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.
Saturday, February 15, 2025
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 binoculars, and tally up yard/feeder birds. Or bundle up for a walk. Invite family and friends to join you. And to officially take part in this global event, report your sightings to eBird. Learn more at the Cornell Lab’s Great Backyard Bird Count website.
February 19, 2025 | 7pm
Roger Still and Dr. Brandon Spratt will present about the work they are doing, with many community and agency partners, to pilot a One Health approach in Boone County with support from the Missouri Foundation for Health and Missouri Department of Conservation. The focus will be centered around how nature, food, and human health interconnect. The presentation will highlight tangible steps being taken to map our access to to nature, and its public health benefits county-wide, and at sites in the City of Columbia including the potential for partnerships with our healthcare sector related to experiencing the health benefits of spending time in nature.
Roger has been involved in the Alspaugh Park restoration project, working with MDC to facilitate a process where the park can be designed to support ecosystem restoration and people’s time in nature there.
Date/time of your choice
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 the goal of saving paper; please don’t print it).
Download the guide here.
The total length of the hike is under a mile, but it’s easy for time to fly when examining mosses, so plan for at least a couple of hours at Wild Haven. Conditions in winter and early spring are ideal for looking at mosses; sunlight bathes the forest floor, ticks aren’t especially active, and neotropical migrants aren’t yet distracting. But the trail can be completed at any time of year.
We suggest that you bring:
—A hand lens or magnifying glass. This will help you appreciate the miniature world of mosses.
—A spray bottle with water (but no chemical residues). Use to rehydrate mosses when conditions are dry; watch the leaves swell with water in front of your eyes.
—A water bottle for yourself, plus snacks, standard hiking gear, and binoculars for the birds.
No bathrooms or potable water are available at Wild Haven.
Louise Flenner developed this trail to share her knowledge and enthusiasm about mosses and their importance to birds. Thanks, Louise!
Please direct questions and comments to:
Louise Flenner (lflenner@hotmail.com), developer of the moss trail
John Besser (jbesser1@gmail.com), Nature Area chair
David Neely (dustandwood@gmail.com), volunteer manager of Wild Haven Nature Area
Friday, March 7, 2025 | 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. 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. Led by Lottie Bushmann.
Feel free to review the CAS field trip guidelines for participants and leaders!
Saturday, March 15, 2025 | 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 be a baseline count to track any additional impact from the construction of the trail.
We will also bird the tree line between GCRA and Gans Creek Wilderness Area, the wooded area that leads down to the rookery, the mixed woods and open field areas that border the cross-country course, and wherever the call of birds leads us.
Most of the ~2 mile walk is on wide grassy paths. However, access to the active rookery is via an overgrown path that descends a steep hillside. If you are not able to navigate this terrain, you can continue to bird while others go down and back.
Meet in the Gans Creek Recreation Area parking lot at 8:00 a.m. The park is on the south side of E Gans Creek Road, about 1 mile west of the US 63 Discovery Parkway exit. Click for a map. Contact trip leader Louise Flenner (lflenner@hotmail.com 573-268-7468) with any questions.
Feel free to review the CAS field trip guidelines for participants and leaders!
March 19, 2025 | 7pm
Gustin Golf Course was the first college golf course in the United States certified by Audubon International. It was recognized as a Cooperative Sanctuary in 1997 and has maintained that status ever since. The golf course has been recognized for its excellence in wildlife habitat management, water conservation, and environmentally friendly turf management practices.
Friday, April 4, 2025 | 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. 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. Led by Lottie Bushmann.
Feel free to review the CAS field trip guidelines for participants and leaders!
Saturday, April 12, 2025 | Carpool 7:00 a.m., meet on-site 7:45 a.m.
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 habitat, this area has relative few eBird reports.
Early/mid April provides a chance at a good diversity of species, including early migrants as well as species that have been around through the winter (and, of course, resident species). This is a great time of year to enjoy watching birds before full leaf-out starts obscuring the views; last year’s trip at the same time of year recorded 47 species (see eBird trip report). We’ll watch for swallows, sparrows, warblers, woodpeckers, and more. All skill levels welcome!
