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.
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: https://www.columbia-audubon.org/whmoss
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
April 7, 2023 | 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 and then drive down the hill to park near the wetlands (less than a 5 min. drive). We’ll enjoy all the Missouri resident birds in this natural, lush landscape. It is a moderate walk. 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 John Besser.
Saturday, April 22, 2023 | 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Late April typically combines the best of the spring woodland wildflower display with increasing migrant songbird arrivals. Where better to enjoy it than Columbia Audubon Society’s own Wild Haven Nature Area, with its mature woods along upper Hinkson Creek? In addition, there’s a small sandstone glade that hosts interesting mosses, a prairie patch, and some edge habitats. Wild Haven has hosted a number of volunteer work days over the years, but this time, leave your work gloves at home and grab binoculars instead, as this is the time to enjoy the payoff of prior volunteer efforts, including an expanded trail system.
Meet at Wild Haven at 8:00 a.m., and park near the picnic shelter. Plan for ~3 hours of naturalist-paced walking.
The field trip will be led by John Besser (jbesser1@gmail.com), who has for years led the volunteer effort to manage and maintain Wild Haven.
May 5, 2023 | 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 and then drive down the hill to park near the wetlands (less than a 5 min. drive). We’ll enjoy all the Missouri resident birds in this natural, lush landscape. It is a moderate walk. 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.
Sunday, May 7, 2023 | 8:00 a.m.
Join us for a joint field trip of the Columbia Audubon Society and the Hawthorn Chapter of the Native Plant Society at Hundred Acre Woods, a property of the Greenbelt Land Trust.
Hundred Acre Woods is a wonderful property with woodland and grassland habitats that feature high botanical biodiversity. As timing coincides with the season of peak songbird migration, this trip should be a delight to naturalists of all types. The land was owned and managed by the late Jim and Joanna Whitley, who donated the property with the intent that it be used for outdoor education. Active management at the property continues with prescribed burns, invasive control, and the seeding of native plants.
Meet at 8 a.m. Estimated duration: 3–4 hours. Estimated walking distance: 1–1.5 mies.
The property does not have formal trails, so please wear sturdy shoes. Tick abundance in Missouri tends to be on the upswing in early May, so please prepare accordingly. (If you apply bug spray at the site, please be considerate of others and do so downwind. Or consider protective clothing such as Rynoskin as an alternative to chemical control.) No bathroom facilities are available.
RSVP: Advance signup is not required, but we would appreciate having a loose sense of how many people (and vehicles) might be coming. Email trip leaders Eric & Joanna Reuter: literatehobo@gmail.com
Directions to the site: (Please note: This property is not open to the public without permission.) From US 63 N, turn east and then immediately south on Pinnacles Road. At the entrance to Pinnacles Youth Park, follow the road left across a bridge and continue another ~1.25 miles, past a Girl Scout camp, to the property. Parking will be along the gravel road; trip leaders will be on-site.
Rain date: Sunday May 13 at 8 a.m. Please refer to the listing on the Columbia Audubon Society website (https://www.columbia-audubon.org/hundred-acre-woods-2023/) for official updates on trip status.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | 7:00 a.m.
A new local nonprofit, the Missouri Conservation Corps, has worked hard to remove invasive bush honeysuckle from Kiwanis Park. See this story from the March issue of The Chat for more details.
What birds will make use of this cleaned-up habitat? The Columbia Audubon Society has been asked to help find out!
On May 10, near the peak of spring songbird migration, we’ll explore the park while listening to and looking for birds.
All skill levels welcome. If you’d like to borrow binoculars, please be in touch, as a few loaner pairs can be made available if needed.
Meet at the Talbert Thurston shelter, located west of Maplewood Drive. We’ll start at 7 a.m. and bird until about 9 a.m.
Please refer to the listing on the Columbia Audubon Society website (https://www.columbia-audubon.org/kiwanis-park-may-2023/) for official updates on trip status.
Led by John Besser, jbesser1@gmail.com
Thursday, May 18, 2023 | 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 p.m. We’ll take a walk along a level trail/service road, and we’ll have time for a bit of late-day birding before the sun sets around 8:20 p.m. Expect to hike ~1.5 miles (round trip) over ~1.5–2 hours.
Meeting place: No carpool, meet at the southern parking lot at Rocky Fork. When entering the area, go straight past the outhouse parking lot and boat ramp, following the road along the lake’s southern shore until it ends at a curving lot. Contact trip leaders Joanna & Eric Reuter with any questions.
