Bird Club

Next Meeting: Nov. 27 @ 6pm

11/7/2018

BIRD CLUB MEETING:
It's the second annual
Bird Club Trivia Night!
No cost and no teams required, we will form teams that evening for a fun, friendly competition all about birds! (Identification, pop culture, history, and more! Our "top birders" might not have the advantage here!)

Things that Fly! October Bird Club Meeting

10/14/2018

Bird Club Meeting:
Tuesday, Oct. 30 @ 6pm
We'll enjoy a unique screening of Bird Club member Jerry Brown's short video compilation of birds and more, "Things That Fly" as well as short preview of another video he produced, "Cartigraphical History of Illinois."
We'll wrap up the meeting by exploring a sample copy of Thayer Birding Software, a great birding computer program that may match your needs.

Meetings are open everyone with an interest in birds and birding! Share your recent bird sightings, questions, and news.

Tuesday, September 25, 6pm @ Douglas-Hart Nature Center

9/17/2018

BIRD CLUB MEETING:
Kristin Hoganson is a professor of history at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the author of three books.

She will be presenting a talk titled
"Economic Ornithology" at the invitation of the EIU Academy of Lifelong Learning.

"Even before the rise of commercial air travel and ballistic missiles, air brought to mind direct connections with distant parts of the world more readily than land and water did. This presentation will explore several interrelated aspects of the influences of birds and bird migrations upon Illinoisans’ geographic and environmental perceptions during the first century of Illinois’s statehood." - Kristin

RSVP now for the annual Boat Float!

8/26/2018

Next Meeting: Tues., August 28 @ 6pm

8/13/2018

Life as Purple Martin Parents!
Bird Club members
Brett & Julie Williamson
will entertain and educate us about Purple Martins with stories and photos from their own experience from the past couple years starting a Purple Martin colony on their property. We'll learn about the ups and downs of being a new Purple Martin keeper!

Meetings are open everyone with an interest in birds and birding! Share your recent bird sightings, questions, and news.

Next Meeting: July 31st, 6pm

7/12/2018

The July Bird Club meeting will feature special guest filmmakers
Cindy and Kirby Pringle!

Kirby will show his 30-minute film,
“A Landscape for Life,” exploring how important native landscaping is to our birds, insects, other wildlife.
Cindy will show her
award-nominated 15-minute film, “Touched by a Butterfly,”
which explores butterflies as symbols of hope and joy.

We hope you will join us for this special
July meeting!

Bird Club Meeting: June 26 @ 6pm

6/24/2018

Special guest Paul Moffett will treat us to a bird show featuring his "Birds of the Confluence" photography.

Paul currently resides in western Illinois near the confluence area where the Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Illinois Rivers meet. He uses photography to document the huge variety of bird species the frequent the confluence seasonally and year-round.

Help us welcome Paul, who is traveling all the way to Coles County to share his passion for birds with our Bird Club!

Next Meeting: May 29 @ 6pm

4/27/2018

World-traveler and birder Paul Barding will present the second half of his breath-taking slideshow: "The Birds and Wildlife of South Africa, Part 2 of 2: The Great Game Reserves of the East." Thanks to Paul's great photography and stories, we can travel across the ocean and meet exotic birds we've never seen before!

Bird Club Meeting: April 24, 6pm

4/16/2018

Coles-Moultrie Electric Co-op. will present a new video and webpage highlighting their new Avian Protection Plan.

After that, we will have an optional group bird walk on the Douglas-Hart trails to practice our skills!

Lots of spring birds are arriving -
Join in the fun!

Next Meeting: March 27, 6pm

3/1/2018

Bird Club member Jesse Horton will present a selection of his local bird photos, along with tips for local birding locations and photography.

Meetings are open everyone with an interest in birds and birding! Share your recent bird sightings, questions, and news.

February Meeting will have Special Guests!

2/21/2018

Next Meeting: January 30th, 6pm

12/28/2017

BIRD CLUB MEETING:
Guest-presenter Mary Jo Adams will treat us to a special opportunity to share her birding experiences in central Illinois. Her home on the Mackinaw River attracts eagles and other feathered visitors. Enjoy stories and photos with us as we go on birding adventures with Mary Jo!

The 2017 Christmas Bird Count results!

