Finally, the sun is shining in Columbia, Missouri. I took advantage of this sunny interlude to visit the Audubon Sanctuary on the west side of town and was greeted by a noisy avian chorus.
The songs of northern cardinals, Carolina wrens and tufted titmice dominated the chorus, joined by the hysterical calls of northern flickers and red-bellied woodpeckers. Percussion was provided by the latter birds in addition to downy woodpeckers, a pileated woodpecker and a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Twenty-three species were observed on my 2-mile walk, including two brown creepers, the first I have encountered this spring.
As I have mentioned in the past, the Columbia Audubon Sanctuary is an excellent site for birding, accessed by wide, well-maintained trails and characterized by an attractive mix of woodlands, forest, creeks and meadows. The sunshine and the birdsong made this morning's visit especially pleasant.
The songs of northern cardinals, Carolina wrens and tufted titmice dominated the chorus, joined by the hysterical calls of northern flickers and red-bellied woodpeckers. Percussion was provided by the latter birds in addition to downy woodpeckers, a pileated woodpecker and a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Twenty-three species were observed on my 2-mile walk, including two brown creepers, the first I have encountered this spring.
As I have mentioned in the past, the Columbia Audubon Sanctuary is an excellent site for birding, accessed by wide, well-maintained trails and characterized by an attractive mix of woodlands, forest, creeks and meadows. The sunshine and the birdsong made this morning's visit especially pleasant.
