BIRD’S EYE VIEW

from East Ozarks Audubon Society September, 2015

To Otter Slough in Search of Rails Trip Report by Judy Bergmann

Any excuse to visit Otter Slough Conser-

vation Area during spring migration is a

good one, as any avid birder can tell you. But

when Dr. Bill Eddleman, ornithology expert

at Southeast Missouri State University, of-

fered to give East Ozarks Audubon a guided

search for rails, it seemed pure serendipity.

This birder, for one, was showing up! As did

others. Meeting Bill on

May 2 were five EOAS

members, Diane Dicker-

son, Mark Henry, Sue Ha-

gan, Mick Sutton and me,

along with Allen Gathman

from Cape Girardeau who

had heard of the trip from a

MoBirds posting, and Alan

Brant from Piedmont, an

EOAS invitee. The weather

was sunny and warm, a

pleasant change from the unseasonably cool

weather we had been having.

A look around the visitors’ center area

quickly yielded Summer Tanager, Yellow-

throated Warbler, Tufted Titmice, Carolina

Chickadees, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and an

unexpected female Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

We heard Prothonotary Warbler and Com-

mon Yellowthroat nearby.

Moving our cars toward the intersection

of Conservation Lane and CR 675, we got

sidetracked by shorebirds feeding in shallow

pools near Cypress Lake. Among many

nearby American Coots we viewed Short-

billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated Plovers,

Pectoral Sandpipers, and both Greater and

Lesser Yellowlegs. Great Egrets and Great

Blue Herons fed or perched at the backs of

the pools.

At the intersection of CR 675 and Con-

servation Lane we were rewarded not yet

with rails, but with a Bell’s Vireo singing

from nearby trees. Yellowthroats were sing-

ing in the cattails where we hoped to find

rails. We watched a Palm Warbler, and then

another, as well as a

hummingbird, foraging

among the cypress trees on

an earth berm that

paralleled the road. Alan

Brant turned out to be a

botanist, and he identified

for us several lovely wild-

flowers such as Blue Star.

Suddenly Alan and

Bill spotted something

moving stealthily through

the vegetation under the cypress and willow

trees. Bill whispered he thought it was a rail-

-and so it was: a Sora! Everyone enjoyed

decent looks as the Sora picked its way

along.

Bill had found us a rail, but he had to

leave. He and his wife needed to travel to

Kansas City to see a brand new grandson!

But he had already arranged for Allen Gath-

man to take over as trip leader.

The remaining intrepid birders continued

right along. We drove down the south loop

of Conservation Lane which is nearly always

teeming with birds in the mornings. We saw

and heard more Bell’s Vireos, a Blackpoll

Warbler, and a cooperative Brown Thrasher.

Continued on page 6

Our three R’s: Recycle, Restore, Respect

An elusive rail Photo by Steve Dilks

Bird’s Eye View, September 2015, page 2

From the EOAS President By Karen Adams

Editor’s note: Expert birder and a Chapter Founding

Member, Karen stepped up to Interim President early this

year. Though she declined nomination to make her

presidency permanent, we are glad she will be staying on

the Board as Vice President.

Today, as I write this

column, it is mid-July and it

is HOT! We have gone

from extraordinary amounts

of rain and cooler weather

to hot and steamy – so much

so that some of my garden

produce is mostly cooked

when I pick it (okay, that’s

not really true, but close).

For this time of summer, the

birds seem to be unusually

busy at the feeders, eating more seed than normal.

Whether that is a function of weather or just a greater

concentration of birds is a question for a more

learned individual than me. Since our last newsletter, we have lost an ardent

and long-time supporter of East Ozarks Audubon.

Mrs. Mary Crouch, wife of the late Dr. F. R. Crouch

for whom our Sanctuary is named and mother of our

treasurer, John Crouch, passed away at the age of 104

years. After her passing, John informed us that Mary

had bequeathed $10,000 to our Chapter for

maintenance and improvements at the Sanctuary.

There are some stipulations and the Board will be

discussing how we can best utilize the money as well

as memorialize her life and legacy to our Chapter.