12/28/2017

Lake Charleston - Friday Bird Walks

12/11/2017

Ron Bradley will be leading group bird walks at Lake Charleston again this fall, starting November 17! Walks focus on birds on and off the water, with a spotting scope used to give up-close views when possible. Meet by the dam at 8am! This walk will repeat every Friday morning until announced otherwise!

Anyone with an interest in birds is welcome to join us on the walk! The lake area is typically colder and windier than in town. Long-underwear and full winter gear are recommended for your comfort.

See what birds have been reported at
Lake Charleston recently:
http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L298551

November Meeting: TRIVIA GAMES!

11/3/2017

BIRD CLUB MEETING @ 6pm
Questions will include...

bird ID by sight, sounds, and nests
General bird knowledge
Birds in pop culture
Famous birds in history
More! (Questions for all "levels" of birders!)

We hope all of our members can attend, and encourage guests and brand new attendees!

October 31 Meeting @ 6pm: We're visiting South Africa!

9/27/2017

Our favorite exotic-traveler, Paul Barding, will be back with another spectacular photo show! This time we'll be treated to:
"The Birds and Wildlife of South Africa". Part 1 of 2 - The Western Cape Region.
(Look forward to "Part 2 of 2 - The Great Wildlife Reserves of the East" later down the road!) These photos of birds and more will transport us across the world!

September Bird Club: early mtg at 5pm!

9/25/2017

Group Bird Walk! 5-7pm
We are getting an EARLY START @ 5pm
The group will hit the Douglas-Hart trails for a slow, easy-walking birding foray! We hope to see fall migrating warblers, as well as some typical forest and prairie species.

August Meeting: Owls & Nightjars!

7/26/2017

Tues.,
AUGUST 29, 2017
6pm
BIRD CLUB MEETING:
We'll welcome guest speaker Tara Beveroth, Avian Researcher and Monitoring Coordinator for the Illinois Natural History Survey. Tara coordinates the MOON (Monitoring of Owls and Nightjars) Illinois program, and will be speaking to us about the value and results of the program thus far. [From the MOON webpage:] "In the spring of 2008 Monitoring of Owls and Nightjars, MOON, in Illinois was initiated. MOON is a volunteer based program that occurs throughout the state of Illinois." This summer, Bird Club members will have the opportunity to join us in monitoring our route near Lake Shelbyville, which we adopted in 2016.

Pontoon Boat Birding

7/24/2017

Bird Club Meeting: July 25 @ 6pm

7/22/2017

Tyler Wright will present his recent work with Lakeland College and Coles Moultrie Electric Co-op. toward the development of an Avian Protection Plan for the power company.
Tyler has been using data from eBird and the IDNR to develop local maps of species sightings. He has also been mapping densities of sightings, particularly focusing on bald eagles sighted in the Coles Moultrie area. Tyler will be sharing his progress so far, as well as providing insights into the development of the Avian Protection Plan.

Everyone with an interest in birds in invited!
Be prepared to share your recent sightings and bird-related news or questions.

Birds of Brazil!

6/22/2017

Tues., JUNE 27, 2017, 6pm

BIRD CLUB MEETING:
Paul Barding will treat us to an encore presentation of his bird photography! Last fall he shared his journey to the Galapagos Islands, but this year he will break out his photos of “The Birds and Other Wildlife of the Brazilian Pantanal!”

May Meeting: BLUEBIRDS!

5/26/2017

Tues., MAY 30, 2017
Starting at 6pm

BIRD CLUB MEETING:
Roy Schodtler will treat us to a special presentation called "Mad about Bluebirds!" Roy is a retired biology teacher who spent years getting students outdoors to experience nature. He has been a member of the East Central Bluebird Society for over 15 years and is currently a board member for the organization.

Everyone with an interest in birds is welcome! Be prepared to share your recent sightings, bird news, or questions.

East Central Illinois Bluebird Society - Annual Conference and Keynote Speaker!

3/16/2017

Local results from the 2016 Christmas Bird Count

1/10/2017

"[Below are] the results of the December 17, 2016 Coles-Cumberland Christmas bird count plus a map showing our 15 mile diameter CBC circle. Ours is one of hundreds of CBC circles in North America, approved by the National Audubon Society." - Laurence Thorsen, count compiler