Chimney Swifts

A commonly seen, and often misidentified, bird species in Forest Park are Chimney Swifts, Chaetura pelagica. Closely resembling swallow species in flight these summer residents are quite different.

Sometimes called “flying cigars” these birds have short stubby bodies and longer pointed swept back wings. Both sexes are uniformly dark brown and are almost black as silhouettes in the sky. They spend most of the day airborne and are rarely seen perching, as they cannot stand upright like other birds. In fact they do everything on the wing; drink, bathe, and of course eat flying insects.
Usually they can be found around the Park’s water feature, Post Dispatch Lake for example, fluttering their wings and banking through the air in large groups during the day. Another key identification is the chatter they make. For an example click on the link below.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Chimney_Swift.html

Being cavity nesters, they historically raised their young in dead trees and caves. The coming of Europeans to North America and consequently chimney construction in houses, the swifts adapted readily to using man-made structures and increased in population numbers. However, with modern chimney design, most flues are capped and narrow precluding swifts. The park benefits though by having many older houses, especially along Lindell Avenue to the north, that the swifts still nest in. Chimney Swifts have long claws to cling to the inside of chimneys where they erect their nests. Sometimes mistaken for communal nesters, only one chimney will be used by a nesting pair. Though some non-breeding swifts will be permitted to roost overnight in an occupied chimney. During spring and fall migration these birds will sometime roost in the hundreds to thousands communally in these cavities.

Keep these birds in mind next time you are enjoying a walk around Post Dispatch Lake or sitting down at The Boathouse this summer and maybe you will catch a glimpse of these bat-like fliers.

Early Birds of Spring

A sure sign of spring in Forest Park is the return of Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor. These are one of 4 species of swallows that frequent the park, and are historically the first to return from overwintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The Tree Swallow is very commonly found close to larger bodies of water such as Post Dispatch Lake and Deer Lake in the park. With a blue-green iridescent back and snow white belly it is hard to mistake this species for any other swallow. They chatter as the fly low over open water eating small insects on the wing, usually flying in large circles and gliding.

Tree Swallows are cavity nesters, and in a natural setting, use hollowed out holes in dead trees. But with increased competition for these limited numbers of naturally occurring cavities they have adapted to nesting in man-made structures. They readily nest in boxes that are designed for Bluebirds and can be found specifically using them on Picnic Island in the park. Forest Park Forever has established 16 Bluebird boxes throughout the park and these can be used by as many as 4 different types of species.

A very distinct way of knowing if you have nesting Tree Swallows is that they line their grass and twig nests with large feathers from other bird species. They sometimes can be seen fighting for these feathers mid-air. Normally they raise one set (brood) of young each year with an average of 4-7 eggs laid. They can defend their nest quite vigorously when young or eggs are present.

So next time you are out walking on Picnic Island or around Post Dispatch Lake keep a lookout for these phenomenal fliers that call Forest Park home for the summer.

Bloodroot

Nature Reserve staff discovered a new species for Forest Park today. The plant is known as Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and is currently found is a couple small patches in Kennedy Savanna. Because the savanna was planted in 1999, and is not a remnant savanna, it is likely that these plants were introduced either as seed or planted. It is suprising that bloodroot has not been recorded from the Park before, as it is a fairly common component of rich woodlands and would be a naturally occuring member of Kennedy Forest. It has not been spotted in the Forest before, although Nature Reserve staff have introduced seed over the last couple of years in the hopes of getting a population established. Bloodroot is a member of the Poppy family (Papaveraceae). One of the most interesting features of bloodroot is that the flowers commonly emerge before the unusually-shaped leaves unfurl. Bloodroot has been traditionally dug as a medicinal herb, but contains an alkaloid known as sanguinarine that can destroy tissue and cause disfigurement. The common name of the plant comes from the reddish sap that can be predominately be found in the roots; however, given the relative scarcity of the plant and the toxic alkaloids, digging is strongly discouraged.

Spring is in the Air, well somewhere...

