About the Club

Mission Statement

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


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The Carolina Bird Club, Inc., is a non-profit educational and scientific association open to anyone interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, particularly birds.

The Club meets each winter, spring, and fall at different locations in the Carolinas. Meeting sites are selected to give participants an opportunity to see many different kinds of birds. Guided field trips and informative programs are combined for an exciting weekend of meeting with people who share an enthusiasm and concern for birds.

The Club offers research grants in avian biology for undergraduate and graduate students, and scholarships for young birders.

The Club publishes two print publications (now also available online). The Chat is a quarterly ornithological journal that contains scientific articles, reports of bird records committees and bird counts, and general field notes on bird sightings. CBC Newsletter is published bimonthly and includes birding articles and information about meetings, field trips, and Club news.

The Club provides this website to all for free.

By becoming a member, you support the activities of the Club, receive reduced registration fee for meetings, can participate in bonus field trips, and receive our publications.

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CBC Bonus Trip to Florida April 21–29, 2012

South Florida is the only truly tropical region in the entire mainland United States. It has mangroves, manatees, bromeliads, and crocodiles. But most of all it has birds, many of them found nowhere else in the country.

North of Fort Lauderdale we'll see breeding Least Bittern, Limpkin, Purple Gallinule and more at Wakodahatchee Wetlands. Near Miami we'll look for Red-whiskered Bulbul, Monk Parakeet, and Spot-breasted Oriole. The agricultural lands and swamps around Lake Okeechobee are great for Sandhill Crane, Crested Caracara, Short-tailed Hawk, and Florida Scrub-Jay. South of Naples, we'll look for Burrowing Owl, Mangrove Cuckoo, Reddish Egret and Snowy Plover on the Gulf Coast. The Everglades are famous for the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, Roseate Spoonbill, Snail Kite, Gray Kingbird, and White-crowned Pigeon. We may even see Greater Flamingo and Shiny Cowbird. Our last major destination is the Florida Keys to look for Magnificent Frigatebird, Black-whiskered Vireo and Antillean Nighthawk. We'll also search for Common Ground-Dove, Painted Bunting, and a host of migrant warblers. Our day on Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas will be nothing short of spectacular, from the Sooty Tern and Brown Noddy breeding colony, to the host of migrant warblers, buntings, and other songbirds. And a West Indian vagrant, perhaps a Key West Quail-Dove or La Sagra's Flycatcher, may be around the next bend in the trail.

Logistics:

This bonus trip begins and ends in Fort Lauderdale.

Attendance is limited to 10 people plus the leaders. The trip is full and signup is now wait-list only.

Trip price of $850.00 includes lodging, group vehicles (2), entrance fees, and guide service. A single supplement in the amount of $250 is required of those who do not wish, or are unable to, share a room. Participants are responsible for the cost of their transport to and from Florida and all meals, as well as items of a personal nature.

Note that visiting the Dry Tortugas requires a 70-mile boat ride in each direction. Inclement weather or adverse sea conditions could preclude visiting the Tortugas, although weather is generally favorable during late April

An initial deposit of $300.00 is due with your registration form to ensure a seat on this trip, and final payment is due by March 31, 2012. Participants may receive a full refund for cancellation until March 31, 2012. After this date refunds can only be made if someone can fill your seat.

Trip leaders are Bruce Smithson and Stacy Smaltz.

Here are some photos that were taken on this trip:

Gray Kingbird. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Mottled Duck. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Limpkin. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Tricolored Heron. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Least Bittern. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Florida Scrub Jay. Photo by Bruce Smithson.

Burrowing Owl. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Great Blue Heron White Morph. Photo by Merrill Lester.

CBC group at TigerTail Beach. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Mangrove Cuckoo. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Mangrove Cuckoo. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Shiny Cowbird. Photo by Bruce Smithson.

American Crocodile. Photo by Bruce Smithson.

Barred Owl Fledgling. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Purple Gallinule. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Red-whiskered Bulbul. Photo by Bruce Smithson.

CBC group in Miami. Photo by Bruce Smithson.

Mitred Parakeet. Photo by Merrill Lester.jpg

Magnificent Frigatebird female. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Brown Noddy. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Magnificent Frigatebird male. Photo by Merrill Lester.

Antillean Nighthawk. Photo by Bruce Smithson