Seminars from Orni tho 1 ogy Lab from Cornell University, she writes:)

The feces of the young woodpeckers and most passerines is either eaten or carried away Dy the adult birds. The feces of very young woodpeckers is full of undigested food and is enclosedin a transparent mucous sac. The sac drops to the bottom of the nesting cavity and is coated with wood fibers. The adults eat the sac and food but drop the wood chips and white uric acid. As the young become older and more food is digested the feces is all waste so periodically the adults, usually the male, pushes the young aside picks up several sacs and carries them away.

The fecal sac produced by passerines has a tougher mucous membrane and contains more uric acid which makes it white. The fecal sacs of very young hatchling goldfinches,siskins, redpolls and crossbills are eaten or removed but later the f e c e s material encrusts the nest. The young of great-crested flycatchers, .ove nbirds, and others deposit the sacs at the entrance of tne nests for the adults to remove. Eating of the sac of young hatchlings is a conservative measure by using undigested food. Swa 11 owsoften drop the feca 1 sacs when flyi n g over water, and nuthatches a n d wrens hide them in the crevices of bark. Kingfishers make no effort to clean their nests, letting the fecesaccumulate at the end of tne deep nesting burrow, 3-6 feet, from whence arises a strong smell of ammonia. Adult kingfishers sometimes emerge from the burrows and plunge into the nearest water for a bath.

gii v e a sm i n 1986

42

By Homer Bo1 en Southeast Mo. State University

(Ed. Note: w e welcome this article from Homer Bolen for twoexce 11 ent reasons. First - many peop 1 e tend to remove deaci trees with little regard for the1r vi ta l service to the fauna of tne area. Second - this article marks the return to print in The Bluebird of a person who was among that srnall, dedicated group which re-organized the Audubon Society of Missouri 52 years ago. Maybe, with a little gentle prodding, we can get Homer to pass along some memories of those years half a century ago when the air was clearer and so were the streams. You can rest assured that all the a s m members are glad to hear from a major mover in the ASM's past, present, and future . . .Homer Bolen.)

A dead tree may well be a greater asset to the wild creatures of the woods than several live ones. When a tree ceases to bear leaves and fruits it has not become useless. In fact, it often becomes a Godsend to those who make the outdoors their homes.

As the months and years pass , t h e twigs and sma 11 er branciieS drop away revealing the great gaunt limbs of a forest giant. Silhouetted against an azure sky the bare branches present a picture of strength we may not have realized when the leaves obscured the twigs cii ffused their m1 ght.

But what appeals to human feelings becomes a practical aid to a hungry redtail. Perched where he has a clear view of surrounding territory, his watchful eye detects the least movement of a field mouse. Quickly he drops to the ground and seizes the rodent prey in sharp talons. A meal is acquired more easily because a tree had oied.

Where can woodpeckers find suitable places t o excavate their nesting holes but on the trunks and large limbs of dead trees? With chisel-shaped bills and muscular necks tney work with marvelous skill to construct the kinds of homes they need for rearing their young. With a scarcity of dead trees they may have resorted to utility poles but they are not welcome there. With

43

more telephone and power lines going underground homesites are hard to find.

As fungi and bacteria do their work the dead tree becomes hollowed. Now, squirrels and raccoons and other wild things find ready-made cavities in which to establish their homes. But a dead tree's days are numbered. As decay spreads/the weakened trunk crashes in a heavy wind and its usefulness as a dead tree is over. Longer lasting is the tree whose heartwood decays whiles the outer wood and bark remain alive. such hollow but live trees are precious resources for wildlife.

Even the fallen tree plays an important role in the drama of life. The rotting wood becomes a hotbed of growth for a great variety of plant life from slime molds to seedling oaks. Beetles and other tiny creatures flourish in the softening remains and more humus is added to the soil of the forest floor.

A green and growing tree is cherished, as it should be. We do well to heed the poet's call, "Woodsman, spare that tree!" We do even better when we spare those stark trunks and great limbs that still have such essential functions in he grand scheme of livinq activities.

*****************************x*****

Na t u r a l A reminder that you're missing a treat for ooth yourself and

your birding t r e n d s if you don't purchase a 1986 Natural Events Calendar from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation.

