Newsletter of the Columbia Audubon Society | September 2025 | Volume 68, Number 1

In this issue:

Mon. Sep. 1, 2025

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann, President

Greetings one and all. I hope this finds you well and ready for another great year of opportunities with Columbia Audubon Society. Whether you just want to go birding, learn about birds or contribute to improving habitat for birds we’ve got you covered.  Plan to join us at our Fall picnic on Sunday, Sept. 28th from 2-6 pm at Wild Haven Nature Area. We’ll have field trips with a chance to admire all the invasive species control work done there this past spring. Those walks will be followed up with a potluck dinner. Come for all or part. More details on our webpage.

We hope to recruit a new Field trip coordinator (a position left in great shape by chairs Eric and Joanna Reuter). We also need help with hospitality at CAS events. Are you organized and friendly?  This could be the job for you. Reach out to me if you’re interested in either position and I can give you more details on what is involved. Your consideration of these jobs is appreciated.  There are many ways (large and small) to become a contributing member of our active group. I’m sure we can figure out something to fit YOUR schedule.

I hope you are getting out and enjoying some time in nature. The fall migrants are coming through and will test your id skills. Not there yet? Plan to come on a fall field trip and I’m sure you’ll pick up a tip or two (or three) about id’ing warblers in fall plumage. Not up for field trips? Plan to join us at one of our general meetings. Dr. Vayu Gokhale will present on Dark Skies (one of our outreach programs done jointly with the Columbia Public Library), and Greg Renner will educate us about the history and artistry of duck decoys in Missouri.

Hope to see you soon!

 

Mon. Sep. 1, 2025

Chimney Swifts: Updates and Citizen Science Opportunities

by Joanna and Eric Reuter

Chimney Swifts are fascinating birds that are fun and exciting to watch, especially when they congregate at and enter overnight roost sites. On an active night at the right location, hundreds of swifts can gather around, circle, and enter a roost structure—typically a masonry chimney. This genuine spectacle can generate “oohs” and “aahs” from birders and non-birders alike.

Since writing an article for The Chat on Chimney Swifts in the fall of 2023, we’ve learned a fair bit about roosting patterns and locations in Columbia. Here we summarize highlights of  findings from a combination of volunteer monitoring and a 2024 monitoring project funded by the USFWS. However, copious questions remain, including ones that could be addressed through further observation and monitoring.

Roosting locations: More than just the Armory. A couple of years ago, the received wisdom was that the best place to go to watch swifts was the Armory building (officially Armory Sports and Recreation Center). More eBird lists were associated with this roost site than any other. Since then, we’ve learned that the situation is way more complex. We now know of ten buildings in and near downtown Columbia that host roosts that have been active in the past year. Many thanks to the other CAS observers who tipped us off on a couple of these!

Multiple roosts are used simultaneously. Prior to 2023, there was no documentation for Columbia via eBird that multiple roosts in a small geographic area could be active at the same time. That changed during the final roost-watching CAS field trip of 2023, when observers split up and saw three simultaneously active roosts, two of which were conservatively estimated to have hosted at least 500 swifts each.

Use of specific buildings/chimneys is quite variable over time. Continued monitoring from August through October of 2024 showed that the use of individual buildings can change considerably over time. Buildings with chimneys that are used heavily at one time may be completely dormant at other times within the same season. The reasons for these shifts in building use are largely speculative at this point.

Predation happens. One hypothesis that could explain at least some of the shifts in building use relates to predation. Cooper’s Hawks are known predators of Chimney Swifts, and the temporary abandonment of the Armory as a roost site in late September of 2023 may well relate to raptor activity. We saw a Cooper’s Hawk  land on and also look into this particular chimney. In summer 2025, Joanna watched an American Kestrel fly by with a Chimney Swift in its talons, while monitoring an active roost.

