Newsletter of the Columbia Audubon Society | November 2025 | Volume 68, Number 3

In this issue:

Sat. Nov. 1, 2025

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann

Greetings all!

Finally the cooler fall temps have arrived. Let’s hope they stick around for just a little while. I hope you were able to enjoy a bit of migration this fall. The last of the sparrows have trickled in and my walk this week at 3M was sprinkled with White-crowned, Song, Swamp, Fox and White-throated as well as a few juncos. I did not see any indigo buntings, so it feels like the last of those have left.  The eagles are back hanging in the nest area. Fall/winter is a great time to get out and practice those bird identification skills either by yourself or in a group. We have quite a few field trips lined up thanks to Ben West, our new field trip coordinator. Thank you Ben!

Also a big shout out to Bill Mees for his involvement in protecting the Gans Creek Recreation Area. He is representing Audubon at these meetings and has agreed to serve on the board as our Conservation Chair. Thank you, Bill! Be sure to check back to our website to find out updates to this important conservation issue.

Come join us this month as we learn about Duck Decoys from Greg Renner. It’s sure to be a fascinating journey through history as he tells us about his collections and decoy history locally.

We look forward to seeing you at a meeting, a field trip, or a social event. If you’re interested in participating in the Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 20th, email me and I’ll be sure to get you onto a team (lottie.bushmann@gmail.com).  If you know someone already participating, feel free to reach out to them. Come one, come all. The more eyes the better and the more fun to share results (and chili!) following the count. Can’t really get out to bird that day? Consider doing a feeder count to add to our results.

However you’re having to spend your time, I hope some of it can be with the birds!

 

Sat. Nov. 1, 2025

CAS Welcomes New Field Trip Chair for Oct 19 Trip: Ben West

by Edge Wade

We send many heartfelt thank yous to Eric and Joanna Reuter for their role as Field Trip Coordinators. We all agree that they have helped build camaraderie through their great fieldtrips and social events. They have “passed the torch of field trip coordinator” to Ben West. In addition to being a skilled birder, he also coordinated student birding trips in college in Maine. Since moving here for a job at the Columbia Environmental Research Center, he’s been active with CAS by attending and leading field trips, as well as giving a talk for a CAS meeting. Ben has hit the ground running with his first trip detailed below. He has planned many fieldtrips and if anyone is interested in helping Ben by leading fieldtrips, let us know! -Editor

Lots of folks attended Ben West’s first fieldtrip as Field Trip Coordinator! Ben is in the foreground on the far right.

Ben West led his first field trip as CAS Field Trip Coordinator Sunday, October 19, at Columbia Audubon/Bonnieview Nature Sanctuaries.  The pleasant fall afternoon weather was enjoyed by 17 participants who, collectively saw 32 species.  Highlights included a fairly late Eastern Wood-Pewee, a couple lingering Eastern Phoebes, several vocal Northern Flickers, 8 posing Eastern Bluebirds, newly arrived White-throated Sparrows, and a flight of 53 Turkey Vultures kettling and gliding southward.

Sat. Nov. 1, 2025

Band With Nature Recap

by Lisa Schenker and Lottie Bushmann, Education Committee and President

Band With Nature

 

Hooray for a gorgeous October week and the success of our 2025 Band With Nature program! In partnership with the Columbia Public Schools, CAS provided an amazing field trip at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary for every second grader in the district. That’s around 1400 children! Students were bussed to the park where they picnicked, hiked, and learned about raptors, bird-banding, and more. They got to use binoculars, dissect owl pellets, and use keys to figure out how to identify birds. Without exception, children, teachers, and parents enjoyed the wonders and beauty of being in nature!

We could not have managed without the assistance of so many people. We are grateful for the CPS Science Department, lead by Ragan Webb and Andrew Kinslow. Lizette Somers provided magic with the birds stars from the Raptor Rehabilitation Program. CAS members and community members stepped up and volunteered their talents and time during sessions: Becky Allen, Ellen McQuie, Lora Lee Hensel, Julie Fisher, Lynn Frey, Sam Phillips, Nancy Bedan, Kathleen Turner, Lori Hagglund, Joan Jouriles, Judy Lincoln, Mike Currier, and Charlie Alexander. Pam Spencer did a tremendous amount of heavy lifting in both planning and on-site—both figuratively and real. But our greatest gratitude goes to Bill Mees who helped out in a myriad of ways. Most importantly, his leadership and vision for Band With Nature over the past decade paved the way for this year’s successful experience.

Thank you all!!!

