‘Tis the season for Mother Nature to decorate the skies, trees and brush with vibrant color – as the most vivid songbirds – neotropical migrants – return from their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Although May 14 is the official World Migratory Bird Day, the whole month is the sweet spot for birding in Callaway County. 

Dawn is often the best viewing time, so start out early in the morning with a bike or hike on the Katy Trail or Fulton’s Stinson Creek Trail.  Psst: If trail rides are more your thing, the section of Katy Trail between Portland and Tebbetts  is one of only two equestrian-friendly segments on the trail.

After you’ve worked up an appetite, drop off the trail at the Landing Zone restaurant at Jefferson City Memorial Airport for an incredible breakfast . If you’ve landed at the north Jefferson City trailhead closer to lunch time, the blufftop view at Canterbury Hill Winery and Restaurant in Holts Summit gives you a bird’s eye view of the river valley.

Call ahead for an appointment for a massage at Wild + Well Studio in Fulton – because by afternoon, you may need relief from what birders call “warbler neck” from watching the vividly colored warblers bouncing from branch to branch in the tops of the trees. 

Finish your birding day at The Station in Fulton. Relax on the deck and treat yourself to one (or more) of their famous frozen cocktails that are just as colorful as the neotropical migrants – but much easier to find! If you’re traveling with kiddos, they can enjoy a colorful treat of freshly spun cotton candy from The Spot food stand right next door.

Enjoy a less intensive option for a birding experience on May 7 on the annual Bird Walk at Prairie Garden Trust in New Bloomfield. It’s only three hours (8 a.m.-11 a.m.) and is led by an excellent birder and teacher along mowed and paved paths.  Registration is required.

And there are other colorful events taking place this month in Callaway County, like a visit to another rich and vibrant time at the Central Missouri Renaissance Festival  in Kingdom City, April 30-May 1 and May 7-8.

The Brick District boasts its own riot of color as all those April showers result in May flowers bursting into bloom everywhere you look. It’s a gorgeous background for the subtle beige of Missouri’s favorite mushroom celebrated on May 7 at Morels and Microbrews.

Add some color to your May. Enjoy nature this spring – the Callaway.