Saturday, October 12, 2024

Second Saturday Birding: The Big Sit at Swan Lake

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

Carpool will leave from the north Moser's parking (4840 Rangeline)

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

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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

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Saturday, September 21, 2024

Birding Trip to Runge Conservation Nature Center

8:00 a.m. to ~Noon

Meet at AC Commuter Lot

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

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Saturday, November 9, 2024

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.

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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!

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Thursday, May 16, 2024

Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-wills-widows at Rocky Fork Lakes CA

7:30 p.m.

Join us for this evening walk through the mixed habitats of Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area in northern Boone County to listen for and hopefully hear the distinct sounds of Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will’s-widows. These nocturnal birds are hard to see but fun to hear once their song begins from dusk into darkness. Meet at 7:30

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Sunday, May 5, 2024

Field Trip: Katy Trail and Schnabel Woods

7:30 a.m.

We’ll walk about 1.5 miles along the level Katy Trail (from McBaine), with the option to then hike into the steeper terrain of Schnabel Woods Natural Area with its beautiful old-growth forest, where the especially tall trees may give your neck a workout. Those who wish to stay on the rail trail are welcome to

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Spring Birding and Other Events

Spring brings lots of opportunities for birding and other outdoors fun. Check the CAS events listing for details of upcoming field trips; additional trips will likely be added for peak migration season in late April and early May. If you’d like to lead a trip, or if you have an idea for one, let us

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Wednesday, May 8, 2024

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 Wednesday May 8, near the peak of spring songbird

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Saturday, March 2, 2024

Twilight Timberdoodle Trek at Forum Nature Area

5:45 p.m.

Early spring is the time to enjoy the fascinating twilight mating displays of the American Woodcock (a.k.a Timberdoodle). Wookcocks have arrived in the region, and the weather forecast for Saturday is too good to pass up. Perhaps some theater-goers will need some fresh air by Saturday evening? This year’s trek will be at Forum Nature

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Field Trip News & Notes

Updates from the field trip co-coordinators: Seeking a ride-share coordinator It’s come to our attention that evening field trips and meetings may pose a barrier for those uncomfortable with driving at night. With board approval, we’re looking to set up a way for people in this situation to arrange a ride to field trips or

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Saturday, March 23, 2024

Slow Birding at Wild Haven Nature Area

1:00 p.m.

We’ve selected a date (and adjusted the timing) for the Slow Birding field trip at Wild Haven. Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024 Time:  —Meet at 1 p.m. Quick overview. —Disperse to benches or other sitting points. Walking time from 0–20 minutes, distance from 0–3/4 mile. Sit quietly, watch, and enjoy. —Reconvene around 2:30-2:45 p.m. to share

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Saturday, April 13, 2024

Second Saturday Birding: Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area

Carpool 7:00 a.m., meet on-site 7:45 a.m.

Meet at southwest corner of Menards parking lot

Join CAS as we explore Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area, ~30 miles northwest of Columbia at the intersection of Boone, Randolph, and Howard Counties. This 3575 acre landscape includes a mix of forests, fields of restored native grasses, and a lake, providing a variety of habitats for interesting birds. In spite of this diversity of excellent

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Saturday, March 9, 2024

Second Saturday Birding: Rock Bridge State Park

Watch and listen for birds while hiking the Spring Brook trail at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. The trail passes through forested areas in the bottomlands of Little Bonne Femme Creek as well as surrounding uplands. The three mile loop trail has one unbridged stream crossing, but if the region is lucky enough to get

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Friday, May 3, 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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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Friday, April 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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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Friday, March 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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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Friday, February 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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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Friday, January 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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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Saturday, February 10, 2024

Second Saturday Birding: Woodpecker Hollow (accessed from Capen Park)

3:00 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

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Monday, January 1, 2024

First Day Hike at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

Celebrate the New Year with the Columbia Audubon Society by joining an afternoon birding hike at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park on January 1st, 2024. 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 trip

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Saturday, January 27, 2024

Rescheduled: Three Creeks Conservation Area

1:00 p.m.