Sat. Nov. 1, 2025

Join the 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count!

by Lottie Bushmann, President

We will plan to send out our teams on Saturday, Dec. 20th. Please contact your section leader if you have worked with someone in the past to get details for your job. If you haven’t participated recently (or are a newbie!) please email Lottie Bushmann at lottie.bushmann@gmail.com to get set up with a team. All experience levels are welcome.

  • Columbia Audubon has a strong tradition with participation in this amazing citizen scientist project. Please read Bill Clark’s article in the Nov. 2021 Chat at this link History of the Christmas Bird Countto learn more about this historic event.
  • We’ll use ebird to compile our data as well as a count during the Chili Supper. Simply share your ebird lists from the day with the username: casbirddata.
  • Not interested in going out to bird but would like your feeder birds included in the count? If your home is within our 16 mile count circle, you can submit an ebird list and share it with casbirddata. If you’re not sure if your home is in the area, email me and I’ll help you figure it out. Not an ebird user? You can still participate by emailing me a list of your yardbirds and I can submit an ebird list on your behalf. This is another fun way to become involved and make your birds count.

 

LOOK FOR CBC RESULTS in the January CHAT newsletter.
QUESTIONS? Ask John Besser (jbesser1@gmail.com) or Lottie Bushmann (lottie.bushmann@gmail.com)

Sat. Nov. 1, 2025

Invitation to Join the Grand Pass Christmas Bird Count

by Laura Semken

Join the Grand Pass Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Do you find yourself interrupting conversations with the word “BIRD”? Feel like spending a day counting birds with fellow birders? Well, here is your chance! The Grand Pass Christmas Bird Count, located near Marshall, Missouri, is looking for a couple more volunteers to help count birds Thursday, December 18th. This is two days before the Columbia CBC. This circle includes Habilitation Lake, Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park, Grand Pass CA, and beautiful scenery in rural Saline County. There is even an after party located at Mexico Lindo in Marshall. 

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the count compiler, Laura Semken at laurasemken@gmail.com. All abilities welcome.

Sat. Nov. 1, 2025

MDC encourages public to use caution amidst “bird flu” outbreak

by Missouri Department of Conservation Newsroom

MDC is investigating numerous reports of sick and dead waterfowl across Missouri.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is actively monitoring reports of sick and dead waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, and raptors across the state. Testing of these birds has confirmed the cause to be Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or “bird flu.”

Avian influenza spreads among birds through contact with infected feces, saliva, or nasal discharges. Migratory birds traveling along North American flyways can carry the virus and it can move between wild birds and domestic poultry. Symptoms to look for in sick birds include tremors, head tilting, lethargy, loss of coordination, inability to fly or walk properly, or trouble standing upright.

While the risk from HPAI to the general public remains low, sporadic human infections have occurred usually after close exposure. MDC encourages hunters and others to take precautions:

For hunters:

  • Dress harvested game birds in the field or in an area away from poultry and other birds.
  • Dispose of carcasses and waste properly. Seal them in trash bags and place them in household trash or at a permitted landfill. Proper disposal helps protect raptors, including bald eagles, which are often scavengers and are highly susceptible to avian influenza.
  • Allow all hunting gear, boats, and waders to dry completely between trips to help prevent spreading the virus between locations.

For the public:

  • Avoid touching dead or sick birds.
  • Report sightings of dead geese, other waterfowl, raptors, or other large birds at mdc.mo.gov/4KD.
  • Do not report songbirds. HPAI has not been detected in any songbirds in Missouri. These species are not considered a significant concern regarding the virus.
  • Keep pets away from dead or dying wildlife.
  • If needing to handle a dead bird, wear gloves (disposable if available), consider a face mask, and wash hands thoroughly when done.

HPAI infections in humans are rare. Contact a healthcare provider if experiencing any unusual symptoms of possible infection, such as eye redness, respiratory problems, and fever. It is safe to eat properly handled and cooked poultry. Cooking meat to an internal temperature of 165°F, helps destroy the virus if present.