Mary’s life was a testament to kindness and

service not often seen these days. Her obituary and

accompanying newspaper article listed numerous

accomplishments and attributes. I would like to take

this opportunity to add my own remembrance. Back

in the mid 1980’s when the Sanctuary property was

being obtained from the State, and later during some

bumpy times for the Chapter, I was EOAS President.

Mary wrote me several notes of encouragement and

advice on dealing with the issues at hand. I

appreciated her wisdom and the caring way that she

expressed it. Those of us who knew Mary are blessed

by her memory, and as a Chapter we are blessed by

her bequest. May we do our best to honor her

memory.

Happy birding!

Scratchinpeckin By Neil Gunn

Editor’s note: Incoming President Neil Gunn is a long-

time member of EOAS, a retired school teacher, and a

strong voice for conservation. He offered his own

suggestion for his column’s name, asking if anyone had

used it before: not likely!

Can’t help but wonder what effects this banner

year for rainfall will produce. The verdant Missouri

countryside, due to the

wet summer of 2015,

now shows the results

on floral and faunal

communities. The

drought of 2012 took

its toll on seed stocks

and insect populations,

with effects rippling

up the food chains. So

now? EOAS would

like to tap into the bountiful, collective resource we

have, the eyes and ears of the membership. What we

see and experience in nature should be shared! Many

of us observe the intrinsic beauty of our locale,

logging some pretty neat things in the woods, at our

homes, feeders, on the roadsides….

We’ll start this process slow and simple, truly

experimental. Optimally, an interactive website could

produce an excellent forum but that appears to be

cost prohibitive for EOAS. So, send your tidbits to:

scratchinpeckin@yahoo.com .

Add origin and locale if you so desire. (I often

hide behind the pseudonyms of Will Durness, or

Anna Nimatee.) An example of what could be posted:

“Our Big River bald eagles successfully fledged two

this year”. Got questions? Someone who reads your

questions in the newsletter probably knows the

answer (we have some great resources for birding

and other nature matters in EOAS). As you notice the

effects of this record breaking 2015 on the natural

communities, pass it around!

Incoming East Ozarks Audubon Society

Board President: Neil Gunn; Vice President: Karen Adams;

Secretary: Chris Rydeen; Treasurer: John Crouch.

Board Members: Jon Cozean, Diane Hitson, Janet Price,

Bill Reeves, Mick Sutton, Mary Woodney

Committees: Conservation–Sue Hagan, Mick Sutton;

Meeting Arrangements –Mary Woodney; Newsletter– Sue

Hagan, Mick Sutton, Joyce Lewis, Mary Woodney; Sanc-

tuary –Gary Chastain, Ted Blaine, Judy Bergmann, Bill

Reeves.

Bird’s Eye View, September 2015, page 3

2015 EOAS Spring Birdathon a Success!

No matter which way you look at it—money

earned, number of participants, or numbers of bird

species counted—the

2015 EOAS Birdathon

was a great success.

Over $1000 was raised

and a record number of

first-time birdathoners

participated. The youngest

birder, Dan McKenzie (breaking the entry age record

of his older siblings) along with his mother, Joan

McKenzie, identified several dozen birds—and he

thereby earned sponsorship by two EOAS members

(Ann Blanchfield and Rose Mier) who both had

made pledges for the youngest birdathoner

Judy Bergmann, doing her first solo Birdathon,

is credited with seeing the most species—101—and

she vowed to do better next year.

Sue Hagan, doing her tenth consecutive

Birdathon, was disappointed to not have reached her

previous high of over 100 birds, but she did enjoy

seeing some birds not seen on her prior Birdathons.

Michael Sutton did his birdwatching walking

around his home and then biking a few miles to

Taum Sauk Lower Reservoir. This was his first time

doing a Birdathon and he especially enjoyed the

many swallows he saw at the reservoir. Another new

birdathoner was Diane Hitson who did her bird-

watching while on a business trip. She reported that

as difficult as it seemed at times, she really had

enjoyed it and found it to be a definite boost to

learning the birds. Gary Chastain, accompanied by

his wife Nina, was another first-time birdathoner. He

did his birdwatching totally on foot, within the

perimeters of his residence, and that included a going

up a rather steep back hill. He was rewarded with

some fifty identified species, which is quite a feat

when keeping within a small habitat radius. Gary was

also had the most sponsors (David and Kathleen

Brunt, Rebecca Chastain, Earl and Angeline

Chastain, Neal and Annete Chastain, Aubrie

Jones, Joe and Rosemary Imperiale, Michael

and Shawn McAteer, Mary Rogers, Mark and

Vickie Winter, Laurie Maden, Charles and

Candace Finan, Lisa Watkins, Randy And Carol

Glenn, Kathleen Clough and John Zagel), and thus

it is no surprise that he raised nearly $600!

