September 2021 Volume 88, No. 3 - The Missouri Birding Society Missouri's Ornithological Society Since 1901 - The Missouri Birding ...
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September 2021
Volume 88, No. 3
The Missouri Birding Society
Missouri’s Ornithological Society Since 1901
The Missouri Birding Society
Officers Regional Directors
Dana Ripper*+, President (2021); Lottie Bushmann+ (2021)
PO Box 16, Arrow Rock, MO 65320 Columbia (573) 445-3942
(660) 837-3888
Brent Galliart+ (2021)
dana.ripper@hotmail.com
St. Joseph (816) 232-6038
Edge Wade*+, Vice President (2021)
3105 Blackberry Lane., Columbia, MO Sherry Leonardo+ (2021)
65201, (573)268-3714 Grandview (816) 763-1393
edgew@mchsi.com Mike Grant+ (2022)
Chesterfield (314) 779-8032
Phil Wire*+, Secretary (2020)
1245 Boone St., Troy, MO 63379-2471 Greg Leonard+ (2022)
(314) 960-0370 Columbia (573) 443-8263
phw222@gmail.com Terry McNeely+ (2022)
Jameson (660) 828-4215
Tommy Goodwin*+, Treasurer
(2020); 321 Blanche Dr., St. Charles, Cindy Bridges+ (2023)
MO 63303; (417) 241-9189 Couch (417) 938-4567
tjgbp7@mst.edu
Jeff Cantrell+ (2023)
Honorary Directors Neosho (471) 476-3311
Richard A. Anderson, St. Louis** Kendell Loyd+ (2023)
Nathan Fay, Ozark** Springfield (573) 776-0901
Leo Galloway, St. Joseph**
Chairs
Jim Jackson, Marthasville**
Lisle Jeffrey, Columbia** Bill Clark, Historian
Floyd Lawhon, St. Joseph** 3906 Grace Ellen Dr.
Patrick Mahnkey, Forsyth** Columbia, MO 65202
Rebecca Matthews, Springfield** (573) 474-4510
Sydney Wade, Jefferson City**
Dave Witten, Columbia** Greg Leonard, Membership
John Wylie, Jefferson City** 2101 W. Broadway, PMB 122
Brad Jacobs**, 2016 Recipient of the Columbia, MO 65203-1261
Rudolf Bennitt Award egreg2@yahoo.com
Jim Jackson**, 2012 Recipient of the
Rudolf Bennitt Award + Board Position
* Executive Committee Member
Dr. David Easterla, 2006 Recipient **Deceased
of the Rudolf Bennitt Award
Paul E. Bauer**, 2004 Recipient of
the 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:
Kendell Loyd. 1730 E Valley Watermill, Apt D 108, Springfield, MO 65803,
(573) 776-0901, kloyd892@gmail.com
Communication Services:
Kevin Wehner, eNews editor
Susan Hazelwood and David Scheu, Co-owners Listserve,
mobirds-l-request@po.missouri.edu
MBS Scholarship Committee:
Sue Gustafson, Chair, 429 Belleview Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119
(314) 882-8006, smgustafson@juno.com
MO Bird Records Committee:
Paul McKenzie+—Chair, 2311 Grandview Circle, Columbia, MO
65203-7240, (573) 445-3019, paulbeckymo@mchsi.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
Manuscripts submitted for peer review may be published in a subsequent 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
September 2021 Volume 88, No. 3
129 President’s Corner — Dana Ripper
131 MBS fall meeting
131 Subscribe to the MOBIRDS Listerv
132 We welcome our new MBS members — Greg Leonard
133 Audubon Society and International Dark-Sky Association partner
to protect birds during migration—Peggy Hill
136 Midges, sewage lagoons, and water birds— David Easterla
140 The Joys of birding: Encounter with an adult female Rufous
Hummingbird in the Tetons of NW Wyoming
145 My kind of crowd—Scott Beskow
146 App Review: BirdNET— Bob Bailey
150 Effect of February cold on Carolina Wren and Eastern Bluebird
populations—Allen Gathman
151 Winter 2020-2021 seasonal report—Pete Monacell
Front Cover— White-winged Crossbill, Ashland Boone 16 Jan 2021. Photo
Bill Palmer.
Barn Swallows, Creve Coeur Lake St Louis 6 Jun 21. Photo Julie Morgan
Peer-reviewed articles in The Bluebird are noted by a header.
Species mentioned in articles not so designated may not have been subject to review .
THE BLUEBIRD is published quarterly by The Missouri Birding Society. The submission of arti-
cles, photographs, and artwork is welcomed and encouraged. The views and opinions expressed in
this journal are those of each contributing writer and do not necessarily represent the views and
opinions of The Missouri Birding Society or its officers, Board of Directors, or editors. Send ad-
dress corrections to MBS, 2101 W. Broadway, PMB 122, Columbia, MO 65203-1261.
Page iii THE BLUEBIRD
President’s Corner—Dana Ripper
Dear Missouri birders,
I wanted to share a couple of
birdy anecdotes with you. As
I write this in early August,
we are just starting to see a
tiny trickle of migrants
starting to come through
Saline County. For example,
I’m pretty sure that the lone
Louisiana Waterthrush at our
backyard pond yesterday was on the move. While we’re within the
species’ breeding range, almost-daily censuses of our property (read:
birds seen and heard while drinking coffee on the porch or walking
around our five acres) have never previously revealed a
waterthrush.
In contrast, our House Wrens are on their second nest of the year.
The young are probably three or four days from fledging, and this is
the latest HOWR nest we’ve had in the decade we’ve been hosting
them. Interestingly, throughout their June/early July nesting cycle,
the male sang incessantly, even on his way to deliver food to the
nest. After a week or so intermission in which he battled and
counter-sang with another male that had been holding a territory
about 100 meters away, this second nest was initiated. During this
current early-August nesting cycle, he is almost silent! A huge
change from his behavior during the first nest. That first nest
produced six fledglings (it was like watching the proverbial clown
car empty its passengers) and we can’t wait to see how many young
ones come out of the second.
From the MoBirds email listserv, it sounds like many folks around
the state have enjoyed their backyard birds this year. We heard
reports from Dan Getman, who finally got Eastern Bluebirds in his
Adair County yard, and from Larry Herbert noting Blue Jays
responding to car horns in Jasper County. We also heard from Lisa
Saffell about many fledglings in her St. Louis County yard,
including Carolina Wren, a species for which there is significant
concern due to last winter’s potentially lethal temperatures.
