Director's Message
Amy Weeks
Did you know February is National Bird Feeding month? It was established back in 1994 to help birds survive one of the toughest and coldest months of the year.
So what can you do to keep your backyard birds happy during the cold, winter months?
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Add another feeder to your yard. Who knows, you might attract some new birds! Different birds prefer different types of feeders. Explore some different options here: "How to Choose the Right Kind of Bird Feeder." The extra food is especially beneficial this time of year given insects disappear and seed sources dwindle. This article shares some interesting facts about studies showing the positive impacts of winter bird feeding: "Winter Bird Feeding: Good or Bad for Birds?"
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Another way to help winter birds is to provide fresh, heated water. Even in freezing weather your backyard birds will stop by for a drink or a bath. To learn more about some of the ways you can provide heated water, check out this article: "Winter is Coming, Your Birds Need a Heated Bird Bath."
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Offer suet and high-energy food such as peanuts, mealworms or sunflower chips. Sunflower chips have the widest appeal of any seed that you can offer. Bluebirds can't break open a shell so they will especially appreciate the sunflower chips, along with cardinals, chickadees, finches, woodpeckers, and more. And, it's mess free! You won't have any shells to clean up on the ground!
Please Note: The most impactful way to feed the birds in your backyard is to remove invasives and plant native fruit-producing trees and shrubs that will provide high quality nutrition year round. Whether you're a beginner or advanced gardener we hope you will check out the Partners for Native Landscaping webinar series featured below.
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Already have some of the essential resources mentioned above? Why not celebrate National Bird Feeding Month by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count? The Great Backyard Bird Count will take place over four days beginning Friday, February 16 and ending Monday, February 19. It's easy to participate and so important for helping scientists understand how our changing climate may be affecting birds.
If you are interested in participating, I encourage you to visit this link, which will detail what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. You can even sign up for a webinar with live Q&A from experts.
We are so grateful to be part of a community of people who love and support nature!
Photo: Tufted Titmice
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Ornithological forecast, February 2024
Bill Rowe
We all know that winter is not done with us in February, although what this amounts to is variable from one year to the next. Any cold fronts may still bring us some cool (sorry) birds in the form of northern gulls, raptors like Rough-legged Hawks, possible irruptive species such as Northern Shrikes, redpolls, Snow Buntings, or many other possibilities. Birds that settled in to spend the winter with us will probably still be here, including easily identified and sought-after individuals like our Spotted Towhees, still present in two different locations. But we also recognize some signs of spring: (1) Our local resident passerines start practicing their singing, and it is normal to hear the songs of cardinals, titmice, House Finches, and many others around our neighborhoods, especially on sunny days. Out in farmland, you can hear the jingling song of Horned Larks on territories, and in all marshy or grassy areas, male Red-winged Blackbirds will be similarly engaged. (2) Some raptors like Bald Eagles and Great Horned Owls will be building or repairing nests and laying and incubating their eggs. (3) Especially from mid-February onward, waterfowl will be on the move. Overhead, skeins of Snow Geese will be heading north, usually with some Ross’s Geese among them (grab your binoculars and check for small ones). Augmenting the ducks that spent the winter, more dabblers like Mallard, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, and Green-winged Teal will appear in shallow grassy marshes, and more divers like Canvasback and scaup on larger lakes and rivers. By the end of the month, it can feel even more like the beginning of spring, with the arrival of a few Tree Swallows and some early shorebirds like the two yellowlegs species.
Photo: Spotted Towhee
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At Home Ecology, Curated Conservation
February 2024
Shannon Callahan
We seem to be through the worst of a relatively temperate winter, Arctic blasts aside. With mild temperatures and ample precipitation, spring feels right around the corner, but don’t be fooled!
Pollinators are still hiding away in leaf litter and dead stems, waiting to emerge with the warm weather. Resist the urge to start your spring cleanup until temperatures are consistently in the 50s, which won’t be for another month or two! Our Ozark Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) is currently covered in its yellow-orange sweet-scented flowers. If you visit these plants on a warm sunny day, you may be surprised to find a variety of native pollinators buzzing around, temporarily awakened from their winter snooze.
Photo: Ozark Witch-Hazel
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The Cathleen Creley Memorial Conservation Grant Now Open -
Apply Soon!
The St. Louis Audubon Society has worked to have a positive impact on birds and their habitats for over 100 years. The establishment of the Cathleen Creley Memorial Conservation Grant was made possible by a generous gift of the Creley family and is used to annually award grants that support bird conservation and education projects throughout the St. Louis region.
These grants have allowed SLAS to financially support organizations and projects that further bird conservation and education, strengthen current collaborations, and establish new partnerships that magnify our influence on bird conservation in St. Louis.
The total amount available for the 2024 grant cycle is estimated to be $8,000. One or more grants will be awarded depending on the income of the fund for a given fiscal year, the quality of the grant proposals received, and the results of the grant evaluation system.
Review and download the 2024 grant application here.
Completed grant applications should be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday, March 29, 2024.
Photo: Cerulean Warbler
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2024 Partners for Native Landscaping Spring Series |
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The 2024 Series has three parts:
Part 1: From February 20 to March 20 there is a series of ten webinars in collaboration with St. Louis County Library. Registration is now open and filling up fast. See the full listing and links to register here: bit.ly/PNL2024Webinars
Part 2: On March 23 there is an In-Person Workshop and Native Plant Sale at Maryland Heights Community Center. Stay tuned for registration.
Part 3: The spring series wraps up on April 28 with a Native Plant Fair at Beyond Housing.
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Join St. Louis Audubon Society and the Sierra Club Eastern Missouri Group for a presentation by Vayujeet Gokhale of DarkSky Missouri. |
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When: Tuesday, March 26
When: 7 PM
Where: Great Rivers Greenway- 3745 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110
Today, more than 80% of the world's population, and 99% of North Americans, live under light-polluted skies. Excessive and misdirected outdoor lighting disturbs the ecological balance in the environment by adversely affecting insects and bees, and by disrupting the migratory patterns of birds. In this presentation Vayujeet Gokhale, professor of physics and astronomy at Truman State University and Chair of DarkSky Missouri, will outline the environmental impacts of light pollution on all living things, particularly on migratory birds. He will also discuss resources for creating awareness and for taking actions to help decrease Light Pollution in your community.
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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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Photo Credit: Elaine Collins |
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ST. LOUIS AUDUBON SOCIETY BOARD MEETINGS
Next meeting: Saturday, February 17
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Please Note: Board meetings will be held by Zoom and will not meet in person until further notice. 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
Bill Rowe, 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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