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.

Join us for this walk at the Homer Lake Forest Preserve and participate in the CCAS Spring Bird-a-thon! This event helps raise money for CCAS and helps the Champaign County Forest Preserve District take inventory of the bird species occurring at their sites.  Migration will be in full swing and we should see plenty of songbirds, raptors, waders, and other fun surprises at this excellent CCFPD hotspot near Homer, IL  in southeast Champaign County!

You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people.  Use this link to sign up:  https://forms.gle/8AhHpyQaym1eLUos6

Leader: Brock Price and Mariska Harshbarger; Please contact Mariska with any questions - mariskaharshbarger@gmail.com

The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.  We will carpool between areas we want to bird. 

This trip can be a bit muddy at times and we will be walking primarily on wood chip and grass paths.  Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.  

Please bring binoculars if you have them.  We will have some pairs to loan.

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.

Join us for a walk at Heritage Park and Kaufman Lake, adjoining parks in the city of Champaign, and participate in the CCAS Spring Bird-a-thon! This event helps raise money for CCAS and helps the parks departments take inventory of the bird species occurring at their sites.  Migration will be in full swing and we should see plenty of songbirds, raptors, waders, and other fun surprises at these two excellent Champaign Park District hotspots!

You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people.  Use this link to sign up: https://forms.gle/8NZpg9dWENLsJVyi9

Leader: aerin tedesco; please email aerin at aerintedesco@gmail.com if you have questions, or have signed up but cannot make it after all.

We will mainly be on paved paths but may need to walk on gravel paths or grass at some point.  

Please bring binoculars if you have them.  We will have some pairs to loan.

The meeting spot will be emailed to participants. 

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.

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.

2024 Kendeigh Research Grant recipient Moshood Ayinde

Join us on Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5739591018?pwd=T3UwUmYvbU1sNUlqS2JCRUVVT1A4dz09&omn=83470107381
Meeting ID: 573 959 1018
Passcode: 812899

Overview

American Robins are a common host for West Nile Virus (WNV). Our speaker will describe WNV dynamics within American Robin populations in Illinois, comparing infection rates between urban and rural environments. The question of how urbanization affects West Nile Virus transmission will be discussed. Results indicate higher WNV prevalence in urban robins, offering insights into the role of urbanization in WNV transmission and potential implications for public health management and highlighting the need for further research on urban WNV ecology.

About Our Speaker

Moshood Ayinde is a Master's student in biology at Western Illinois University, specializing in the ecology of vector-borne diseases. His research focuses on West Nile Virus dynamics, particularly in American Robin populations. He combines ecological insights with public health approaches to mitigate disease risks.

About Our Monthly Programs

Guest speakers present on a variety of topics throughout the year. Programs are typically held in the Urbana Free Library auditorium on the first Thursday of the month (no programs in January, June, July, or August).

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.

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.

Join CCAS’s Field Trip Chair aerin tedesco at this absolute gem of a birding hot spot in Champaign County!  Middle Fork River Forest Preserve includes Point Pleasant Wetland as well as two excellent waterfowl and shorebird viewing areas.  We'll also see plenty of songbirds, waders and raptors.  

This trip can be a bit muddy at times.  Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Please bring binoculars and a scope if you have one.

Leader: aerin tedesco. Please email aerin at aerintedesco@gmail.com if you have questions or cannot make it after signing up.

You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people.  Use this link to sign up:
https://forms.gle/ANsHpNZBzJ96nveE7

Middle Fork River Forest Preserve is located in Penfield in the northeast corner of Champaign County. 

The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.  We will carpool between areas we want to bird. 

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.

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.

Join CCAS at one of the best parks for birding in Urbana!  We will get a chance to see some early migratory birds and some local favorites, too. 

You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 10 people. Use this link to sign up:
https://forms.gle/9z88fCX5V27Y3LD66

Leader: Kyleigh Godsey. Please email Kyleigh at ktgodsey@illinois.edu if you have questions. Please email CCAS Field Trip Chair aerin tedesco at aerintedesco@gmail.com if you cannot make it after signing up.

The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.  