Page 129 THE BLUEBIRD
It has also been an exciting summer for birds in the field. Here in Missouri, we and the birds were fortunate to have relatively moderate temperatures and early rains that provided vegetation growth and likely an abundance of food. MBS members documented a Swainson’s Hawk in Callaway County (first by Pete Monacell) that was subsequently seen by many a happy birder. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were found in Livingston County (Steve Kinder). A non-MBS member first spotted the Mottled Duck in St. Louis County, which was later re-sighted (Josh Uffman and Mike Grant). A Bewick’s Wren was confirmed in Adair County (Peter Kondrashov). These were just some of the many bird reports shared across the state over the course of this summer season. I’ve been considering recently the quality of the MoBirds listserv. As a member of five or six other list-servs, I think MoBirds really stands out for its tone and relevance. Posts are to the point and there is not idle chatter distracting from the matters at hand – namely, birds, our enjoyment of birds, and their conservation. I have found some of the posts delightfully poetic in their cadence, while others appeal to the scientist in me by reporting straight data. Yet others remind us to cherish and conserve the species that we all love so much. The high quality of MoBirds is thanks to our moderators, Susan Hazelwood and David Scheu, and of course all the Missouri birders (you!) who post there. I thank you all for your sense of community and willingness to share. Happy fall migration, everyone! Page 130 THE BLUEBIRD
MBS Fall Meeting
Due to the surge in the more highly contagious delta variant COVID
-19 cases in Missouri beginning in mid-summer, the MBS Fall
Meeting will be a virtual format with field trips around the state
over an extended time frame, similar to the arrangements for the
fall 2020 and spring 2021 events.
The by-laws stipulate that the annual Board and General Meetings
be held in the fall. These will be conducted via Zoom. Speakers will
also be scheduled for Zoom-based presentations. Field trips in
several locations will be led by volunteers over at least a ten-day
period to allow people to attend more than one if they wish.
Details will be sent to members via email, announced on MObirds
listserv, links provided on two Facebook groups, and of course be
available on the MBS website when complete. Non-members are
encouraged to participate in the meeting activities at no charge.
Subscribe to the MOBIRDS Listserv!
If you are curious about what birds are being seen around Mis-
souri, have a question about a bird, enjoy sharing your birding ex-
periences, want to know what field trips are coming up, want to
meet other birders online, the MBS sponsored MOBIRDS listserv is
for you.
Join the active Missouri birding community by subscribing.
Subscribe here: https://po.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/wa?
SUBED1=MOBIRDS-L&A=1
Please note that MBS members are NOT automatically subscribed
to the listserv. You must subscribe yourself by going to the link
above.
Also, all listserv posts are retained in a searchable archive:
https://po.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=MOBIRDS-L
Page 131 THE BLUEBIRD
WE WELCOME OUR NEW MBS MEMBERS!
Greg Leonard
Remember, new members are our future. If a new member lives
near you, say, “Howdy and welcome to MBS.” In addition, recruit
another new member. Welcome to these 22 new MBS mem-
bers in the 3rd quarter of 2021!
Heather Beem Lee’s Summit, MO
Mary & Don Beste,
Ernest & Carolyn Rowley San Antonio, TX
James & Susan Barry Blue Springs, MO
Susan Even & Steven Zweig Columbia, MO
Ethan Hoggard Harviell, MO
Erica Hroblak Columbia, MO
Caroline Keane St. Louis, MO
Chase & Claire LaFont Ste. Geneviève, MO
Elaine Kelly Columbia, MO
Lynda Lieberman St. Louis, MO
Catherine McLeod North Kansas City, MO
Julie Morgan St. Louis, MO
Cindy Nading Auxvasse, MO
Matt Riley St. Louis, MO
Madison Rodriguez Joplin, MO
Cathy Suda Fenton, MO
Page 132 THE BLUEBIRD
Audubon Society
and International Dark-Sky Association
Partner to Protect Birds During Migration
Peggy Hill
Before dawn on October 2, Audubon volunteer Stephen
Maciejewski embarked on his daily surveillance – in search
of dead and injured birds that had collided with buildings –
in a 3.5 square block section of downtown Philadelphia.
Birds were already everywhere, lying injured and dead on
the ground, with many of the injured barely able to stand or
move. Within the first two hours, 150 dead birds were
collected and bagged, destined to be added to the scientific
research collection of Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural
Sciences.
--- Connie Sanchez, “Philadelphia Sees Largest Mass
Collision Event in the City in 70 Years,” National Audubon
Society, October 27, 2020. [1]
Though mass building collisions such as this one are unusual, it is
estimated that as many as 1 billion birds die each year from
colliding with windows or buildings, most of the victims belonging to
a diverse array of native species such as warblers, thrushes,
hummingbirds, sparrows and orioles that fly into buildings during
their spring or fall migration. [2] It is well known that during the
day birds can see clouds and trees reflected in windows, not
realizing that there is a barrier there, and fly directly into them, but
this event happened overnight, the result of urban high-rise
buildings being brightly lit.
As an amateur astronomer I clearly realized the damage that light
pollution does to our night skies, reducing our ability to observe and
share with others the wonders of the cosmos, but was totally
unaware of the impact that this pollution had on birds—especially
migrating birds. In fact, I had no idea that of the 70% of bird species
that migrate, about 80% of these migrate at night. [3] These
travelers use the light of the moon and stars to navigate on their
journeys, which can be thousands of miles long, spanning
Page 133 THE BLUEBIRD
Photo: Wikimedia user Lamiot continents. Artificial light at night can disrupt bird migration in many ways, such as by disorienting them so that they collide with buildings or become drawn to upward pointing beams of light where they circle to exhaustion, and become weak and vulnerable to predation. This issue is especially relevant to Missouri, where St. Louis ranks as the 5th most dangerous city in the US for migrating birds in the spring; it ranks 6th in the fall. [4] In an attempt to mitigate the dangers posed for birds by artificial light at night the Missouri chapter of the International Dark Sky Association has recently spearheaded a regional partnership of diverse groups from across the heartland. “Lights Out Heartland,” a joint program between the Missouri chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association and the Audubon Society chapters in Columbia, Kansas City and St. Louis, is a Missouri organization working to reduce light pollution, especially during bird migration periods, and is one of many such initiatives throughout the USA. The first “Lights Out Programs” [5] originated in the US in1999 and were inspired by the FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness) program in Canada. Today there are over 30 active Lights Out Programs in the United States. Page 134 THE BLUEBIRD
Though only a few years old, the Lights Out Heartland partnership has already recruited local businesses and communities to reduce light at night. One notable success has been the passage of local resolutions or ordinances to reduce light at night in St. Louis County, Ellisville, Illinois, and the City of Ozark. Another is the agreement by many prominent commercial buildings in the St. Louis area to turn off exterior lights for periods during migration. In fact, the National Park Service turned off the Gateway Arch exterior lights between May 1 and May 14 this year due to bird migration season. Studies by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the New York City Audubon Society found that turning off the bright beacons during the annual 9/11 Memorial in New York City for just 20 to 30 minutes at a time helps migrating birds to move on and greatly reduces the density of birds in the area. [6] Lights Out Heartland is growing into a diverse network of organizations such as the Missouri Department of Conservation and the St. Louis Zoo, involving additional stakeholders, and helping to educate the public about the ways light pollution endangers migrating birds. It aims to encourage individuals and organizations to take action by modifying their use of artificial lights at night, especially at times of peak migration. We know that excessive light at night is a problem, but what can we do? Individuals can start by completing the Dark Sky Friendly Home Lighting Assessment (https://idsw.darksky.org/activities/dark- sky-friendly-home/) created by the International Dark Sky Association to help modify and improve outdoor home lighting, and earn a Dark Sky Friendly Home Certificate, or learn more about the detrimental effects of light pollution and help spread the word. To learn more, and to see how else you can be involved, check out the Lights Out Heartland website: https://www.lightsoutheartland.org/. And if you are curious about nightly bird migration, as I was, you can check out Colorado State’s AeroEco Lab website (Lights Out Alerts: https://aeroecolab.com/uslights) and see their real-time 3- day estimate of the number of birds migrating each night over your community in the US. It is heartening to see what has been accomplished already to help these birds have a safe migration, but we yet have a long way to go. Page 135 THE BLUEBIRD
References:
[1] Connie Sanchez, “Philadelphia Sees Largest Mass Collision
Event in the City in 70 Years,” National Audubon Society, October
27, 2020. (https://www.audubon.org/news/philadelphia-sees-largest-
mass-collision-event-city-70-years)
[2] NEXRAD RADAR USED TO PREDICT BIRD COLLISIONS
Publication info: US Fed News Service, Including US State News;
Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C] 02 Apr 2021.
