Captivating Winter Wonders: St. Louis Bird Watchers Reveal Their Extraordinary Sightings

This interview is set to air on “St. Louis on the Air” during the lunchtime hour on Tuesday. This narrative will be updated following the show. You can listen live.

The day following Christmas, Taka Yanagimoto, the director of photography for the St. Louis Cardinals, encountered a cardinal of a different kind in his backyard: a male cardinal exhibiting a rare mutation that causes its plumage to be yellow rather than red.

He has photographed the bird — whom he has dubbed “Ray” — each day since then.

On Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air, Yanagimoto will discuss how photographing Ray ignited his passion for birdwatching. We will also delve into the 125th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count and insights into birdwatching trends with enthusiasts throughout the region.

View listener-submitted images below. Do you possess an impressive winter bird photo from the St. Louis area to share? Send us a high-resolution horizontal version at talk@stlpr.org.

Bird enthusiasts: Where have you experienced your most thrilling sightings? What do you adore about the activity? Send us an email at talk@stlpr.org or convey your insights through our St. Louis on the Air Facebook group, and aid us in informing our coverage.

“St. Louis on the Air” presents narratives about St. Louis and its residents who live, work, and create in our community. The program is orchestrated by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones serves as our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.