Past Events

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Christmas Bird Count

Columbia’s 2021 Christmas Bird Count will held on Saturday, Dec. 18. If you would like to participate and aren’t already part of a team, or if you need more information, please contact Lottie Bushmann at lottie.bushmann@gmail.com. Everyone is invited to join in a discussion of the day’s highlights and preliminary count results via Zoom at

January 1, 2022

1st Day Hike on the KATY Trail : Jan. 1, 2022 8:30 am

8:30 am

Missouri State Parks and Rock Bridge Memorial State Park are hosting a First Day Hike on the KATY Trail, starting at the McBaine Trailhead on Jan. 1, 8:30am. The hike will be one mile altogether, hiking out 1/2 mile and returning to the trailhead. Free and open to the public but registration required. The event

Friday, January 7, 2022

First Friday Bird Walk

8 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

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Field Trip to Garth Nature Area

8am

Meet at parking lot 8 am, 2799 N. Garth Ave. A morning walk around the wetlands for winter sparrows and other wetland skulkers. Gravel trail walking — dress for the weather. For updates or more information contact trip leader Eric Seaman eseaman68@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

January Meeting and Program: Bird Nests, The Wonder of Avian Engineering

7 p.m.

The bare trees of winter make it easier to spot bird nests, so what better time to learn about the “whys” and “hows” of these remarkable structures. Join us—via Zoom—for Columbia Audubon’s January program and membership meeting at 7pm on January 19. Paige Witek, education coordinator for the Missouri River Bird Observatory, will talk about

January 20, 2022

Women’s Winter Birding Webinar

6:00-7:30pm

Join the Missouri River Bird Observatory for the webinar section of the Women’s Winter Birding program. See details here: https://mrbo.org/event/womens-winter-birding-workshop-hybrid-event-webinar-portion/

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Field Trip to Binder Lake

9:00AM

Join Edge Wade for a field trip to Jefferson City’s Binder Lake. Meet at the AC/Grindstone Commuter Lot to carpool to Jefferson City. We will leave at 9:00am, so plan to arrive no later than 8:50. We’ll bird Binder Lake by car, getting out to scope waterfowl from various points, and will be watching for

Friday, Feb. 4, 2022

First Friday Bird Walk

8 a.m.

First Friday Fun! Join the Columbia Audubon Society at 8am on February 4th 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 Wetlands Trail, just off the MKT Trail near Forum Blvd. We’ll meet at the Songbird Station parking

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

CAS February Meeting and Nature Photography Program

7 p.m.

Stay safe and warm at home while you enjoy the nature photography and commentary of local naturalists Randal and Denise Clark at our Feb. 16 Zoom meeting and program. The program, titled “Sharing the Seasons of 2020/2021,” features their pictures of native plants, birds, wildlife and scenery. Randal led the spring nature walks at Rock

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Field Trip to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area

8am

Field Trip to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, February 26 at 8 AM By mid-February, Eagle Bluffs should attract good numbers of wintering waterfowl, sparrows, and raptors — and perhaps some early migrants. We will meet 8 AM at the McBaine parking lot of the Katy Trail State Park. Those who are COVID-vaccinated can carpool from

Friday, March 4, 2022

First Friday Bird Walk

8 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

Tuesday, March 15th

Field Trip to Gans Creek Recreation Area

8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Trip Leader – Louise Flenner Every year for the past 8 years I have counted the number of herons at the rookery on March 15. There are always some returning birds on that date.  There are actually 2 rookeries.  One is more visible from the higher ground (upper) and the other from the creek area

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

CAS Special Event: Warbler Identification Webinar

7-9 p.m.

Ever find yourself frustrated with hard-to-identify warblers? Struggling with the less-distinct female and juvenile birds? Columbia Audubon is teaming up with the Missouri Birding Society and the Missouri River Bird Observatory to sponsor a warbler identification webinar, via Zoom, on Wednesday, March 23, from 7-9 p.m. The webinar, titled “Tips, Tricks and Tools for Warbler Identification,”

Friday, April 1, 2022

First Friday Bird Walk

8 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

Saturday, April 9th, 2022

Cancelled: Field Trip to Rocky Top Trail

7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The trip to Rocky Top Trail has been cancelled due to a family emergency.

