In this issue:

• Note from the President
• CAS Dark Sky Efforts Underway
• Upcoming Free Events at Songbird Station
• Great Backyard Bird Count Feeder Crawl Report
• Draft February Meeting Minutes
• The Nominating Committee Wants YOU!
• Background on a Growing Issue at Gans Creek Recreational Area
• Note from the President
• Article with CAS Representing on the Big Business of Birding
• Upcoming Events

Sun. Mar. 1, 2026

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann

On Thursday, February 26, I hope you were able to join us to hear about the Forest Park Owls with Mark Glenshaw. We had over 80 folks join us to hear

about Mark’s experiences following the owls for the past 21 years. They are fascinating creatures. It was fun to see his videos and pictures over the years of Charles and his many partners. There is certainly something special about following a wild creature through its life. It was so impressive that Mark can identify individual owls after hearing their calls. Wow. I thought I was doing well just to know it’s a Great-horned! It is certainly what makes birding a fascinating hobby/career…there is always another level to learn. After Mark’s talk we shared yummy owl cookies by Lottie and Eric Seaman and other snacks provided by members. What a wonderful evening.

I hope you are ready for spring, because it’s coming! On my walk this week at the 3M Wetlands, I witnessed red-shouldered hawks working on their nest. Such a treat to watch one break the branch and then fly up to the nest to add it. The next day I witnessed the pair copulating…a sure sign of spring. The eagle there is on the nest and has been for weeks. The pileated and red-headed woodpeckers are working hard on nest holes…if you join me for a First Friday walk, I’ll share the location with you! And I had a pair of wood ducks that I haven’t seen since September. They’ve often chosen 3M as their nesting site, and I’m hopeful they will again this year.

I hope that you have been able to get out and enjoy the birds in your yard or on your favorite spot. There is a certain comfort when the natural world follows patterns that we know and enjoy. I feel so lucky to have found birds and enjoy the connection they give me to nature.

CAS volunteers have been busy planning a spring full of birding and bird-related opportunities for our members! I hope you’ll join us for a field trip this spring to listen for American Woodcocks or visit the Heron Rookery at Gans Creek. We’ll also be visiting the Alspaugh property in northern Boone County. If not a field trip, perhaps you’ll attend one of our meetings. We’ll be learning from Tim Scherrer about Missouri’s role in training pigeons and pigeoneers in WWII at our March meeting and in April from Sarah Kendrick about the tracking of migratory songbirds and how it informs conservation actions. Both these meetings should be interesting and informative. If social events are more your style we’ll be hosting a potluck on May 10^th at Bonnie View with hikes at CANS. Expect to see more Birds and Brews events on the spring schedule.

It’s been a long winter, but spring is truly just around the corner. Hope to see you at a CAS event!

 

Sun. Mar. 1, 2026

CAS Dark Sky Efforts Underway

by Allison Vaughn

Last month, we mentioned that CAS has a Dark Sky Subcommittee and our primary efforts include securing Urban Night Sky Place certification for Rock Bridge Memorial SP and educating citizens about the importance of dark skies for wildlife, especially birds. We are pleased to announce that on February 26, we submitted a Preapplication for the certification of Rock Bridge Memorial to the Dark Sky International staff. We’re actually ahead of the game as we have partnered with a Missouri Master Naturalist, Jarrett Whitstance, who has been taking night sky quality readings for over a year now. We also have a Luxe Meter to read the measurements of light pollution from  artificial lights at the park. So, we’re ahead of the curve but we still have a long way to go!

Hopefully many of you have attended Dr. Vayu Gokhale’s illuminating presentations on not only the importance of dark skies at night, but also small steps individuals can take to help prevent light pollution at home. Dr. Gokhale is a Physics professor at Truman State University (and really loves coming to Columbia) and was pleased to return to Columbia for a talk with CAS following his talk the previous year at the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Conference. Since Dr. Gokhale’s affiliate organization, DarkSky Missouri, has hit the ground running on educating the public of dark skies, DarkSky Missouri has been the recipient of two Community Conservation grants offered by MoBCI, which certainly highlights the importance of this issue in the birding community.

The CAS Dark Sky Subcommittee has reached out to the Office of Sustainability who regularly posts “Lights Out!” notices in the monthly city newsletter (included in electric bills) and on the OOS Facebook page, mainly during spring and fall migration. We have alerted the office of Dark Sky Awareness week, to be held April 13-20, and have encouraged them to run an article in the April newsletter. They seem receptive to the idea, so don’t toss that April newsletter in the recycling without reading it!

