skeeter

Wait and see if the lower Mississippi starts flooding and if it's accompanied by incoming flood waters from the Ohio you'll see the Corps' "mission" change to concerns about flooding...especially if the AG interests on either side of the White in the Grand Prairie area of Arkansas start complaining. Those Cotton and Rice growers have a lot to say about what volume of water gets released from Bull since their land is so flat and the White spreads out for miles once it floods down there. Meanwhile, more rain events are forecast for later this week and look out if they develop into the "training" events we saw last week.

Hmm...didn't read where anyone was "bashing Tournament fishermen" slowbait, just expressing much deserved concern for the future of the resource and the sport and commenting on how the fish were poorly handled and ridiculously relocated./transported....especially during the Spawn season ! Ever increasing angling pressure on the limited numbers of lakes require a change or there won't be much of a future. Who is it....MLF (there are so many organizations I've lost track) who finally does the catch, measure and release at boatside and deserves much credit for doing so ?

Here's the link: https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning/Table-Rock-Lake-Oversight-Committee/Online-Comment-Form/

The female Bluebird is known as the "decider" ( kind of like the human female 😉 ) on where she's gonna' make her nest. Bluebirds are super picky about the amount of Sunshine, nearby areas of vegetation for the fledglings to fly to when they first leave the nest, the direction the box opening faces ( East or South seems to work ) and even the type of mounting pole the box is mounted on in picking a nest box site. We've had luck with all three of our boxes on just one Acre but have an ongoing battle over the formerly most popular box with these darned sparrows that have taken it over. Due to our local population of welcome Blacksnakes and Kingsnakes, we used square metal tubing for the mounting poles since those snakes cannot climb them and get into the nest box. We've also had to run Wasps out of the boxes that the Bluebirds will not come near and do that with regular Wasp spray followed by a simple wash-out of the box. The lady who runs the Wild Birds store over in Branson told us to leave the nesting material in the box during the Winter and said the Bluebirds will use them as night-time shelter. Also liked tho1mas's suggestion about clearing overhead, nearby limbs.

That's a lot of glass !!! We have a lot too overlooking the Lake and stretching across 38' of the lakeside of the house, but nothing like that sq. footage, so we just concentrated placing stickers on the porch door and windows on the end of the house where the feeders are deployed. Hated hearing that "thump" when a bird hit the glass or finding one that was dead. They really seem to help the birds realize that there is glass there and not an escape or flyway route to get away from the Sharp Shinned Hawk that patrols the area. Helps with the Hummers too when they arrive.

Nope, never. We see them hanging around the seed feeders during the Winter watching the other birds dine and tried putting out the dried mealworms for them that they are supposed to like (but ignore). Right now, we are seeing a battle between some kind of Sparrows and the Bluebirds over one of the Bluebird nesting boxes. Last year, the Sparrows won and I wish the Bluebirds would be more aggressive since we went to a lot of trouble to make and set-out a predator-proof Bluebird house ( one of three in the yard ). Bluebirds are going into the cedars after something but, since they supposedly don't eat seeds, I have no idea what they are after. Maybe some early emerging insect ? Feb. and March are the two most stressful Months of the year for wildlife survival so maybe the Bluebirds are eating just the suet fat but not the seeds and stuff most of those suet cakes are loaded with.

Found this: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/oct/21/airplanes-set-to-map-geology-of-north-a-1/ They aren't mapping in MO, just based at the Branson Airport.

We have had good success with avoiding the frequent bird deaths caused by collisions with glass doors and windows by putting these decal-type things on the glass window and door areas where they have had repeated mid-air collisions. They are not adhesive and you can kinda'/sorta' see through them but they warn the birds off almost 100%. https://www.amazon.com/WINDOWALERT-WA-LEAF-WindowAlert-Medley-Decals/dp/B0096UUSPC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YT7E31XAMKJC&keywords=bird+warning+window+decals&qid=1581778312&sprefix=bird+warning%2Caps%2C447&sr=8-1 Somehow they catch ulraviolet light that we can't see but the birds can.

Our two local Pileated's are hitting the suet feeder hard. Are you still getting your flock of them ? Robins seem to be gone.

Were you able to notice if they were twin engine ? I cannot remember where I read the article just recently about two Aircraft that were measuring something for Science that were authorized to fly mapping patterns at less than 500 ft. altitude. Your description of a long "pole" or boom extending from the tail would indicate that is where the antenna or measuring device is housed. Oops....here it is but not about the local flights. It's measuring Geology features for the USGS. See if this is the same aircraft: https://www.usgs.gov/news/low-flying-airplane-map-geology-southeast-missouri

If you get tired of cleaning-up the sunflower shells, Tractor Supply sells Sunflower hearts that eliminates 97% of the mess underneath the feeder. No shells, almost no mess and yes, it's more expensive per pound but you're not paying for the weight of the Sunflower shells or husks and it goes a lot further.