Season for interesting swift watching is longer than previously realized. Based on local and state eBird data, we used to be under the impression that swift roost watching was only really worth doing during fall migration. However, we’ve since documented that spring roosts in Columbia can also host hundreds of birds, and that communal roosting can even continue through the summer, presumably based on the congregation of swifts that are not actively engaged in breeding. Rewarding roost-watching can certainly occur from August through end-of-migration departure in mid-October, but it is hard to predict when—and where—the peak will occur.

First-ever simultaneous observation of all known roosts in Columbia. On August 22, 2025, the morning of the MoBCI meeting, thirteen volunteers woke up extra early in the interest of making the first effort to observe all known Columbia roost sites at once. Morning swift exits are actually often easier to count than evening entries, and we had some interesting results. Swifts were observed to emerge from chimneys on 7 of 10 buildings. Exit counts for buildings with swifts were (in descending order): 146, 48, 27, 13, 8, 5, and 3. The building with the second-highest count had a Cooper’s Hawk land on the chimney during the observation. Our prior personal record for earliest morning exit got broken, this time with an exit 27 minutes before sunrise.

Viewing opportunities this fall. If you’d like to get involved in swift watching, these events are a great place to start:
September Logboat Social, followed by Swift Watching Wednesday September 17, 2025
Swift Night Out Thursday September 18, 2025
October Logboat Social, followed by Swift Watching Wednesday October 8, 2025

Possible citizen science opportunities. In Wisconsin, volunteers in La Crosse and Viroqua have been monitoring roost sites on a bi-weekly basis from spring through fall. Similar to Columbia, they have multiple known roost sites, with interesting dynamics and shifts of activity among roosts. What might we learn by implementing a similar effort here in Columbia? Would we have enough volunteers to make this happen?

Building a better understanding of swift behavior is not only interesting, but also important from a conservation perspective. These birds have become reliant on chimney architecture that is limited in availability and not being replenished as new buildings are built. Observing which buildings swifts choose to use, and pondering the reasons why, are worthy citizen science endeavors. A better understanding of roost use also would benefit public outreach efforts. Chimney Swift roost watching is a great way to generate public interest in birds, but organizing such events currently involves some educated guesses about the best location to watch. Can additional data contribute to an ability to better predict patterns of use?

We doubt any amount of data can demystify all aspects of Chimney Swifts, which is perhaps just as well. We find Chimney Swift watching to be genuinely exciting, because we never know just how an evening or morning roost watch will unfold. Various aspects of Chimney Swifts behavior routinely catch us by surprise, and this is one reason we continue to be drawn to urban chimneys at dusk and dawn. Pondering the abundance of questions is part of the appeal.

If you have questions, comments, or would like to get involved, contact Joanna and Eric: birds@ozarkoutsider.com

Mon. Sep. 1, 2025

Nature Area Plans for 2025-2026

by John Besser, Nature Areas Committee

After a very productive year, the Nature Areas Committee hopes to maintain momentum toward our objectives at our three Nature Areas: Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary (CANS), Wild Haven Nature Area, and Albert Wildlife Area.

Our strategy will be to identify high priority projects for each nature area and schedule monthly work days throughout the year. We hope to announce a work day in each month’s CHAT for the third Saturday of that month. The work will be planned by the Area Managers: Bill Mees (CANS), David Neely (Wild Haven), and Eric Seaman (Albert) — and myself. We will have the able assistance of our part-time contractor, Davyn Orcutt, whose contract was extended after a successful stint last spring.

We hope that CAS members will look for opportunities to join us for one or more of the work days. We  have discussed a wide variety of projects, and we hope that some of them will suit your interests and abilities.