[3] Horton, Kyle G., Cecelia Nilsson, Benjamin M Van Doren, Frank
A La Sorte, Adriaan M Dokter, and Andrew Farnsworth. 2019.
Bright lights in the big cities: migratory birds’ exposure to artificial
light. Front Ecol Environ 2019; 17(4):209–214, doi:10.1002/fee.2029.
[4] Leonard, Pat. 2019. Chicago tops list of mist dangerous cities for
migrating birds. Cornell Chronicle. https://news.cornell.edu/
stories/2019/04/chicago-tops-list-most-dangerous-cities-migrating-
birds.
[5] National Audubon Society. Existing Lights Out Programs.
https://www.audubon.org/conservation/existing-lights-out-programs
[6] National Audubon Society. Lights Out Program. https://
www.audubon.org/lights-out-program
Before and after the 2003 Northeast blackout power outage.
Photo Todd Carlson
Page 136 THE BLUEBIRDMidges, Sewage Lagoons, and Water Birds
David A. Easterla
Over the many years that I have visited the Maryville, Missouri
Sewage Lagoons, I have been amazed at the abundance and im-
portance of midges for supporting the various food chains.
Adult midges (class Insecta, Order Diptera, Family Chironomidae),
unlike mosquitoes, have vestigial mouth parts and do not bite.
They are common insects, and are found almost everywhere, some-
times in considerable numbers. Adults frequently occur in large
swarms, especially near ponds, lakes, and lagoons. Adults of
aquatic species often assemble in vast numbers, especially over
water, and dance to the accompaniment of a distinct humming
sound. The eggs are laid in gelatinous bands in water or on moist,
rotting vegetation. Larvae are aquatic and usually live on or in
the bottom mud of various bodies of water, especially those mud
bottoms that are rich in organic debris involving a sludge of rotting
vegetation, sewage, dung, etc. Some larvae are red and are called
Fig. 1: Gulls feeding on midges
Photo David Easterla
Page 137 THE BLUEBIRDbloodworms. Midges are at the base of a food chain that feeds
many organisms such as other insects, fishes, amphibians, birds,
and even bats (Swain and Swain, 1957; Borror and White, 1970).
During visits to the Maryville Sewage Lagoons on October 24, 25,
and 28, 2020, I was amazed at the number of water birds depend-
ent upon midges for food (Fig. 1). The attraction of migrating gulls
feeding on these hatching midges was spectacular. During this
time of the year, in autumn, midges hatch in all of the pools, but
sometimes they are concentrated in a given pool area, attracting
flocks of both Franklin’s Gulls and Bonaparte’s Gulls participating
in a feeding frenzy with their legs dangling while they fly daintily
over the water surface picking off emerging midges.
Often these large gull flocks
converged at the same time
on a specific area of emerging
midges; in fact, on October
24, 2020, there were some
1500 Franklin’s and about
1000 Bonaparte’s Gulls par-
ticipating as described. Up to
50 migrating Ring-billed
Gulls sometimes participated
Franklin’s Gull in capturing emerging midg-
Photo David Easterla es, as did an occasional Her-
ring Gull.
Gulls were not the only birds to benefit from the midges. Ameri-
can Coots often enjoyed the feeding forays, as did Northern Shovel-
ers. The shovelers had several methods of capturing midges.
Besides picking off midges from the water surface, they would
form a group of 5 to over 100 individuals and swim in a circle,
creating an upwelling current that brought larvae to the surface to
be captured. The direction of the circular movement seemed to be
random; about one half of the time clockwise and half counter-
clockwise.
In early autumn during windless days, these irruptions of flying
midges over the dikes can sometimes be breathtaking, when mil-
lions to billions form slow-moving clouds; one would not want to
encounter and accidentally inhale or swallow these tiny irritants.
Page 138 THE BLUEBIRDWhen the winds are strong in the fall, the emerging midges seem to proliferate; I suspect that this may correlate with the annual fall overturn of the lagoon water, when surface water reaches the same temperature as the bottom water and the Bonaparte’s Gull thermocline disappears. Photo David Easterla With a water monotem- perature, the wind can easily facilitate a water overturn, bringing bottom dwellers to the surface. This event evidently occurred during strong northwest winds on Oct. 10, 2017, when swarming midges attracted the second recorded Cave Swallow, feeding along with thousands of Tree and Barn Swallows on hatching midges on the water surface (Easterla, 2020). The emerging midges some- times continue into the winter. On December 2, 1983, I photo- graphed a Say’s Phoebe feeding on irrupted adult midges frozen in ice at the southernmost lagoon pool (Robbins and Easterla, 1992). To the many birders who cherish water birds (even swallows and flycatchers), if you know of a sewage lagoon near you, do not over- look its possibilities for attracting birds, especially during fall migration when that one rare species may show up! References: Borror, D. J., and R. E. White. 1970. A Field Guide to the Insects of America North of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. p. 268. Easterla, D. A. 2020. Maryville Sewage Lagoons: Avian Oases. The Bluebird 87(3): 167. Robbins, M. B., and D. A. Easterla. 1992. Birds of Missouri – Their Distribution and Abundance. Univ. MO Pr., Columbia. Pp. 202, 211. Swain, R. B., and S. N. Swain. 1957. The Insect Guide. Double- day, Garden City, NY. P. 19 Page 139 THE BLUEBIRD
The Joys of Birding:
Encounter with an
Adult Female Rufous Hummingbird
in the Tetons of NW Wyoming
Paul McKenzie
Whether you are a professional ornithologist, an experienced veter-
an birder, or a beginner, it is the love of birds that we all have in
common. While I enjoy observing and studying various plants and
animals, they all pale in comparison to my appreciation of birds.
