Birding Site Guide to Hi Lonesome Prairie CA Printable Site Guide HI LONESOME PRAIRIE CONSERVATION AREA Marge Lumpe 655 acres Benton Co. DeLorme 36, H-3 MDC owned; for information call:660-530-5500 Directions: One mile west of Cole Camp on Hwy. 52, then go 0.5 mile north on Klink Avenue. From Sedalia, go south on US 65, then east on Hi Lonesome Rd., or continue to Hwy. 52 to Klink Ave. When to Visit/Species to Expect: Spring, summer and winter are all excellent times to visit. Fall is a little less productive. Birding can be done by car along the roads Klink Ave., Hi Lonesome Rd., Lumpee Ave., and Cemetery Rd., and from the two parking areas. There are no designated trails, but birders may wander paths as they wish. The Species to expect are the full suite of grassland birds including Henslow's, Grasshopper, Savannah, Field, and American Tree Sparrows in the appropriate season. Summer species include Upland Sandpiper, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo, Horned Larks, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Common Yellowthroat, and American Goldfinch. Late fall and winter birding brings the possibility of seeing both Meadowlark species, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, and American Kestrel. In winter there are sometimes numbers of Short-eared Owls. Features of interest to birders: This native prairie grass area has been designated by Missouri Audubon as an Important Bird Area, as it supports a number of grassland species including Henslow's Sparrow. This area is a remnant of a once vast prairie ecosystem that provides habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals. The Greater Prairie-Chicken could once be found here in good numbers, but they not in recent years. Efforts are being made to restore enough habitat for their return. Toilets: None Camping: None Hazards/Limitations: None noted, but check for location of grazing cattle. Prescribed burns are also used to maintain the grasslands Nearby Birding Sites: Mora Prairie CA, Paintbrush Prairie, Drover's Prairie, Ionia Ridge CA, and Truman SP. Truman Lake is 20 minutes away, near Warsaw, for waterbirds.