Eurasian Tree Sparrow
photo by Margy Terpstra
WGNSS ORNITHOLOGY GROUP
Birding Opportunities
ORNITHOLOGY GROUP Chair—David Becher:
The third annual St. Louis Audubon Birdathon is still scheduled for this May, albeit with special guidelines in place to promote social distancing. Details are available at https://stlouisaudubon.org/stlbirdathon/. This event raises money for WGNSS, St. Louis Audubon Society, and the Audubon Center at Riverlands. Please consider participating if you feel able. Note that registration is required.
MDC is seeking experienced birders for its annual breeding bird surveymdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-needs-birders-help-annual-breeding-bird-survey scheduled for May 27 – July 7. Volunteers are needed for the following 5 routes: Auburn, Kennett, Madison, New Point, and Richland. Further details are available on the MDC website at: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-needs-birders-help-annual-breeding-bird-survey
WGNSS Saturday and Thursday Birding Walks are Suspended until further notice, due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
Join WGNSS for birds, bugs & botany!
All events are free & open to the public unless noted.
Thursday Bird Walks are suspended until further notice.
Contact Peggy Oates at troates@yahoo.com.
Changes will be posted on MOBIRDS. See you there!
The meeting place remains the same: at Des Peres Park, the parking lot at Ballas and Manchester Road -- the northeast corner behind Des Peres City Hall. Everyone is welcome! Bring a lunch and water as we usually have lunch in the field unless you plan to leave early. Binoculars, bug repellent, sun block and a hat or cap are suggested. We will normally return by 3 or 3:30 PM. Click here for complete WGNSS calendar.
Last minute changes due to weather will be posted on MOBirds.
Contact Peggy Oates at troates@yahoo.com for details.
WGNSS trips are free and open to all!
Saturday Bird Walks, Leader—David Becher. January Saturday Trips are on the 4th, 11th, and 25th Outings all meet as Des Peres Park on Ballas Road at 8 a.m. Contact David at (314) 576-1146 or DavidBecher@msn.com for details.
Saturday Bird Walks are suspended until further notice.
We meet Saturdays during spring, fall, and winter at Des Peres Park 8:00 AM, weather permitting. Meet in the parking lot nearest to Ballas & Manchester Road. We'll carpool to where the birds are! Everyone is welcome! Bring binoculars & lunch. Lead by David Becher, contact David at DavidBecher@msn.com for details
Meet at Des Peres Park on Ballas Road at 8:00 am.
Contact David at DavidBecher@msn.com for details.
Christmas Bird Count
Sunday Dec. 22, 2019 meet at Busch Wildlife Area Headquarters at 8:00 AM
The count originally planned for Dec. 15 has been postponed to Dec. 22 because of the predicted winter storm.
Contact Anne McCormack if you have questions.
Bring your lunch and dress warm!
Webster Groves Nature Study Society has sponsored the Weldon Spring CBC each year since 1950!
Anne's interview on KWMU 90.7 with Eli Chen
WGNSS event notices are posted on the WGNSS Facebook page.
There are no fees for WGNSS trips. Click here for complete WGNSS calendar.
Learn More about Birds and Nature Photography at these Nature Blogs!
Ozark Bill. An Illuminating and educational nature blog featuring the incredible nature and wildlife photography of Bill Duncan.
Forest Park Owls. Mark Glenshaw observes and describes mated Great Horned Owls and the amazing range of wildlife found in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri.
Al Smith. A birder and photographer shares his experiences and photos. Awesome!
Gardening with Binoculars. Anne McCormack discussions bringing nature (especially birds) to your back yard!
Getting Into Nature. Don Corrigan – Environmental Journalist and Nature Writer, and Professor; of Media Law, and Global & Environmental Journalism at Webster University. Author of Environmental Missouri: Issues and Sustainability-What You Need to Know (2014), and Show Me...Nature's Wrath: Tornadoes, Floods, Ice Storms, and Other Natural Disaster (2009).
Jo Alwood's YouTube channel. Wonderful and informatively narrated videos of birds, insects, & nature!