It is a stunning combination of photography, lists of blooming wildflowers to seek, and a daily ledger, in advance, of the things in nature which you expect on a give.1 daj.

The price is $3.50 and Missouri residents need to add 22 cents for tax. It is worth far more. Send your check to:

Missouri Dept. of Conservation Attn. Calendar Box 180 Jefferson City Missouri 65102

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1985 Cbcd a t e sWe're planning the same complete coverage of the christmas

Bird Counts in Missouri that pleased The Bluebird readers in 1984. The March, 1986, issue will carry all the count totals along with Bob Fischer's consideration of the counts and their rarities. Becky Matthews will compile the tabular charts. To assist many of you who might enjoy maKing a number of the CBC counts in 1985, w e ' ve contacted a 11 the 1984 count compilers, seeking dates for the various 1985 counts. Those dates received oy press time and the person to contact at each count follow:

BIG o a k TREE

COLUMBIA - Dec. 29. Tim Barksdale, 221 Elliott Drive, Columbia, Mo., 65201. 314-443-1929.

GRAY s u m m i t

HANNIBAL- Dec. 21. James Shaw, 3901 Cheyenne, Hannibal, Mo., 53401. 314-221-2381.

JACKASS BEND- Dec. 22. Chris Hobbs, 1204 Quail Creek Dr., Independence, Mo., 64055. 816-373-8723.

JEFFERSON CITY

KANSAS CITY SOUTHEAST - Dec. 21. Bob Fisher, 304 West K a n s a s ,Independence, Mo., 64050. 816-833-3100.

MERAMEC s p r i n g

MARYVILLE - Dec. 21. Dave Easterla, 1420 No. Dewey, R 2, Maryville, Mo. 64468.

MINGO NWR- Dec. 21. Bill Reeves, RFD 5, Box 92, farmington,Mo., 63640. 314-756-4932.

NEW-MAC

m o n t r o s e

NO. CASS COUNTY - Dec. 18. JoAnn Garrett, 1608 South Wind

45

Dr., Raymore, Mo., 64083. 816-322-1580.

ORCHARD f a r m - Jan. 4. Randy Korotev, 800 OaKbrook Lar1e, St. Louis, Mo. 63132.

PATTERSON

POPLAR BLUFF

ST. JOSEPH - Dec. 21. Mike McKenzie, RFD 1, Box 145, Agency Mo., 64401.

SPRINGFIELD - Dec. 21. Becky Matthews, RFD 2, Springfield Mo., 65802. 417-869-1000.

SQUAW CREEK - Dec. 22. Mark Robbins, Maryville, Mo. For more info - contact Dave Easterla.

SWAN LAKE - Dec. 21. Tim Barksdale. See above.

TANEY COUNTY -Dec. 28. Jerry Dobbs, 3163 W. Village Lane, Springfield, Mo., 65807. 417-883-3950.

SULLIVAN

TRIMBLE - Dec. 2a. Chris Hobbs. See above.

WELDON SPRING - Dec. 29. Tom Parmeter, 2270 Love Lane, Florissant, Mo. 63031.

WHETSTONE WA.

OVERTON -·Jan. 5. Tim Barksdale. See above.

As you can see, Dec. 21 is the most popular date and a number of lucrative counts occur on that ddte. But, still, if you want to make half a dozen counts, the possibility is there. Your Editor plans to make at least five. Hope to see you at one of them.

46

g i ve.. Let's consider Christmas.

Do you have friends who have everything?

Well, all except 400 Missourians do NOT have The Bluebird. Imagine the joy 4 million Missourians can derive from a gift of something they don't already enjoy . . . something for those who already thought they have everything . . .yet are missing one of theoutstanding publications in the entire Western Hemisphere . . .maybe the whole world.

The membership dues in the Audubon Society of Missouri -which includes The Bluebird - are not high.

Regular -Family -Student -Sustaining

$7.00 (For those without families) $8.00 (Why not spend the extra?) $5.00 (better than some toy) $10.00 (That's a little bit of a special gift. But you don't get anything for it except t h e extra help for the ASM).