Going on 50 years of birding, it is has always been those special
encounters with birds and the fellow birders I have met along the
way that I cherish and remember the most. Such was the case
during a recent birding trip to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone
National Parks (NP) in NW Wyoming on 11-18 July 2021. The
Tetons and Yellowstone are so majestic and awe-inspiring that every
birder should visit them at least once in their lives. For someone
who enjoys seeing plants, butterflies, odonates, mammals, as well as
birds, along with the incredible scenery, it was difficult to decide
whether to look up, down, or straight ahead. What my wife Becky,
niece River, and I saw in a week was certainly a sensory overload
that exceeded our expectations.
Grand Teton NP—Photo Paul McKenzie
Page 140 THE BLUEBIRDOn the last full day of our trip, I got up early to bird the Gros
Ventre Campground (GV campground)-a riparian corridor along
the Gros Ventre River, and a stream trail in the Bridger-Teton
National Forest just east of Jackson, WY. On the way to the GV
campground, I was distracted by a bachelor group of mule deer
bucks that all had their antlers in velvet. After taking photos of
the deer, I visited the GV campground where I was able to photo-
graph a Dusky Flycatcher, a Violet-green Swallow, Mountain
Bluebirds, and a few other species.
It was my hike up the Horse-
tail Creek trail that was the
most memorable of the trip. I
wanted to hike an area that
lacked the hundreds of
people in the Teton and
Yellowstone NPs and an area
where I could find target
birds, butterflies and
odonates. In particular, my
most wanted butterfly to
photograph was a Wiedemey-
er’s Admiral that I had
observed a few times during
our visit but was unable to
get a photograph of. This
species occurs along stream
sides, so I picked Horsetail
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Creek that traversed through
Photo Paul McKenzie a deep canyon that could also
have some of the bird species
I had missed earlier in the week. I had not been on the trail five
minutes when I heard the distinct song of a MacGillivray’s War-
bler. This was my most wanted bird species to photograph, and
although I had been successful in photographing another male in
Cascade Canyon of the Teton National Park 16 July, I thought
photographing another would be a bonus for the trip. I spished and
a gorgeous adult male popped into view.
I was taking photos when I suddenly heard a whirl of wings and
soft chips of an adult female Rufous Hummingbird within six
inches of my head! To my delight, she continually pecked at my
hat, camera, binoculars, and the red T-shirt showing through my
Page 141 THE BLUEBIRDRufous Hummingbird—Photo Paul McKenzie heavier shirt (it was 48 degrees when I started). She got so close that I could feel the fluttering of her wings on the back of my neck and within a few inches of my nose. I froze with excitement and amazement as she circled me several times but I frantically real- ized she was too close to get a photograph! She flew off as I contin- ued walking up the trail along Horsetail Creek. Surprisingly, she buzzed around me several more times as I proceeded up the canyon and I was still unable to photograph her because she was too close. As I continued hiking along the creek I finally got to see a Weide- meyer’s Admiral flying back and forth across Horsetail Creek but Page 142 THE BLUEBIRD
this elusive butterfly was hesi-
tant to land and disappeared
among the spruce scattered along
the stream. After flushing the
Weidemeyer’s a few more times, I
decided to not move in hopes it
would land where I could get a
photograph. The strategy worked
as it flew back down the stream,
Wiedemeyer’s Admiral crisscrossed several times and to
Photo Paul McKenzie my sheer delight, landed about
10 ft. above my head. I slowly
moved my camera into position and got the shot I wanted, albeit a
ventral view. Around noon I decided to head back and walk
parallel to the stream in hopes of observing other birds or butter-
flies. Using this technique I was rewarded with seeing and photo-
graphing the 2nd most wanted butterfly of the trip- a Hayden’s
Ringlet that is endemic to the greater Yellowstone/Tetons area.
At one point on my return hike I crossed Horsetail Creek due to a
bluff on the opposite side and suddenly heard the now familiar
wing whirl of what was surely the same adult female Rufous
Hummingbird I had observed earlier. As it was now getting very
warm, I removed my heavy shirt and the adult Rufous was very
much interested in my red T-shirt. As earlier, she would buzz me
and peck at my shirt, hat, camera, and my pants, and come within
one inch of my face. “If only I could get a photo!” I thought. On one
pass she zipped by me and landed on the branch of a spruce tree
within one foot from where I was standing. I tried to get a photo
but my camera continued to focus on a small branch in front of her.
“If I could just move six inches to the right I’ll get the shot” I
thought although I was fearful my movement would startle her. I
was successful in moving into position to get the shot I wanted, but
she continually flew from her perch, buzzed me several more times
and re-landed on the same perch. As I continued to take photos of
her I noticed a glob on a spruce branch within six inches of my face
and noticed that the glob was covered with lichens. With sheer
delight and excitement I refocused my eyes to see a hummingbird
nest with two nestlings inside with their bills pointed up! I then
slowly backed off to avoid any further inadvertent disturbance.
Although she buzzed me a few more times as I lost view of the
nest, her behavior suggested that she no longer considered me a
threat to her nest and young and I now understood her behavior
earlier. Having witnessed such an incredible event and thinking
Page 143 THE BLUEBIRDback on what had just happened, I had to take a moment to get my
wits about me and be thankful for my good fortune. If the morning
was not great enough, on my return to Jackson I noticed several
cars had pulled off on a lookout of the Gros Ventre River with
people excitedly taking photos. Investigating, I saw that the
excitement was over a giant bull moose with its antlers in velvet
foraging along the river.
Leaving the Tetons and Yellowstone NPs, I realized that my visit
there for a week was a once in a life time opportunity in more ways
then one. As a birder, it is moments like these that you never
forget and ones that place an exclamation point on the joys of
birding!
Rufous Hummingbird on nest — Photo Paul McKenzie
Page 144 THE BLUEBIRDMy Kind of Crowd
Scott Beskow
my booted feet crunch
into crust-frozen black dirt and
the withered stubble of last year’s harvest
I relish the sounds that I’m making
and the fact that
I am alone
my gloved hand rests
on the well-worn thumbwheel of my
hand-me-down binoculars
right where Fred’s thumb wore off the silver paint
as he spun it to focus on the birds
at his feeders
a red-shouldered hawk
painted from the palette of the landscape
in mottled browns, whites and rusty reds
surveys this desolate farm edge
with an enviably simple intent
“You’re not alone, you idiot,” I say aloud
in a way that would have reddened my face
as a younger man
“Fred is here and so is this hawk,”
I continue into the wind.
“My kind of crowd.”
Page 145 THE BLUEBIRDApp Review: BirdNET
Bob Bailey
It was just a few days past Big Day, a sunny Wednesday morning on
the Lost Valley Trail, and there were still songbird migrants head-
ing north beyond the Weldon Spring Conservation Area in St.
Charles County. I had just finished recording a Swainson’s Thrush
“whit” and was moving north on the trail with the Femme Osage
Creek to my left. Then, from out of nowhere, I was instantly startled
by what I thought was a Swainson’s Warbler song directly on the
other side of the creek. Could that be right? I moved in a bit closer to
the creek to get as close to the source as I could and tapped REC-
ORD on my Voice Recorder app.
