The Meadowlark Messenger
Check out the latest news and announcements from Champaign County Audubon Society and our partners!
For decades, our print newsletter, The Meadowlark Messenger, has informed our members about the latest news and events. We’re pleased to now bring you all the info you count on through our online blog too!
Call for Volunteers at Urbana Farmers Market
Would you like to talk to people about birds and CCAS at Urbana’s Market at the Square this year? We’re looking for volunteers to help us meet our goal of a fully staffed CCAS table one Saturday morning per month, May through October.
Bird of the Month: White-breasted Nuthatch
If you blink, you might miss this bird visiting your feeder, but look along tree trunks and branches and you’ll soon find this acrobatic species stashing seeds and searching for insects.
Field Notes: Help Birds Stay Warm in the Cold
The cold weather has finally kicked in this winter! We can help our feathered friends stay warm by keeping our feeders stocked and heated bird baths plugged in.
UPDATE: Voting for 2025 CCAS Board Moved to February Meeting
The vote and Member Meeting originally scheduled for December 5, 2024 was postponed to February 6, 2025. Please join us in person at our February meeting for a vote and informative program! Thank you!
Bird of the Month: Red-bellied Woodpecker
One of Champaign County’s six resident woodpeckers, January’s featured bird has more red on its head than its namesake belly, but if you happen to spot it hanging upside down, you’ll see that hidden “blush of rose”!
2024 Mini-Grants for Educators Awardees
Congratulations to this fall’s 2024 Mini-Grants for Educators awardees!
Bird of the Month: White-throated Sparrow
This month’s featured species is one of only a few songbirds that comes in different “color morphs”! Some White-throated Sparrows have tan-and-brown crowns, others have white-and-black, and individuals prefer to mate with their opposite!
Field Notes: Cranes Galore and Winter Finches
Sandhill Cranes thrilled CCAS members with calls and dances on our recent field trip to Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area. Plus, the days of winter finches at backyard feeders are almost upon us!
Bird of the Month: Carolina Wren
Ever been loudly scolded by a small reddish-brown ball of fluff with an upturned tail? You've met our latest bird of the month!
Field Notes: Recent Bird Walks Spotlight Parks
CCAS hosted city planners and brand new birders on recent special bird walks to showcase the quality habitat of local parks.
Bird of the Month: Pied-billed Grebe
This fun waterbird can be a challenge from afar to birders. Small size, sitting low in the water, and a short, thick bill...so it can't be a duck... And it's an excellent diver too? It's a Pied-billed Grebe!
Field Notes: Bird Walk Highlights
A Eurasian Collared-Dove continues to be spotted during our Sunday Morning Bird Walks, alongside eight warbler species so far and three flycatcher species!
Bird of the Month: Blue Jay
September’s bird of the month is one many of us have known since childhood, a bird which many people enjoy having at feeders because of their striking plumage and energy, while others resent them because they may drive other birds away from feeders.
Field Notes: July and August Highlights
July's field trip to Meadowbrook Park gave participants the thrill of seeing a pair of Cedar Waxwings building a nest, and August brought rare sightings: a pair of Snowy Egrets and a Swallow-tailed Kite!