But what can individuals do to remove artificial light at night (a.k.a. ALAN)? If you’ve ever traveled to birding resorts in Arizona, especially in Portal and outside of Tucson (which is an official Dark Sky Community), you may have encountered the use of little nightlights in your cabin, warm bulbs for any outdoor lighting, and instruction to turn off the porch light. There are wonderful four packs of LED nightlights that are very affordable and energy efficient. We have used these for years to avoid having to leave a light on to see indoors at night, and I travel with one for hotel rooms. Conservation Chair Bill Mees made a big switch recently of changing his outdoor lights to warmer lights with lower lumens. This is a simple switch we can all make to outdoor lighting if it must stay on, though motion sensors are preferred, but warm lightbulbs are preferred for lower light pollution. The Mees’ have begun using the 5000K lightbulbs indoors and switched all of their outdoor lights to 2700K with no appreciable difference to human vision but a good deal for wildlife. Look on the label for anything lower than 3000K. Bill highlighted this information on his bulb box to share with you. For more Dark Sky resources and what YOU can do to promote dark skies at night, visit https://darkskymissouri.org/

Look for this information on lightbulb boxes for outdoor lighting.

Sun. Mar. 1, 2026

Upcoming Free Events at Songbird Station

by Songbird Station Staff

Our partners at Songbird Station cordially invite Columbia Audubon and the public to a series of free seminars throughout the season: 

Nest Box 101 Seminar

March 14^th  10 am

Learn how to make your yard a perfect nesting site for Eastern Bluebirds, wrens, Purple Martins, Wood Ducks, and more.

Attract Hummingbirds, Orioles, and More Seminar

April 11^th 10 am

Tips and tricks to use this spring to make your yard a must stop for all your favorite songbirds.

Attract Spring Arrivals with Native Plants Seminar

April 25^th  10 am

Learn which native plants are the best to use to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, songbirds and more to your yard. Bird Man Mel will stay after to help you pick exactly the plants that will fit your type of soil, location, and desired species to attract.

Sun. Mar. 1, 2026

Great Backyard Bird Count Feeder Crawl Report

by Lottie Bushmann

On Sunday, Feb. 15^th CAS hosted our Great Backyard Bird Count feeder crawl. It was a great success as 12 folks visited 5 different yards. Hosted by myself and Emma Buckingham, our morning started off at the first yard with a Brown Creeper that visits suet that is tied to a tree trunk. He was there as promised (when does THAT ever happen?). We got great views. Then onto a yard where the bluebirds thought it was spring—in their defense it was 60 degrees out—and we counted a whopping 23 species in just 20 minutes. Then onto a yard that had 4 Wild Turkeys on a back patio just a few feet from the windows. It was the closest views many of us had ever had. What a gorgeous bird. At our next yard we had a soaring red-shouldered hawk up in the air with a red-tailed hawk. It was a great opportunity to compare and see differences and how to identify them in flight. Our last yard had 3 Pileated Woodpeckers that gave everyone fairly close, nice views. They were very vocal and put on a nice show. As folks were leaving to go home, we had a visit from 3 Red tailed Hawks soaring with 3 Black Vultures. Again, they gave us great views to study their differences and how to identify them. It was a lovely morning spent with some lovely folks seeing how citizens attract birds to their yards.

 

Sun. Mar. 1, 2026

Draft February Meeting Minutes

by Vickie Park

Columbia Audubon Society Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday February 26, 2026

Boone County Electric Building

Present:  Lottie Bushmann, Vickie Park, Reed Gerdes, Eric Seaman, Greg Leonard, Shelby Thomas, Bill Mees, Lori Turner, Eric Wood, Allison Vaughn

Meeting called to order: 6:02 pm

Previous minutes:  Lori Turner moved to accept the January minutes as written. Bill Mees seconded it.  Motion carried.

Treasurer report:  Report reviewed.

Programs:  Annual spring picnic is scheduled for Sunday, May 10 at Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary. There will be a field trip prior to the picnic at CANS.

Lottie recommended creating a subcommittee for program ideas.  Everyone agreed this to be a good idea.

Education: 3 teachers are registered to attend Hog Island this summer.