Get more information on HPAI from the Missouri Department of Agriculture at agriculture.mo.gov/avian-influenza.php.
Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Background on a Growing Issue at Gans Creek Recreational Area

by David Diamond

Gans Creek Recreation Area Fact Sheet

  1. Gans Creek Recreation Area shares a common border with Gans Creek Wild Area within Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. These public lands together form an important, core natural habitat that has been recognized by national and statewide organizations.  No other City Park land is so ecologically important based on connectivity and landscape context.
    1. The area is at the northeast edge of an Important Bird Area designated by the American Bird Conservancy and The Audubon Society.
    2. The area is within a Conservation Opportunity Area designated by Missouri Department of Conservation.
    3. Gans Creek is designated an Outstanding State Resource Water by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources immediately downstream within Gans Creek Wild Area.
  2. The area contains natural features, including the creek, karst topography (cave and sinkholes), highly erodible soils, and steep slopes that are recognized as sensitive to development and disturbance by the City’s Natural Resource Inventory (2023) and Columbia Imagined (2013).
  3. City plans in 2010 and 2018 included a 87.5-acre natural preservation area along Gans Creek and adjacent steep slopes, but these plans were ignored by the 2024 development plan.
  4. Despite the area’s natural ecological significance and highly sensitive features, and in opposition to the City’s own 2010 and 2018 development plans, the City proposed a high density of mountain bike trails for development. Bike trails north of Gans Creek were approved for development in late 2024.  A trail south of Gans Creek was put on hold by the City Council due to advocacy of environmental groups.  That trail originally crossed Gans Creek, had switchbacks that crossed a steep upland drainage 4 times, and consisted of high density in sensitive uplands with karst features and highly erodible soils.
  5. Mountain bike trail construction and use is inherently destructive to the environment compared to nature trail development, causing removal of native vegetation and increased levels of soil erosion and sedimentation of Gans Creek.
  6. Development of mountain bike trails would effectively exclude other recreational users who favor a nature trail system due to competition between mountain bikers and hikers as has occurred in other communities with dual purpose trails.
  7. Environmental groups propose to designate Gans Creek Nature Preserve (about 140 acres) within Gans Creek Recreation Area (about 320 acres) and limit development to uses that are compatible with the sensitive natural features, such as nature trails, and preserve and improve the core connectivity with Gans Creek Wild Area. Ecological restoration should be a focus of future management plans.

 

Tue. Apr. 1, 2025

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann

Spring has finally sprung!  I love seeing the daffodils and crocuses, along with all the buds on the trees. Bird activity has certainly picked up, and the migrants are continuing to drop in. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for another migratory season of confusing and exhilarating bird song. Every year it takes me a few times to remember the migrants from last spring, but every year it comes back a little quicker. Don’t be daunted—pull out your Merlin and start hunting. You’re sure to find a jewel among the branches.

I hope that you’ll plan to make CAS events a part of your spring. We have a very different April general meeting. It will be held at Ellis Library, adjacent to the Museum of Art and Archaeology, where Dr. Alicia Dissinger will talk to us about her research into bird imagery on ancient pottery. We can test our skills with a visit into the museum immediately after her talk. She will be here on campus for two talks, and you’re invited to both! Check out the details (including where to park) on our website and in this month’s Chat.

We have fabulous field trip birding opportunities available as well, and I hope you can join us for one or all of them. Nothing improves birding skills quite like hanging out with an expert that can zero you in on the important details to notice. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded folks and perhaps meet a new friend that you might enjoy birding with.

We had a fantastic March meeting, with Isaac Breuer sharing with us all the native plant work they have done at the A. L. Gustin golf course on the MU campus. Plans are in the works for an evening field trip to bird the golf course with Isaac. Watch the Chat next month for details.

You may have noticed a lot of emails from Audubon asking for volunteers to help with invasives control at Wild Haven. We have a young man working with us (using funds from a donation for this purpose) and more folks makes for greater coverage. Wild Haven is a jewel of a property and looking better by the day. Thanks to all who’ve participated, and I want to encourage you to check it out if you’re so inclined.

Happy Spring! Hope to see you on the trail!

 

Mon. Mar. 3, 2025

Article with CAS Representing on the Big Business of Birding

by Allison Vaughn

Here’s a nice article several CAS members contributed to last year on the economic impact of birding:

https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/industries/booming-birding-business-spurs-spending-encourages-conservation-in-missouri/article_921f6230-e8c8-11ef-a458-3314da13ea2f.html

Columbia Audubon Society is supported in part by a generous contribution from


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Upcoming Events

November Membership Meeting: Greg Renner on the history and artistry of decoy making

November 19, 2025 | 7-8 PM

Black(bird) Friday: Evening at a Boone County Roost

Black Friday, November 28, 2025 | 4:00 p.m.

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

Friday, December 5, 2025 | 8:00 a.m.

Self-guided moss walk: Wild Haven Nature Area

Date/time of your choice

Winter Weeknight Social at Bur Oak Brewing Co.

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | 5:00 PM to ~6:30 PM