March 28, 2023 | Twilight Timberdoodle Trek at Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area |
March 15, 2023 | March Membership Meeting and Program: Australian and New Guinea Birds by Carl Gerhardt |
March 15, 2023 | |
March 3, 2023 | |
February 18, 2023 | |
February 15, 2023 | February Meeting and Program: Falconry in Missouri by Steve Heying |
February 15, 2023 | |
February 3, 2023 | |
January 18, 2023 | January Meeting and Presentation: Slow Birding by Bridget Butler |
January 15, 2023 | January 15, 2023: Birding without Binoculars at Grindstone Nature Area |
January 6, 2023 | |
January 1, 2023 | 1st Day Hike at Rock Bridge Memorial SP: January 1, 2023, 2:30-4:30pm |
December 17, 2022 | |
December 17, 2022 | |
December 10, 2022 | |
December 2, 2022 | |
November 27, 2022 | |
November 16, 2022 | |
November 4, 2022 | |
October 19, 2022 | October Meeting and Program: An eBird Tutorial for Beginners and Beyond! |
October 1, 2022 | |
September 18, 2022 | |
September 2, 2022 | |
August 26, 2022 | |
July 28, 2022 | |
July 1, 2022 | |
June 3, 2022 | |
May 22, 2022 | |
May 6, 2022 | |
April 24, 2022 | |
April 23, 2022 | |
April 20, 2022 | CHANGED: CAS Membership Meeting and Program on Shorebird Identification |
April 16, 2022 | CAS Work Day, Saturday, April 16, 9 AM–noon: Prepare Wild Haven for sixth-grade field trip |
April 9, 2022 | |
April 1, 2022 | |
March 23, 2022 | |
March 15, 2022 | |
March 4, 2022 | |
February 26, 2022 | |
February 16, 2022 | |
February 4, 2022 | |
January 29, 2022 | |
January 20, 2022 | |
January 19, 2022 | January Meeting and Program: Bird Nests, The Wonder of Avian Engineering |
January 16, 2022 | |
January 7, 2022 | |
January 1, 2022 | |
December 18, 2021 | |
December 1, 2021 | |
November 17, 2021 | |
November 6, 2021 | Missouri Young Birders Club Field Trip to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park- 11/6/21 9am-11am |
November 5, 2021 | |
October 31, 2021 | Rescheduled Fireline Installation at Wildhaven Nature Area: Oct. 31 1:30-5:00 |
October 21, 2021 | Sierra Club’s Zoom Meeting on Columbia’s Renewable Energy Potential-10/21, 7pm |
October 20, 2021 | |
October 16, 2021 | |
October 15, 2021 | |
September 19, 2021 | |
September 11, 2021 | |
June 13, 2021 | |
May 22, 2021 | Cancelled: Annual Picnic at Wild Haven Nature Area-May 22, 2021 |
May 16, 2021 | |
May 15, 2021 | |
May 11, 2021 | |
May 8, 2021 | |
May 4, 2021 | Joint Field Trip with MBS: Birding at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary |
May 1, 2021 | Fieldtrip with Missouri Birding Society-Rock Bridge Memorial SP |
May 1, 2021 | |
April 21, 2021 | April Meeting: Bird Songs and Sounds with Ethan Duke of MRBO |
April 11, 2021 | |
March 17, 2021 | March Webinar: Intro to Spring Birdwatching with Sarah Kendrick |
February 17, 2021 | February Meeting and Program: Featuring Filmmaker Tim Barksdale |
February 12, 2021 | |
January 20, 2021 | CAS January Meeting and Program on Grassland Birds with MRBO |
December 19, 2020 | |
December 11, 2020 | Winter Bird Identification with the Missouri Birding Society |
November 18, 2020 | CAS Virtual Membership Meeting and Program Is Wednesday, Nov. 18 — “See” You Then! |
November 15, 2020 | |
October 17, 2020 | |
October 17, 2020 | |
October 4, 2020 | |
October 1, 2020 | MDC encourages people to counter window strikes during fall bird migration |
September 26, 2020 | |
September 19, 2020 | |
May 20, 2020 | |
April 15, 2020 | CANCELED April meeting: Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri |
April 11, 2020 | |
March 29, 2020 | |
March 22, 2020 | |
March 18, 2020 | |
March 14, 2020 | POSTPONED Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area 25th Anniversary Open House |