I sent the recording I made to several fellow birders known for their
excellence in identifying birds by their songs. Its song alone—and it
being at Lost Valley—left them scratching their heads about its
identification. Thus, after hearing back from nearly everyone, with
one abstaining, in the spirit of majority rule, I posted it to eBird as
Louisiana Waterthrush “with a song reminiscent of a Swainson’s
Warbler song.”
Two weeks later, I got an email: “Did you see the post about the
Swainson’s Warbler at Lost Valley?” Posted on May 24, Joseph
Bieksza visually identified and recorded the Swainson’s Warbler
song on a short off-shoot from the main Lost Valley Trail near where
I had heard it. Within hours, others came and posted convincing
photos. So my ears had not deceived me after all! But what if Mr.
Bieksza had not happened upon it? That 100 meter off-shoot trail is
generally ignored by birders. Could it have continued to escape de-
tection through the remainder of the breeding season?
Fast-forward to BirdNET: “The easiest way to identify birds” from
the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Chemnitz University of
Technology, able to recognize 984 species of North America and Eu-
rope. Could I have confirmed the song I recorded on May 12 as be-
longing to the Swainson’s Warbler if I had had BirdNET to assist
me? Short answer: Yes, with “almost certainty.” But the answer
would not have come instantaneously, as you will discover.
Page 146 THE BLUEBIRDSwainson’s Warbler, Grindstone Park Boone 21 May 2020
Photo Paul McKenzie
So how would events have unfolded if I had the BirdNET app when I
encountered the Swainson’s Warbler song that day? Let’s imagine as
follows:
It’s May 12 and I hear what I believe is the Swainson’s song at Lost
Valley. I isolate the spectrogram within the scrolling window as
BirdNET listens through my phone. I tap ANALYZE in the app.
BirdNET responds: “Sorry, we were not able to confidently identify
any bird species.” Well, that’s a heck of note. Why is that?
BirdNET has set certain limitations to make their song analyses
more accurate. The Swainson’s Warbler isn’t supposed to be any-
where near Lost Valley in May (or any time of year here). Had I iso-
lated and recorded an American Redstart, on the other hand, Bird-
NET would have analyzed it “almost certain” and, more likely than
Page 147 THE BLUEBIRDnot, any other birdsongs (including chips, calls, and drummings) from birds that would generally be considered to be in the area at that time of year. So what can I do with my recording that BirdNET says it can’t iden- tify? BirdNET gives me two options. I can tap SHOW WILD GUESS or I can tap SAVE. If I tap SAVE, BirdNET saves that observation on my phone, giving it an observation number. Instead of identifying the bird with a wild guess, it will read NOT ANALYZED. I might be tempted to allow BirdNET to show its wild guess. But I can do my own wild guesses, so let’s say I decide instead to save it for further analysis on my home computer. After my trip to Lost Valley, I have made several observations using BirdNET. I sit down to relax and look at the records listed under SHOW OBSERVATIONS on the app. From there I see my list of the birds at Lost Valley identified by BirdNET, along with their obser- vation number, certainty level, date and time, and general location. If I click on any specific observation, I’m provided a visual with a location pin within the vicinity found, including an image of the spe- cies courtesy of the Cornell Library. At one of the observations on the list I see my unidentified Swain- son’s Warbler song marked NOT ANALYZED. If I were to open that one up and tap ANALYZE presently at my home in Maplewood (and this is important to understand), I would not have any better luck at identifying the bird. That’s because Maplewood is not any more like- ly to have a Swainson’s Warbler singing here than Lost Valley. Be- sides, if I were to tap ANALYZE from my home, my original date, time, and general location would be erased and supplanted with my time and position in Maplewood. So, using one of the BirdNET tools, I instead send the unanalyzed file to my email address. From there, I download the file to my home computer and go to their website, http://birdnet.com.edu. On its home page, I see UPLOAD RECORDING. Clicking on that opens to a page telling me to UPLOAD FILE. I click and select my unana- lyzed file for upload. Within seconds I’m provided with the name of the bird under a horizontal bar graph that indicates its certainty. Like magic it reads: SWAINSON’S WARBLER with 99% certainty. Page 148 THE BLUEBIRD
Where the phone app has built-in parameters that define a bird’s weekly (or yearly) and geographic limitations based on your current GPS, the website is not prejudiced in this way, because the website does not factor in the geographic source or time of year of the vocali- zation you upload. Once, when I recorded what was most likely a Summer Tanager, the website suggested a Mistle Thrush as a dim possibility. This would not have happened using only the phone app (as noted, BirdNET can identify vocalizations from North America and Europe). So, as you see, BirdNET could not have identified the Swainson’s Warbler instantaneously due to the unusual geographic location in which it was found. But, as I have illustrated, it does offer a worka- round. While not perfect, it is remarkable in how well it identifies the species when it’s within its usual geographic range. You can also set the app so that it will identify all species that not only breed in a geographic area but also migrate through during migration by en- larging the parameters to YEARLY instead of WEEKLY. Another limitation with the BirdNET app worth noting is that if you don’t have internet connection when birding, you won’t be able to instantly identify the bird in real time. You have two choices after saving the recording: Go to a different location that has internet con- nection within the same geographic area and have BirdNET analyze the recording you made via your phone (which will still erase the original location and data). Or you can save it as UNANALYZED and upload the song directly to the BirdNET website for an unpreju- diced analysis. This will allow you to keep your original location and related data where you made the recording. BirdNET will never replace a birder with a good pair of birding ears. It won’t pick up all the distant songs and calls that a birder with good ears can hear and the wide variety of contexts that matter. And it will make occasional wild guesses that of which a good birder knows better. But it’s an excellent companion to have along. Author’s note: The original May 12 recording of the Swainson's Warbler song made on my Voice Recorder app did indeed identify the song almost certainly as "Swainson's Warbler" weeks later, after I discovered BirdNET and uploaded the recording to their website. Page 149 THE BLUEBIRD
Effect of February Cold on Carolina Wren
and Eastern Bluebird Populations
Allen Gathman
Graphs below show the rolling weekly average of Carolina Wren (CARW) or Eastern
Bluebird (EABL) individuals reported in complete eBird checklists per hour observing
in Missouri. The cold wave occurred February 6-22, 2021; 2020 data included for com-
parison. See Winter Seasonal Report (p.151) for more discussion.