Other sponsors of EOAS’

2015 Birdathon were Karen

Adams and Eric and Mary

Hamburg. This may be the first

time in decades Karen hasn’t

done her own spring Birdathon,

but she was busy learning new

birds in Israel. Eric and Mary

now do most of their birding in their home state of

Wisconsin, but still retain their membership in EOAS

and send their support.

To all the many sponsors and birders, may your

2015 Birdathon wings bring you happiness

throughout the year.

Chimney Swifts Nesting

The swift tower at the Winston Butterfly Garden

was verified by Gary Chastain to have its first

resident Chimney Swifts—wonderful news!

Reportedly a nesting pair is the first step towards use

of a tower by migrating swifts, so keep looking up.

The difference between a beginning birder

and an experienced one is that beginning

birders have misidentified fewer birds.

From Pete Dunne on Bird Watching

Joyce Lewis at the Winston Gardens

Bird’s Eye View, September 2015 page 4

Conservation Matters! Sue and Mick

Conservation under Attack: David Yarnold, Presi-

dent and CEO of National Audubon Society, recently

wrote, “Literally dozens of damaging proposals are

pending on Capitol Hill. Among the targets are the

Endangered Species Act and the Golden Eagle Pro-

tection Act. And under the guise of ‘budget auster-

ity,’ critical conservation programs like the Land and

Water Conservation Fund and the National Wildlife

Refuge System are being decimated.” We ourselves

got a taste of what he was talking about when Senator

Blunt responded to one of our letters saying of the

Endangered Species Act that “many times these list-

ings are made with questionable scientific justifica-

tion.” Anyone familiar with the difficulties of getting

endangered listing for any species knows the falsity

of Blunt’s remark: the process of getting a new listing

is extremely difficult and requires well-substantiated

research. Whatever happened to Republicans being

proud to defend the environment! Lincoln protected

Yosemite Valley, Grant established Yellowstone Na-

tional Park, Teddy Roosevelt did the same for the

Grand Canyon and the National Wildlife Refuge sys-

tem. Eisenhower protected the Arctic National Wild-

life Refuge. Nixon signed the Clean Air Act, the

Environmental Pesticide Control Act and the Endan-

gered Species Act. Conservation means being con-

servative with our resources: exploiting them is the

opposite.

The White House Issues its Clean Power Plan:

President Obama

has set achievable

standards for re-

ducing carbon

dioxide emissions

by 32 percent from

2005 levels by 2030.It’s not just about taking steps to

combat climate change--the Plan will:

Protect the health of American families. In

2030, it will prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths,

1,700 non-fatal heart attacks, and 90,000 asthma at-

tacks in children and will avoid 300,000 missed

workdays and schooldays.

Boost our economy by leading to 30 percent

more renewable energy generation, creating tens of

thousands of jobs and lowering costs of renewables;

Save money for the average American family of

nearly $85 a year on energy bills by 2030, save

enough energy to power 30 million homes, and save

consumers $155 billion from 2020-2030;

And it would be a significant step towards com-

bating climate change. The Clean Power Act will

make the US be a world leader on what is widely

regarded as a catastrophe in progress. The virtually

unanimous agreement of mainstream scientists that

climate change is human-caused was echoed in Pope

Francis’ warning about an “unprecedented destruc-

tion of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all

of us.”