Another WGNSS member writes this fascinating site about the birds, butterflies and plants of Colombia. Find even more blogs by checking the links of the Nature Blog Network.
colombianaturesite. A WGNSS member's fascinating blog featuring birds, butterflies, and plants of Columbia, South America.
Sialis. This website provides a wonderful resource for people interested in helping bluebirds and other native cavity-nesters to survive and thrive.
Find even more blogs by checking the links of the Nature Blog Network.
Contact website coordinator, Mark Paradise, to have your blog listed here.
Top Tips for Birding in the St. Louis, MO area, and the State of Missouri
Need a birding checklist?
Seasonal Checklist of Birds of the St. Louis Area, by Webster Groves Nature Study Society
Missouri Bird Field Checklist from Audubon Society of Missouri
Missouri Annotated Checklist from Audubon Society of Missouri
Missouri Rare Bird Documentation Form
Is it time to take down the hummingbird feeder?
No, hummers need to put on some weight before they're ready for their migration across the Gulf of Mexico. Leave your feeder up, filled with fresh sugar-water at least into October. I leave mine up till it freezes!
Join WGNSS for birds, bugs & botany!
All events are free & open to the public unless noted.
Photo Credits for the Birding page slideshow
Thanks to Casey Galvin for the photos in the slideshow above: male Wood Duck, Lesser Yellowlegs, male Ruby-throated Humminbird , Black-necked Stilt.
Christmas Bird Count on Local News
Anne McCormack had a chance to talk about the importance of Christmas Bird Counts with KPLR-TV's John Fuller in Dec. 2011. You'll probably recognize well-known WGNSS birder Paul Bauer in the video. View it on the Channel 11 website or on Anne's blog.
Birding Opportunities
ORNITHOLOGY GROUP Chair—David Becher:
The third annual St. Louis Audubon Birdathon is still scheduled for this May, albeit with special guidelines in place to promote social distancing. Details are available at https://stlouisaudubon.org/stlbirdathon/. This event raises money for WGNSS, St. Louis Audubon Society, and the Audubon Center at Riverlands. Please consider participating if you feel able. Note that registration is required.
MDC is seeking experienced birders for its annual breeding bird surveymdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-needs-birders-help-annual-breeding-bird-survey scheduled for May 27 – July 7. Volunteers are needed for the following 5 routes: Auburn, Kennett, Madison, New Point, and Richland. Further details are available on the MDC website at: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-needs-birders-help-annual-breeding-bird-survey
WGNSS Saturday and Thursday Birding Walks are Suspended until further notice, due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
Join WGNSS for birds, bugs & botany!
All events are free & open to the public unless noted.
Thursday Bird Walks are suspended until further notice.
Contact Peggy Oates at troates@yahoo.com.
Changes will be posted on MOBIRDS. See you there!
The meeting place remains the same: at Des Peres Park, the parking lot at Ballas and Manchester Road -- the northeast corner behind Des Peres City Hall. Everyone is welcome! Bring a lunch and water as we usually have lunch in the field unless you plan to leave early. Binoculars, bug repellent, sun block and a hat or cap are suggested. We will normally return by 3 or 3:30 PM. Click here for complete WGNSS calendar.
Last minute changes due to weather will be posted on MOBirds.
Contact Peggy Oates at troates@yahoo.com for details.
WGNSS trips are free and open to all!
Saturday Bird Walks, Leader—David Becher. January Saturday Trips are on the 4th, 11th, and 25th Outings all meet as Des Peres Park on Ballas Road at 8 a.m. Contact David at (314) 576-1146 or DavidBecher@msn.com for details.
Saturday Bird Walks are suspended until further notice.
We meet Saturdays during spring, fall, and winter at Des Peres Park 8:00 AM, weather permitting. Meet in the parking lot nearest to Ballas & Manchester Road. We'll carpool to where the birds are! Everyone is welcome! Bring binoculars & lunch. Lead by David Becher, contact David at DavidBecher@msn.com for details
Meet at Des Peres Park on Ballas Road at 8:00 am.
Contact David at DavidBecher@msn.com for details.
Christmas Bird Count
Sunday Dec. 22, 2019 meet at Busch Wildlife Area Headquarters at 8:00 AM
The count originally planned for Dec. 15 has been postponed to Dec. 22 because of the predicted winter storm.