Data from: eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance
[web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available:
http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed: August 6, 2021)
Page 150 THE BLUEBIRDWinter 2020-2021 Seasonal Report
Pete Monacell
Missouri’s weather in December 2020 and most of January 2021 was
warmer and drier than average, although a rain system had moved
through the state in early January. Toward the end of the month,
periods of below-average temperatures accompanied another rain
system. Weather again became seasonably mild at the beginning of
February; however, between February 6 and 19, the central U.S.
experienced a historically significant polar vortex event that will be
difficult for many residents to forget. In Missouri, average tempera-
tures during this span of dates were more than 20 degrees below
normal, with an overall average of 10.2°F. In the analysis of State
Climatologist Pat Guinan, “Preliminary data indicate it was the
coldest 2-week period to impact Missouri in over 30 years.” Although
this dip in the polar vortex affected the entire state, western and
northwestern regions felt its most severe effects. In fact, on the
morning of February 16, locations in northwest Missouri reported
temperatures of -26°F. Thankfully, more hospitable weather re-
turned to the state as February drew to a close.
Generally mild conditions for the first months of winter likely
contributed to a number of migrants lingering much later than
usual, including Soras and Virginia Rails, which were found at
two locations in the far south of the state and well away from wet-
lands in central Boone, where these species are known to overwin-
ter. A very late Cinnamon Teal occurred at Loess Bluffs National
Wildlife Refuge, Holt, and multiple American Bitterns continued
in Dunklin. Similarly, three Long-billed Dowitchers, a Dunlin,
and numerous Least Sandpipers continued at a site in Lincoln
well into the winter (along with another Long-billed Dowitcher
discovered further north in Pike). The season also saw Missouri’s
second-latest fall record of Ovenbird and its first winter records of
Least Flycatcher and Nashville Warbler, as well as its second
winter record of Lark Sparrow. An out-of-range Painted Bunt-
ing, photographed at a residence in St. Charles, became the state’s
first winter record of that species.
Page 151 THE BLUEBIRDIn addition, during these months birders across Missouri enjoyed large invasions of Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, and Purple Finches, as well as ten distinct occurrences of Evening Grosbeak—a number not seen for fifteen years. Observers also reported four White-winged Crossbills and four Snowy Owls over the course of the season. However, as might be expected, the polar vortex event and the two weeks of frigid weather that hung over the state brought detriments to bird populations. Birders from across Missouri, including Allen Gathman, Mark Haas, Paul McKenzie, and Tom Nagel, provided narratives of significantly decreased bird activity following the cold. In those narratives, and also in numerous posts on the MObirds-L listserv, the most frequently mentioned species were Carolina Wrens, Eastern Bluebirds, American Robins, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and Dark-eyed Juncos, in addition to sparrows in general. Mark Robbins observed that eastern Kansas experienced “mass mortality across a broad range” of bird species; indeed, this seems to have been the case in Missouri as well. In Mark’s view, poor fruit production resulting from drought in the fall affected bluebirds, robins, and sapsuckers, since they could not find enough to eat during the extreme and prolonged cold. Similarly, sparrows and juncos could not find enough seeds due to poor seed production in 2020. Many Carolina Wrens, which according to Mark were “decimated” in eastern Kansas, may simply have starved to death when they could not find enough insect eggs to eat. As a testament to the severity of the weather, during the polar vortex event itself, species that do not often visit feeders were doing so, including large clusters of Red-winged Blackbirds. Moreover, birding during the weeks that followed emphasized the scarcity of many land birds. Paul McKenzie wrote, “On some post-freeze bird trips, literally hundreds of thickets, brush piles, giant ragweed stands, and hedgerows were checked ... Many areas that were spished failed to produce a single individual of any species. Especial- ly noticeable was the incredible lack of sparrow numbers and diver- sity.” The feelings accompanying such birding were grim. Worth mentioning here is that the polar vortex event may have influenced the arrival of one of the most chaseable rarities of 2021, a Page 152 THE BLUEBIRD
Ferruginous Hawk in Boone. Between February 18 and March 2,
more than eighty birders were able to observe this adult, an age that
is particularly rare in Missouri. And in fact, this was one of three
individuals of this species to occur during the winter of 2020-21: an
immature bird in Barton continued from the fall into the first days
of December, and another young bird continued from late December
to late January in the fields of Dunklin.
Other especially
chaseable rarities
included a female
Barrow’s Goldeneye
at Smithville Lake,
Clay, from mid-
December to late
January, and a young
male Vermilion
Flycatcher, found on
both sides of the
Dunklin and Pemiscot
county line, for more
than five weeks
beginning on Decem-
ber 1. Many observers
Ferruginous Hawk South Farm Boone 24 Feb 21
traveling to these
Photo Mary Nemecek
locations, in northwest
and extreme south-
eastern Missouri respectively, birded parts of the state that they do
not often visit and therefore expanded their own experiences, as well
as our knowledge of Missouri’s avifauna.
eBird data and seasonal reports submitted from observers around
the state remain the primary source for this report. Missouri bird-
watchers are encouraged to submit their observations through eBird
and are equally encouraged to submit notes to the seasonal editors,
as these can often provide more information and perspective than
eBird checklists. Please note that this winter report spans December
1-February 28. The Missouri Bird Records Committee defines winter
as December 14-February 20. The author is grateful to Allen Gath-
man, Mary Nemecek, and Josh Uffman, for reviewing this docu-
ment. Their comments enhanced the quality of the report.
