Field Trips

Sunday, January 1, 2023

1st Day Hike at Rock Bridge Memorial SP: January 1, 2023, 2:30-4:30pm

2:30-4:30pm

Celebrate the New Year with the Columbia Audubon Society by joining an afternoon birding hike at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park on January 1st, 2023. 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. We’ll

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!

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Fall Picnic and Bird Walk

2:00-6:30pm

Come one, come all! Please join us for the CAS Fall potluck. Bring your favorite dish to share and come ready to share a bird story or two. We love to hear about all the birds you’ve been seeing. We’ll have a bird walk prior to the potluck. Meet at the pavilion at the Bonnie

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

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

Friday, September 27, 2024

Chimney Swift Roost Watch

6:45 p.m. to 7:30 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

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.

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

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Birding at Rothwell Park, Moberly

Time TBD

Have you been to Rothwell Park? About half an hour north of Columbia, the City of Moberly’s 467 acre park features a wide variety of bird-friendly habitats, from gorgeous old trees to open lakes to fields of native plantings, all connected by 7 miles of nature trails. We’re working with Moberly Parks and Recreation to

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.

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.

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

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.

Date/time of your choice

Self-guided moss walk: Wild Haven Nature Area

Have you taken the time to examine mosses close up? And to think about the relationships between mosses and birds? We’re excited to announce a new, self-guided moss walk at Wild Haven Nature Area that encourages you to do just that! The trail guide is formatted to be easily read on a mobile device (with