Saturday, April 16, 2022

CAS Work Day, Saturday, April 16, 9 AM–noon: Prepare Wild Haven for sixth-grade field trip

9am-noon

Plans are in the works for Columbia Audubon Society to host about 90 sixth-graders from Centralia public schools at Wild Haven nature area for a “Day on the Stream”, to be held on Thursday, May 5. This Saturday, April 16, we will work to clear some trails and gathering areas for activities during this field

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

CHANGED: CAS Membership Meeting and Program on Shorebird Identification

7 p.m.

Due to a forecast of rain and thunderstorms for the evening of Wednesday, April 20th, we will be switching to a ZOOM meeting for Columbia Audubon’s April general meeting. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM, and we will be holding the election of officers for 2022-2024. After the election, Dr. Pete Monacell, regional reviewer for

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Special CAS Field Trip: Shorebirds at Eagle Bluffs

3pm

To follow up the shorebird identification workshop by Pete Monacell scheduled for Wednesday April 20, Pete has agreed to lead a field trip to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area on Saturday, April 23, starting at 3:00 PM. We hope to have stations set up with multiple spotting scopes, with Pete and other shorebird experts offering ID

Sunday, April 24th 2022

Field Trip to Prairie Garden Trust

8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Meet at Moser’s Foods at 8:00 a.m. and we will return by about 1:30 p.m.  We will explore the native prairies that are sustained by prescribed burns and the lotus ponds. Then walk along Hillers Creek.  If meeting at PGT be there by 8:40 a.m.  For directions or to learn more about PGT please visit

Friday, May 6, 2022

First Friday Bird Walk

8 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

Sunday, May 22, 2022

CAS May Membership Meeting and Picnic

4-7 p.m.

Join us for Columbia Audubon’s annual spring membership meeting and picnic. We will gather at the Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary this year. Bird walks and prairie tours from 4-5:30 p.m, followed by the picnic at 5:30 p.m. and membership meeting at 6:30 p.m. This will be the perfect time to check out the newly seeded

Friday, June 3, 2022

First Friday Bird Walk

8 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

Friday, July 1, 2022

First Friday Bird Walk

8 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

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Shorebird Identification Training-Part 2

7:00 PM

Dr. Pete Monacell led a Zoom-based shorebird identification workshop sponsored by the Missouri Birding Society, Columbia Audubon Society, and Missouri River Bird Observatory on April 20, 2022.  The workshop was recorded and is available on the MBS website at https://mobirds.org/ASM/Videos.aspx Dr. Monacell will present a follow-up workshop via Zoom with the same sponsoring organizations at 7:00pm,

Friday, August 26-Saturday, August 27, 2022

Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Annual Conference

5:00pm

For the first time since 2019, MoBCI is hosting an in person conference at the Columbia Country Club in Columbia. The theme is Weather or Not We Care about Birds, and covers climate-related issues facing bird conservation today. Friday night is a cash bar with heavy hors d’ouevres and Saturday’s lunch is provided with registration.

Friday, September 2, 2022

First Friday Bird Hikes-3M Wetlands

8:00 am

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

September 18, 2022

Picnic at Bonnie View with Talk about Bradford Farms

4:00pm-8:00pm

Andrew Briggs from Bradford Farms will be hosting a talk at our September picnic about the new rules and regulations and policies regarding birding at Bradford Farms. Bring a dish and your own utensils. We have the shelter reserved from 4pm-8pm, with the picnic beginning at 4pm and talk at 6:45.    

Friday, October 7, 2022

First Friday Bird Hike-3M Wetlands

8:00 AM

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

October 19, 2022

October Meeting and Program: An eBird Tutorial for Beginners and Beyond!

7:00 pm

Join us for our October Membership Meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church for a brief meeting and presentation by Lottie Bushmann and friends. Free and open to the public. An eBird Tutorial…for Beginners and Beyond Interested in joining thousands of other birders by inputting your bird data into ebird? Don’t know where to start? A

November 4, 2022

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 AM

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

November 16, 2022

November Meeting and Program: Know Your Optics by Edge Wade

7:00 pm

Join us for our November membership meeting at the Universalist Unitarian Church and following the meeting we will have a hands on presentation by Edge Wade and friends on various optics to use for birdwatching. Free and open to the public. All are welcome.