Page 153 THE BLUEBIRDNote: Records marked with an asterisk (*) require documentation, but no documentation has yet been received by the Missouri Bird Records Committee (MBRC). Observers involved with such sightings are encouraged to submit documentation. The MBRC has received documentation of those records marked with a dagger (†), and those marked (acc.) have been accepted. WATERFOWL The season’s high of Ross’s Goose was 135, Johnson 30 Dec (DC, VC). In the east of the state, the high was 50, CBCA 6 Feb (ph. BR). Paul McKenzie photographed a rare blue-morph Ross’s Goose 3 Feb, GPCA. Highs of 10,000 Greater White-fronted Geese were reported at both LBNWR 1 Dec (Mickey Louis) and 370 Lakeside Park, St. Charles 25 Jan (Mike Thelen). The high at RMBS was 4000, a large aggregation for this location, 18 Jan (BR, Matt Rowe). Cackling Geese were reported in 33 counties, with a high of 23, Harrisonville Park, Cass 5 Feb (ph. DC, VC). The season’s high of Trumpeter Swan was 3713, LBNWR 29 Jan (ph. Melody Miller); at RMBS, the high was 1200 on 20 Feb (Trevor Leitz, HG, OG). With regard to this species, Bill Rowe commented that numbers were erratic at RMBS, fluctuating from low hundreds on some days in Dec and early Jan down to few or none at all in late Jan and early Feb, then back up to very high numbers during and after the polar vortex event of Feb. Tundra Swans were reported in 13 counties with a high of 75, RMBS 9 Dec (ph. Pat Lueders). Birders observed Wood Ducks in 33 counties with a high of 62, FP 10 Feb (Will Condit). Blue-winged Teal were reported in 5 counties with a high of 35, EBCA 28 Feb (JL). Earlier in winter, when this species is rare, counts of 1-2 were observed at EBCA 7-17 Jan (ph. PMc, m.obs). Birders observed an ad. male Cinnamon Teal (acc.), an accidental species in winter, 20 Dec LBNWR (ph. †Susan Estep, m.obs). American Black Ducks were recorded in 17 counties with a high of 11, CCNWR 21 Dec (BR, TG). Birders also reported Greater Scaup in 17 counties, with a high of 23 at 370 Lakeside Park, St. Charles 27 Feb (DB, GG, Randy Schiller). Obser- vations of Surf Scoter include four records: two, WLD 7-23 Dec (HG, OG, m.obs); ad. female, Lake Lorraine, Jefferson 9 Dec (ph. Mark Sumner); imm. male, WLD 12 Jan (Theo Bockhorst, ph. HG, OG, BS); and one, Perry Community Lake, Perry 12-22 Jan (ph. DHo, m.obs). White-winged Scoters occurred in four records of single birds: SL 5 Dec (Kristi Mayo); Fellows Lake, Greene 3-5 Dec (ph. KL, ph. Dillon Freiburger, ph. Greg Swick, Dorothy Thurman); Perry Community Lake, Perry 10 Dec (ph. Allen Gathman), and at this same location 12-18 Jan (ph. DHo, m.obs). Black Scoters occurred in two records of single birds: WLD 17-23 Dec (ph. HG, OG, m.obs) and RMBS 1-19 Dec (ph. TG, m.obs). Long-tailed Ducks occurred in four records: 1-3, SL 2 Dec-3 Feb (ph. DW, m.obs); two continu- ing from the fall to at least 22 Dec LBL (m.obs); 1-2 at RMBS 4-24 Dec (ph. DHo, m.obs); and one, TR, Benton 30 Jan (Joel Jorgenson). On Dec 11, Mary Page 154 THE BLUEBIRD
Nemecek found a female Barrow’s Goldeneye (acc.) at SL; it was present
until at least 29 Jan (ph. †MN, †PMc, †PM, m.obs). Numbers of Common
Mergansers reached 2000-2500 at SL over the course of the season (m.obs);
away from this location, Paul McKenzie and Pete Monacell estimated 3385
individuals of this species, a large number for northeastern Missouri, 5 Jan
MTL, Monroe and Ralls (PM, ph. PMc). Red-breasted Mergansers were
reported in 18 counties, with a high of 25, RMBS on both 5 Dec (Jake
Friebohle) and 14 Jan (Brent Schindewolf).
Female Barrow’s Goldeneye (right), Smithville Lake Clay, 21 Jan 2021
Photo Doug Hommert
GREBES THROUGH TERNS
David Easterla reported a Horned Grebe 5 Dec, a notably late date for
northwestern Missouri, at Mozingo Lake, Nodaway. A Red-necked Grebe
continued from the fall to 1 Dec, Delaney Lake CA, Mississippi (ph. TJ). In
addition, two Western Grebes continued from the fall to at least 5 Dec,
Thomas Hill Reservoir, Randolph (ph. Betsy Garrett, JL). On 9 Jan, Paul
McKenzie reported 70 Eurasian Collared-Doves at South Farm, Boone.
Up to five White-winged Doves continued at a residence in Kennett,
Dunklin, for the entirety of the winter season (KF, m.obs). Single Greater
Roadrunners were detected at three locations in the south and southwest:
CR 488, Shannon 14 Dec and 16 Jan (ph. Reva Dow); SSR-EE, Stone 22 Jan
(Kearby Bridges); and Ranch Rd. in Saddlebrooke, Christian 26 Feb (ph.
Dillon Freiburger). The tenth state record of Anna’s Hummingbird (acc.)
continued from the fall through at least 7 Dec at a residence in the Mark
Twain NF, Stone (ph. Greg Swick†, m.obs). Casual in winter, 1-5 Sora*
were reported at six locations in southern Dunklin 19-28 Jan (TJ, Robert
Brundage). In addition, a Sora (acc.) was observed at Shepherd of the Hills
Page 155 THE BLUEBIRDFish Hatchery, Taney 24 Jan-1 Feb (AM, ph. †JH, m.obs). Tim Jones (ph.) reported 1-2 Virginia Rails* at three locations in southern Dunklin 23-28 Jan. Birders also reported two of this species (acc.) at Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, Taney 24-29 Jan (AM, aud. †JH, m.obs). During the winter, Virginia Rails remain accidental away from their wintering locations at wetlands near McBaine, Boone, where 1-6 were observed 9-30 Dec (John Besser, Catherine Richter, aud. PM, ph. PMc, m.obs). Observers logged Sandhill Cranes in nine counties, with a high pf 26 at GPCA Anna’s Hummingbird Stone 12 Jan (Betsy Garrett, JL) and 3 Feb Photo Greg Swick (ph. PMc). Accidental in winter outside of the extreme SE, a Dunlin (acc.) was present 23 Dec-6 Jan WLD (Harley Winfrey, ph. PB, ph. †KS, m.obs). Least Sandpiper occurred in four locations away from extreme southeastern counties: Phillips Road, St. Charles, 4-17 birds, 3-17 Dec (TG); TR, Benton, three birds, 16 Dec (Jacob Decker); StLa, Polk, two birds, 17 Dec (ph. Grace Jordan); and WLD in counts ranging from 1-44 birds, 16 Dec-10 Feb (BS, ph. PB, ph. KS, m.obs). Also accidental in winter away from the extreme southeast of the state were up to three Long-billed Dowitchers (acc.) present at WLD 9 Dec-9 Feb (ph. Jerry Hemmersmeyer, ph. †KS, ph. PB, m.obs). Another individual of this species (acc.) was present at CCNWR, Pike, 21 Dec (†BR, TG). The season contained three records of Greater Yellowlegs away from extreme southeast of the state: 1 Dec, LBNWR (Mickey Louis); 2 Dec, Mo. R., Holt (Kyle Bess); and three, 2-9 Jan, CR 51 in Lockwood, Dade (AM, ph. ChH, CoH). The season’s only report of Franklin’s Gull was of a single individu- al, 28 Feb, SL (ph. MN). In addition, the season’s only California Gull (acc.) was a third-cycle type, 12 Dec, SL (ph. †MN, ph. †PMc, †PM, m.obs). Birders