As conservationists and homeowners we really

would have appreciated getting more financial incen-

tives in the form of tax rebates for installing a geo-

thermal system, a solar electric generation system,

and an energy efficient metal roof. The existing tax

deductions and rebates are being vigorously fought

by the fossil fuel industry and the politicians they

support. But in the long run, the forces of climate

change will compel nations around the world to take

action – and delay will only create more financial

penalty for the average person. Polluters and their

allies are expected to challenge the Clean Power

Plan.. It would be wise for states and utilities to begin

preparing to implement the Clean Power Plan now,

and not to wait for a final judicial decision, since

such a decision will likely uphold the carbon pollu-

tion limits. Write your legislators now!

State Parks not a Priority – for our State

legislators, that is. In an unseemly last-

minute squabble over the development of

Camp Zoe State Park, the legislature

managed to drastically slash promised

funding for a vast backlog of repair and improve-

ments.

Cut out the Lights: EOAS was invited (along with

the International Dark Sky Association) to critique a

plan Ameren came up with for reducing the night

lights at the Taum Sauk Pumped Storage Facility. We

responded that while we were delighted with their

cutting back on the bright lights surrounding the

upper reservoir, we really recommend a return to

complete darkness and using sensors instead to detect

illegal entry or wall collapse.

Perhaps time’s definition of coal

is the diamond – Kahil Gibran

Bird’s Eye View, September 2015 page 5

Lives Well Lived

Mary Crouch, wife of the late Richard (Dick)

Crouch, passed away in May at age 104. Throughout

her life she was a community leader involved in

numerous civic organizations. As related in Karen

Adam’s special tribute

[page 2] Mary was closely

involved in helping East

Ozarks Audubon Society in

establishing the Dr. Crouch

Sanctuary (named after her

late husband), and she has

left our Chapter a legacy to

ensure its continuation.

Leo Drey (1917 to

2015) and his wife, Kay,

were 2006 recipients of the EOAS Environmentalist

of the Year Award. When Leo Drey passed away this

past May, he left a tremendous legacy: he was

instrumental in the establishment of the Ozark

National Scenic Riverways; he protected Greer

Spring from a threatened acquisition by Anheuser-

Bush; through

him the L-A-D

Foundation was

established; Ball

Mill Resurgence

in Perry County,

Cave Spring in

Shannon County,

Dillard Mill in

Crawford

County, Grand

Gulf State Park in Oregon County, Hickory Canyons

in Ste. Genevieve County and numerous other

Missouri treasurers were protected for future

generations. L-A-D grants funded bird censuses

including those conducted by members of our

Chapter at Hickory Canyon, Pickle Springs and

Hawn State Park. Leo Drey’s Pioneer Forest has been

managed through sustainable practices, serving as a

case-study and model for foresters everywhere, and

the area has become a major destination for low

impact recreation. He was instrumental in founding

and supporting numerous environmental

organizations including the Missouri Nature

Conservancy, the Missouri Coalition for the

Environment and the Missouri Parks Association. As

Audubon magazine put it, “Every state should have a

Leo Drey”—and we in southeast Missouri are

especially fortunate to have had him doing so much

for us.

Finally, Walter Crawford, founder of the

World Bird Sanctuary near St. Louis, passed away

this past July at age 70. The World Bird Sanctuary

mission includes rehabilitation, captive breeding, and

field studies of birds as well as public

education. They have presented their live

raptors show at various EOAS meetings,

most recently in 2008, as well as at local

schools and nearby state parks. Several

EOAS members have volunteered hours as

helping hands at the WBS and not a few

injured birds have been taken to the WBS

for help.

We of EOAS are proud to have worked

collaboratively with these fine people and

their goals, and we are humbled by their legacy to us

and to the world.

Riddled by Birds – Answers to Page 7 Puzzle

Remember – Don’t Peak Until You’ve Given It a Try!!

Leo and Kay Drey at 2006 EOAS Annual Dinner

Bird’s Eye View, September 2015, page 6

Continued from page 1: To Otter Slough

There were Warbling Vireos, Red-eyed Vireos,

a Yellow-throated Vireo, and several beautiful,

shockingly blue Indigo Buntings. The flooded fields

yielded Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Mal-

lards, and in one pool, Long-billed Dowitchers, a

Dunlin, and several Black-necked Stilts. Perhaps our

biggest thrill, however, was coming upon several

Black-crowned Night Herons. At one point most of

us were watching this one BCNH, which was also

watching us before it flew, while Diane and Mark,

slightly behind, were watching yet another, very

close-up, from their car. BCNH was a life bird for

several in the group as were some of the shorebirds.

