Author Archives: Joanna Reuter

Saturday, October 11, 2025

October Big Day

Celebrate eBird’s October Big Day by going birding on Saturday, October 11, 2025! Bird anywhere you like: in your backyard, in a nature area, even in a parking lot; wherever you are, there are probably birds! This year has brought an irruption (not an eruption!) of Red-breasted Nuthatches, so listen and watch for those, along

Chimney Swifts: Updates and Citizen Science Opportunities

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

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Logboat: Social; Later: Swifts!

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

Feel free to take part in one or both components of the evening’s activities: Part 1: Social at Logboat Brewing Company (~5:00 to 6:30 p.m.) Hang out with birders and discuss birds (plus nature in general, geology, and more)! Perhaps there will be gossip about goldfinches. Or chat about chats. Swallow some beer if you

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Logboat: Social; Later: Swifts!

5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (social), followed by swift watching, ending by ~7:45 p.m.

Feel free to take part in one or both components of the evening’s activities:  Part 1: Social at Logboat Brewing Company (~5:00 to 6:30 p.m.) Hang out with birders and discuss birds (plus nature in general, geology, and more)! Perhaps there will be gossip about goldfinches. Or chat about chats. Swallow some beer if you

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Swift Night Out: Chimney Swift Watch in Downtown Columbia

6:30 p.m. to ~8:00 p.m.

Update: The event is ON, in spite of a small chance of storms. Bringing a rain jacket is advisable (and preferable to umbrellas, which might interfere with viewing). Wednesday evening observations confirmed a very active roost. From the meeting point at the Armory, we will be walking past several other buildings that host roosts  on

Black Friday, November 28, 2025

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

4:00 p.m.

Whether or not  you spend part of Black Friday in a shopping frenzy, there’s an evening opportunity to celebrate the day as Blackbird Friday by visiting a Boone County roost that has hosted millions of blackbirds on a nightly basis at this time of year in recent years.  The evening arrival of huge flocks of

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Guided Moss Hike at Wild Haven Nature Area

Book sales begin at 1:00 p.m.; hike begins 1:30 p.m.

Lorie Hetrick-Volenberg, author of the newly released “Mosses of Missouri Through a Hand Lens”, will be leading a bryophyte hike at Wild Haven Nature Area on Sunday October 5th at 1:00 p.m. If you haven’t purchased her book, you will have the opportunity to do so from 1:00–1:30 p.m., with the hike starting at 1:30

Friday, December 5, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, November 7, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, October 3, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, September 5, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Summer Social at Logboat Brewing Company: SCHEDULE UPDATE

~5-6:30 p.m.

Important update: This gathering has been rescheduled for Tuesday August 26, 2025 (due to the unfortunate oversight that the originally scheduled date coincides with the first Mizzou home football game of the year). Hang out with birders and discuss summer bird happenings. Perhaps there will be gossip about goldfinches. Or chat about chats. Swallow some

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Summer Social at Logboat Brewing Company

~5-6:30 p.m.

Hang out with birders and discuss summer bird happenings. Perhaps there will be gossip about goldfinches. Or chat about chats. Swallow some beer if you desire, but non-drinkers are equally welcome at this family friendly venue. Beer and hard cider are available from Logboat. Food trucks are sometimes an option, and bringing your own food/water

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Summer Social at Logboat Brewing Company

~5-6:30 p.m.

Hang out with birders and discuss summer bird happenings. Perhaps there will be gossip about goldfinches. Or chat about chats. Swallow some beer if you desire, but non-drinkers are equally welcome at this family friendly venue. Beer and hard cider are available from Logboat. Food trucks are sometimes an option, and bringing your own food/water

Monday, June 16, 2025

Field Trip: Birding at Gustin Golf Course (Registration required)

6:00 p.m.

