I'm writing from a great little motel in Lima, Montana. My hiking partner, Eric, and I are stuck here over the weekend waiting on a re-supply from the post office. It can be a bit maddening being stuck in one place like this when you're used to being on the move every day. On the other hand, it's also kind of nice to do nothing and get some well- deserved rest. Hopefully we'll be back on the trail tomorrow.

From here in Lima, there are only 730 trail miles left to Canada, so I'm approaching the final leg of my hike. The plan is to hopefully reach the border by the first or second week of October. Fall is already setting in up here; you can smell it in the air and the nights are getting cold, so I'm starting to feel the pressure to finish this thing.

Since my last email, I've crossed some amazing country through CO, WY, and now ID, and MT. There's been way too much to describe here now, but I'll try and briefly touch on some of the highlights.

Finishing up Colorado was, of course, beautiful, with more miles spent high above tree line than below.

On one particular stretch in Colorado we ran into some excitement. Moving down the trail one evening we noticed some strange drag marks in the middle of the path. We followed for a bit before spotting a guy (Ed) lying in the middle of the path. The guy actually looked dead but to our relief he sat up and said "you have no idea how happy I am to see you".

It turns out he was a Denver priest, with the Catholic Church, and he was out on a day hike when his knee made a loud pop and he was suddenly immobilized. He had already been out thirty some hours and endured a frigid night (that he wasn't equipped for) and was just coming to accept the realization that he was going to be out another one when we showed up. At the point where his knee blew out there was no water available so he had been trying to drag himself along backwards down the trail to locate water.

This is where the drag marks we had been following came from. This act of dragging himself along left him kind of a bruised and bloody mess. It was decided that because Eric was a faster hiker than I, he would hike out and call for help and I would stay with the victim and treat him for shock. After Eric left I made some hot cocoa and some Mac and cheese for Ed before putting him into my sleeping bag. It was a long evening as I don't have a lot in common with any church so we didn't have too much to talk about.

The evening wore on into night so I decided to settle in just in case help didn't arrive until morning. About 11 pm, just as I was dozing off, the first of many search and rescue teams arrived. They immediately went to work on Ed. There was oxygen, IVs, splints, etc… A couple more teams showed up and started making plans on how to get him out. It was quite the spectacle to witness, and I got to witness it all because I couldn't get any of my gear (that Ed was using) back until they were ready to move him. Finally, about 1 a.m., I started the hike out to the trailhead where Eric was waiting. The following days we learned that we made the top story on the Denver news. Unjustly, Eric hogged the spotlight, when they talked about us they only mentioned Eric's name. (That's cool though, real heroes don't do it for the publicity ;)

Entering WY we immediately hiked into the grand basin, a huge, high desert. At first it was neat to be in a different landscape after the high mountains of Colorado but after a few days of the windy, hot, barren landscape with very little water sources I had had enough. What little water was in the basin was mostly nasty and fouled by cattle. Using bleach for water treatment, I could kill the nasties but I still had to drink them. It was quite unpleasant.

For enduring the basin I was rewarded with the Wind River Range. The winds were the most amazing mountains I've ever been in. Jagged, gnarly, raw peaks; the way mountains are supposed to look. This is also where we made our second rescue.

This time it was a 66-year-old nurse, Marnie, from Connecticut, who was on a solo backpacking trip. She had fallen and broken her wrist so she couldn't carry her pack. Our plan was to backtrack to where a group of equestrians (horse people) were camped and ask them for help. They agreed to provide us with a horse and one man who would help us get Marnie to a trail junction that was ten miles from the nearest trailhead and road.

From this point it would be up to Eric and me to get her out. That night we camped with the equestrians. In the morning we decided to have Eric hike ahead to see if he could catch Heesoo (another hiker we had been hiking on and off with) so we could split Marnie's load three ways, instead of just two, for the last ten miles out of the wilderness. This left Marnie, the horse guy Mark, I think, the horse Zina, and me.