After Conservation Lane, a few more of our

group departed but Allen Gathman, Sue, Mick and I

hung in. We walked the long boardwalk through the

flooded woods where we saw or heard the usual

woodland birds such as Carolina Wrens, Carolina

Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers,

several species of woodpeckers. There were more

flycatchers: Eastern Wood Pewee, Eastern Phoebe,

and several Acadian Flycatchers (we‘d previously

seen Eastern Kingbird and Great-crested Flycatcher).

We saw warblers: Kentucky, Northern Parula, Palm,

Yellow-rumped. Several White-throated Sparrows

were still hanging around. Allen spotted a bird in the

brush which turned out to be a Gray-cheeked Thrush,

a species often hard to find, even on migration.

As usual, Otter Slough turned out to be a fun and

birdy place to go on a warm, sunny Saturday morn-

ing. Warblers, Night Herons, Black-necked Stilts,

shorebirds, and, to our delight, our original target - a

Sora Rail!

More EOAS Recent Happenings!

May 21 EOAS Meeting: More than two dozen

turned out to hear about Dave Hardesty’s kayaking

adventures on the Mississippi. He soloed the first

portion from the Minnesota headwaters to Cape

Girardeau and a few years later, along with a friend,

made it to the Gulf. Though his trip was inspirational,

most will be satisfied with a day trip on the river—

and Dave explained how even the average paddler

can safely do this.

May 30: Birds Over Baker: On behalf of EOAS,

Sue Hagan led a late afternoon introductory birding

walk at the annual State Park event.

June 6: Field Trip on Natural Landscaping: The

morning visit to the Hagan/Sutton home in Reynolds

County brought out a diverse group of EOAS mem-

bers and friends. Everyone participated in a walk

around the immediate surroundings and a visit to the

solar array which is now generating more electricity

than the couple use. The more adventurous defied

chiggers and ticks by walking the backwoods’ nature

trail. Though the peak of spring blossoms had already

passed,

there were

plenty of

coreopsis,

copper

iris, wild

geranium

and more.

The prime

gardener,

Mick,

speculated

that suc-

cess depends on lots of weeding out invasive aliens to

allow the more desirable native plants a fighting

chance.

A festive brunch followed and vows were made

to make the springtime picnic an annual event.

Participants: Dale Gebhardt, Marcia Gebhardt, Sue

Hagan, Jean and Stan Hardy; Joyce Lewis; Amy Por-

tell, Nancy Oligschlager, Christy Rydeen, Teal

Schneider, Tom Schneider, Mick Sutton

July 16 EOAS Meeting: Despite heat and summer

vacations, more than a dozen people turned out for a

talk on spiders given by Elizabeth (Liz)

Bradley, a seasonal employee at Johnson

Shut-Ins. Though no live arachnid was

known to be in the room, kindness

towards these eight-legged, air-breathing

arthropods was endorsed by this woman

who “fell in love with spiders after being

bitten by a brown recluse”: a love-bite with a good

ending!

Wild flowers and solar array

Bird’s Eye View, September 2015 page 7

Droppings from the Editor & Membership Chair

Sue HaganAs many know, EOAS offers two types of

Membership. Anyone who is a member of National

Audubon Society and who lives in our region

automatically is entitled to EOAS membership. The

current new membership cost for NAS is $20, and

renewal of existing membership is $35. Alternatively,

for $10, one can become a member of EOAS but this

comes without the benefit of National Audubon

membership.

When talking to people about the benefits of

National Audubon membership, sometimes I hear

complaints about how NAS solicits donations: they

send unordered Christmas cards and calendars or they

send too many requests for donations. That may be

true but all unsolicited material could find its way to

a recycling can (actually, I often give such unwanted

calendars and Christmas cards to needy and grateful

people in hospitals and boarding homes). As annoy-

ing as it may be to receive unordered calendars or to

get frequent solicitations for money when you simply

can’t give anymore, remember that National

Audubon (like any other major environmental

organization) depends on donors and the solicitations

do get results –maybe not from you, but there are

others who do respond favorably.

