President's Message
I am excited and honored to be able to serve as the new President for St. Louis Audubon Society (SLAS). My passion for birds and conservation extends back to my college days at Mizzou when I took classes in wildlife biology, ecology, botany, and ornithology. The unique role that birds play in the web of life has always been fascinating to me. As a recent retiree, I became a Missouri Master Naturalist and hope to utilize some of my education in my service to SLAS. I am humbled by the incredible knowledge of birds that Bill Rowe, past President, brought to this role and very grateful that he will continue to share his birding expertise through Bird of the Week and leading birding expeditions and bird walks.
I would like to thank Karen Meyer, current SLAS volunteer and former board member, for encouraging me to become involved with SLAS and for helping to develop my skills as a birder (or as my husband candidly puts it – becoming a “birdbrain”). Additionally, I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of Amy Weeks as Executive Director, Dan Pearson as BCH Director, Shannon Callahan as Conservation Ecologist, the amazing group of SLAS volunteers, and the Board of Directors. SLAS will soon be hiring an Urban Conservation Specialist to promote the BirdSafeSTL program, oversee the Urban Bird Treaty City status and activities, and facilitate habitat improvement stewardship opportunities in the metro area. SLAS would like to welcome new members to the Board of Directors including Jonah Eckels, Matt Rowe, and Jean Favara (returning member).
As we look to the future, SLAS recently developed a five- year strategic plan that includes reviewing (and possibly revising) the organization’s mission statement, bylaws and name; enhancing support for the BCH and BirdSafeSTL programs; engaging individuals and the community more broadly, with particular attention to underrepresented communities; and more. These are lofty goals that will require participation and involvement of the employees, board and volunteers. If you are interested in getting involved – check out volunteer opportunities and events on our website. There is a lot going on at SLAS!
May is upon us and birds are literally flocking to the area with their brilliant colors and mating displays. Just yesterday a Baltimore Oriole perched on my deck with a bright flash of orange and black feathers. One of my favorite birds is the pileated woodpecker - a seemingly magical creature who visits us frequently - it loves the suet I put out.
Please join SLAS for the 7th annual St. Louis Birdathon! This event is a major fundraiser that helps create native plant habitats (BCH program), support conservation activities, provide nature educational programs, and study of birds and nature. You can participate by going birding yourself or supporting your friends, relatives and colleagues in this great cause. More information can be found here: https://stlouisaudubon.org/stlbirdathon/.
Look for the SLAS table as St. Louis welcomes internationally known author, Amy Tan. She will be speaking at the Ethical Society on Saturday May 11 to promote her new book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Note that this event is sold out, but her book is available online and in bookstores.
On Saturday, May 18, Bring Conservation Home and Wild Ones St. Louis will host the highly anticipated St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour. You won't want to miss this inspirational tour! You can register for the event here.
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For those of you that enjoy birding and brews, we hope you will sign up for The Birds and the Beer event that will take place on Saturday, May 18 at the Gaddy Bird Garden in Tower Grove Park. There will be a guided bird walk at 10 am followed by a trip to 2nd Shift Brewing. See the information below or register here.
I am looking forward to engaging with you over the next two years. Thank you for your support of SLAS!
Ellen Harmon
Photo: Pileated Woodpecker, Ellen Harmon
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Ornithological forecast, May 2024
Bill Rowe
May fulfills the promise of April for nature in the Midwest, with trees fully in leaf, flowers in bloom, insects out and about, frogs and toads calling, and our resident breeding birds in full song, either already nesting and laying eggs or getting ready to do so. It’s true that migration is on the downslope for some groups of birds: ducks have thinned out dramatically, migrant raptors are fewer, and most of the non-resident sparrows have left or are getting ready to do so in the next week or two. Yet May is clearly the top birding month for sheer numbers. First and foremost is the big migratory push of species that spent the winter in the Neotropics and are just now moving through to more northern regions, or staying here to nest. Every day, even every hour, may be different as we visit our favorite places and renew our acquaintance with the vireos, thrushes, flycatchers, orioles, tanagers, and warblers—especially warblers, with 35 expectable species, all in their breeding plumage and most of them singing, even the ones that are solely migrants. In parallel with the diversity of passerines (small land birds) is the diversity of shorebirds. These have been gradually increasing since March and are now hitting their peak, with a good 30 or more species in the “reasonably likely” category plus a number of rarer possibilities—all dependent, of course, on finding shallow wetlands where they can pause and sustain themselves on their way to the north country, most often the Arctic tundra. Our wetlands are much less dependable than the woods and shrubbery that the warblers need, and therefore so is “shorebirding.” With all the plusses and minuses accounted for, May remains the month with the most bird species packed together in a relatively short time span. A very active birder can certainly hope to see 200+ species in our area in the course of these 31 days. And the primary activity that St. Louis Audubon has designed for this rich month is the Birdathon. To make sure you get in on the fun, and help this organization in the process, please visit stlouisaudubon.org/stlbirdathon/ and choose your own way of taking part and securing the support of your relatives, friends, and colleagues. Hope to see you out there!
Photo: Common Yellowthroat
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At Home Ecology, Curated Conservation
May 2024
Shannon Callahan
This spring has truly lived up to the saying as April showers have brought May flowers! Early spring bloomers such as Wild Sweet William (Phlox divaricata), Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum), and Trilliums (Trillium spp.) are on the way out, while late spring brings blossoms of Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), and Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) to name just a few.
Birds are busy building and filling nests, you may even see several occupants use the same nest over the course of a season. May is a time of enjoying rapid change, but also for thinking ahead. If you’re planning on chopping back any fall bloomers, such as asters and goldenrods, now is ideal. You can cut back between 25% to 75% to maintain a shorter, bushier plant with just as many flowers! If you are itching to clean up your garden, we encourage you to leave dead stems at least 12 inches tall for insect habitat. New growth will quickly make it disappear.