observed at least two juv. Iceland Gulls at SL during the season: Steve Bingham and Kristi Mayo (ph.) reported a bird of the Thayer’s group Jan 10, and such a bird was subsequently seen by m.obs as late as 25 Jan. Mary Nemecek (ph.) reported a bird of the kumlieni group on 22 Jan, and such a bird was subsequently seen through 25 Jan (m.obs). Observations of 1-2 Iceland Gulls unattributed to subspecies continued at SL through 2 Feb (m.obs). Dave Gibson reported a bird of the Thayer’s group at RMBS 31 Jan, and Bill Rowe and Josh Uffman reported a bird of the kumlieni group at this location 20 Feb. Additional birders reported individual Iceland Gulls unattributed to subspecies at RMBS 18-22 Feb (DHa, ph. DHo, m.obs.). Other Iceland Gulls unattributed to subspecies occurred 31 Dec, McDaniel Lake, Greene (ph. KL) and 3 Feb, LBL (ph. DHa). Single Lesser Black- backed Gulls were present at RMBS on dates ranging from 3 Jan-22 Feb (m.obs.); two individuals were present there 2 Jan (ph. BR, Matt Rowe) and 29 Jan (ph. DHo.); and three individuals were present there 20 Feb (BR, Page 156 THE BLUEBIRD
Josh Uffman). Away from this location, single Lesser Black-backed Gulls were sighted 11 Jan, CBCA (ph. Jay Huila Balvin, Will Condit, Grace Erker, Matt Schamberger); 27 Jan, Creve Coeur Lake, St. Louis (ph. DB); 27-29 Jan SL, (DW, ChH, CoH); and 9 Feb, WLD (PB, KS). Two individuals of this species were present at LBL 28 Dec-6 Jan (ph. Peter Kondrashov, PMc, PM, Danion Doman). The season’s only report of Glaucous Gull was at SL 31 Jan-1 Feb (ph. Kyle Hawley, m.obs). In addition, the season featured two occurrences of Great Black-backed Gull, casual in the state away from the Miss. R., which may involve the same individual: juvenile (acc.), 4 Jan, Blue Springs Lake, Jackson (†Joseph Mosley); and juvenile (acc.), 19 Jan-1 Feb, SL (ph. †DW, ph. †Bill Blackledge, m.obs). Five For- ster’s Terns (acc.) established Missouri’s second winter record when spotted 26 Jan, Table Rock Lake, Taney (JH†). LOONS THROUGH FALCONS A Red-throated Loon was on the water 5 Dec StLa, Cedar (ph. ChH, CoH). On 4 Jan, during the period in which this species is considered casual, a Red-throated Loon (acc.) was at StLa, Dade (ph. †KL). Stockton Lake, Dade, also hosted a Pacific Loon 13 Dec (AM). On 18 Feb, Rick Hostetler located two Pacific Loons during the period in which this species is considered casual at StLa, Cedar; 1-2 birds continued to at least 23 Feb (ph. †KL, †EO, m.obs). Common Loons were present in large numbers ranging from 200-307 at Stockton Lake, Cedar 19-23 Feb (ph. KL, m.obs). Dan Cowell photographed a Neotropic Cormorant (acc.), accidental in winter, on 28 Dec Butler City Lake, Bates. A large concentration of 215 Double-crested Cormorants came to roost at Fairfield Access, TR, Benton 17 Dec (PMc, PM). Up to four individual American Bitterns* were ob- served in Dunklin during the season: one near CR 730 in the South Dunklin Rice Fields 8 Dec-15 Jan (ph. TJ, m.obs); 1-2 near CR 723 in the South Dunklin Rice Fields 6-8 Jan (ph. TJ, m.obs), and one near SSR-TT in Hornersville 27 Dec-6 Feb (m.obs). Individual American Bitterns were also reported at Lions Lake, Franklin 8 Dec (ph. Chris Tobin) and BK Leach Memorial CA, Lincoln 10 Dec (ph. DHa). Great Egrets lingered into December in numbers of 1-2 in seven counties (m.obs), and single birds were observed 21 Jan-5 Feb Urich CA, Henry (ph. DC, VC) and 6 Feb Duck Creek CA, Wayne (ph. MH). An anonymous eBirder photographed a single imm. Black-crowned Night Heron near Cora Island Rd., St. Charles 9 Dec. As in previous winters, this species continued at FP; this year, they numbered 1-3 individuals and were observed 16 Dec through the end of the season (m.obs). Black Vultures were reported in both Boone and Cole, counties north of this species’ typical range, and continue to expand their presence in St. Charles (m.obs); the season’s high was 202, Bennett Spring SP, Laclede, 13 Feb (Patricia Chambers). The season featured ten widespread reports of single Golden Eagles. An anonymous homeowner photographed an ad. Northern Goshawk on private property 17 Jan, Vernon. Mark Robbins Page 157 THE BLUEBIRD
counted an astonishing 485 Bald Eagles at LBNWR 26 Dec. Rough-
legged Hawks were reported in 40 counties, usually as singles; the high
was four birds 1 Dec Dunn Ranch, Harrison (ph. LO, Annette Talbot).
Occurrences of Ferruginous Hawks comprised an amazing three records:
an immature light morph (acc.) continuing from the fall to 8 Dec at Prairie
SP, Barton (m.obs); another immature light morph (acc.) near CR 730,
Dunklin 23 Dec-24 Jan (ph. †TJ, m.obs.); and an adult light-morph (acc.) at
South Farm, Boone 18 Feb into the spring season (ph. †PMc, ph. †PM,
†Edge Wade, ph. †DHo, m.obs). Away from the southern third of the state,
where they are rare but more expected, Barn Owls occurred at RMBS 6
Dec, the first ever for this location (DB, JG, TG, ph. HG, OG), and Hatfield
Rd., Lincoln 12 Dec (Yvonne Homeyer, Pat Lueders). The season contained
four records of single Snowy Owls: 4-6 Dec, Elsberry, Lincoln (Jack Backs,
ph. DHo, m.obs); 29 Dec-3 Jan, South Dunklin Rice Fields, Dunklin (ph.
Kevin Krajcir, ph. TJ, ph. KF, m.obs); 1 Jan, Church Road, St. Charles (ph.
DB, m.obs); and 6 Jan, Kansas City International Airport, Platte (LO).
Short-eared Owls were logged in
31 counties with a high of 10 near
Jackson Township, Livingston 1 Jan
(ph. TM). Apart from banding
operations, the season’s only reports
of Northern Saw-whet Owl were
one bird, North Sever Lake, Knox 10
-12 Dec (DHa, ChH, CoH) and a
deceased bird, Russellville, Cole 23
Feb (ph. Chris Barrigar). Away from
southwestern counties, where they
are more expected, single Prairie
Falcons occurred in four locations:
CR 413, Howard 7 Dec (ph. Harley
Winfrey); Mo. R., Platte 20 Dec
(John Bollin); Hartsburg Bottom,
Vermilion Flycatcher, Little River CA
Boone 26 Jan (ph. PM, ph. PMc, ph.
Pemiscot 28 Jan 2021
Chris Barrigar); and OSCA 25 Feb
Photo Doug Hommert
(ph. Dave Nussbaum).
FLYCATCHERS THROUGH CROWS
The state’s first confirmed winter record of Least Flycatcher (acc.) oc-
curred at Black Island CA, Pemiscot 18-21 Jan (MH, ph. †PMc, ph. †KL,
Tim Barksdale, Tim Kavan). Eastern Phoebes were reported in 37
counties, primarily in the south of the state (m.obs). The state’s fifteenth
overall record and second winter record of Vermilion Flycatcher (acc.)
continued from 1 Dec to at least 9 Feb at Little River CA, Dunklin and
Pemiscot (ph. KF, ph. †PMc, m.obs). Northern Shrikes occurred at six
locations: Bradford Farm, Boone, continuing from the fall to at least 23 Feb
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