A set of 20 binoculars has been purchased from Songbird Station to use for educational purposes. Songbird Station has also agreed to manage repairs.

Communications:  Allison recommended that submissions to the Chat be given to her by tomorrow Feb. 27.

Dark Sky Missouri: A preapplication to make Rock Bridge Memorial State Park a designated Urban Night Sky Place was submitted by Allison this week.

Field Trips:  Ben is doing an excellent job planning field trips. Attendance has been strong.

Nature Areas:  John Besser absent.  A workday is scheduled for Saturday February 28 to install firelines at CANS.

Membership:  Bill Mees recommended sending reminder postcards to people who have not renewed their membership.  It was suggested that we wait a bit longer to allow time for money processing before sending out reminders. Currently there are 93 members.

Conservation: Bill Mees represented CAS at the Climate Action Adaptation Plan meeting.  This plan will help guide the city council’s policy making for the next five years.

Kevin Roberson, the president of Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, joined us at the end of the meeting to make a request of the board.  That organization along with other concerned citizen groups have come together as the Gans Creek Area Protector Group with a mission to protect that delicate ecosystem from the development of mountain bike trails.  Parks and Recreation has delayed making a final decision regarding the development of bike trails until at least 2027.  The Gans Creek Area Protection Group wants to use this time to be proactive.   If the area is designated off limits to bicycle trails, they want to be in a strong position to recommend that a nature trail be created, that Invasive plants be removed and that interpretive signage be made.  They want to be able to offer up to $5000.00 to implement this plan.  They ask that CAS pledge to contribute money for this cause.   Lottie responded that the board would discuss this idea and get back to him next month.

New Business:

The Bylaws state that there be at least 3 At Large board members. There are currently 3, but there have been 4 in the past. Bill Mees recommended adding a 4^th At Large board member with the intent of creating more diversity and energy.  Eric Wood moved that a 4^th spot be created.  Lori seconded the proposal.  Motion was unanimously approved.

Meeting Adjourned:  6:54 pm

Sun. Feb. 1, 2026

The Nominating Committee Wants YOU!

by Lottie Bushmann, President

Lottie Bushmann, CAS President, has appointed a Nominating Committee composed of Lisa Schenker who is chair, Nancy Bedan, and Bill Mees.  This committee is charged with recruiting individuals who will serve on the Board of Directors of Columbia Audubon Society.  The Board is composed of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer each serving a two year term.  Also serving on the board are at least three “at large” board members each serving staggered three year terms.

The Board meets monthly September – May with occasional special meetings called by the President as circumstances require.  Members of the Board must be a member of Columbia Audubon Society and have an interest in the ongoing activities of the Society as it endeavors to fulfill its mission:  To preserve the natural world and its ecosystems focusing on birds, other wildlife, and the earth’s biological diversity through education, environmental study and habitat restoration and protection.

The Nominating Committee is inviting members of Columbia Audubon Society with an interest in serving on the Board of Directors to please contact Lisa Schenker (lisaschenker107 at gmail.com) by February 20th.  Interested members can find the CAS bylaws on the website for information about the responsibilities of the various board positions. (https://www.columbia-audubon.org/columbia-audubon-society-bylaws/)

Thank you for considering this invitation to become a more active and involved CAS member.  The nominating committee will present a slate of nominees at the March 18th CAS membership meeting.

 

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Background on a Growing Issue at Gans Creek Recreational Area