Paths may be wet and/or muddy so please wear boots or footwear that can get wet/dirty. 

Please bring binoculars if you have them.  We will have some pairs to loan.

Join CCFPD on Saturday, April 26, at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve for a special event celebrating International Dark Sky Week!

Enjoy a public observing session in collaboration with the Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society, where members will share their telescopes with the public after discussing the importance of dark skies and minimizing light pollution.

Arrive at 7:30 PM if you want to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiling CCFPD’s new Dark Sky Trails, featuring an observatory, hammock stands, and concrete spaces for telescopes.

If you have any questions, feel free to email Chelsea at cprahl@ccfpd.org.

Details, including about parking: https://www.champaignforests.org/events/details/international-dark-sky-celebration-2025

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.

Saturday, April 12 is the Annual Midwest Crane Count, and Stephenson County has over 12 sites that are monitored each year as part of the Crane Count.

Participants are on site from 5:30 to 7:30 AM to listen and watch for cranes. It is a great way to participate in a citizen science project and enjoy the early morning sights and sounds. Experienced and blossoming birders are encouraged to participate. No experience with crane counting is necessary! If you are new to the Crane Count, you will be partnered with an experienced counter who can help you to learn more about cranes.

Notify Teresa Smith at 815-238-3963 by April 3 if you are interested in participating in this event.

Details: https://nwilbirdnaturealliance.org/events/annual-midwest-crane-count-784/

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.

2024 Kendeigh Research Grant recipient Dave Edlund

Overview

The Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus), like other species of aerial insectivores, has experienced drastic population declines. Many studies focus on the species’ breeding season, but few investigate overwintering, likely due to the difficulty of conducting research in Central America. Whip-poor-wills also overwinter in Florida; however, no research has been done in the state. To bridge this knowledge gap, I am conducting point-counts, fecal collection, habitat surveys, and insect monitoring to better understand the Whip-poor-will’s overwintering ecology in Florida. Furthermore, these birds will be tagged with archival GPS tags, allowing us to track their migration and breeding locations.

About Our Speaker

Dave Edlund is an MS student advised by Dr. Michael Ward at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He received a BS in natural resources and environmental science at UIUC in 2022. For his master’s research, he is investigating the wintering ecology and migration of Eastern Whip-poor-wills in Florida. Dave is broadly interested in wildlife conservation and management. In his spare time, Dave likes to photograph wildlife (mostly birds) and spend time with his cat Jasmine.

About Our Monthly Programs

Guest speakers present on a variety of topics throughout the year. Programs are typically held in the Urbana Free Library auditorium on the first Thursday of the month (no programs in January, June, July, or August).

Admire one of the prairie’s harbingers of spring, the pasque flower. Unlike the crocus it resembles, a pasque flower, Anemone patens, is a member of the buttercup family. In early spring the plant sends up a flower stalk in advance of leaves so what you see are delicate pale violet blooms nestled in the muted tan tangle of last year’s prairie grasses.

Come and see how Pasque Flower blooms actually move to track the sun. The Freeport Prairie is an Illinois Nature Preserve located on Freeport’s south side.

Details: https://nwilbirdnaturealliance.org/events/field-trip-blooming-pasque-flowers-at-the-freeport-prairie-669

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.

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.

Our friends at the Urbana Park District are also hosting a free Woodcock Walk at Meadowbrook Park!

Click this link to learn more.

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.

Join CCAS on an evening hike to observe the spectacular mating dance of the elusive American Woodcock. All experience levels are welcome on this twilight adventure.

You must RSVP in advance! Limit: 8 people. Use this link to sign up:
https://forms.gle/K4PNhbiakmKzTafc7

Leader: Mariska Harshbarger.  Please email Mariska at mariskaharshbarger@gmail.com if you have questions or if you cannot make it after signing up.

The meeting spot will be emailed to participants.  

Please dress appropriately for the weather with multiple layers as temperatures can drop rapidly after sunset.

Please bring binoculars if you have them. Loaner binoculars will be available.

Trails are unpaved, often muddy and wet, so sturdy, waterproof footwear is strongly recommended.

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.