This trip has been rescheduled from a winter-weather postponement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join us for a winter bird hike at Three Creeks Conservation Area. We’ll hike a three-mile loop along scenic Turkey Creek, where rugged topography and bluffs give the impression of being in the deeper Ozarks. Forest, riparian, and field habitats provide opportunities for a diversity

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Sunday, October 8, 2023

The Big Sit (Eagle Bluffs, Pool 14/15)

5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Come to Eagle Bluffs and enjoy a day of birding. You can stop in and join the fun at any time between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. CAS will be providing a canopy for some relief from the sun and have a grill to cook food on. Meet at the pool 5 north parking lot

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Saturday, February 17, 2024

Great Backyard Bird Count Feeder Crawl

9:00 a.m.

As part of the 2024 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), CAS will lead its Feeder Crawl on Saturday, February 17th. Starting at Songbird Station at 9 a.m, we’ll “crawl” to various backyard bird feeders in and around the Columbia area and count birds for at least 15 minutes at each backyard, then submit each checklist

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Birds in Big Numbers: Migratory Chimney Swift Roosts

Part four in an occasional series, Birds in Big Numbers Chimney Swifts are master flyers that spend virtually all daylight hours on the wing, fueling their flight with a diet of insects. As long-distance migrants, they spend the summer breeding season in North America and the winter in South America. Commonly described as “cigars with

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Monday, October 9, 2023

Chimney Swift Roost Watch (3rd of 3): Updated

6:30 p.m.

FINAL UPDATE (10/8): We will convene at the Armory, as originally planned, and we will proceed on foot or by vehicle to possible roost sites, likely splitting into groups. The one-way distance could be anything from 2 blocks to 3/4 mile. We can’t predict how many we’ll see, or exactly where, but we suspect there

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Friday, September 29, 2023

Chimney Swift Roost Watch (2nd of 3)

6:45 p.m.

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 darken, the birds swarm to the roost site, circle, and begin to drop into their communal roost. And what is their modern roosting habitat? Chimneys, of course! This genuinely

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Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Chimney Swift Roost Watch (1st of 3)

7:00 p.m.

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 darken, the birds swarm to the roost site, circle, and begin to drop into their communal roost.  And what is their modern roosting habitat? Chimneys, of course! This genuinely

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

Second Saturday Birding: Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary

9:00 a.m.

Join us for a morning bird walk at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary. CANS has good diversity of habitat for winter birding, thanks to ongoing prairie restoration efforts and invasive species management by CAS and its members. Woodpeckers, sparrows, and a variety of other species commonly use the area in winter. Meet at 9 a.m.

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Saturday, November 11, 2023

Second Saturday Birding: MU Research Farms (South Farm and Bradford Farm)

8:00 a.m.

These two properties located southeast of Columbia are active sites of agricultural and horticultural research, but they also include habitat features that attract interesting birds. Recent finds include White-winged Scoter, Red Crossbill, Smith’s Longspur, Short-eared Owl, and Ferruginous Hawk. During November, we can expect to find ducks and other waterbirds, raptors, sparrows, blackbirds, and grassland

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Saturday, October 14, 2023

Second Saturday Birding: Perry Phillips Lake

4:00 p.m.

Join us for an afternoon bird walk around Perry Philips Lake in southeast Columbia! October brings many migrating birds to Missouri, and Perry Philips packs a few migratory bird habitat types into a short loop! If we’re lucky, ducks, coots, and grebes could be floating on the lake around the lake with the potential for

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Saturday, September 9, 2023

Second Saturday Birding: Rock Bridge State Park

8:00 a.m.

Join us for a bird walk at Rock Bridge State Park! Fall migration is underway in early September, and Rock Bridge is a good place to look for migrant songbirds, including warblers. Fall warblers are fun! They’re lively and colorful (even if not quite as brilliant as spring). Song is rarely helpful for identification in

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Friday, March 15, 2024

Heron Rookery Count at Gans Creek Recreation Area

8:00 a.m.

Field Trip Leader: Louise Flenner Every year for the past 10 years I have counted the number of herons at the rookery on March 15. There are always some returning birds on that date. When I started counting herons there were two rookeries. Gradually fewer and fewer birds returned to the rookery that was on

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Sunday, November 19, 2023

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

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Friday, December 1, 2023

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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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Friday, November 3, 2023

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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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Friday, October 6, 2023

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 at 8 a.m. sharp

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