As you add to your garden, consider adding a few keystone species such as asters, goldenrods, coreopsis, rudbeckias, and hellanthus which support a huge variety of pollinators. Goldenrods alone are the host plant to 104 native caterpillars and 42 specialist bees across the eastern temperate forest ecoregion (National Wildlife Federation)! May is an exciting time in a native garden, enjoy it as things change seemingly overnight!
Photo: Lanceleaf Coreopsis
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Reminder: Lights Out for Migrating Birds
Stephanie Todd
Every year, billions of birds migrate north in the spring and south in the fall, most of them at night, navigating with the night sky. However, birds can become disoriented by bright artificial lights and sky glow, often causing them to die from exhaustion or collide with buildings. St. Louis is the fifth deadliest city in the country during spring migration and sixth during fall migration.
You can help save birds by simply turning off your outdoor lights in May and September. If you must have lights on, shield them so they are focused down, where light is needed, not shining into the sky. Bright glaring lights are not only bad for birds but cause safety issues. It is better for the environment overall if lights are warm colored or below 3000K. Motion detectors are a good choice for both birds and safety.
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The BirdCast project mapped out the weeks of peak spring bird migration, defined as the periods with the highest nightly average of aerial bird density. The data were collected from 143 radar systems from coast to coast using data from 2013 to 2022. Graphic by Audrey Carlsen. Data analysis by Adriaan Dokter. Migration data from BirdCast and eBird. |
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Art installation at Riverlands is a must-see!
Gail Saxton
Nature, art, and science hold hands in a way that is sure to stimulate the curiosity of visitors to the Audubon Center at Riverlands through the creations of C. Alana Tibbets, the current Artist-in-Residence. Lurking along Riverlands’ pathways from now until July, you will find three-foot-tall Chestnut-sided Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, a Black Tern, and a Turkey Vulture, all sporting tunics and jackets with traditional quilt patterns. They carry bags or baskets made of native plant materials to suggest travel, because the installation has been timed to coincide with the arrival of the real birds.
Conservation is the longstanding and overarching theme of the artwork of Alana Tibbets, who also holds a doctorate in biology. She has a special passion for the creatures of her native New Mexico and is well-known in the fiber art community for her cloth birds and animals which, like the Riverlands sculptures, have human bodies and clothing with animal heads. They seem to invite human observers into relationship with the natural world. You can see more of Alana’s art on her website,
Working on such large-size pieces as the Riverlands installations is new to Alana. Her outdoor birds have sturdy, welded metal armatures on the inside. These armatures will be used again for future pieces which will change with the seasons every few months as new birds pass through Riverlands. Care is being taken to use materials which are not harmful to the environment.
Riverlands is planning several events with Alana throughout the coming year. The first one will be a collaborative poetry-writing activity for adults on Saturday, June 22, from 9 to11 a.m. Details and registration information can be found here:
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DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE UPCOMING PROGRAMS! |
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(Click on the flyer to register for the Native Plant Garden Tour.) |
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Thank you to North River Ranch for their Birdathon sponsorship! |
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Let's make a difference together! |
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We know you share a deep love and appreciation
for our local birds.
We're hoping to inspire you
to take this connection
a step further and help us protect our local species
by participating in our
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No time for birding? You can make a difference for birds by making a pledge to support a specific team or Audubon's conservation, education, and advocacy work.
There is still plenty of time to participate.
The fun continues throughout the entire month of May!
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The Birds and the Beer
Saturday, May 18 @ 10 am
Join us at the Gaddy Bird Garden in Tower Grove Park for some wonderful spring birding, followed by a trip to 2nd Shift Brewing to enjoy a refreshing beverage and a discussion on any and all things bird related.
The walk begins at 10 am and will conclude around noon, followed by a trip to 2nd Shift Brewing.
Registration is limited, so sign up fast! The cost is $20 per person and includes:
- Guided bird walk
- The Birds and The Beer magnet
- Free beverage (beer or soda) post-event at 2nd Shift Brewery
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Must be 21 years of age or older to register. |
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Join others who share your interests in nature, birds and wildlife!
Click on the link to register.
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A beginner bird walk is a short (two hours or less) walk along a path or trail, either around a loop or out-and-back. It is designed, broadly, to help participants see as many birds as possible, and in particular to become familiar with a good variety of our commoner birds.
A field trip is an excursion to a natural area around St. Louis that is promising for finding birds and other wildlife. Generally it involves taking a walk at several points, noticing and recording as many birds as possible, and (as a goal for the leaders) helping all participants get a good look at each bird and learn something about it, such as its field marks, its song, its behavior. Some areas may be covered entirely by walking, while others may involve many short drives with stops in between to check fields, lakes, etc., often with the use of a scope. Field trips typically last a full morning, sometimes into the afternoon; the pre-trip announcement will let you know what length to expect and whether to bring a lunch along.
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Did you miss the SLAS Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 24? No problem!
You can watch the guest presentation here.
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ST. LOUIS AUDUBON SOCIETY BOARD MEETINGS
Next meeting: Tuesday, June 11
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Please Note: Some Board meetings will be held in person and some by Zoom. If you have an interest in joining our volunteer Board, please contact one of the officers or staff members. |
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Officers & Staff
Ellen Harmon, President
Michael Meredith, VP Conservation
Stephanie Schroeder, VP Education
Gail Saxton, Secretary
Nick Eaton, Treasurer
Amy Weeks, Executive Director
Dan Pearson, Director, BCH
dan@stlouisaudubon.org
Shannon Callahan, Outreach Specialist, BCH
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