Marnie was a very slow hiker so walking her out of the wilderness was not an option. So once we got Zina away from the other horses and settled down we put Marnie on her. This was no easy task and almost ended in Marnie falling right back off. Marnie was very uncomfortable on the horse, but regardless we made it about three miles down the trail before Marnie started complaining of being light headed and requested being let off the horse. We agreed and decided to take a break. Marnie walked about twenty yards towards a lake we intended to break at before needing to set down. I helped her back up to move her to the shade but she immediately had to sit back down. As soon as she sat down on a rock she lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

This, of course, freaked me out a little. I got her up and she came to. I let her rest for fifteen minutes or so before trying to move her to the shade again. She made it about five steps and went unconscious again this time I caught her just in time to let her down gently. At this point, I didn't know what to do. I let her rest for an hour or so and she wasn't feeling any better, plus it was obvious the horse guy was anxious to get back to his people, and anyhow, putting her back on the horse in her condition wasn't going to be an option. Taking all this into consideration, I decided to have the horse guy ride out to meet Eric and have him hike to the trailhead to try and get help. We were a good twenty miles from the road so I figured all this would take a while.

I set up Marnie's tent for her, made her some oatmeal, and just let her rest. It was a long day and night and Marnie had other problems that I'm not going to go into here, but eventually about four in the morning a couple search-and-rescue guys showed up. They examined Marnie and quickly decided to call in a helicopter to evacuate her. It was all over by about seven in the morning but I still had a twenty-mile hike to the trailhead where I would hitch into town to meet Eric and resupply. I learned later that while I was stuck in the mountains taking care of Marnie, Eric spent the evening hanging out at the command post with a super good looking lady deputy sheriff. I think, if there's a next time, I'll insist that I be the one to hike out for help.

After the Winds, it was on to Yellowstone National Park. This wasn't a great experience for me. I was expecting a safari-like experience but all I ended up seeing was two deer. The worst part was I was suffering from a bad case of Guardia all the way through the park. I'm actually still dealing with lingering symptoms. The geothermal stuff was really neat though, and of course Old Faithful.

Leaving Wyoming I hiked into Idaho and then Montana. The trail follows the continental divide, which in this area is the border between these two states; so I've been back and forth between the two for a while now. Wild fires are always a concern of ours out here and the other evening we hiked directly into one. We had just finished a long cross-country section and decided that going back was not an option so we figured we'd take our chances with the fire.

Helicopters flying around with buckets along with a huge towering smoke column and high winds told us that we should take the situation seriously. Regardless, we moved ahead. As the smoke thickened we eventually ran into some fire fighters who told us that they had it under control. We followed them down to where they were parked and they hooked us up with a few MRE's for dinner. It was evening, and not wanting to carry the heavy MRE's we decided to camp right there. That night we were treated to a show that I will likely never forget. We had a huge view down into the burning forest. All night long the forest glowed with smoldering fires under a full moon. Occasionally, individual trees would go up like fire bombs. Some of these were so close that we could feel the heat they produced. This was all accented with the sounds of cracking, popping, and crashing of burning and falling trees. Apparently, the fire had been burning for three weeks and the Forest Service was just watching it and letting it do its thing. We were told that this forest was long overdue for a fire and desperately needed it.

It's truly been an amazing adventure so far!

Mike

Audubon sends its best carpenters to

replace bridge at Crouch Sanctuary

When spring rains washed out the bridge on Lewis Trail in Crouch Nature Sanctuary, the challenge was whether to relocate the old bridge or to build a new one. Gary Chastain, chairman of the Sanctuary Committee, noticed the old foundation logs were rotting out, so he put his construction skills to work and designed a bigger and much better bridge. And this time it was to have hand rails on both sides.

After removing the old bridge, the new foundation was put together on forms that had been predrilled to an exact fit following Gary's blueprint.

Gary's brother Harry and his nephew Eric together with Niles Woodney, added professional carpenter skills to the crew. Also active were Steve Henroid and Ted Blaine who both knew how to use a hammer. And Jenny Gunn held the spool while Gary plunked the chalk line to make sure things were level.