Though we seemed to have regressed a bit back into winter (spring is not here officially until the 20th) signs of the next season are definitely abundant here in Forest Park. Daffodil and crocus are up and blooming, buds on trees are swelling, and birds are out singing.
Forest Park is a truly unique place on a very significant migration flyway, the Mississippi River. Being one of a handful of green spaces in the metro area, the park is a magnet for birds stopping over a few days to recuperate on their long journeys northward from areas of Central and South America. Though the peak of migration is still a month and a half away,usually in late April and early May, a few forerunners have made their initial appearance of the year. The first Great Egret (Ardea alba) showed up on Tuesday along with Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) on Wednesday. These along with Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) over the past weekend are a true sign that these last few days of winter are truly numbered.
Great places to view these birds are at the Deer Lake area along the waterfalls, Post Dispatch Lake around Picnic Island, and Steinberg Prairie by the skating rink.

Forest Park Forever

This blog represents a new attempt by the staff at Forest Park Forever to reach out to the public and provide a means for people to learn about what is happening at the Park. Hopefully, future Park will include interesting observations about the flora and fauna of the Park, updates on management activities, and information on activities within the Park. We hope that you find this blog useful, and that it can provide a good resources for visitors to the Park.

More information on Forest Park Forever:

Forest Park Forever, a private, nonprofit organization, was founded in 1986 to work in partnership with the City of St. Louis and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry to make Forest Park a premier urban park. Over the past decade, more than $94 million has been invested in the restoration of this community treasure.

In the Beginning. Initial efforts by Forest Park Forever raised money to make improvements to existing facilities within the park.

The Master Plan. In 1995, the City of St. Louis adopted a master plan for the Park that would conserve its size, beauty, and quality while satisfying the needs of its users. A public/private partnership was formed. Forest Park Forever and the City embarked on an effort to raise a combined total of $94 million in public and private funds for sweeping improvements to the Park's infrastructure, environment, landscapes, athletic facilities, and historic buildings. This first phase of Park improvements was largely completed in 2003, and the success of the public/private restoration of Forest Park has become a national model for urban park renewal.

Sustainability. In 2009, a new Forest Park Forever strategic plan was adopted to guide the park in the post-restoration era. The plan spells out five key goals, all focused on using resources to support sustainability and preservation of Forest Park going forward:

1. Prioritizing the visitor’s experience.
2. Clarifying and expanding the role of Forest Park Forever to sustain and maintain the park at the highest standards of excellence.
3. Seeking financial stability and sustainability for the park.
4. Attracting quality leadership.
5. Building community awareness and support for sustaining Forest Park at its current high level of restoration.

View the Forest Park Forever Plan executive summary or unabridged full plan.

Visitor Services. After an extensive renovation, in November 2003 the historic Lindell Railway Pavilion reopened as the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, the first such facility in the Park's history.

Managed by Forest Park Forever, the Visitor Center has quickly become a hub for multi-generational activities. A new Naturalist Series has drawn Park users who want to know more about the Park's flora and fauna so that they can act as Park ambassadors and Park docents. New volunteer-led walking tours offer active recreation coupled with Park history and folklore, and audio tours of the Park are available for a self-guided experience.

OASIS (www.oasisnet.org). The Older Adults Services and Information Systems, now offers programs in Forest Park at the Visitor Center such as Tai Chi, Active Living Every Day, Painting, and Discovering the 1904 World's Fair. Several OASIS members have emerged to volunteer for Forest Park Forever as Visitor Center representatives.

At the invitation of Forest Park Forever, the Missouri Department of Conservation (www.mdc.mo.gov) moved its city field office to Forest Park. Through its office in the Visitor Center it provides educational opportunities for teachers, children, and others interested in conserving and managing the Park and the City's natural resources. Resources include:

1. Urban and therapeutic fishing programs
2. Environmental education exhibits
3. Discovery trunks for schools

The Visitor Center is also home to the Forest Park Forever "Voyage of Learning" Teacher's Academy. Now in its fifth year, the Voyage of Learning provides teachers with the skills and knowledge that they need to use Forest Park as an outdoor classroom for experiential, multidisciplinary learning.

Forest Park is an active participant in the St. Louis community and a unique cultural institution that is vitally important to the entire region, regardless of age, race, or economic background. 130 years after its official opening, the Park has undergone a renaissance. The goal is to ensure that Forest Park remains an extraordinary resource for future generations.