Take part in a special opportunity to bird MU’s Gustin Golf Course, where native plantings and landscape management make for great birding habitat. As noted on the course’s website, Gustin Golf Course was the first college golf course in the United States certified by Audubon International.  Gustin Golf Course was recognized as a Cooperative Sanctuary

Friday, August 1, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Saturday, July 5, 2025

First *Saturday* Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

Due to the Fourth of July holiday, we’re moving our normal First Friday Walk to Saturday, July 5. Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail

Friday, June 6, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

A new Columbia Audubon Society tradition for Birding Big Day!

Early May has a lot of field trips going on, as well it should, because migration makes this an excellent time of year for birding. Please check out all of the offerings on the field trip calendar. Here, we want to draw special attention to a pair of events intended to establish a new tradition

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Birding Big Day!

The second Saturday in May of each year is eBird’s Global Big Day! This coincides with peak songbird migration in central Missouri, so it’s a great excuse to head outside in order to look and listen for birds. Check out the article in The Chat (coming in April) on “A new tradition for Birding Big

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Birder’s Social at Logboat Brewery: Planning for Birding Big Day

6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Join us at Logboat Brewery! Meet-up with fellow birders while making plans to take part in Birding Big Day on Saturday May 10. And there will be pizza!  As the thinking goes, it would be great:  to get lots of folks out looking at (& listening to) birds on Saturday May 10, Birding Big Day.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Kiwanis Park: Birding Without Bush Honeysuckle

7:00 a.m.

The Missouri Conservation Corps, a local nonprofit, has been working hard on Kiwanis Park ecosystem restoration, including removing bush honeysuckle and planting native trees and shrubs. What birds make use of this improved habitat? The Columbia Audubon Society has been asked to help find out! On Tuesday May 6, near the peak of spring songbird

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Heron Rookery Count at Gans Creek Recreation Area

8:00-11:00 a.m.

This year’s trip to the Great Blue Heron rookery is particularly important. Gans Creek Recreation Area (GCRA) has approved a mountain bike trail to be built in the park. We will be counting heron nests and the number of returning birds. We have kept records of nests and birds for 10 years, but this will

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Great Backyard Bird Count: No scheduled trip due to weather

Due to a wet and cold weather forecast, plans for an official Saturday field trip have been scrapped. However, this is the weekend of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, so all are encouraged to make some time for birding from February 14 through 17.  Perhaps sit at your window, sip a warm beverage, grab

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Second Saturday Birding: Cancelled for January

This month’s Second Saturday trip has been cancelled. No one has volunteered as leader, and the forecast of lasting snow cover and below-freezing temperatures will likely suppress turnout. We do encourage you to enjoy a winter bird walk on your own terms, as these conditions can lead to a lot of interesting bird activity! February’s

Friday, May 2, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, April 4, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, March 7, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, February 7, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, January 3, 2025

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

First Day Hike at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

2:30–4:30 p.m.

Celebrate the New Year with the Columbia Audubon Society by joining an afternoon birding hike at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park on January 1st, 2025. We’ll walk the Grassland Trail from 2:30–4:30 p.m., exploring the mixed grassland, shrub, and forest-edge habitats to look for sparrows, raptors, and any other fauna or flora of interest. This

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Field Trip: Millions of Blackbirds at a Boone County Roost

3:45 p.m. to ~5:30 p.m.

Come witness a mind-boggling concentration of blackbirds at a northern Boone County winter roost, now confirmed in its sixth year (at least) of activity. Recent activity is as robust as we’ve ever experienced. This spectacle can impress anyone, from non-birders to globe trotters. Consider bringing a friend! We’ll gather at 3:45 p.m (about an hour

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Second Saturday Birding: The Big Sit at Swan Lake

7:30 a.m. to ~3:00 p.m.

How many birds can you identify in one day while staying within a 17-foot diameter circle? That’s the challenge of The Big Sit. –from The Big Sit website We will carpool to Swan Lake NWR, where the Grand River Audubon Society annually hosts its Big Sit, the first established in Missouri. This Big Sit circle

Sunday, November 24, 2024

Invasive Plant Bingo and Birding at Garth Nature Area

2:30 p.m.