Sunday, November 27, 2022

November 27: Field Trip- Birding without Binoculars at CANS

2:30pm

Birds can be enjoyed with the naked eye, and doing so can challenge birders of all skill levels to become keener observers of various species’ characteristics. On this trip, we’ll walk a loop at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary to practice observing, listening to, and identifying common winter birds using just our own senses. All

December 2, 2022

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 AM

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

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Boone County blackbird roost

3:30-5:00 pm

Come witness a mind-boggling concentration of blackbirds at a northern Boone County winter roost, now confirmed to be in its fourth year (at least) of activity. Leaders Eric and Joanna will be on-site to describe the background history of the roost, then we’ll watch as the show unfolds; each time is unique and exciting. We’ve had

Saturday, December 17, 2022

2022 Christmas Bird Count information

With all our section leaders in place for this year, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a go! Thankfully, birding is a safe, outdoor activity and we have plenty of birders in Columbia that plan to do just that. We will send out our teams on Saturday Dec. 17th. Please contact your section leader if

December 17, 2022

Christmas Bird Count Chili Supper

5:30 pm

Join us for the annual Christmas Bird Count and the CBC tabulation party beginning at 5:30 pm, our annual chili supper. We all gather at the end of the CBC to tabulate our circles’ findings to submit to National Audubon in this epic Citizen Science event. More details forthcoming for joining the count.

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

January 6, 2023

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 AM

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

January 15, 2023

January 15, 2023: Birding without Binoculars at Grindstone Nature Area

2:30 pm

Birds can be enjoyed with the naked eye, and doing so can challenge birders of all skill levels to become keener observers of various species’ characteristics. On this trip, we’ll walk a loop at Columbia’s Grindstone Nature Area to practice observing, listening to, and identifying common winter birds using just our own senses. All skill

January 18, 2023

January Meeting and Presentation: Slow Birding by Bridget Butler

7:00 PM

Join us on Zoom for our January Membership meeting and a presentation on Slow Birding by Bridget Butler. Register here for the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlduCtqTwiH9EOpN1Y7MGvdt4ReEpB4rCk

February 3, 2023

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 AM

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

Wednesday, February 15

February Meeting & Program: Steve Heying

7:00pm

Come enjoy the experiences and expertise of long-time Master falconer, Steve Heying, as he gives a presentation on “Falconry” Wednesday, Feb 15th, at 7pm at the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd. Steve’s history in falconry began in 1964 with a Passage Goshawk. Steve has had a hawk in his care everyday since 1968. Steve is

February 15, 2023

February Meeting and Program: Falconry in Missouri by Steve Heying

7:00 pm

Join us in February for our monthly meeting and a presentation on Falconry in Missouri by Missouri Falconer and CAS member Steve Heying. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Great Backyard Bird Count Feeder Crawl

As part of the 2023 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), CAS will lead its Feeder Crawl on Saturday, February 18th. 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

March 3, 2023

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 AM

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

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Heron Rookery Count at Gans Creek Recreation Area

8:00 a.m.

Field Trip Leader: Louise Flenner Every year for the past 9 years I have counted the number of herons at the rookery on March 15. There are always some returning birds on that date.  There are actually 2 rookeries.  One is more visible from the higher ground (upper) and the other from the creek area

March 15, 2023

March Membership Meeting and Program: Australian and New Guinea Birds by Carl Gerhardt

7:00 pm

Join us for our March membership meeting and a program by longtime CAS member, Carl Gerhardt as he tells us about the birds he’s encountered on his travels in Australia and New Guinea. Free and Open to the public.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Twilight Timberdoodle Trek at Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area

6:45 p.m.

Early spring is the time to enjoy the fascinating twilight mating displays of the American Woodcock (a.k.a Timberdoodle). We’ll walk out into the southern grasslands at Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area to (hopefully) enjoy this annual treat while experiencing whatever other evening bird activity develops. Meet at the end-of-road parking lot south of the lake

April 7, 2023

First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

8:00 AM

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

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

April Membership Meeting: Forest Park Owls: Hiding in Plain Sight with Mark H.X. Glenshaw

7:00 PM

Mark H.X. Glenshaw is an award-winning naturalist who has closely observed and documented the lives of Great Horned Owls in Forest Park, a large urban park in St. Louis, Missouri, since December 2005.  Mark’s talk, Forest Park Owls: Hiding In Plain Sight, will cover how he found these owls, basic facts about the species, and