It was a hot day so Jenny and Joyce Lewis combined to provide a 5-gallon container of ice water that Eric Chastain carried down the trail to the bridge site.

The same jug of ice water was taken to the Bill and Debbie Reeves home where lots of excitement was brewing over the arrival of a Colorado Rocky Mountain hummingbird.

Meanwhile, Phyllis Hastings and her grandchildren, Tristan, 11, and Parker, 8, showed up for the Chapter workday. A full dumptruck load of mulch had been provided by the City of Farmington to be spread along areas of the trail that had been washed dry.

Phyllis loaded the wheelbarrow and took it to the trail site where Tristan and Parker used shovels to spread it. There is still a large pile of mulch that can be spread when more workers are available to help.

Meanwhile, the bird feeding area is getting a change of face. Since squirrels commonly eat the suet as fast as it is placed in the baskets, it was decided to make a change. To make it more difficult for them, a steel wire was strung above the area with wires hanging down to hold feeders.

Either strong winds, wise squirrels or vandals pulled the wire down the second day. It was re-installed only to have it down again a day later. After this a steel cable was strung up 10 feet above the feeding area. It is hoped this new arrangement will be more attractive and will confine the suet to woodpeckers and other birds rather than squirrels.

Here is the bridge. It should provide safe walking along our trail for many years. In our eyes it is as handsome as the famous Bridge over the River Kwai and deserves a plaque commemorating the hard work of Audubon volunteers.

"Trill" of a Lifetime

By Bill Reeves

Here it was, Friday the 13th , Fathers Day weekend. My kids, Hannah and Casey, were coming in from Columbia for the weekend. Deb and I scurried back and forth to the store, pickiing up groceries and sundries in anticipation of their visit. Hannah would be bringing her husband, Mike, and their two dogs to stay with us. Casey arranged to bring his newly-adopted puppy and place her under our watchful care while he played music at a local winery on Saturday and Sunday.

Our carefully orchestrated itinerary called for us to babysit dogs for a couple of days while kids came and went, then spend Saturday afternoon at the Charleville winery with Casey, followed by breakfast with kids and dogs on Fathers Day.

It was the unexpected "surprise visitor" to our home that changed the course of events during that fateful weekend. On Friday evening Deb and I stepped outside of our home just south of Farmington during a brief respite from our dogsitting duties. From our front porch I heard a most unusual thing. Some twenty feet or so above our heads, I heard the "trill" of a cricket-like noise emanating from the upperstory of our front-yard oak trees.

The Trill seemed to move back and forth in a rhythmic pattern, from one tree to the next, and then back again. The Trill was loud and continuous, unlike the off-and-on calls of our usual crickets. As we walked around the house toward the back yard, the Trill seemed to be following us. Wait a minute"

This was no ordinary Trill!

The Trill was reminiscent of the distinctive whirring sound that I had heard Broad-tailed Hummingbirds make whenever I visited the Rocky Mountains in years past. We stopped and listened again intently. Deb heard it this time, for sure. The Trill seemed to dissipate, then came back. While continuing to "home in" on the Trill, I told Deb to go get my binoculars, on the off-chance that this "whirling dervish" might actually be a hummingbird seeking out one of our feeders.

Just as I focused in on the backyard feeder, the Trill reappeared from nowhere and suddenly manifested itself in the form of a diminutive body of a hummingbird which dipped down out of the woods onto our feeder.

As my mind pondered years-worth of idle skimming through bird books, I tried vainly to conjure up some recollection of any other hummingbird species known to have the Trill. In quiet disbelief, I visually noted the chunky head and body of this bird, the pale gray cheek-patch, and the faint white line separating the cheek-patch from the gorget.

It was clearly an adult male bird, but not our resident Ruby-throat. The gorget itself (usually a bright irridescent rosy pinnk) was indistinct in the fading light of day, and lacking any iridescence from my angle of view. Undaunted, I began to draw the inexorable conclusion that the Trill belonged to a very special little bird, one drawn some 900 miles off-course from his usual haunt in the Rockies.

