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Q: Around sunset near Cedar Hill, I witnessed the largest swarm of birds I have ever seen. Thousands upon thousands of small birds were flying overhead, heading west, for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Where did they all come from and where are they going?

It’s possible you saw a large winter foraging flock of American robins, with other species mixed in as well. In the winter or non-breeding season in Missouri, robins and other species of birds — like European starlings or common grackles — are more gregarious than during the summer breeding season. They will group together in large foraging flocks in search of food, often berries. These flocks can number in the hundreds. 

Robins also form communal roosts, which can be even larger — thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of birds. Favored roosting sites might be stands of eastern red cedars and vine-tangled woodlands that offer respite from wind and precipitation. These roosts can shift depending on weather patterns and when nearby resources (berries) are depleted. In spring, robins and other species will migrate north to their breeding grounds in the U.S. or Canada and disperse into smaller flocks or nesting pairs. Likely, a large roost exists near where you live.

Q: I am fascinated by the trees and wildflowers along the trails at Smithville Lake. A stunning, enormous sycamore tree there never disappoints. On one of our walks, I picked up an odd-looking item. A spent seed pod, perhaps? 

Yes, this is the remains of a sycamore seed pod. Members of the plane tree family (Platanus), these trees form fruit from September through October, and the fruit persist throughout the winter. Each fruit is solitary, round, dry, 1–1½ inches in diameter, and found on a short drooping stalk. Each ball is composed of numerous closely packed, long, narrow fruits called “achenes.” Each achene contains a single seed.

Q: What species is this?

This is a grapevine epimenis (Psychomorpha epimenis).

This woodland moth’s body and wings are black with a large white patch and some inconspicuous metallic shading on the forewings and red patches on the hindwings. They are often mistaken for butterflies because they are day fliers and colorful, but they are moths. As larvae, they feed on native grapevine and Virginia creeper leaves and adults drink nectar from early spring flowering shrubs and trees. They have a single brood in early spring and are mostly seen in March..