Here’s our tentative list of projects

Spray Sericea Lespedeza at CANS (Aug 9)

Wild Haven trail and fire line maintenance (Sept 13)

Clear entrance trail at Albert Area (Oct 18; pending)

Assist Contractor with establishing file lines at CANS (Nov; date TBD)

Contractor burns west prairie at CANS (Dec; date TBD)

Burn brush piles at Wild Haven (Jan 17)

Replace supports on Picnic shelter at Wild Haven (Feb 21)

Remove Honeysuckle from CANS west prairie (Mar 21)

Plant MDC seedlings at Wild Haven (Apr 21)

Clean up Astronomy Area at Wild Haven (May 19)

Please look for final work day announcements in the upcoming volumes of the CHAT and contact me (jbesser1@gmail.com) or the area managers if you can help.

Mon. Sep. 1, 2025

CAS Wins Award from the Missouri Invasive Plant Council for work on Invasives

by Nature Areas Committee

CAS was recently awarded the Organization of the Year for Invasive Plant Control from the Missouri Invasive Plant Council! This prestigious award recognizes all of the hard work our Nature Areas Committee and volunteers conduct through the year. Visiting CANS and Wild Haven that have active exotic species management programs ongoing is certainly different from visiting other nature areas in Columbia and throughout Missouri that do not have active programs. Congratulations to CAS for this prestigious honor! -Allison Vaughn, Editor

Below is the nomination:

Columbia Audubon Society owns two properties:  Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary (28 acres) and Wild Haven Nature Area (102 acres).  Both properties are actively managed for habitat improvement and for the ongoing removal of invasive species.  The removal efforts have spanned over a decade at both locations.  The primary invasives being targeted are bush honeysuckle and autumn olive.  In both instances the removal efforts continue as new seedlings continue to sprout due to infestations on neighboring properties and birds depositing seeds in their droppings.

Each year’s work encourages continuing efforts as habitat improvement becomes ever more noticeable.  Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary has benefitted from the removal of over 90% of the bush honeysuckle.  Remarkable!  Attention is now focused on other less prominent invasives such as burning bush, common mullein, garlic mustard, and multi-flora rose.  The removal of invasives on the Audubon owned property stands in stark contrast to neighboring properties chocked with invasives.  Audubon demonstrates what is possible with sustained effort.

One of the ongoing struggles Audubon volunteers are coping with is in the 15-acre grassland restoration on abutting city owned Bonnie View NS and adjoining Columbia Audubon NS.  That is Sericea lespedeza.  Volunteers continue to search out this noxious invasive to spot spray before it flowers and sets seed.

The second property, Wild Haven Nature Area is a much larger acreage.  The primary invasive on this property is autumn olive.  The autumn olive is concentrated in the areas that have experienced the most degradation and disturbance.  This fact helps Audubon members to concentrate their removal efforts for the biggest impact.

In addition to removing invasives, both Audubon owned properties have benefitted from grassland restoration efforts.  Replacement of fescue with native wild flowers, grasses and forbs has attracted pollinators and birds.  Both properties have benefitted from prescribed fire which helps control invasives and the encroachment of woody species into the restored grasslands.

Columbia Audubon Society is also an active participant in Columbia’s Adopt-a-Trail program.  Columbia Audubon has adopted a quarter mile segment of Scott’s Branch Trail along the south side of city owned Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary and Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary.  The bush honeysuckle has been removed along with other invasives (autumn olive and Callery pear).  A few segments of the trail heavily infested with bush honeysuckle have had bare ground replanted with native dogwood, hazelnut, fragrant sumac, and ninebark seedlings.  A 10-foot by 10-foot patch of teasel was also identified and removed with no regrowth in 4 years.

 

The most difficult part of removing invasive species is taking the first step.  In some cases, the job ahead seems insurmountable.  Once begun, removal takes on a life of its own.  Each season’s removal efforts build on previous work.  There is light at the end of the tunnel once the work begins.

Thank you for your consideration of this nomination for the MoIP Invasive Plant Action Awards on behalf of an Organization (Columbia Audubon Society).