Deb and I dusted off all field guides, bird books and encyclopedias and double-checked the Trill. Some hummers, such as Rufous and Allens, are reported to have a more "buzzy" trill, but not the Trill of a Broad-tailed. Hmmm. It was clearly time to report this guy to the bird hotline. I called Bob Lewis and Steve Dilks, then called bird aficionados in Kansas City and northwestern Missouri. Bob called St. Louis, Steve contacted Columbia. Bob put the bird out on the "MoBirds" listsite. The Trill was quickly reported statewide.

From Saturday morning through Monday afternoon, some 25-30 birders from all over the state visited our feeders, even as Deb and I left the house to download hummer photographs at my office, watch Casey play music and field dozens of phone calls about our bird. By the end of the weekend, many others were able to hear the Trill and get a look at our bird, which by all accoounts represents a first-state record for Missouri.

By Monday afternoon, the Broad-tail left for parts unknown. In the weeks since, we have closely monitored our yard for an encore performance. The Trill has been replaced by other buzzes, chirps and cricket-like imposters permeating the nearby woods. Our little buddy may be gone, but on this special weekend, he created one "trill of a lifetime."

Bird in the hand - Midwestern hummingbird expert Lanny Chambers was summoned to document the Broad-tailed Hummingbird. He is the same bird bander that identified our Black-chinned Hummingbird of four winters ago and then came later for the Rufous Hummingbird. He said our area seemed to be on the east-west migration route for a few individual birds that winter along the Gulf of Mexico instead of flying straight south in the fall.

Since this was the first-ever Broad-tailed Hummingbird to be seen in Missouri, Lanny felt it was necessary in the interest of science to band it. He had hoped to find a band already placed on its leg by one of the banders along the Gulf Coast. He said banders in the Southeast are banding as many winter hummingbirds as possible, including the Broad-tailed.

"From a wildlife management perspective, it's useful to know to what extent these hmmingbird subpopulations offer a hedge against problems their mainstream conspecifics may face in the future. As more hummingbird banders are trained and certified, the data mounts and insights emerge.

"However there is almost no data about the routes these hummingbirds take, migrating between their winter and breeding ranges. That's because there are so few hummingbird banders in the middle of the continent. In June a Broad-tailed in Missouri is probably heading west to breed after wintering in the Gulf states.-- and the odds of it wearing a band are much higher than normal.

"If I had not caught Bill/s Broad-tailed I would have squandered an opportunity and failed my coleagues who are working hard to learn more about alternate hummingbird migration strategies."

Paul Bauer of St. Louis was one of the first to arrive to witness and document the Broad-tailed Hummingbird at Bill and Debbie's house. Paul is a past-president of Audubon Society of Missouri and was the first recipient of the "Rudolph Bennitt Award" from the Society.

He is also past-president of both Webster Groves Nature Study Society and St. Louis Audubon Society. He has given programs at East Ozarks chapter meetings. He is retired from McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis and also from N.A.S.A.

Besides all that, he was Bill's bird study mentor in St. Louis when Bill was in junior high school. The two have been friends for many years.

Conservation Matters!

Sue and Mick

Ask yourself: Will I benefit more if I drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle or if oil companies start drilling offshore? A nation that owns 3% of the world’s oil reserves and consumes 25% of the world’s annual production is in a precarious position. There are many causes for the upward spiral in gas prices: the decline in the value of the dollar, Mideast uncertainty (including, especially, threats of war with Iran), increasing demands for petroleum from China and India, a world population of 6 billion heading towards 9 billion or more, and speculators’ knowledge that oil is a finite commodity that cannot outlast infinite consumptive appetites. Would exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and/or off-shore oil drilling lower consumer prices? Not likely, say the experts. ANWR’s reserves at best would translate to a few pennies per gallon in savings (for a limited time), and it will take ten years or longer before that oil starts flowing (for the record, Senator Bond favors drilling in ANWR, while Senators McCaskill, Obama, and McCain oppose it). Likewise, off-shore drilling may in the distant future lower prices a few pennies, but at tremendous risks for fragile coastlines and their wildlife reserves. Oil prices are determined by the global market price, not by where the supplies are located; Canada’s production lines are now providing more than half the gas consumed in the US, but that hasn’t lowered prices, nor has all the proliferation of oil drilling in our western states these past several years. Tapping out our last pristine areas will make some oil speculators vastly rich, but will do nothing about world prices.

