Alice and I drove to St. Louis, Missouri to attend my 50th University City high school reunion, visit with my boys and their families, and take Alice a few new places in the area.
Downtown St. Louis skyline
Alice and I drove to St. Louis, Missouri to attend my 50th University City high school reunion, visit with my boys and their families, and take Alice a few new places in the area.
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Although I had lived in the St. Louis area for most of my first 50 years, I had never been to the Cahokia Mounds Native American site. It was really interesting. As we walked around the area, I heard some sparrows and a Belted Kingfisher, and saw a Northern Mockingbird, a few Common Grackles and Blue Jays, and a Red-shouldered Hawk. We saw a Brown Snake there as well.
As we were driving on the ramp to get on I-70 for our return, I pulled off onto the shoulder when I saw a female American Kestrel chasing a Red-tailed Hawk.
A minute later, a second Red-tailed hawk flew by, and it was being chased by a male American Kestrel. The hawk had almost no belly band and rufous patagial marks. It was most likely a hybrid eastern x Krider's red-tailed sub-species.
Later that afternoon, we went for a short walk in Tillis Park, where we saw a great Blue Heron, a few Mallards, and some common woodland birds.
Great Blue Heron
Mallards
We went for a short walk in Queeny Park one of the afternoons, and saw a fair number of woodland bird species.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler
We went to Rombach's pumpkin patch with our boys and their families. Of interest there was an albino Rock Pigeon.
Rock Pigeon
We went for a ride on the Tom Sawyer paddle boat and saw a few birds along the Mississippi River. Most of them were Rock Pigeons, but we also saw a few Mallards and a Great Blue Heron.
Rock Pigeons
Mallard
Great Blue Heron