Then consider renewing your own membership and as a gift to t h e

ASM, upgrade your membership to one of the following:

Contributing - $20.00 Benefactor - $50.00 Life - $100.00

It is simple to renew - just send a check payable to the Audubon Society of Missouri to Syd Wade, 2114 St. Louis road, Jefferson City, M o . , 65101.

Do it now and he'll send along a notice to the person who thought he had everything - that the recipient now really does have everything - The Bluebird.

Not only will you give a useful gift, you'll not have to battle shopping mall crowds and strain your brain trying to come up with something different. No charge for the idea.

47

If you're around the Midwest and are looking for s o m good birding - any time of the year - try these rare bird hotlines:

Central Illinois - 217-785-1083 Chicago Area - 312-675-8466 Iowa - statewide - 319-622-3353 Minnesota - statewide - 612-544-5016

Duluth area - 218-525-5952 Colorado - Denver area - 303-759-1060 Texas - Aust1n - 512-451-3308

No. Central - 817-237-3209 Rio Grande Valley - 512-565-6773 San Antonio - 512-699-3013 Texas Coast - 713-821-2846

Wisconsin - Statew1de - 414-352-3857 Missouri - 314-449-7938 Kansas - statewide - 316-343-7061

Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, both Dakotas and Wyoming allhave no hot lines.

Add Louisiana - Baton Rouge - 504-343-7773 New Orleans - 403-246-2373

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ~ ~ * * * * ~ *

b r i ie f ly n o t e dMissing t h i s issue are both "Conservation

comments" and ''Guide to Wordbotching. "Pressure on the authors' time was great - but they'll be back, live and in color, in the March issue.

You don't realize how much you enjoy both writers u n t i l you don't have them to r e a d .

We also have an unusual story about breeding ruby-throats for the March i s s u e .

And, o f course, the bird counts. March should be another eventful Bluebird.

l o o k i n g for any.and all stories and pictures you'd l i k e to c o n t r i b u t e . Get them to me not later than Feb. 1, 1986.

How about some new bird-finding material?Anyone, anywhere???

4 9

AUDUBON ORGANIZATIONS IN MISSOURI NA Audubon Society of Missouri

N Burroughs Audubon Society , N Chariton Valley Audubon Society

MN Columbia Audubon Society. , MN East Ozark Audubon Society, M Elsberry Garden Club MN Four Seasons Audubon Society.

N Greater Ozarks Audubon Society, M Hawthorn Garden Club M Northeast Missouri Natural History Club MN Ozark g a t e w a y Audubon Society

N Ozark Rivers Audubon Society, MN River Bluffs Audubon Society. MN Scenic Rivers Audubon Society MN St. Joseph Audubon Society.

N St. Louis Audubon Society M Webster Groves Nature Study Society

Kansas City .Kirksville

Columbia .Farmington

,Elsberry .Cape Girardeau

springfield Jefferson City

.Hannibal ,Joplin

Rolla ,Jefferson City

Poplar Bluff .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 Mr Sydney Wade, 2114 St Louis Road, Jefferson City MO 65101

Regular Family. Student Sustaining,

. $ 7.oo .a.oo .5.00 10,00 (Life Patron

Contributing Benefactor, *Affiliate (Individual) *Affiliate (Organization)

Member) 1 0 0 . 0 0

$20.00 50.00 . 5.00

.12.00

* 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 mem-b e r s and $12.00 more for each additional 400 members or fraction thereof.

* Individualn belonging to an Affiliate Organization may j.oin the Audubon Society of M i s s o u r i (membership includes a sub-scription to the blBluebird) for $5.00 - provided ' their dues are remitted through their local treasurer.

The blBluebird i s the official quarterly publication of the Audubon society of Missouri. Articles, essays and stories on all phases of natural history and conservation are invited and will be printed within the limite of available space. Copy to be used should reach the editor by f eb rua ry 1, May . l, August 1 or November 1, for use in the next issue,

Audubon Society of Missouri c/o Sydney Wade 2114 St. Louis Road Jefferson City MO 65101

Address Correction Requested Return Postage Guaranteed

DR ROSS SILCOCK BOX 300 TABOR IA 51563

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION POSTAGE

P A I D Jefferson City, Mo.

Permit No. 233