What will lower prices is less demand for fossil fuels. Already the high cost of gas has reduced our appetite with a consequent reduction in price: not much, but probably more than we would get from drilling in ANWR. In the long run, it is alternative technologies that will result in significant lowering of oil consumption. If you drive a fuel-efficient vehicle you can thank environmentalists who for years have pushed for higher fuel-efficiency standards. Hybrids will improve their efficiency, and all electric cars are now in the production lines; someday our non-hybrid 37 mpg vehicle will be rated as an inefficient gasaholic!

Some political leaders seem tied to the oil rigs: the Bush Administration is seeking a moratorium on solar exploration on federal lands out of alleged concern for the environment, yet he continues to promote expanding oil production on these same lands. But other voices, amongst them former Vice President Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection, envision the nation's electricity production converted to wind, solar and other carbon-free sources within 10 years. The biggest obstacle, Gore says, would be updating the nation’s electrical grid system to transport the wind, sun, and hydro power to cities. We see the immediate obstacle being political calls for increased drilling, a bonanza plan for the oil industry and its financiers and another horrific avoidance of dealing with the global warming threats.

Corn-based fuel is costly! The Show-Me Institute (a not-for-profit research and education organization) says Missouri consumers could lose $1 billion in the coming decade because of the mandate that gasoline sold here must contain 10% ethanol. Blended fuel is less efficient, the diversion of an edible crop to fuel our cars is increasing food prices, and we are getting double soaked through our taxes going to subsidize the ethanol industry.

Missouri DNR Head Threatening Lawsuits: In March the federal EPA issued tougher rules on air pollution but DNR Director Doyle Childers is opposed, saying the rules could hamper the economy without lowering smog in the state; he wants to join a Mississippi lawsuit to overturn the EPA rule. Meanwhile, environmentalists and health advocates say the EPA rules do not go far enough.

Childers is also talking about a suit against Attorney General Jay Nixon over information requested pertaining to the KATY Bridge dispute (reminds us of when Nixon unsuccessfully attempted to get documents from Childers pertaining to the Ameren reservoir collapse). Should Nixon become the state’s next governor, DNR will soon have a new boss.

Global Warming Hurting Missouri’s Indiana Bat Population: The number of Indiana bats in Missouri has declined from about 300,000 in 1979 to 16,000 or fewer today. According to Bill Elliott, MDC Cave Specialist, winter temperatures in bat hibernation caves have increased five to seven degrees above the optimum for the Indiana bat, which prefers chilly conditions. In addition, with warmer winters, they may not hibernate long enough to protect fat reserves in their bodies at a time when food is not available. By the way, some of the bat research in Missouri has involved members of EOAS working at Pilot Knob Mine, where our Chapter for over two decades has sought to protect the bats.

Gary Chastain Becomes President

For 2008-09 East Ozarks Years

Gary Chastain was elected president of the Chapter at the July meeting, succeeding his wife Nina. Gary becomes the 13^th person to serve as president of East Ozarks Audubon.

Jenny Gunn was elected as vice-president, Joyce Lewis as secretary and John Crouch again as Chapter treasurer.

Elected to the board of directors are Diane Hitson and her mother Ruth Denton for their first terms, Nicole McKenzie, Vonne Phillips and Lynne Winston for second terms, Niles Woodney for his third term and Mary Woodney for her fourth term.

