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The Columbia Audubon Society is pleased to invite all birding enthusiasts to join us at the 2009 Spring Meeting of the Audubon Society of Missouri. Columbia, located where glaciated prairies meet Ozark topography, offers easy access to a variety of habitats. Registration begins at 3 p.m. Friday, at the Quality Inn (I-70 exit #126). All field trips depart from the Quality Inn. Friday activities include an afternoon field trip to Bradford and South Farms (3:30 departure), and a carry-in dinner at the Quality Inn at 7:00 p.m. Food will be provided for all attendees by Columbia Audubon Society members. The informal dinner is an opportunity for conversations with birding friends from around the state; and to enjoy two displays by Denny Donnell: his Migratory Bird Stamp collection and a celebration of Roger Tory Peterson. Bids on silent auction items can be made at this time. Saturday features a variety of field trips and a sparrow workshop, beginning at 2:00, led by our banquet speaker, Dr. James D. Rising (a Kansas City native), Professor of Zoology, University of Toronto. Jim is the author of many articles about sparrows and two sparrow field guides. We’ll gather at 4:30 to resume conversations and view and bid on auction items (bidding closes when the after- dinner program begins). The banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. Sunday morning field trips begin at 7:00 a.m. The compilation of species found is at 11:30 a.m. Meeting Schedule FRIDAY, May 1, 2009 Registration from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Quality Inn. Pick up your registration packet, maps and personal field trip schedule. Bradford Farm trip departs 3:30 p.m., returns by 7:00 p.m. Carry-in dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. SATURDAY, May 2, 2009 Prairie Garden Trust trip departs promptly at 6:15 a.m. Whetstone Creek CA trip departs at 6:30 a.m. All others depart at 7:00 a.m. Morning trips will return between 11:00 and noon to allow time for lunch before afternoon departures and start of workshop. Afternoon trips depart at 1:00 p.m. and return by 4:00 p.m. Afternoon sparrow workshop begins at 2:00 p.m. Informal time at the hotel from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. This is a time to renew friendships, view displays and bid on silent auction items. Banquet at 6:30 p.m. followed by the featured speaker, Dr. James D. Rising. SUNDAY, May 3, 2009 Morning field trips depart at 7:00 a.m. and return by 11:30 a.m. Session for compilation of species found begins at 11:30 a.m. Lodging Our meeting location and the starting point for all field trips is the Quality Inn, located on the northeast corner of the Interstate 70 and Providence Rd. interchange (exit #126). The special ASM rate of $79 for 1-2 people and $89 for 3-4 people is available only if the reservation is made by April 15th and the ASM meeting is noted while making the reservation by phone. Call 573-449-2491. A hot breakfast buffet is included in this room rate. Other nearby motels include: Comfort Suites (1010 Bus. Loop 70 E) 573-443-0991 Motel 6 (3402 Interstate 70 Dr. SE) 573-815-0123 Super 8 Motel (3216 Clark Ln.) 573-474-8488 Travelodge (900 Vandiver Dr.) 573-449-1065 Camping Finger Lakes State Park, 9 miles north of Columbia on US 63, has 19 basic and 16 electric sites. Services include reservable campsites, a dump station, showers and water. For reservations, there is a required two-night minimum stay for weekends. Park gates close at 10 p.m. Campers must arrive prior to gate closure time. For reservations, see http://www.mostateparks.com or call 1-866-568-9776. Pine Ridge Recreation Area is about 20 miles from the Quality Inn, east on I-70, south on US 63 and east on Rt Y (a.k.a. Meadowmere Dr.) There are six single sites and two group sites. Tables, pedestal grills, fire rings, drinking water, and a vault toilet are available. Two spurs offer adequate space for trailers, but no hook-ups for water, electricity, or sewage.
FIELD TRIPS AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON WORKSHOP Participants must pre-register for field trips and the workshop. We will limit the number in each group to ensure a quality experience. Some locations are large enough to accommodate multiple groups. Field trip and workshop registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. You are encouraged to register early. All field trips depart from the Quality Inn parking lot. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. Bring water and snacks, and an FRS radio if you have one. For those on half-day trips, lunch is on your own. Grab a friend or two and try one of Columbia’s many eateries. All-day trip groups will eat in a cafe near the birding, or individuals may brown bag it. Trip leaders will have coolers. FIELD TRIP DESCRIPTIONS Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building. The tour includes viewing of bird skins, wildlife exhibits and the waterfowl collection. Thomas S. Baskett Wildlife Research Area. University-owned, this area is mostly upland forest with ridgetops attractive to neotropical migrants. Nearby Cedar Creek bottomland allows birders to round out a day’s list with additional species. Bear Creek Trail. The city hiking/biking trail features edge habitat and a productive riparian corridor. It leads to the city’s former sewage treatment area and contains dense stands of cattails where Green Heron, Marsh Wren and Sora have been found. Bird Banding. Participants will observe a mist net and banding operation in an up-close, personal experience with birds in the hand. Bradford and South Farms. These University of Missouri agricultural research areas include pasture, crop plots, and ponds. Raptors and grassland species are to be expected. Eagle Bluffs CA, Katy Trail SP, Columbia Wastewater Units. The wetlands and pools of Eagle Bluffs feature waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors. Migrants will be found on the riverside woodland trail. The Katy Trail follows the bluff line/bottoms interface that is attractive to neotropical migrants. The wastewater cells are marsh-like habitat. Little Dixie Lake CA. The 733-acre area includes the lake, woodland and grassland. Parking areas, paths and trails offer opportunities to look for waterfowl, neotropic migrants and sparrows. North Boone County sites. This is a potpouri of sites with lakes, ponds, woods, grasslands and reclaimed strip mine land. Final selection of sites will depend on conditions and recent sightings. Possible sites are Finger Lakes SP, Rocky Fork Lakes CA, Tri-City Lake, Lick Creek CA. Prairie Garden Trust (private land) in southern Callaway County. This full-day trip leaves at 6:15 a.m. The PGT tour will be the morning activity. It is a feast for the eyes--native plants, wildflowers, prairie, savannah, small lakes, woodlands, and of course, birds. Additional sites (to be announced) will be visited in the afternoon. Raptor Rehabilitation Center. Learn about the rehabilitation of injured raptors and visit resident birds unable to return to the wild. This is a project of the UMC College of Veterinary Medicine with support from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Rock Bridge Memorial SP. This state park just south of Columbia includes a diversity of habitats along a network of trails. Among them are riparian corridors, limestone bluffs, forested hillsides, Karst topography and grasslands. A broad variety of species can be expected. Three Creeks CA. This area has features similar to Rock Bridge, with the advantage of fewer non-birders present. There are three permanent streams, wet woods, large forb fields and some stands of pine on Karst topography. Hiking effort will range from easy to moderate. Whetstone Creek CA. This 5,000-acre area consists of forest, savanna and grassland, several small lakes and ponds. Much of the birding will be from the car, with short walks to reach some features. A wide variety of species can be expected. Wildhaven Nature Area and Albert Children’s Area. These are owned and managed by the Columbia Audubon Society. They feature a reclaimed strip mine, woodlands, grasslands, native plantings and a butterfly garden.
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