Remember this: NAS is a major environmental

organization that protects birds and their habitats

through public education, through land management

and, perhaps most importantly, through political

lobbying and by negotiating with government

agencies. Especially today when there is a strong

cadre of anti-environmentalists, many in high

political offices, it is essential to have an informed

and respected advocate in Washington. Our Chapter

Founder, Bob Lewis, credited Dr. Crouch for saying

that without National Audubon “there will be fewer

and fewer birds to see.”

To do its work, National Audubon must solicit

financial help. Their membership fee just scratches

the surface of their many costs. But their membership

numbers are important when they are lobbying. If

you can make a donation, by all means do so but

otherwise cheerfully recycle the paper waste and take

pride in knowing your membership alone is sup-

porting a very worthwhile organization.

All contributions to the Birds Eye View are welcome

but may be subject to editorial revision: authors wanting

to preview revisions should request this at the time of

submission. The deadline for submitting articles for the

January issue is December 1.

Riddled by Birds!!

Did you hear the joke about the broken egg? Yes, it cracked me up too! So for all you riddle lovers out there, try

these on. Answers are on page 5 – but don’t look until you’ve tried your best!

1. What is a bird after it is five days old?

2. Why does the stork stand on one leg?

3. Why did the mother bird make her nest on top of a car?

4. What bird is always with you when you eat?

5. Why do birds fly south for the winter?

6. Why do ostriches have long legs?

7. Where does a peacock go when it loses its tail?

8. What is a sad bird called?

9. What bird is noisier than a whopping crane?

10. Why did the bubble gum cross the road?

LOOKING AHEAD: EOAS 2015 SCHEDULE

2015 CHAPTER PROGRAM SCHEDULE 5:45 Board Meeting (open to all)

6:30 Social and refreshments

7:00 General Meeting and Speaker

September17 - Annual Dinner (Note: meal set-up

begins at 5:30, dinner is at 6:00 PM, auction,

awards and program follows). Bring a vegetable,

salad or dessert to share – EOAS provides a ham,

beverage, and all utensils. Awards—including

Environmentalist of the Year—and installation of

incoming officers follows. Once again there will be a

Silent Auction – if you have something to donate,

preferably with a touch of nature in it, come early to

set the item on the bidding table. Everyone loves to

be the winning bidder, and all proceeds benefit our

Sanctuary. And then there’s more frivolity and fowl

facts when Janet Price returns with the fab Bird

Bingo game!

November 19 – Thinking about our Food: Just in

time for Thanksgiving will be Melissa Vatterott,

Food and Farm Coordinator at the Missouri Coalition

for the Environment. Learn the impacts of your food

choices and how you can be part of the local food

system movement!

2015 FIELD TRIP SCHEDULE

October 3: Sam Baker State Park and Blue Hole

Conservation area: Persons desiring to car pool

should meet at the Church at 8 AM, then drive to the

dining hall at Sam Baker to meet up with trip leader,

Sue Hagan (573/546-2864) at 9 AM. We’ll walk the

Important Birding Area trail in search of late fall

warblers and look for returning sparrows. Then, by

popular demand, there will be an optional drive to

visit the Blue Hole in Wayne County, near the Castor

River conservation area. Return early /mid afternoon.

November 7th: Mingo & Otter Slough All Day

Birding with Bill Reeves. Meet at Methodist Church

at 7 a.m. to car pool. Bring lunch, return to

Farmington approximately 6:00 PM. Bill is one of the

state’s best birders so expect to see and hear a lot!

Christmas Bird Count: Date yet to be set, but it will

be in mid-December or early January. Meet at Puxico

Café at 6 AM.

Note: All trips are subject to date and time changes,

and additional outings may be scheduled. Provide

Sue Hagan an email address for timely updates on

trips and other schedule changes.

Looking Ahead to 2016

The first meeting of 2015 will be January 21st. The newsletter will come out with the schedule of meetings and field

trips shortly before that meeting. Remember that if you are a “Local Member Only” (i.e., not a member of National

Audubon) your $10 membership dues should be sent in. Also it’s not too late to make a donation to our Chapter

P.O. Box 985

Farmington, MO 63640

We’re not just for the birds!

September 17 - Annual Dinner