Local birders know that in the fall, the bald eagles hover along the Mississippi, and in the spring, the songbirds bustle in Tower Grove Park. But there's another spot due west of town that's perfect for appreciating our avian friends year-round: Castlewood State Park in Ballwin. Castlewood's range of habitats — meadows, forests, bluffs and the Meramec River — makes this 1,800-acre park a home to all kinds of birds, according to Pat Lueders of the St. Louis Audubon Society. Up in the trees live the permanent residents: cardinals, blue jays and chickadees (the warblers arrive when the weather warms up). Down on the river, great blue heron and belted kingfishers roost on the bank opposite the boat ramp. Field sparrows flit around the grassy areas. And soaring above it all are the turkey vultures and red-shouldered hawks, the latter of whom aren't shy about vocalizing. "If you're walking in Castlewood and you hear a bloodcurdling screech," Lueders warns, "it's a hawk."
Audubon Center at Riverlands
| Sep 26, 2013
World Bird Sanctuary
| Sep 22, 2011
Lost Valley Trail
| Sep 29, 2010
Malcolm Terrace Park
| Sep 24, 2008
Lafayette Park
| Sep 27, 2006
Wild Bird Garden in Tower Grove Park
| Sep 29, 2005
John F. Kennedy Forest, Forest Park
| Sep 27, 2000
John F. Kennedy Forest, Forest Park
| Sep 27, 2000