All Events
From guided bird walks to interactive learning sessions and meetings, the Champaign County Audubon Society offers a variety of regular events throughout the year (although we typically take off the summer!).
November Program: The Natural History of Brazil’s Pantanal: Birds and Other Animals
Overview:
Retired University of Illinois Professor Fred Delcomyn will talk about birds and other wildlife he encountered while visiting Brazil’s wetland region. View Fred Delcomyn’s spectacular photos from the world’s largest tropical wetland.
About our speaker:
Dr. Delcomyn retired as professor emeritus of the School of Integrative Biology at the university in 2008. He is a photographer, speaker, and freelance writer who lives in rural Urbana where he and his wife are involved in creating and maintaining a prairie restoration. His special interest since retirement has been nature and travel photography. You can view more of his photos at his website https://delcomyn-photo.smugmug.com/ or on Facebook at Delcomyn Photography.
Annual Sandhill Crane Migration
Join us for our annual trip to Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area to witness one of nature’s greatest spectacles: the Sandhill Crane Migration! Every fall, tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes descend on the fields of Jasper-Pulaski for their evening roost.
Check out this video for a glimpse of what to expect!
You must RSVP in advance. Submit this form to sign up: https://forms.gle/Qw2xsZQJjkVJiz3k9
Field trip leader: CCAS President Mariska Harshbarger;
Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 1:30 PM to carpool/caravan to the preserve to watch the Sandhill Cranes fly in. It is about a 2.5-hour drive from the Nature Center to Jasper-Pulaski.
Please dress for the weather. Wear layers, as it can get very cold standing still on a November day in Indiana!
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Birds and Brews
Join other local birders to shoot the breeze about birds and birding. All are welcome.
CCAS Annual Membership Meeting
CCAS Board Candidates for 2026
If you would like to be considered to serve on the CCAS Board for 2026, contact us at mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org. Voting on the slate of candidates will occur during the December member meeting. The following slate of candidates, as well as nominations from the floor, will be voted on:
President: Mariska Harshbarger
Vice President: Roger Digges
Secretary: Nancy Dietrich
Treasurer: Todd Kinney
Members-at-Large: 3 seats.
Other vacancies that serve the Board, including committee chairs, are appointed by the President with approval of the Board. CCAS aims to fill these vacancies as they become open.
We are also seeking chairs and members for Program Committee and Membership Committee as well a newsletter editor. If you are interested in serving in one of these roles or on a committee, learn more at https://www.champaigncountyaudubon.org/. To volunteer or reach out to the Board at mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
December Program: Grassland Predators and Declining Grassland Birds
Overview:
In the southern Illinois grasslands, raccoons have been identified as one of the most significant bird nest predators impacting survival and successful reproduction of grassland birds. This project tracked raccoon movement behavior in relation to habitat variables and vegetation cover within grasslands as well as the diversity and richness of vegetation, birds, and other animals to assess the complex community interactions affecting grassland bird nest abundance and success.
About our speaker:
Anahit Amiri, PhD student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will present findings from a 2024 Kendeigh Grant award funded by CCAS.
Surveying Relative Abundance and Availability of Nocturnal Insects for Aerial Insectivores
Overview:
Accurate assessment of trends in insect activity and abundance has become increasingly important in ecology as researchers on multiple continents have documented dramatic declines across insect taxa. Nocturnal groups such as moths are less visible to humans and more difficult to study; therefore less reliable estimates are available for nocturnal insect populations, pollination activity, and availability as prey. This project developed a minimally invasive and low-effort nocturnal insect monitoring device using readily accessible structural materials and ecological equipment. These results will be useful to future researchers interested in monitoring nocturnal insect abundance by providing temporally precise data while limiting environmental impact of sampling and reducing labor needed for sampling.
About our speaker:
Grant Witynski, PhD student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will present findings from a 2024 Kendeigh Grant award funded by CCAS.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
CCAS Insect Collection Tour
Take a tour of the Illinois Natural History Survey’s insect collection, led by Michelle Kohler. This visit will last between 30 and 60 minutes.
Insects are not just part of our natural environment. They play a key role in the lives of birds we enjoy. Did you know that 96% of all terrestrial birds are dependent on eating insects at least some point in their lives? Or that the population of insects is falling far faster than that of birds, whose decline is concerning enough?
Roger Digges, CCAS Bird of the Month blogger, has arranged this tour for CCAS. Come join us in learning more about the lives and variety of these small animals that play such an important part of our native habitats.
