by Eric Reuter

From the President

– by John Besser

We had a great turnout for the second annual Big Sit at Eagle Bluffs, with about two dozen birders and sightseers stopping by over the course of the day. Among the visitors were a reporter and a photographer from the Columbia Missourian, who produced a nice feature article.

The Big Sit was also a success as a birding event. Conditions were marginal in the morning, with drizzle and fog limiting visibility and keeping the birds on the ground, but our species total grew steadily throughout the day to a respectable total of 55 species (see eBird checklist).  The raptor migration never really materialized, but we did see a Peregrine Falcon, a couple of Northern Harriers, and one intriguing dark hawk which we tentatively identified as a dark-morph Harlan’s Hawk. I bet we will see some pictures of this bird in Brad Jacobs’ talk on raptor identification at the November 14 meeting.

Overall, the Big Sit was a lot of fun. It was a great chance to catch up with friends old and new, and the grilled and pot-lucked lunch was great. Thanks to Eric Wood and Lottie Bushmann for organizing this great event!

October board meeting unofficial summary

Official meeting minutes will be posted to the website after approval at each subsequent board meeting, meaning they are delayed from immediate publication. Below is an unofficial summary of business discussed on October 17, 2018. Note that the September meeting did not achieve a quorum, so no official business was conducted and no minutes were taken. Please contact a board member with any questions.

• Treasurer’s Report:
  • Discussion of annual report (due in mid-January) and management of existing funds.
  • Missouri River Bird Observatory (MRBO) representatives were surprised and pleased to receive the $1,000 donation from CAS, which was approved by the board in August.
• CoMoGives:  The committee is developing a variety of e-mail messages and a postcard to send during the December campaign, and is asking members and supporters to help out with the fund drive this year (see story published separately). The committee has also agreed to spend $100 to purchase five Facebook posts, which will help our Facebook messages reach people outside of CAS’ closed Facebook group.
• CAS 60^th Anniversary Celebration: The CAS 60th anniversary celebration committee, chaired by Jan Mees, met on Oct. 15. It  recommends holding the event on Friday, April 26, 2019, at the Boone County Historical Society as a “happy hour” party with drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres and a program about the history of CAS; an estimated 75 members and invited guests would attend. Related events, such as an open house at Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary and a program for children at the public library, are also being considered. The committee is looking into the possibility of bringing John J. Audubon “enactor” Brian Fox to Columbia for celebration events; Jan is checking with other organizations to see if they would be interested in co-sponsoring and sharing the cost of his program.
• Further discussion of the event included suggestions to (1) prepare a Power Point presentation about CAS history and have a speaker, (2) create a visual timeline with photos, (3) ask Joan Stack if the State Historical Society would consider displaying Audubon prints at the event; and (4) secure sponsors for the event to keep costs down. It was also noted that a history of the organization had been started. A motion to provide a down payment to the Boone County Historical Society to reserve the location was approved
• 2018 Band with Nature:  Two of the three days were held as planned, while Friday was cancelled because of weather.  830 second-graders, teachers, and parents participated. More information about event finances will be presented at the next meeting.
• Presentation by Edge Wade:  Long-time CAS member Edge Wade urged the board to resume the practice of reporting on the just-completed board meeting at the beginning of the general meeting and program. She also suggested 1) bringing back an old tradition of starting the general meeting by asking members if they’ve “seen any good birds lately,” and 2) passing out the treasurer’s report at each meeting.
  • Edge also encouraged the board to strengthen its efforts to support and engage youth. CAS has in the past given birding kits to fourth-grade classrooms and sponsored students who want to attend birding events, but there is no publicized process for students to apply for financial assistance to attend the Audubon Hog Island camp or the American Birding Association Young Birder Camps.
  • Board members discussed the possibility of creating a formal grant program and how to recruit applicants; opportunities to support efforts already under way such as the MRBO young birders group; and how to incorporate a “needs-based” approach into the program.
• CHAT:  Eric Reuter will not be able to produce the December issue. Doug Miller will compile the submitted articles.
• Education-Outreach: Two children’s programs are planned at the Columbia Public Library—“Feathers” on Jan. 13 and “Bird Migration” on March 10.
• Field Trips:  Leaders are requested for open dates in November and December.

Supporting CAS

Carrying out our mission through education, conservation, and outreach takes a wide variety of resources, from the valued time of dedicated volunteers to the financial support of members and donors. We welcome and appreciate all participants and supporters of our work through their generous donations of time, money, or other resources.

Submitting material to The Chat

The Chat is published online on the first of every month from September through May. Submissions are welcome, including photographs, stories, and suggestions for content; please contact News Editor Eric Reuter. The submission deadline is the evening of the 25th of each month. Special note: Eric will not be able to produce the December issue; all contributions or questions regarding submissions or contents for that month should be addressed to Doug Miller.