by David Diamond

Gans Creek Recreation Area Fact Sheet

1. Gans Creek Recreation Area shares a common border with Gans Creek Wild Area within Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. These public lands together form an important, core natural habitat that has been recognized by national and statewide organizations.  No other City Park land is so ecologically important based on connectivity and landscape context.
   1. The area is at the northeast edge of an Important Bird Area designated by the American Bird Conservancy and The Audubon Society.
   2. The area is within a Conservation Opportunity Area designated by Missouri Department of Conservation.
   3. Gans Creek is designated an Outstanding State Resource Water by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources immediately downstream within Gans Creek Wild Area.
2. The area contains natural features, including the creek, karst topography (cave and sinkholes), highly erodible soils, and steep slopes that are recognized as sensitive to development and disturbance by the City’s Natural Resource Inventory (2023) and Columbia Imagined (2013).
3. City plans in 2010 and 2018 included a 87.5-acre natural preservation area along Gans Creek and adjacent steep slopes, but these plans were ignored by the 2024 development plan.
4. Despite the area’s natural ecological significance and highly sensitive features, and in opposition to the City’s own 2010 and 2018 development plans, the City proposed a high density of mountain bike trails for development. Bike trails north of Gans Creek were approved for development in late 2024.  A trail south of Gans Creek was put on hold by the City Council due to advocacy of environmental groups.  That trail originally crossed Gans Creek, had switchbacks that crossed a steep upland drainage 4 times, and consisted of high density in sensitive uplands with karst features and highly erodible soils.
5. Mountain bike trail construction and use is inherently destructive to the environment compared to nature trail development, causing removal of native vegetation and increased levels of soil erosion and sedimentation of Gans Creek.
6. Development of mountain bike trails would effectively exclude other recreational users who favor a nature trail system due to competition between mountain bikers and hikers as has occurred in other communities with dual purpose trails.
7. Environmental groups propose to designate Gans Creek Nature Preserve (about 140 acres) within Gans Creek Recreation Area (about 320 acres) and limit development to uses that are compatible with the sensitive natural features, such as nature trails, and preserve and improve the core connectivity with Gans Creek Wild Area. Ecological restoration should be a focus of future management plans.

 

Tue. Apr. 1, 2025

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann

Spring has finally sprung!  I love seeing the daffodils and crocuses, along with all the buds on the trees. Bird activity has certainly picked up, and the migrants are continuing to drop in. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for another migratory season of confusing and exhilarating bird song. Every year it takes me a few times to remember the migrants from last spring, but every year it comes back a little quicker. Don’t be daunted—pull out your Merlin and start hunting. You’re sure to find a jewel among the branches.

I hope that you’ll plan to make CAS events a part of your spring. We have a very different April general meeting. It will be held at Ellis Library, adjacent to the Museum of Art and Archaeology, where Dr. Alicia Dissinger will talk to us about her research into bird imagery on ancient pottery. We can test our skills with a visit into the museum immediately after her talk. She will be here on campus for two talks, and you’re invited to both! Check out the details (including where to park) on our website and in this month’s Chat.

We have fabulous field trip birding opportunities available as well, and I hope you can join us for one or all of them. Nothing improves birding skills quite like hanging out with an expert that can zero you in on the important details to notice. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded folks and perhaps meet a new friend that you might enjoy birding with.

We had a fantastic March meeting, with Isaac Breuer sharing with us all the native plant work they have done at the A. L. Gustin golf course on the MU campus. Plans are in the works for an evening field trip to bird the golf course with Isaac. Watch the Chat next month for details.

You may have noticed a lot of emails from Audubon asking for volunteers to help with invasives control at Wild Haven. We have a young man working with us (using funds from a donation for this purpose) and more folks makes for greater coverage. Wild Haven is a jewel of a property and looking better by the day. Thanks to all who’ve participated, and I want to encourage you to check it out if you’re so inclined.

Happy Spring! Hope to see you on the trail!

 

Mon. Mar. 3, 2025

Article with CAS Representing on the Big Business of Birding

by Allison Vaughn

Here’s a nice article several CAS members contributed to last year on the economic impact of birding:

https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/industries/booming-birding-business-spurs-spending-encourages-conservation-in-missouri/article_921f6230-e8c8-11ef-a458-3314da13ea2f.html

Upcoming Events

CANS Workday-Honeysuckle Removal with Missouri Conservation Corps

Saturday, March 21, 2026 | 9:00am-12:00pm

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Saturday Afternoon Birding at Alspaugh Park

Saturday, March 28, 2026 | 1 PM

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First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

Friday, April 3, 2026 | 8:00 AM

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Shorebirds and a Social: Katy Trail and Cooper’s Landing

Saturday, April 11, 2026 | Field trip: 1 PM; Social: ~3 PM

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Columbia Audubon April Membership Meeting: Sarah Kendrick on Tracking Migratory Songbirds to Inform Conservation Action

Wednesday, April 15, 2025 | 7 PM

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Swift Night Out: A Tour of Bird-Friendly Chimneys in Downtown Columbia

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM

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First Friday Bird Hike: 3M Wetlands

Friday, May 1, 2026 | 8:00 AM

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May 2026 Potluck and Bird Walk at Bonnie View and CANS

Sunday, May 10, 2026 | Bird walk at 3:30 PM, Potluck at 5:30 PM

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