Birders, land managers, and nature enthusiasts: Join us for a bird and plant walk at Garth Nature Area! This can be a good place to watch winter birds, and it also has quite a diversity of non-native and invasive plants. If you manage a yard or a bigger piece of land, whether as an owner

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Birding Trip to Runge Conservation Nature Center

8:00 a.m. to ~Noon

We’ll carpool to Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City for a birding and nature hike through diverse habitats, walking through grasslands and forest and passing by ponds and a stream. In addition, managed gardens demonstrate the use of native plants in the landscape and provide inspiration for home gardeners. The Nature Center building offers views

Saturday, November 9, 2024

CANCELLED: Second Saturday Birding: Leader needed

If you are interested in leading this trip, please contact field trip coordinators Eric & Joanna Reuter, chert_hollow@gmail.com.

Saturday, September 14, 2024

Second Saturday Birding: Water Feature Watch

9 a.m to 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (drop-in)

One of the great ways to attract migratory birds to a yard is to offer a water feature, and this month’s Second Saturday trip will be at a private residence with just such an attraction. Come bird in style from the comfort of a deck chair with the chance to see some great fall migrants!

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Chimney Swift Roost Watch: RESCHEDULED

6:30-7:30 pm

UPDATE: This event has been rescheduled for the evening of Wednesday, October 2. Please note the slightly earlier meeting time, adjusted for earlier sunset than the original date. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ During fall migration, Chimney Swifts roost together in groups that often number in the hundreds or more. In the evening, as the sky really begins to

Friday, December 6, 2024

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, November 1, 2024

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, October 4, 2024

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Monday, September 16, 2024

Field Trip: Birding at Gustin Golf Course (Registration required)

7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Take part in a special opportunity to bird MU’s Gustin Golf Course, where native plantings and landscape management make for great birding habitat. As noted on the course’s website, Gustin Golf Course was the first college golf course in the United States certified by Audubon International.  Gustin Golf Course was recognized as a Cooperative Sanctuary

Sunday, July 7, 2024

Birding by Bicycle

7:45 a.m.

Meet at Perry Phillips Lake parking lot (map) at 7:45 a.m. We will bird the parking lot until 8:00 and then head down Discovery Parkway with a stop at South Farm. Then continue to Rolling Hills to bird this lightly traveled road, proceed to UMC beef farm. Most of the birding is by ear, with

Saturday, June 15, 2024

Summer Saturday Birding: Woodpecker Hollow

4:00 p.m.

Join us for an afternoon walk to Woodpecker Hollow, a property owned by the Greenbelt Land Trust. It is open to the public and was formerly owned by long-time CAS members Bill and Glynnis Elder and the Nature Conservancy.  The Columbia Missouri Trail Association (COMOTA) created a trail network that is accessed by using the

Monday, June 17, 2024

Field Trip: Birding at Gustin Golf Course (Registration required)

7:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Take part in a special opportunity to bird MU’s Gustin Golf Course , where native plantings and landscape management make for great birding habitat. As noted on the course’s website, Gustin Golf Course was the first college golf course in the United States certified by Audubon International.  Gustin Golf Course was recognized as a Cooperative

Friday, July 5, 2024

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, August 2, 2024

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, September 6, 2024

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Friday, June 7, 2024

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society for a bird walk. This walk is open to anyone who enjoys birds, and beginners are encouraged to attend. We will walk at the 3M Wetland Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking lot (map) at 8 a.m.

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Go birding on Global Big Day!

The second Saturday in May of each year is eBird’s Global Big Day! This coincides with peak songbird migration in central Missouri, so it is a great excuse to head outside in order to look and listen for birds. Columbia Audubon Society is encouraging members to participate in Global Big Day, though no formal field