CAS Events Listings
Columbia Audubon Society field trips and events are informal and friendly. Advanced registration is (normally) not required and all participants are welcomed, whether or not they are CAS members. Please help us maintain this relaxed approach by being prepared for the risks inherent in such activities (especially those involving the outdoors and/or driving), acting responsibly, and understanding that complete elimination of risk is not possible. Further guidelines are available for field trip leaders and participants.
Sunday, September 20, 2026 | 3:00pm-6:00pm
CAS Fall Picnic and Bird Hike
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 View shelter (3300 W Rollins Rd, Columbia) at 3:00 and we’ll plan to return there by 5:00 in time for the dinner. Plates, silverware, and napkins will be provided. Hope to see you there!
Contact: Greg Leonard
Friday, Sept. 25–Sunday, Sept. 27
Missouri Birding Society fall meeting (register by 9/14)
Missouri Birding Society
Fall Meeting, Columbia
Friday, Sept. 25–Sunday, Sept. 27
Registration Closes September 14!
Do you love birds and learning more about them? The Missouri Birding Society is a state-wide organization here in Missouri. We host a spring and fall meeting each year (along with supporting those doing fabulous conservation work) and this month it’s going to be hosted here in Columbia. Check out the details below. The PDF reference guide really lays out the weekend and all that is included. I hope you’ll consider coming out and birding with us. It’s great opportunity to meet some birders from around the state and hear some speakers that really know their stuff. You don’t have to have any level of expertise-just a shared passion for our natural world and the beasts that inhabit it! Hope to see you there!
Edge Wade and Lottie Bushmann, MBS fall meeting co-chairs
Details are on the MBS website, registration closes at midnight on Monday, September 14!
T
he Society’s annual fall meeting features guided field trips to hotspots in Boone, Cole, Callaway and Howard counties, led by local birders with years of experience birding the sites.
Trips will go out for Friday afternoon, Saturday (morning, afternoon, and all-day trips!) as well as Sunday morning.
A special comprehensive PDF reference guide to the meeting (locales, activities, field meeting places, etc.) has been prepared by Lesa Beamer.
The weekend begins with sign-in opening at 4 p.m. at the Boone Electric Cooperative Community Building, 1431 Rangeline St., Columbia, MO. Attendees are encouraged to wear a favorite bird-themed T-shirt.
The evening will feature a get-together with hors d’oeuvres, Bill Clark regaling us with tales of the organization’s first 100 years, and Kristie Nelson on the fun and science of Christmas Bird Counts.
Saturday’s field trips are followed by the banquet (birding attire, not formal wear), a short business meeting, and a presentation by MRBO co-director Marlee Malmborg on American Kestrels in Missouri and the kestrel nest box monitoring project.
Sunday morning features field trips and a hawk watch, followed by a catered picnic and the traditional species-sightings tally at the Leech shelter in Columbia’s Cosmo-Bethel Park.
Friday, October 2, 2026 | 8:00 AM
First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands
Meet in parking lot of Songbird Station
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. sharp and then drive down the hill to park near the wetlands (less than a 5 min. drive). We’ll enjoy all the Missouri birds in this natural, lush landscape. The walk is about 1.75 miles on a level, gravel trail. Waterproof shoes are recommended, but not required. After our walk, we’ll return to Songbird Station by 11 a.m. and enjoy coffee and donuts.
Contact: Lottie Bushman, lottie.bushmann@gmail.com
Friday, November 6, 2026 | 8:00 AM
First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands
Meet in parking lot of Songbird Station
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. sharp and then drive down the hill to park near the wetlands (less than a 5 min. drive). We’ll enjoy all the Missouri birds in this natural, lush landscape. The walk is about 1.75 miles on a level, gravel trail. Waterproof shoes are recommended, but not required. After our walk, we’ll return to Songbird Station by 11 a.m. and enjoy coffee and donuts.
Contact: Lottie Bushman, lottie.bushmann@gmail.com