Leaders: Michelle Kohler and Roger Digges
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 15 people. https://forms.gle/LwkzPiq5j6GjQpgk7
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Owl Night
University of Illinois students will be presenting data on the migration and behavior of Saw-whet Owls in central Illinois. The event will feature indoor information stations, activities for kids, and outdoor demonstrations of tools used to capture and track owls. Drop in anytime during the event to learn about owl lift history, ecology, and behavior. For more info: https://www.champaignforests.org/events/details/owl-night-2025
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Birds and Brews
Join other local birders to shoot the breeze about birds and birding. All are welcome.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Weaver Park Bird Walk
Join CCAS at the best wetland habitat in Urbana! We will try to find the coveted Nelson's and LeConte's Sparrows and see plenty of other great fall sparrows and other birds in the process. We may stop before 9:30 AM if it is no longer birdy. If it is birdy, we may go a bit longer.
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people. Use this link to sign up: https://forms.gle/F775tAKvpnFUNez48
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger
Please wear warm clothes and rubber boots or shoes that can get very wet!
Please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have some pairs to loan.
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
CCAS Table at Urbana's Market at the Square
Find our table at Urbana’s Market at the Square to learn about birds, the natural areas in Champaign County and surrounding area, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved!
(And pick up some cool bird-themed coloring pages and bookmarks!)
Want to volunteer at the CCAS table? Please email CCAS Vice-President Roger Digges at rogerdigges49@gmail.com.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Weaver Park Bird Walk
Join CCAS at the best wetland habitat in Urbana! We will try to find the coveted Nelson's and LeConte's Sparrows and see plenty of other great fall sparrows and other birds in the process. We may stop before 9:30 AM if it is no longer birdy. If it is birdy, we may go a bit longer.
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people. Use this link to sign up: https://forms.gle/RWFqmNyujcx2DARZ7
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger
Please wear warm clothes and rubber boots or shoes that can get very wet!
Please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have some pairs to loan.
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Bike with a Naturalist
Join an engaging 6.7-mile bicycle tour of the trail and stop along the way to discuss local natural and cultural history. For more info, see event URL below.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Where the Whip-poor-wills Still Sing: What Shapes Habitat Use
Holly Coates, PhD student at the University of Illinois.
Overview:
Holly Coates, University of Illinois, will talk about the iconic Eastern Whip-poor-will, its loss of habitat, and effects of forest management on this bird. Join us for this CCAS monthly program.
About our speaker:
Holly Coates is a PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researching the effects of forest management on Eastern Whip-poor-wills (co-advised by Dr. Mike Ward and Dr. T. J. Benson). Originally from Pasadena, California, she completed her BS degree in wildlife, fish, and conservation biology at University of California—Davis (2016). Before starting graduate school, Holly happily spent seven years working across the US on bird conservation, including studying Wood Duck personality development in California, tracking Dusky and Greater Sage-Grouse in Nevada, and monitoring wading bird colonies in the Everglades. She is an avid birder.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
IOS Big Sit Competition
A Big Sit, similar to a Big Day, is a competition where a team of bird watchers count as many species as possible within a 24-hour period. Join other birders for the annual Illinois Big Sit Competition. For details on how to participate in this citizen science event: https://illinoisaudubon.org/illinois-big-sit/.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
CCAS Table at Urbana's Market at the Square
Find our table at Urbana’s Market at the Square to learn about birds, the natural areas in Champaign County and surrounding area, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved!
(And pick up some cool bird-themed coloring pages and bookmarks!)
Want to volunteer at the CCAS table? Please email CCAS Vice-President Roger Digges at rogerdigges49@gmail.com.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Weaver Park Bird Walk (Copy)
Join CCAS at the best wetland habitat in Urbana! We will try to find lots of fun Fall migrants. We may stop before 9:30 AM if it is no longer birdy. If it is birdy, we may go a bit longer.
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people. Use this link to sign up: https://forms.gle/F775tAKvpnFUNez48
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger
Please dress for the weather and wear rubber boots or shoes that can get very wet!
Please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have some pairs to loan.
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Bats at the Bridge
Learn about bats, their ecological importance, and what recent studies have shown about these local mammals. After a presentation indoors at the museum, walk to the covered bridge to look for roosting bats. Reps from the Illinois Bat Conservation Program will be there with special technology to detect and identify bats by their calls.