Gary is superintendent of Sherwood Forest, a youth camp located near Lesterville. Jenny Gunn is a charter member of East Ozarks, having served on the first board of directors in 1980.

Past presidents of the Chapter are: Bob Lewis, 1980-81; Bill Reeves, 1982-83; Karen Adams, 84-85; Beth Williamson, 86-87; Barbara Sandhagen, 88-89; Hal Ferris, 90-91; Karen Adams 91-93; Sue Hagan, 94-95; Neal Gunn, 96-97; Eric Hamburg, 98-99; Mick Sutton, 2000-01; Doug Willis, 02-03; Bob Lewis, 03; Sue Hagan 04-05; Nina Chastain, 06-07.

Fall Activities Include Canoe Float, Pickle Springs Bash, Amidon Hike

Field Trip Chairman Steve Henroid has announced an ambitious fall schedule following the annual dinner meeting on September 18^th.

Amidon Shut-Ins

First will be a short hike into the shut-ins section of Amidon Conservation Area on Castor River in Madison County on September 20^th. This area is located off of County Road J south of Fredericktown.

It will be a good opportunity to look for fall migrating birds, early fall colors and late wildflowers.

Hikers will meet at the parking lot of Farmington Methodist Church at 8 a.m. We’ll be heading home around noon time so don’t bring a lunch.

Pickle Springs

Once again Charlie and Faye Sitzes will be hosting their annual cookout. The Pickle Springs hike on October 18^th will begin at 3 p.m. and the eating will be at 5 o’clock.

As usual, Charlie will be cooking up some roast in that iron kettle…maybe even some kind of cobbler in the other kettle. Bring a vegetable, salad or dessert and be sure to bring lawn chairs.

You can warm your toes by scooting up to the fire ring and smelling the smoke…hmmm!

Mingo River Canoe Float in October

For Hardy East Ozarks Paddlers

“You can see what autumn in the swamp looks like if you sign up for the October 25^th canoe float on the Mingo River,” says Steve Henroid, chairman of the field trip committee.

“You’ll probably be out of luck if you planned to look for snakes while you’re paddling,” he says “because the snakes will have gone to winter quarters.”

Sign-up for the trip begins at the September 18^th meeting. It is suggested that each paddler might donate five dollars at the time of the trip.

Unlike many Ozark float streams, the Mingo River moves lazily from Monopoly Marsh to Ditch Six. The canoes will be available at Flat Banks at 10 a.m.

There will be eight brand new canoes available by courtesy of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, according to Virgil Harp, coordinator.

Floaters will meet at the Farmington Methodist Church parking lot at 8 a.m. Bring a sack lunch. It is always a good idea to bring a dry change of clothes to be kept in the car while floating.

Mike Cravens Reports from Colorado Hiking the Continental Divide Trail

His uncle Tom says Mike was born 200 years too late. But surely it takes “mountain man” endurance to hike the 3,000 mile Continental Divide Trail that begins at the Mexican border and ends at the Canadian border.

He reached Leadville, Colorado on July 3^rd and reported to his friends via e-mail from a hospice.

“I started the hike with my dog Quinn. He tried very hard and made it about 500 miles but his feet didn’t hold up and he had to be sent home.

“There has been many ups and downs and goods and bads—close encounters with illegal aliens in a dark desert, high heat, high winds full of sand, blisters, sunburns, long stretches of carrying lots of water, running out of water, marauding bear in camp looking for a meal, freezing nights, camping in hurricane force winds, terrifying icy slopes, tons of mosquitoes, lightning above tree line, painful case of snow blindness.

“Beautiful desert, beautiful mountains, fantastic people, living free, incredible views, mountain wildflowers, summer rains, clean mountain water, wilderness stretches over 100 miles without setting a foot on pavement.

“I’ve still got 2,000 miles and three states to go and I’m looking forward to every step of it. I hope you all are having a great summer.”

Meanwhile Quinn waits and waits for his master to come home. Before hot sands and miles of hiking separated them, Mike and Quinn were inseparable. When Mike goes to visit friends, Quinn sits patiently in the pickup truck knowing that Mike will not let him down.

