by Lottie Bushmann

On Thursday, February 26, I hope you were able to join us to hear about the Forest Park Owls with Mark Glenshaw. We had over 80 folks join us to hear

about Mark’s experiences following the owls for the past 21 years. They are fascinating creatures. It was fun to see his videos and pictures over the years of Charles and his many partners. There is certainly something special about following a wild creature through its life. It was so impressive that Mark can identify individual owls after hearing their calls. Wow. I thought I was doing well just to know it’s a Great-horned! It is certainly what makes birding a fascinating hobby/career…there is always another level to learn. After Mark’s talk we shared yummy owl cookies by Lottie and Eric Seaman and other snacks provided by members. What a wonderful evening.

I hope you are ready for spring, because it’s coming! On my walk this week at the 3M Wetlands, I witnessed red-shouldered hawks working on their nest. Such a treat to watch one break the branch and then fly up to the nest to add it. The next day I witnessed the pair copulating…a sure sign of spring. The eagle there is on the nest and has been for weeks. The pileated and red-headed woodpeckers are working hard on nest holes…if you join me for a First Friday walk, I’ll share the location with you! And I had a pair of wood ducks that I haven’t seen since September. They’ve often chosen 3M as their nesting site, and I’m hopeful they will again this year.

I hope that you have been able to get out and enjoy the birds in your yard or on your favorite spot. There is a certain comfort when the natural world follows patterns that we know and enjoy. I feel so lucky to have found birds and enjoy the connection they give me to nature.

CAS volunteers have been busy planning a spring full of birding and bird-related opportunities for our members! I hope you’ll join us for a field trip this spring to listen for American Woodcocks or visit the Heron Rookery at Gans Creek. We’ll also be visiting the Alspaugh property in northern Boone County. If not a field trip, perhaps you’ll attend one of our meetings. We’ll be learning from Tim Scherrer about Missouri’s role in training pigeons and pigeoneers in WWII at our March meeting and in April from Sarah Kendrick about the tracking of migratory songbirds and how it informs conservation actions. Both these meetings should be interesting and informative. If social events are more your style we’ll be hosting a potluck on May 10^th at Bonnie View with hikes at CANS. Expect to see more Birds and Brews events on the spring schedule.

It’s been a long winter, but spring is truly just around the corner. Hope to see you at a CAS event!