Columbia Audubon Society is the recipient of the Invasive Plant Action Award for 2025 for an organization by the Missouri Invasive Plant Council

 

* Missouri Invasive Plant Council

Mon. Sep. 1, 2025

Monarch Tagging at Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary

by Laura Semken

Monarchs are one of North America’s best-known butterflies, and every year, hundreds of millions of Monarchs migrate south to overwinter in Mexico. This phenomenal migration is one of the longest migrations of any insect, and Monarchs can travel up to a total of 3,000 miles to their destination. If you want to learn more about Monarch butterflies and get some hands-on experience with these beautiful insects, join Laura Semken with the Missouri Conservation Corps to explore the Monarch journey and participate in the Monarch Watch community science project.

Monarch Watch is an education, conservation, and research program based at the University of Kansas that focuses on Monarch butterflies. Every fall, the program calls upon community science volunteers to tag and report data to Monarch Watch. When tagged Monarchs are recovered at stopover sites or at their overwintering site, scientists can calculate how far and for how long that Monarch had been traveling. This data helps researchers track migration patterns and discover more about Monarch biology and behavior. Since the program’s creation in 1992, more than 2 million Monarchs have been tagged and more than 31,000 sites have been registered. Peer-reviewed articles that have utilized data from Monarch Watch can be found here.

This fall, educational programs and tagging experiences are being offered in and near Columbia, Missouri where migrating monarchs enjoy refueling on fall blooming flowers like ironweed, goldenrod, and asters.

Monarch life stages surveys for USFWS will be held Mondays, August 25, September 1, 8, 15 from 5:30 – 7pm at Overton Bottoms South on Cumberland Church Road. We will meet at the kiosk promptly at 5:30. From there we will disperse. If we see Monarchs, we will attempt to tag them. Nets will be provided. You will be in vegetation over your head. Please dress accordingly. No water or bathrooms available.

Formal program dates to explore the Monarch journey and participate in the Monarch Watch community science research project by learning how and why Monarchs are tagged will be held:

Monday, September 22: 5:30 – 7pm at Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary, Columbia, MO

Monday, September 29: 5 – 6:30pm at Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary, Columbia, MO

This location offers mowed trails, water and bathrooms, and you can participate without going off the trail.

Family Day style programs will include a hike and tagging, along with a migration game, crafts and stories. This will be fun for the whole family! Come for the whole morning or just a little while:

Saturday, September 20: 9 – Noon, Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary, Columbia, MO

Saturday, September 27: 9 – Noon, Big Muddy Wildlife Refuge Headquarters for the National Public Lands Day of Service.

These locations offer mowed trails, water, and bathrooms, and you can participate without going off the trail.

The Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary is located at 3300 W Rollins Rd, Columbia, MO 65203.

The Big Muddy Wildlife Refuge Headquarters is located at 18500 Brady Lane Boonville, MO 65233.

Nets will be provided. Catching butterflies could involve going off the trail. Boots and long pants are recommended along with herbal mosquito repellent. Please be sure to wash your hands after applying repellent (Monarchs are insects, so products containing DEET are especially toxic).

All ages are welcome to participate in all programs! Email Laura Semken at laurasemken@gmail.com for more information or with any questions.

Mon. Sep. 1, 2025

Update on Eagle Bluffs CA Water Management Plan

by Missouri Department of Conservation Newsroom

Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area alters construction plan ahead of waterfowl hunting season

These adjustments allow for adequate water management to provide hunting, wildlife viewing, and bird migration opportunities on the area.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Construction efforts are well underway at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (CA) in Boone County. Since April, area use has been altered due to the replacement project for the two original electric water pumps that draw water from the Missouri River onto the area. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff have updated the original construction plan due to a delay in the arrival of the new pumps. The new pumps should arrive early in 2026. Until then, the original pumps will be reinstalled and run by generators to allow for the proper water management needed to provide suitable habitat for waterfowl migration, wildlife viewing, and waterfowl hunting opportunities this fall.

In a typical year, Eagle Bluffs CA relies on water pumped from the Missouri River, water from natural sources such as rainfall, and treated water from the City of Columbia’s wastewater treatment facilities. During the construction project on the water pumps, access to the Missouri River parking lot will continue to be prohibited for safety reasons. To see an updated map of area impacts throughout this project, go to http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4vM.