Contact Anne McCormack if you have questions.
Bring your lunch and dress warm!
Webster Groves Nature Study Society has sponsored the Weldon Spring CBC each year since 1950!
Anne's interview on KWMU 90.7 with Eli Chen
WGNSS event notices are posted on the WGNSS Facebook page.
There are no fees for WGNSS trips. Click here for complete WGNSS calendar.
Learn More about Birds and Nature Photography at these Nature Blogs!
Ozark Bill. An Illuminating and educational nature blog featuring the incredible nature and wildlife photography of Bill Duncan.
Forest Park Owls. Mark Glenshaw observes and describes mated Great Horned Owls and the amazing range of wildlife found in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri.
Al Smith. A birder and photographer shares his experiences and photos. Awesome!
Gardening with Binoculars. Anne McCormack discussions bringing nature (especially birds) to your back yard!
Getting Into Nature. Don Corrigan – Environmental Journalist and Nature Writer, and Professor; of Media Law, and Global & Environmental Journalism at Webster University. Author of Environmental Missouri: Issues and Sustainability-What You Need to Know (2014), and Show Me...Nature's Wrath: Tornadoes, Floods, Ice Storms, and Other Natural Disaster (2009).
Jo Alwood's YouTube channel. Wonderful and informatively narrated videos of birds, insects, & nature!
Another WGNSS member writes this fascinating site about the birds, butterflies and plants of Colombia. Find even more blogs by checking the links of the Nature Blog Network.
colombianaturesite. A WGNSS member's fascinating blog featuring birds, butterflies, and plants of Columbia, South America.
Sialis. This website provides a wonderful resource for people interested in helping bluebirds and other native cavity-nesters to survive and thrive.
Find even more blogs by checking the links of the Nature Blog Network.
Contact website coordinator, Mark Paradise, to have your blog listed here.
Top Tips for Birding in the St. Louis, MO area, and the State of Missouri
- Learn about Missouri and its Birds at at MoBirds. Birders around Missouri post their discoveries on the MoBirds Listserve sponsored by Audubon Society of Missouri.
- Current MoBird Listserve posts for bird rare bird sightings in Missouri are available at Birding News from American Birding Association (ABA). The ABA site has all the latest about Missouri birds, as well as recent posts on Twitter!
- Joshua Uffman maintains comprehensive complication of Missouri's Bird Records. Ever wonder what rare species have visited our state? Find out from ShowMe-Birds!
- Here's more information on finding St. Louis's own Eurasian Tree Sparrow. St. Louis is the best place in the Western Hemisphere to see our WGNSS mascot, ETS!
- Here's a timetable of spring bird migration through Forest Park in St. Louis.
- Get a copy of Birds of the St. Louis Area: Where and When to Find Them, published by Webster Groves Nature Study Society, 1998.
- Missouri Field Guide A to Z provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
- Join the group for a birding field trip--destination? Where the birds are! Here's our calendar.
Need a birding checklist?
Seasonal Checklist of Birds of the St. Louis Area, by Webster Groves Nature Study Society
Missouri Bird Field Checklist from Audubon Society of Missouri
Missouri Annotated Checklist from Audubon Society of Missouri
Missouri Rare Bird Documentation Form
Is it time to take down the hummingbird feeder?
No, hummers need to put on some weight before they're ready for their migration across the Gulf of Mexico. Leave your feeder up, filled with fresh sugar-water at least into October. I leave mine up till it freezes!
Join WGNSS for birds, bugs & botany!
All events are free & open to the public unless noted.
Photo Credits for the Birding page slideshow
Thanks to Casey Galvin for the photos in the slideshow above: male Wood Duck, Lesser Yellowlegs, male Ruby-throated Humminbird , Black-necked Stilt.
Christmas Bird Count on Local News
Anne McCormack had a chance to talk about the importance of Christmas Bird Counts with KPLR-TV's John Fuller in Dec. 2011. You'll probably recognize well-known WGNSS birder Paul Bauer in the video. View it on the Channel 11 website or on Anne's blog.
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