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!).

Jan
17

CCAS Field Trip: Surveying Eagles Along the Illinois River

Bald Eagle, Photo by Jeff Bryant.

Champaign County Audubon Society (CCAS) is hosting a field trip to the Illinois River to search for Bald Eagles and any other birds that might be in the area. Every year since 2018, CCAS members Roger and Cathy Digges have spent a day in early January conducting a count of Bald Eagles along the river and its backwaters between Havana and Beardstown, Illinois, for the US Army Corps of Engineers. These counts help ornithologists assess the relative health of the population of these iconic birds.

Roger will be leading our field trip, which will follow the same route and stop at the same sites that he and Cathy will survey earlier in the month. On January 17, participants will meet at the north end of the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot at 7:30 am, same place and time we leave for Sunday morning bird walks.

If winter weather interferes, we will try again on January 18 or 24. Participants will be notified of any change. To avoid disturbing the eagles and to ensure that all participants can see them, we will limit participant numbers to how many can comfortably fit into no more than three vehicles, including Roger’s (which seats 4, including him).

Two other participants are needed to volunteer to drive. Vehicles should have a higher clearance (SUV height or higher) and all-wheel drive. There may be snowy, icy, or muddy areas and uneven gravel roads although most of the route is paved.

The search for eagles will begin in Havana, Illinois, which is about 100 miles from Urbana, and drivers should plan on driving an additional 110 miles along our route. We will lunch at Beardstown. There will be an opportunity to gas up if necessary before we leave Havana on our way home. We should return to the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot around 4:30 pm.

Depending on the amount of ice on the river and other factors, based on Roger and Cathy’s counts, we can expect between 8 and 49 bald eagles on the route. The 2024 count was 29. In addition to bald eagles, we may see tundra swans, greater white-fronted and snow geese, northern harriers, owls, ruddy ducks, and even a golden eagle.

If you would like to volunteer to be a driver, please contact Roger at rogerdigges49@gmail.com.

CCAS will post a link to register for the trip on our website. Bring binoculars if you have them- (a spotting scope would be helpful). CCAS will provide binoculars for those who need them.

 

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Jan
19
Board Meetings

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.

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Feb
5
Monthly Programs

Surveying Relative Abundance and Availability of Nocturnal Insects for Aerial Insectivores

  • Robeson Pavilion C, Champaign Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

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.

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Feb
16
Board Meetings

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.

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Mar
16
Board Meetings

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.

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Apr
20
Board Meetings

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.

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May
18
Board Meetings

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.

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Sep
21
Board Meetings

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.

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Oct
19
Board Meetings

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.

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Nov
16
Board Meetings

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.

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Dec
6
Weaver Park Bird Walks

River Bend Forest Preserve Bird Walk

Join CCAS at one of the best waterfowl hotspots in Champaign County. 

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! Dress in layers and remember it can get really cold standing in one spot on a damp November day!

Please bring a scope if you have one. The trip leader will have one scope, but the more the merrier! Please bring binoculars if you have them.  We will have some pairs to loan.

Please meet in the main parking lot at River Bend Forest Preserve. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wodwy3bftnzsFUZ37

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Dec
4
Monthly Programs

December Program: How Can We Help Declining Grassland Birds?

  • Robeson Pavilion C, Champaign Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Hear a presentation by Anahit Amiri, a 2024 Kendeigh Grant awardee, about her research on how predation affects the future of grassland birds. Amiri has spent summers following raccoons at night in Southern Illinois grasslands to determine how they move and forage. Her observations have helped her determine what is known as the “nest line,” where the choices a raccoon makes will determine whether or not a grassland bird will be able to successfully raise a brood of young birds to adulthood or be left with merely broken eggshells and an empty nest. Why is that important? Populations of grassland birds have declined by more than 40% since 1970. Together with desert species, they are the group of birds most in danger of disappearing from the American landscape. The aim of Amiri’s research is to be able to recommend types of grassland management of predators that will improve the prospects of these important birds.

Speaker Bio: Amiri is a doctoral student at Southern Illinois University in wildlife biology. She earned her Masters in cognitive neurosciences at Sorbonne University and her Bachelor of Science from Aix-Marseille University. Amiri attended high school in France after moving with her family from Shiraz, Iran. She believes “that the not-yet-done can be done, and that imagination is the most practical and empathy the most powerful [as] tools for change.” Join us December 4 to meet this remarkable woman.

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Dec
4

CCAS Annual Membership Meeting

  • Robeson Pavilion C, Champaign Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

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.

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Nov
17
Board Meetings

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.

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Nov
15
Field Trips

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!

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November Program: The Natural History of Brazil’s Pantanal: Birds and Other Animals
Nov
6
Monthly Programs

November Program: The Natural History of Brazil’s Pantanal: Birds and Other Animals

  • Robeson Pavilion C, Champaign Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS
Herons

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.

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Oct
30
Meadowbrook 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. 

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Oct
28

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

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Oct
20
Board Meetings

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.

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Oct
18
Weaver Park 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.  

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Oct
18
Volunteer Opportunities, Market at the Square

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.

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Oct
11
Weaver Park 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.  

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Oct
2
Monthly Programs

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.

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Sep
28
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.

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Sep
21
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.

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Sep
20
Volunteer Opportunities, Market at the Square

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.

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Sep
15
Board Meetings

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.

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Sep
14
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.

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Sep
13
Weaver Park 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.  

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Sep
12
Events by Our Partners

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.

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Sep
4
Monthly Programs

Monthly Program: How to Help Songbirds by Restoring Fragmented Forests

  • Robeson Pavillion C, Champaign Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

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.

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Ongoing CCAS Events

  • A group of birders with binoculars look into the trees along a boardwalk. Photo by Rachel Vinsel.

    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.

    Learn More
  • A group of birders with binoculars look up into the trees. Photo by Jen Redwood.

    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.

    Learn More
  • American Tree Sparrow perches on a branch in winter. Photo by Rob Kanter.

    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!

    Learn More