 

Sun. Jul. 6, 2025

Field Trip to A.L. Gustin Golf Course, a setting of natural communities

by Edge Wade

Twenty-four CAS members joined host Issac Breuer, Course Superintendent, for the June 16 field trip at the University of Missouri’s  A.L. Gustin Golf Course.  This was the third field trip at the golf course in a series begun at Mr. Breuer’s invitation a year ago as a kick-off to International Pollinators Week.

In addition to fine birding (we saw 37 species in 1.5 hours), we learned of Mr. Breuer’s stewardship practices on the 125-acre course through establishing and caring for bird and pollinator-attractive habitat with 10-15 acres in planted plots, mostly seeded with a mix of 20 to 25 species called “Monarch Blend” contributed by MDC, Quail Forever, and other partners.  His crew maintains martin houses (now all gourds as a deterrent to hawks that learned to pluck nestlings from the original houses), and bluebird houses (more than 4,000 bluebirds have fledged from those).   The pond, surrounded by plantings of natural vegetation rather than grass, supports several Red-winged Blackbird nests and attracts occasional egret and heron visitors. Areas on the perimeter of the course bordering Flat Branch Creek and the MKT Trail have been left natural and, with the several mature oaks dotting the course, provide year-round habitat and are attractive to passerine migrants.

It’s not just birds, bees and butterflies that benefit from the 10-15 acres of native habitat with maintenance requiring only burning or brush hogging every three years. The  estimated $500 per acre saved relative to typical course management costs adds up to $5,000-$7,500 each year that is available for other uses to benefit the course and its golfers.

Golfers are long past complaining about the unkempt look and are proud of their special award-winning course.  Mr. Breuer spreads the word about bird and pollinator-friendly course habitat potential and the benefits—both for the wildlife and financially—at course managers’ conferences, and encourages others to adopt some of the practices he’s using.

Our bird list this spring included Red-tailed and Red-shouldered hawks, a Mississippi Kite, 14 Eastern Bluebirds, a Great-crested Flycatcher, and Scarlet and Summer Tanagers.  But most would agree that the two Barred Owls were the highlight.

We’ve requested that the course be listed as an eBird hotspot, designated as A.L. Gustin Golf Course (restricted access), and are hoping to continue the series with a fall field trip to see birds in fall migration and catch up with the developments in bird-friendly habitat management overseen by Mr. Breuer.

 

Tue. Jul. 1, 2025

CAS and Missouri Conservation Corps Fieldtrip

by John Besser, Nature Areas Committee

Now that the cool, birdy spring mornings are past for this year, we can look back at highlights like the May 6 bird walk at ‘Kiwanis Park — the third annual event co-sponsored by Missouri Conservation Corps.

Missouri Conservation Corps and Columbia Audubon Society teamed up on May 6, 2025 for their third annual guided bird hike in Kiwanis Park.
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


2010 Chapel Plaza Court, Suite C • Columbia, MO 65203 • 573-446-5941

Upcoming Events

Swift Night Out: Chimney Swift Watch in Downtown Columbia

Thursday, September 18, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. to ~8:00 p.m.

September 20 Work Day at Wild Haven

Saturday September 20th | 9am

Save the Date! Fall Picnic September 28

Sunday, September 28, 2025 | 2-6:30

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

Friday, October 3, 2025 | 8:00 a.m.

Guided Moss Hike at Wild Haven Nature Area

Sunday, October 5, 2025 | Book sales begin at 1:00 p.m.; hike begins 1:30 p.m.

Logboat: Social; Later: Swifts!

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (social), followed by swift watching, ending by ~7:10 p.m.

October Membership Meeting: “Monarchs, Milkweed, and the Milky Way” by Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | 6-7:30 PM

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

Friday, November 7, 2025 | 8:00 a.m.

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