I know what is in your backyard remember ? Those are some great videos, thanks for sharing. The only place I've ever seen a Tom do his courtship display is from Shannon's back window when she was in your same area and leasing a home there. We haven't seen even a Turkey in our area for over two years now and it's become very uncommon to hear a Gobbler in the Spring anymore. Happy to report that after reading Bill's description of the Pileated flock I belatedly put out my suet feeder ( just like the one shown in Bill's photo ), but some smart-posterior Crows figured out how to pull the hanging-chain apart and knocked it to the ground twice where they could attack it. Before then I had the surprise of a Pileated feeding on it just 48 hours after putting it up. Due to Mr. Crow, I resurrected my old wooden, "upside-down" suet feeder yesterday and saw two Pileated's arguing over it this morning. Meanwhile the neighborhood is taking turns feeding the two resident ducks down at the Marina.

The Brits had enough sense to cancel all Airline Service to China. We're still helping the virus to spread. The U.S. evacuees were re-routed to land at an Air Force Base rather than land at a Public Airport....smart move ! My former employer has a Brewery in Wuhan....Harbin. The last epidemic over there with an infectious disease had many of my former co-workers that had to travel there very scared. Sorry about your In-laws being unable to come.

Wow ! ! ! How fortunate to see dozens of Pileateds at one time and location.. We've only seen two at a time together while chasing each other around the base of a hardwood tree. Had no idea they would ever gather in flocks like that. We've seen an occasional single at our suet feeder only. Last year I took MDC's advice (maybe never again ) and stopped bird feeding from May 1 through Nov. 1 and, yeah, it cut way back on the Varmint problems ( numerous Skunks, Possums and Coons) but the large variety of songbirds we had previously never re-appeared at the feeders. Now it's mostly sparrow-type birds plus Carolina Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos (snowbirds), Tufted Titmouse (which will fly right up on the one feeder when I'm re-filling it ), just one pair of Cardinals and several Blue Jays. Doves on the ground and the Three-Amigo Crows that hang around. We also followed MDC's request to stop feeding the Deer two years ago due to the CWD in Stone County and hardly ever see a Deer anymore in the Baxter/Lampe area. Our neighbors around here say the same thing....like where did they all go ?

Yep, huge flocks of Robins over in Baxter area. Saw them up in the danged Cedars and also out prospecting in the yard looking like they were trying to get worms turning their heads sideways then pecking at the ground. We also have seen the resident Crows poking their large bills deep into the ground at the bottoms of grades but cannot determine what they are coming up with. Wind is up, maybe it will blow the gloomy clouds away soon ?

At many of the courtesy docks, there are folks fishing off them all the time, usually when the nearby Campground is open....no problem. Don't like the idea of anyone, commercial or otherwise, completely taking up all of one side of a courtesy dock with numerous boats tied-up to it that are not there temporarily while the owner/boater goes and get's their towing rig.

The speed of the Missouri's current helped those guys with not having to paddle like crazy to make good mileage every day. ACOE has turned that River into a self-scouring barge ditch. That contrasts 180 degrees with what reports say the MO River was like in Lewis & Clark days when it was spread out and ran much, much slower than today. Still, it was an incredible feat to drag their big boat upstream against whatever current was present in the early 1800's.

Guess who is a part owner of MLF ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroenke_Sports_%26_Entertainment https://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/kelly-bostian-major-league-fishing-pro-tour-riding-a-historic/article_7079813f-0c08-579a-87c0-275bf1a5b9ed.html

Thank you for attending and including the link on which to make comments. I'd suggest anyone concerned include their comments prior to 11-30-19 and like mojorig just said, the more comments they get on the same subjects the more weight they carry. Here's what I wrote and feel free to copy, change, or wordsmith it however you choose: ACOE should be doing a study on 1.) increased shoreline erosion, 2.) operational and recreational safety impacts to other boaters, 3.) damage to privately owned docks AND ACOE licensed Marinas that are being directly and clearly caused by the proliferation of these so-called "Wake-Boats" that are constructed to allow water ballast to be added to on-board tanks causing them to produce enormous, outsized boat wakes. In addition to the damaging wakes these boats create, there is the impact of transferring invasive species such as the Zebra Mussel via the left-over water that is impossible to completely drain from the ballast tanks in these Wake-boats.