Sunday Morning Bird Walk
Our Sunday Morning Bird Walks are our most popular events! Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 AM for a free guided bird walk through either Busey Woods or Crystal Lake Park (decided on the day). All skill levels and ages are welcome (under 15 with adult).
Learn more about our Sunday Morning Bird Walks.
Monthly Program: How to Help Songbirds by Restoring Fragmented Forests
Dr. Jeff Hoover, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois
Overview:
Dr. Jeff Hoover, University of Illinois, will provide an overview of how efforts to restore fragmented bottomland forests led to increased nest survival and decreased cowbird parasitism for birds nesting in the Cache River watershed (in Illinois). Nest survival was most affected by percentage landcover in agriculture within 1 km, whereas for cowbird parasitism it was percentage of agriculture within 5 km. These results represent the merging of scientific research with conservation in action in an effort to evaluate the success of conservation efforts. In the end, these efforts provided tangible benefits to birds breeding in bottomland forests.
About our speaker:
Dr. Hoover has been studying the ecology, behavior and conservation of birds for three decades, focusing primarily on bird communities in upland and bottomland forests. He conducts a blend of basic and applied research, with an emphasis on studying behavioral ecology in birds and the response of bird communities to restoration and conservation efforts. Some areas of interest include brood parasite-host interactions, natal dispersal, and decision rules associated with breeding dispersal in adult birds. He currently holds the position of Avian Ecologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois.
Birds and Brews
Join other local birders to shoot the breeze about birds and birding. All are welcome.
CCAS Insect Collection Tour
Take a tour of the Illinois Natural History Survey’s insect collection, led by Michelle Kohler. This visit will last between 30 and 60 minutes.
Insects are not just part of our natural environment. They play a key role in the lives of birds we enjoy. Did you know that 96% of all terrestrial birds are dependent on eating insects at least some point in their lives? Or that the population of insects is falling far faster than that of birds, whose decline is concerning enough?
Roger Digges, CCAS Bird of the Month blogger, has arranged this tour for CCAS. Come join us in learning more about the lives and variety of these small animals that play such an important part of our native habitats.
Leaders: Michelle Kohler and Roger Digges
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 15 people. https://forms.gle/TGAoFb8v9aeDGsW78
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Board Meeting
The Champaign County Audubon Board meets at 7:00 PM on the third Monday of each month January – May and August – November (no meetings in June, July, and December) to discuss CCAS business and planning.
All CCAS members are welcome to attend board meetings; if you are interested in how to join, please email mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org.
Board meetings were historically held at the Champaign Public Library’s Friends Conference Room and are currently held online via Zoom.
Perkins Road Marsh Bird Walk
This is a great opportunity to explore this excellent birding spot that is not currently open to the public!
Please watch the weather and bring water with you, even if you don't think it will be that hot.
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 15 people. https://forms.gle/iMs7PW6rWCqqD8Nv9
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have some pairs to loan.
CCAS Table at Urbana's Market at the Square
Find our table at Urbana’s Market at the Square to learn about birds, the natural areas in Champaign County and surrounding area, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved!
(And pick up some cool bird-themed coloring pages and bookmarks!)
Want to volunteer at the CCAS table? Please email CCAS Vice-President Roger Digges at rogerdigges49@gmail.com.
Perkins Road Marsh Bird Walk
This is a great opportunity to explore this excellent birding spot that is not currently open to the public!
Please watch the weather and bring water with you, even if you don't think it will be that hot.
Leader: Mariska Harshbarger
You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 15 people. https://forms.gle/iMs7PW6rWCqqD8Nv9
The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.
Please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have some pairs to loan.
CCAS Table at Urbana's Market at the Square
Find our table at Urbana’s Market at the Square to learn about birds, the natural areas in Champaign County and surrounding area, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved!
(And pick up some cool bird-themed coloring pages and bookmarks!)
Want to volunteer at the CCAS table? Please email CCAS Vice-President Roger Digges at rogerdigges49@gmail.com.
Ongoing CCAS Events
-
Sunday Morning Bird Walks
Guided bird walks are held on Sunday mornings during the spring and fall migration seasons: March through May and September through October.
-
Spring Bird-a-Thon
Held each year in May, the Bird-a-Thon is our annual fundraiser. It starts the Sunday after the Illinois Spring Bird Count and lasts one week.
-
Christmas Bird Count
The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) provides a rich dataset that scientists have used to learn about trends in bird populations since 1900!