Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area

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). We’ll watch for swallows, sparrows, warblers, woodpeckers, and more. This is a great time of year to enjoy watching birds before full leaf-out starts obscuring the views. 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. 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