Late 1950's and I'm out with my Dad and his Sis at LOZ and they are both in their very late 50's and we're in a Rental boat from The Antlers where they liked to stay. Dad loved to troll so he ties a black & white Lazy Ike on his rod and ties a green-sunfish Pico Perch on Auntie's rod and decides to troll down the middle of the main channel. Auntie Anne gets a hit and starts reeling it in, gets' it up to the side of the boat, looks over the side and almost throws the rod & reel into the Lake. Dad grabbed it from her just in time and hauls a pretty good sized Eel into the boat. Auntie thought it was a snake and being born in the far NW Suburbs of St. Louis County in 1899 when all around was woods & fields had experiences with snakes and wanted no part of it. When they say Eels are slimey, slippery critters they mean it and I think I recall Dad having to finally step on the Eel to de-hook it.

Kinda' funny how this went down....and it tells you something. There's a Facebook page/group that got started devoted to all things Table Rock Lake. Some great shared photography and some good pics of nice fish on there and general information along with answered inquiries about facilities around the Lake area. Anyway, some discussions got started (because someone posted if anyone had signed some petition to ban Wake-boats) about the damaging effects from huge Wakes to Docks, Shoreline and how the incredible wakes from all these plowing "Wake Boats" were making use of the Lake hazardous to other boaters. So many people chimed-in with complaints and bad experiences and were then argued with, insulted and cursed at by apparent owners of these plow-Boats that the owner/administrator of the group put out a notice that posts on the subject of damaging wakes and careless boat operation would no longer be allowed. 🙈🙉🙊

With the cooler, pleasant weather we just went out leisurely " Crusin' " from Baxter up to the mouth of the Kings yesterday. Bill's comment about summertime boaters is right on since we were, unknowingly, on the same water. Man, it was a Tuesday and the boat traffic reminded us of 4th of July ! Tubing and more tubing, which is fine and fun for the younguns', but get the heck out of the middle of the lake with all the crazy turns it takes to bounce the tubers over the boat wakes....no one sharing the lake with you can anticipate when and where you're going to pull a sudden 180. Then there's the 'toon pulling the skier that passed us close on our left which is sorta' OK but too close....the skier goes down and the dumbbutt 'toon driver makes a sharp turn to his right, right in front of us, to go back and retrieve the downed skier. Hello ! Moron, do you not recall just passing us ?

Yessir, that also applies to this 20 slip dock on the main Lake channel/shoreline near us that the owner(s) have 2 of the ultra-bright dusk-to-dawn lights burning on. They are mounted on the lake-end of the dock out from under the roof. Trying to see other boat's Nav. and Anchor lights coming around the gradual shoreline bend this dock is moored to beyond the overly-bright, unnecessary lights is impossible due to the direct glare from those lights and their reflection off the water. I know two guys around here that often night-fish that have complained to the Corps about this dock-lighting as a safety issue without results and they said the Corps employees ask for the street address that is supposed to be posted on the end of the dock but there is none. The one fella' said he was over by this overly-lit dock with his Nav. and Anchor lights on and was almost run-over by another boat that swerved and then stopped and actually apologized. 😲 The other boater said he couldn't see the Angler's boat lights because of the overpowering glare from the two dock lights. When the Kimberling City Fireburst is held on the same night as the Shell Knob display and the boaters are returning in different directions from the two, it's not IF it's gonna' happen, it's WHEN.

We enjoy sitting out on our deck after dark when it cools off a little and watching the ISS go over, star and moon-gazing and what's going on out on the Lake. For gosh sakes be careful out there while night fishing because we have been seeing numbers of pleasure boats and jet-skis running without lights well after dark and have no idea whether the operators are just stupid or stupid drunk. Last night was a classic when a boat headed out of Baxter about 9:30 with no Nav or Anchor lights on at high speed down the Lake. We couldn't figure out what the strange glow in the water was back under the boat's transom and swim-deck and finally realized he/she had one of those boats equipped with some kind of underwater lighting and that's what they had turned on and that was all. That boat was one of six we saw passing by with no lights just last night alone....

Thanks, seeing so much of those bright-as-the-Sun Bowfishing lights in use on a lot of nights. The guy leaves them on moving from one area to the next and then running back into the launch ramp. Also, "docking-lights" that boaters are using as some sort of headlight while running at night are not legal but we are seeing more and more of them. Then there's the 20-slip dock owner across the White from point 17 that has two large dusk-to-dawn lights out on the end of his dock protruding out from under the dock's roof over his swim-deck that blinds boaters trying to see other boats' navigation lights at night.