Before Mike and Quinn started their adventure, Quinn was too avid in chasing a frisbee and crashed into a piece of concrete, breaking off a portion of his canine tooth. It took all the skills of a St. Louis canine dentist to make the repair.

So have patience Quinn, October is getting closer all the time!

The Fledging Birder

(another in the episodic adventures of a beginner)

by Sue Hagan

I don't know when or why I became possessed with the notion of seeing a Worm-eating Warbler, but I do know when I first heard one.

In case you don't know, they are reported to sound like Chipping Sparrows. Indeed, that's exactly what I was hearing in May standing near the top of a wooded hillside in Phelps County--only the mechanical chipping sound was coming from deep in the thick understory below me, and that was certainly an unlikely place to find a sparrow.

The next Worm-eating Warbler I heard was in Kentucky, walking down a steep wooded hillside. I had listened to my bird song CDs so often I had no doubts. But I longed to see this warbler, not just hear it.

That finally happened on July 26th, and it occurred where and when I least expected it. I was returning from a trip to our mailbox along the quarter-mile gravel driveway and feeling pretty dismal about my prospects for spotting any birds. As summer advances the birds get quieter and quieter--once nesting is complete, there's little need for amorous singing--and on this particular hot afternoon the buzzy noise of cicadas made it nearly impossible to hear more than the occasional loud cardinal and blue jay.

Still, my ears picked out what I guessed to be gnatcatchers buzzing from the shrubbery along the roadway. For lack of anything better to focus on, I raised my binoculars to my eyes, looking high in the saplings but seeing nothing. I realized the sounds were coming from near the ground, and so I refocused my attention. There were Carolina Wrens flittering around, and I decided to focus on them just for the practice and for the joy of bird watching. Then, quite unexpectedly, there appeared the Worm-eating Warbler, eating a worm (well, actually it was eating a caterpillar). Soon I saw it had a family. My breathing nearly stopped as I focused in on the identifying dark stripes on the head and the buffy undersides.

I returned home, confirmed my sighting with a check in the field guide, and then asked Mick if he would like to go back to see if the warbler was still hanging around. We were joined by our cat (who would like to be a warbler-eating feline) who conveniently was distracted by matters other than bird spotting. Before long, we found our Worm-eating Warblers.

This has been duly entered into the property list as our 100^th bird species here in Rattlesnake Holler.

I thought we had passed that notable mark a few months ago when I identified a Yellow-throated Vireo in the back yard, but Mick promptly conferred with Bob Lewis who ruled that a subspecies of junco could not be counted twice on any reputable listing.

No doubt we've had Worm-eating Warblers on our property these many years past: their brown and buffy hues make them inconspicuously blend in. I would not have noticed them this year, either, had it not been for serendipitous luck: I was looking for gnatcatchers!

And had I not been familiar with the identifying marks (spurred by having heard these warblers previously) I might even have confused the Worm-eating Warblers with the Carolina Wrens. The lesson is one our experts keep repeating:

practice, practice, practice.

Looking at the familiar bird in the bush, you might encounter something new.

We Got A Flavor of the Outdoors

With Wild Edibles at July Meeting

Queen Anne's Lace has a sour smell but who would believe you could make delicious fritters from that wildflower? Jamie Hubert brought us a variety of delicous foods all made from items you can collect outdoors...all except the biscuits she baked. These were for jellies made from blackberries and from Queen Anne's Lace.

And she also made pound cake from BeeBaum flowers. And you had your choice of ginger ale or sassafrass tea. This was the second year Jamie has done this program and this year she went all out.

The picture of left shows glasses of ginger ale and sassafrass tea and a platter with biscuits, Queen Anne's Lace fritters and BeeBaum pound cake. Jamie scoured around St. Francois State Park to collect the items she cooked for us.

Jamie also brought us some entertainment in the form of her son Ethan. Ethan is pictured here trying to walk with help from his daddy.