Birding for fun, as art and science.

Come to the CBC Fall Meeting!
Aiken, South Carolina — September 24–26, 2010

Time to register for the Fall CBC meeting in Aiken, SC—it's coming up soon! We have 20 field trips to choose from, to the top spots in the Aiken and Augusta areas.

Map — Field Trips — Registration Form

Carolina Bird Club

Club News

Come “get wild” on North Carolina's Outer Banks! The Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival, a six-day celebration of the wild side of the Outer Banks region of North Carolina, is set for Nov. 9 through 14, 2010. The festival includes a wide variety of programs designed for history enthusiasts, nature lovers, paddlers—and this year—an increased number of photography programs to be taught by professionals. Classes have been designed for both the skilled and not-so-practiced, as well as some programs for children and/or families.

The Carolina Bird Club is a sponsor of Wings Over Water.

Huntington Beach State Park —September 11–12, 2010 Huntington Beach State Park is one of the premier birding sites in SC. Join us to visit the varied habitats in the park.

Enjoy a pictorial report on the recent CBC Bonus Trip Whooping Cranes & More On the Central Texas Coast.

Winston-Salem, NC Spring Meeting 2010: CBC members and guests enjoyed a weekend of great weather (for once!) and great birding in the Winston-Salem area, with a total of 127 species seen. Thanks to Lucy Quintilliano and Ron Clark for organizing the meeting. Besides enjoying a selection of 31 field trips to 14 different destinations, participants learned to draw birds at the Friday evening program, and had a chance to become “Well-equipped Birders” at the equipment and technology exposition Saturday evening.

Birders on pier at Atlantic Beach, NC, Jan. 31, 2010, very cold, gray, windy morning.

Photo: Birders on a pier at Atlantic Beach, NC, Jan. 31, 2010, a very cold, gray, windy morning. Photo by Ron Underwood.

Atlantic Beach, NC Winter Meeting 2010: Lena Gallitano and John Fussell put together another outstanding meeting, covering all the bases except weather. Saturday field trips were largely disrupted by high winds, cold rain, and a winter weather advisory, declared the “worst weather ever for a CBC meeting”. Hundreds of Razorbills flying past a sheltered observation point at the hotel helped make up for it, and for the weekend an excellent total of 159 species were observed. Presentations by Rodney Kemp and Lynn Barber, along with an excellent buffet dinner, rounded out the weekend.

Hickory, NC Fall Meeting A good turnout of birders from the Carolinas and beyond weathered a rainy weekend in the foothills and mountains, and observed 118 bird species.

Photo: Birders visiting the Wagner property at the Hickory meeting. Photo by Ron Underwood.

Chat searchable database: There is a wealth of information about the birds of the Carolinas published in The Chat, and as another step toward making it more accessible, a searchable database covering all of the Briefs for the Files and Bird Records Committee reports from volumes 51–70 (years 1987–2006) of The Chat is now available. When was a Red-necked Stint last seen? Little Stint? Have we ever had a good year for Evening Grosbeaks? Find the answers quickly here.

NC Birding Trail Mountain Guide is now available!

The last of three Trail Guides to cover the state, the Mountain edition joins the previously released Coastal Plain and Piedmont Trail Guides. Each spiral bound guide includes color photos, detailed maps, site overviews, logistical information, and lists special interest species for each location. Birders can visit sites individually or string together numerous "birding drives" that take in multiple sites.

The books can be ordered at the discount price of $10 per copy (shipping included) at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's "NC Wild" online store.

For more information on the NC Birding Trail, visit www.ncbirdingtrail.org.

(The CBC is a Partner with the NC Birding Trail.)

Cumulative Chat index: There is a wealth of information about the birds of the Carolinas published in The Chat, and as another step toward making it more accessible, a 20-year index to The Chat, covering volumes 51–70, years 1987–2006 is now available.

The CBC's Birds of the Carolinas Research & Programming Grants program is again active. Funds are available to support student research concerning North and/or South Carolina birds or secondary school programming designed to promote an interest by students in birds.

Birding North Carolina, the long-awaited guide to birding sites in the state, has now been published. Edited by Marshall Brooks and Mark Johns, this book features the best birding sites in North Carolina as chosen and described by the members of the Carolina Bird Club. The book is available from Globe Pequot Press.

Birding North Carolina was undertaken by the Carolina Bird Club for two purposes: to promote birding in North Carolina and to make birding more accessible to all skill levels of birders by providing information regarding the wonderful birding opportunities that we have in our state; and to further bird conservation by dedicating the income from the guide to bird conservation projects. Proceeds will go into a special account of the Carolina Bird Club to be used to support and further bird conservation projects in the state.

There are so many birding locations in North Carolina that not all of them could be included in the printed book. Descriptions of an additional 44 locations are published exclusively on this web site. Click on "Birding Sites: North Carolina" in the frame at left.

The Carolina Bird Club is a non-profit organization which represents and supports the birding community in the Carolinas through its official website, publications, meetings, workshops, trips, and partnerships, whose mission is

To promote the observation, enjoyment, and study of birds.
To provide opportunities for birders to become acquainted, and to share information and experience.
To maintain well-documented records of birds in the Carolinas.
To support the protection and conservation of birds and their habitats and foster an appreciation and respect of natural resources.
To promote educational opportunities in bird and nature study.
To support research on birds of the Carolinas and their habitats.

Membership is open to those interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, particularly birds. Is that you? Then join the club.

The Club meets three times a year (Spring, Fall, and Winter) at different locations in North or South Carolina, or occasionally in neighboring states.