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On this picture-perfect October day, we visited a few spots at Busch Conservation Area in St Charles County. Once again, we were outfoxed by the Barred Owls. Vivian Liddell could not come (she is our premier Barred Owl caller); and the owls totally ignored my pale imitation. The calls did excite several Tufted Titmice, chickadee species, Blue Jays and a Red-bellied Woodpecker to alleviate somewhat the shame of total failure. On the way to the Pine (nee Pinetum) Trail: Cedar waxwings - a treeful White-crowned sparrow - 1 singing Blue Jays - several Turkey Vultures - several Red-tailed Hawk - 1 Eastern Bluebird - 1 Double-crested Cormorant - 1 On or near the trail across from the "shorebird area" spillway end Lake 33: Yellow-rumped Warblers - many Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 Great Blue Heron - 1 heard vocalizing Goldfinch - many Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 female White-throated Sparrows - a small flock Eastern Towhee - 1 or 2 heard Red-tailed Hawk - 1 soaring Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 soaring Turkey Vulture - more Red-breasted Nuthatch - heard, not seen On Lake 33: Great Egrets - 3 or 4 Great Blue Heron - 1 Mallards - a few Canada Geese - about 20 On Lake 6 or 7: Pied-billed Grebe - 1 In or near Fallen Oak Nature Trail by headquarters: Goldfinch - a few on feeders White-breasted Nuthatch - 3 or 4 Carolina Wren - vocalizing - 1 or 2 Downy Woodpecker - 2 (1 spotted by Dennis Jacobson) Flicker - 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1 Cardinal - a few Field Sparrow) ------ a small feeding flock by the trail as we left Chipping Sparrows) House Sparrow) Goldfinch) Titmice) Chickadees) Elsewhere: Starlings Crows - a few in a field Notable for their absence: Swallow species Chimney Swifts Shorebirds including Kildeer Thanks to the Thelans and others for warnings about blacktopping "B". Entry to Hampden Lake parking lot was blocked off. Thanks to Brian Hartig for the map and reminding us of the trail across from the shorebird area. It made a beautiful walk and provided a glimpse of a spooked raptor which flew on silent wings. Jackie Chain St Louis County __________________________________________________ ########################################################### * Audubon Society of Missouri's * * Wild Bird Discussion Forum * *---------------------------------------------------------* * To subscribe or unsubscribe, click here: * * https://po.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mobirds-l&A=1 * *---------------------------------------------------------* * To access the list archives, click here: * * http://po.missouri.edu/archives/mobirds-l.html * * * * To access the Audubon Society of Missouri Web * * Site: http://mobirds.org * ###########################################################