August A. Busch Wildlife Area

I found myself in Weldon Springs at lunchtime on this fine Friday, and the temperatures just happened to soar into the 50’s.  Rather than eat my sack lunch while driving as I typically do, I decided to stop by Busch Wildlife Area and eat while walking the .7 mile Fallen Oak Trail behind the visitor center.  I didn’t have much time to spare and this was the perfect length for a quick break.

Generally speaking, I don’t go to Busch Wildlife Area very often because it is a bit sterile and far too busy for my taste.  The Missouri Department of Conservation does a great job managing the area for wildlife habitat, and the areas many lakes provide a variety of fishing opportunities.  But the location off I-64 on the border between St. Louis and St. Charles Counties just attracts too many people.  On this day, however, I was thrilled to be there and had the trail to myself.

I stopped in the visitor center briefly to scan the exhibits and admire the giant Largemouth Bass in the aquarium.  I glanced at the birds at the feeder through the department provided spotting scope, and only saw a few juncos, sparrows, and goldfinches.  A Pine Warbler had been spotted recently but was not present while I was there. I then headed around the backside of the building where the asphalt trail begins next to the picnic area that is framed by two behemoth Hackberries and shaded by a grove of Persimmon trees.

 

The stand of Short-leafed Pines at the beginning of the trail is a welcome sight. The native pine really provides an interesting focal point in the winter landscape.  The bark is rather extraordinary.

Just a short ways into the trail there is a wooden blind set up, I believe it was an Eagle Scout project, with several bird feeders in view.  Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, and Goldfinches were busy filling up on the sunflower seeds.  

Moving onto the long loop, I came upon this very large White Ash tree and was impressed by the girth of the tree and the depth of the bark ridges.

I quickly finished the loop and got back to work, but was happy with my choice for lunch.  The trail is mostly flat and is paved the entire way, so suitable for almost anyone.  There is an even shorter loup option than the .7 mile route I chose.  Many trees are labeled with ID signs and a short description along the route, and it appears that efforts are being made to eradicate invasive Honeysuckle from the area.  For more information, check out:

https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/busch-august-mem-ca

 

Thanks for reading!