March 1, 2020 | Field trip: Birding without binoculars at Stephens Lake Park |
February 22, 2020 | |
February 19, 2020 | February meeting: Visiting Magee Marsh, a presentation by Bill Palmer |
February 15, 2020 | |
January 15, 2020 | |
January 1, 2020 | Field Trip: First Day hike at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park |
December 14, 2019 | |
December 14, 2019 | |
December 8, 2019 | |
November 29, 2019 | Field trip: Black Friday Birding at Songbird Station and 3M Wetland |
November 20, 2019 | |
November 10, 2019 | |
November 9, 2019 | |
November 2, 2019 | |
October 16, 2019 | October meeting: Mike Szydlowski, Science Coordinator for Columbia Public Schools |
October 13, 2019 | |
October 6, 2019 | |
September 29, 2019 | Field trip: Beginning birder’s walk at Garth Nature Area, Columbia |
September 24, 2019 | |
September 21, 2019 | |
September 18, 2019 | |
September 14, 2019 | |
September 11, 2019 | |
September 7, 2019 | |
August 13, 2019 | |
June 19, 2019 | Summer book discussion: Welcome to Subirdia, by John M. Marzluff |
May 25, 2019 | |
May 18, 2019 | Field trip: Columbia Audubon & Bonnie View Nature Sanctuaries |
May 18, 2019 | |
May 14, 2019 | Rescheduled Field Trip: Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-wills-widows at Rocky Fork Lakes CA |
May 7, 2019 | POSTPONED Field Trip: Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-wills-widows at Rocky Fork Lakes CA |
May 1, 2019 | |
April 20, 2019 | |
April 13, 2019 | |
April 6, 2019 | |
April 3, 2019 | |
March 23, 2019 | |
March 20, 2019 | March Meeting: “Eagle Bluffs: an environmental success story” |
March 16, 2019 | |
March 9, 2019 | |
February 23, 2019 | |
February 20, 2019 | February Meeting: Dr. Charles Nilon (MU School of Natural Resources) |
February 16, 2019 | |
February 9, 2019 | |
January 16, 2019 | CANCELLED: Book discussion: Welcome to Subirdia, by John M. Marzluff |
January 1, 2019 | |
December 15, 2018 | |
December 15, 2018 | |
December 1, 2018 | |
November 24, 2018 | |
November 17, 2018 | |
November 14, 2018 | |
November 10, 2018 | |
November 3, 2018 | |
October 20, 2018 | |
October 17, 2018 | |
October 14, 2018 | |
October 2, 2018 | |
October 1, 2018 | |
September 23, 2018 | |
September 22, 2018 | |
September 16, 2018 | |
September 7, 2018 | |
September 7, 2018 | |
August 26, 2018 | |
August 8, 2018 | |
July 16, 2018 | |
July 12, 2018 | |
June 1, 2018 | |
May 31, 2018 | |
May 26, 2018 | Field Trip to Hinkson Creek Nature Preserve and Big Sky Nature Preserve |
May 22, 2018 | [Of Interest] CoMO Public Workshop on the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan |
May 19, 2018 | |
May 16, 2018 | |
May 8, 2018 | Field Trip: Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-wills-widows at Rocky Fork Lakes CA |
May 6, 2018 | |
May 1, 2018 | |
April 29, 2018 | Beginning Birder Event: Guided bird walks at the 3M wetlands |
April 28, 2018 | |
April 21, 2018 | |
April 18, 2018 | April Meeting: Sharing the Magic of Nature at the Prairie Garden Trust |
April 14, 2018 | |
April 7, 2018 | |
March 31, 2018 | |
March 25, 2018 | |
March 21, 2018 | March Meeting: Book Discussion of The Genius of Birds, by Jennifer Ackerman |
March 17, 2018 | |
March 8, 2018 | |
March 3, 2018 | |
February 24, 2018 | |
February 17, 2018 | |
February 10, 2018 | |
February 3, 2018 | |
January 27, 2018 | |
January 17, 2018 | January CAS Meeting: Presentation by Sarah Kendrick (State Ornithologist for MDC) |
January 6, 2018 | |
January 1, 2018 | |
December 16, 2017 | |
December 16, 2017 | |
December 2, 2017 | |
December 2, 2017 | |
November 19, 2017 | |
November 18, 2017 | |
November 15, 2017 | |
November 11, 2017 | |
November 4, 2017 | |
October 28, 2017 |