A carpool will leave from the southwest corner of the Columbia Menards parking lot at 7:00 a.m. and plan to arrive at Rudolf Bennitt by 7:45. Thank you to Menards for allowing us to use their location! Anyone driving separately should meet the group at the horse-camp parking lot along CR 2930 (location marked (A) in the official MDC map). We’ll explore that area first, then drive over to the lake on the southwest side and bird there. We’ll be walking various gravel-surface mixed-use trails, with some topography. The only bathroom facilities are privies at the lake. We will plan to leave the area around 11:00 a.m. and return to Columbia by around noon.
Trip leader: Joseph Mosley, 660-492-7954, mosley.je90@gmail.com
April 17, 2025 | 5:30 PM (reception at 5 PM)
Paid street parking (until 6 PM) is located nearby, as well as on the top floor of Hitt Parking deck: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zq368TKJjoqsX4nh7
As part of her visit to Columbia, Dr. Alicia Dissinger (American School of Classical Studies at Athens) will be giving two talks, one hosted by the Central Missouri Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) on Thursday, April 17 and one by Columbia Audubon on Friday, April 18 (as part of the April Membership meeting). Both are free and open to the public!
For this talk, sponsored by the Central Missouri AIA, Alicia Dissinger will focus on the archaeology of birds in ancient Cypriot pottery and sculpture, discussing the potential symbolism of various species depicted in Cypriot iconography. Three categories in particular seem to stand out for their associations with aspects of daily life and religion: waterfowl and death; songbirds and sacrifice/offerings; and raptors and rulers. Why did these associations exist? And what can they tell us about how birds were viewed and venerated in the ancient world?
This talk will take place at 5:30 in the Swallow Hall Auditorium (Swallow 101) at the University of Missouri, and will be preceded by a reception at 5.
More information about the venue can be found here: https://doit.missouri.edu/classrooms/swallow-hall-room-101/
April 18, 2025 | 4 PM
Come and put your birding skills to the test and learn about avians in antiquity!
We will be having a special April Membership meeting, co-hosted by the Central Missouri Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and University of Missouri Museum of Art & Archaeology.
People (and artists) in the ancient world spent more time observing the natural world than one might realize. Little details that modern-day birders might notice also appear in some instances in ancient art, helping us understand how people in antiquity thought about and experienced the natural world.
As part of her research on bird iconography on ancient Cypriot pottery, Alicia Dissinger has used modern-day bird typologies, looking at aspects such as silhouettes and proportions, to help understand and identify images of birds in ancient art.
Please note the special time, date, and place!
The lecture will be hosted in Ellis Library Auditorium (Room 21) on the University of Missouri Campus, starting at 4 PM on Friday, April 18. This will be followed by a reception and special tour of the antiquities galleries at the nearby Museum of Art & Archaeology, focusing on some of the objects on view and in storage that showcase bird iconography.
You can find more information on the location of Ellis Auditorium here: https://libraryanswers.missouri.edu/faq/4427
And on the museum and its collections here: https://maa.missouri.edu/
Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. walks
CAS will be leading two morning bird walks at this festival that “highlights Missouri’s native pollinators, flowering plants, birds and other wildlife”. These walks are planned for 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. More details will be posted when plans are finalized. Led by Lottie Bushmann.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 | 7:00-8:45 p.m.
Join us to explore the architecture of downtown Columbia from the perspective of Chimney Swifts, and to watch for possible roosting activity during spring migration.
These fascinating birds use open chimneys as overnight roost sites, otherwise remaining in constant flight. During the fall 2024 migration, trip leaders Eric & Joanna Reuter observed flocks of swifts roosting in chimneys on 9 downtown buildings. This walk will feature 6 of these locations while discussing the surprising behavioral complexity of these birds.
In addition to admiring architecture, we’ll watch and listen for all species of birds in this urban area that often has considerable avian activity. The walk is timed to arrive at the most likely sites for swift activity around sunset (8:00 p.m. on April 29), in hopes of watching some spring migration roosting action over the subsequent half an hour.
Meet at the corner of 6th and Cherry (in front of the parking garage) at 7:00 p.m. Total round trip walking distance ~2 miles on city streets. We’ll return to the starting point by approximately 8:45 p.m. Bring binoculars if you have them.
In the event of inclement weather, the walk will be postponed one week to Tuesday May 6. Please check this listing on the CAS website for updates on event status.
This walk is co-sponsored by US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Contact information:
Friday, May 2, 2025 | 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. 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. Led by Lottie Bushmann.
Feel free to review the CAS field trip guidelines for participants and leaders!