Riveroflife
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Bald Eagle
Permanent resident of Missouri now. Gone for 40 years has returned to the Ozarks and nests on the North Fork River. Their are at least two nests on the river and 300 across the state. Bald Eagles can be readily seen from any other the cabin flying low through the valley looking for fish.
Rolf’s common Owls
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There are really three common owls at ROLF on the North Fork;
1. The Barred Owl – the eight hooter; call “who cooks for you, who cooks for you, who cooks for you all”, a a variety of screeches and whistles. The frequently hoot back in forth to each other in groups.
2. The Great Horned Owl – Large, yellow eyes, the hunter of the midnight woods; call “who who who whoa”; not as loud as the Barred owl.
3. Screech Owl – a small owl that whinnys like a horse; with a quavering sad lonely call; usually right a dusk and again at dawn.
All three owls are common and can be seen just prior to dusk flying on roads.
Orchard Oriole
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Common spring and fall. Uncommon in summer and rare in winter. Nests at ROLF.
Orchard Orioles are smaller than the more well-known Baltimore Orioles. Male Orchard Orioles are a dark brick-red; females are a soft yellow-green. Females somewhat resemble female tanagers but female tanagers do not have wingbars. One yr. old male Orchard Orioles are the same color as females but have black throats. Orchard Orioles are very common in High Island in the spring where they particularly favor the many bottlebrush bushes which have been planted by homeowners.
Pictures are of female and male.
ROLF Herons
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Here are two common Herons that spend their summer breeding and feeding on the North Fork river. Both are quite common and should be easy recognize after looking at these pictures. Many people think that Great Blue Herons are Cranes; they are not. The smaller Green Heron is an outstanding fisher.
The Carolina Wren – there are many at ROLF
Singing one of the loudest songs per volume of bird, the Carolina Wren’s “tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle” is familiar across the Southeast. It is a common bird in urban areas, and is more likely to nest in a hanging plant than in a birdhouse. Again, listen for “Tea Kettle, Tea Kettle, Tea Kettle”, then repeated many times.
Watch for Pale Purple Coneflower in June
Purple coneflower is a Missouri native plant which occurs in rocky open woods and prairies throughout the State. Large, daisy-like flowers with slightly drooping, rose purple petals (ray flowers) and large, coppery-orange central cones. Long summer bloom period. Best flower display is late June to late July, with sporadic continued bloom into autumn. Flowers grow on rigid stems typically to 3′ tall (less frequently to 5′). Dark green leaves (4-8″ long) are lance-shaped and coarsely-toothed. Good fresh cut or dried flower. The dead flower stems will remain erect well into the winter and, if flower heads are not removed, are often visited by goldfinches who perch on or just below the blackened cones to feed on the seeds. Echinacea comes from the Greek word “echinos” meaning hedgehog in reference to the spiny center cone.
