Nesting Birds of Missouri – Page 2 – A Thousand Acres of Silphiums

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Bell’s Vireo

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Blue Grosbeak

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Spring Photos in Wildlife Refugia

birds, mammals, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

In population biology the term “refugium” is used to describe a location that supports an isolated population of a once more widespread species. Refugia are almost always referenced in regards to climate. For example, a plant species that has found refuge in a cool and moist valley in a geography that is mostly inhospitable for its survival. I have come to discover another important example of this term in my own suburban neighborhood and examples of which can be found in most major metropolitan areas.

The photos I am sharing today come from the woodlot refugia that supply critical habitat for a variety of organisms that find themselves in the relative ecological desert known as the suburbs.

Although white-tailed deer will leave the woodlots to feed in our suburban lawns at night, they use these refugia for much of their feeding and daytime refuge.

Another mammal I frequently encounter on my early morning hikes through the woodlots is the Virginia opossum.

Woodlot refugia are green oases for migrating songbirds looking for food and shelter during their stopovers. There are also resident nesting birds that rely heavily on this resource as well.

Barred Owls (pictured above) and Great-horned Owls reside and nest in woodlot refugia.

One of my woodlots, that I have named “Gobbler Hollow” holds a flock of close to two dozen Wild Turkeys.

Here are a few migrant songbirds that stop at our woodlot refugia during their northward trip to nesting grounds.

This final bird is not necessarily a user of the woodlot refugia, but it is a bird I always look forward to seeing return in the spring when I walk through our common grounds turf fields on my way to the woodlots.

Barn Swallow flying over turf picking up insects.

Please make note of potential woodlot refugia in your neighborhoods. It is so easy to lose a 1-10 acre woodlot in the name of neighborhood development, but these places are critical refugia to the flora and fauna we share our homes with.

It’s Spring Again!

birds, macro, native plants, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

As much as I love the change of seasons generally, nothing can beat the excitement and enjoyment of the arrival of spring. I simply can’t get out of doors enough during April and May. This past weekend Miguel and I had a great time in hunting newly arrived birds and newly emerged plants at a few of our favorite spots not too far from home. Here are a few photos from our day out.

First, a beautiful male Prairie Warbler from Weldon Springs Conservation Area.

Orange-crowned Warbler photographed at Bush Wildlife Conservation Area

A Worm-eating Warbler also found at Bush Wildlife C.A.

After a brick-fired pizza for lunch, we crossed the river to another favorite nearby location – Engelmann Woods Conservation Area. Here we were hoping to find the Wister’s coralroot orchid for Miguel to scratch off his list. During a good year, hundreds of flowering stems of this species can be found here. This year we found 15-20 stems just by looking along a mile or so along the trail.

*Corallorhiza wisteriana* (Wister’s coralroot)

Finally, we were able to find three stems of the parasitic Orobanche uniflora (one-flowered broomrape) mere inches off of the trail.

Hoping you find the time to get out and enjoy this wonderful spring!

-OZB

Red-shouldered Hawk “Pre-Captured”

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

I was fortunate to come across this most cooperative juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk over the recent holiday break. Using the newly acquired pre-capture mode in my camera makes it much easier to grab shots like these. By half-pressing the shutter button, the camera stores half a second’s worth of frames in its buffer. Immediately after the action takes place, fully depressing the shutter button will instruct the camera to write the images from the previous half-second onto the card. As long as you are on the ball, missing unpredictable action shots like a bird leaving its perch will be a thing of the past.

New Peregrine Falcon at Clarence Cannon NWR

Bird Species of Conservation Concern, birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

I had the opportunity to visit Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge in Pike County a few times during my holiday break. During each visit, I encountered this first-year Peregrine Falcon in the same particular cottonwood tree that is usually popular with the area’s raptors.

“Wok Sape” a first-year Peregrine Falcon female

I was fortunate to get nice looks and photos that I could clearly see the band information on the left leg. Looking up the information on the Midwest Peregrine Society website, this appears to be a young female bird, named “Wok Sape.” She was hatched on May 21st of this year in Winona County, MN.

According to the Midwest Peregrine Society, the average dispersal distance of female falcons from their natal sites is 345 km (~214 miles). I am still waiting to hear back from the bander that the bird pictured here is indeed “Wok Sape.” If this is indeed the bird I found, then she has moved approximately 645 km (~400 miles) from her hatching location in about four months or so.

As raptors like to do, I watched as this young falcon was harassed a bit by a passing Northern Harrier as seen below.

A passing Northern Harrier passing close to young Wok Sape for close inspection. The Harrier tried to get as close as possible, attempting to land on a nearby branch, but eventually decided the falcon was too well concealed in the branches and left.

Red-shouldered Hawk and Offal

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

I found this Red-shouldered Hawk a couple of weeks ago finishing off a squirrel carcass at Bush Wildlife CA.

More Sedge Wren

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Missed on a few target species this fall but you can never have enough Sedge Wren.

Bald Eagles of Lock and Dam #14

Bird Species of Conservation Concern, birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Still plugging away at making sure photos that I only posted to Facebook for a couple of years do get captured here on the blog. These photos were taken in January 2019 on one special and frigid day at Lock and Dam #14 along the Mississippi River near LeClaire, IA. I do mean it was a frigid day. I believe the high for this day might have reached 3 °F.