Archives: September 2024
Note from the President
Hello friends! We’re off to another season with Columbia Audubon Society (CAS). Whether you’re reading this newsletter for the first time or the hundredth time, we hope that you’ll make your way to joining us either at a field trip, potluck or meeting. There are many exciting things happening in Columbia and Boone County. The
Read MoreField trip report
September is the traditional start of the CAS field trip season and your field trip coordinators are excited to be planning a diverse set of birding opportunities over the coming year. You can review past and future event listings on the CAS website. Here’s a brief report on the past year and what’s coming up.
Read MoreSave the Date! 11th Annual Band With Nature Event
Volunteers are needed for this year’s Band With Nature 2nd grade field trip for 1200 students. If volunteering is in your blood then consider volunteering either 9:00-12:00 noon or 12:00 noon -2:30 PM or all day if that strikes your fancy. Dates are October 14, 15, & 17 (rain dates 16th & 18th). This is
Read MoreAlspaugh Park Birding
The Missouri Birding Society(MBS) and Columbia Audubon Society (CAS) are providing bird occurrence information in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Columbia Parks and Recreation Department at the recently opened Alspaugh Park in Columbia. Stipulations in the gift of the park land to the City of Columbia include proscriptions of many typical park development features (playground, athletic
Read MoreCAS-supported Range-wide Wood Thrush Motus-tagging Project Starts Strong
*Author’s note: Hey Columbia Audubon Society! I wanted to share a summary of the 2024 Range-wide Wood Thrush Motus-tagging Project since your chapter and many other Missouri birders helped support this project. The Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) is a medium-sized songbird of eastern deciduous forests that is known for its flute-like, ethereal, ee-oh-lay song
Read MoreNature Area Notes
Nature Area Activities – Summer 2024 At Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary, Area Manager, Bill Mees continued to work on invasive species control. The abundant rains have encouraged Common Mullein and Sericea Lespedeza and increased the need for mowing around the CANS parking lot, areas bordering yards of two neighbors and over 2 miles natural surface
Read MoreUpdate on Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area
Summer is ending, and as fall begins with it comes some of the best times of the year for area users of all interests to get out and enjoy the area! We currently have both river pumps operational and have started putting water on the landscape creating flooded habitat in many of the wetland units.
Read MoreA.L. Gustin Golf Course CAS Field Trip- June 17, 2024
International Pollinator Week (June 17-23) was kicked off by 13 CAS members on a three-hour field trip to the University of Missouri’s A.L. Gustin Golf Course at the invitation of course superintendent Isaac Breuer. Participants boarded two-person golf carts and paraded through the course with stops to step out and learn about the development and
Read MoreProtecting Eastern Bluebird Populations
Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary (CANS) and Bonnie View (BV) Nature Area provide protection for plants and animals that live there as well as nature viewing for visitors. Nest boxes provide additional nesting sites as green space shrinks and urban areas expand. CANS/BV supports 14 nest boxes that are monitored weekly. The North American Bluebird Society
Read MoreFree Bird Coloring Pages available online
The world of birds is diverse and colorful. If you’re feeling creative, feel free to visit ColorBird.org, where you can download bird illustrations to color, crosswords to do, and more! These activities were created by Michael Erb, an Arizona birder who wanted to combine the wonder of birds with his love of science and learning.
Read More20th Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Conference and CAS
CAS was a founding member 21 years ago of the partnership organization, the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative, a stepdown organization of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative. Denny Donnell was a longtime MoBCI Representative and today Bill Mees has filled the role, serving as Chair for a three year term several years ago. MoBCI helped
Read MoreBirding By Bicycle
It was early Sunday morning with very little traffic and clear skies. Louise Flenner, Lottie Bushmann, and Vickie Park met at Perry Phillips Lake Parking lot to set out on a route that Louise frequently traveled on her ebike. All three CAS members had ebikes which have some advantages over regular bikes for birding.
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