The Audubon Center at Riverlands is closed on Mondays. The
toilets at the pavillion are locked, so anyone going on a Monday will have to
make other arrangements.
Also keep an eye out for a park ranger, especially if you
plan on going beyond any official barriers.
I've seen plenty of St. Charles County Sheriff's deputies
at Riverlands, but I've never seen a ranger. Today, in the midst of the
government shutdown, I saw a ranger's SUV parked at the HQ. Didn't see the
ranger. About an hour later, I came by the HQ and the ranger's SUV was gone.
Convinced me to stay on the road and not wander down to one of the blinds. I
really do not want a citation for trespassing.
While there, I saw about three dozen Bonaparte's Gulls,
probably 100 Double-crested Cormorants, about a dozen American Pelicans, and a
huge flock of Cowbirds and Starlings. I can't even guess at the
number. I'll simply say a huge black cloud of birds landed.
No Surf Scoter, no Western Grebe.
Jack Cowan
South St. Louis