Birds

Birding by Ear

lepidopteran — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 23:06:47 +0000

Birding by Ear lepidopteran Fri, 02/27/2026 - 18:06

Sat, May 9 2026, 10am - 12pm

Location: Durant Nature Preserve

Description: Help us celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (coming later this month)! Although it is sometimes difficult to spot birds, many people enjoy birds for their songs. Birds sing for many reasons, and often it helps them if their songs are different from those of other birds. We will discuss ways we can identify birds and learn about birds by listening to their songs. Children must be accompanied by adults. Children and adults must register.

Cost: $5

Registration

Birding by Ear

lepidopteran — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 05:38:59 +0000

Birding by Ear lepidopteran Tue, 04/01/2025 - 01:38

Sat, May 3 2025, 10am - 12pm

Join NCBP member Tracy Feldman for a program at Durant Nature Preserve in Raleigh.

Cost: $5

Breeding Bird Survey, New Hope Bottomlands, 2024

lepidopteran — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 04:11:59 +0000

Breeding Bird Survey, New Hope Bottomlands, 2024 lepidopteran Sun, 01/12/2025 - 23:11

One of the noteworthy, but troubling, finds of the 2021-2 NCBP biodiversity survey of the New Hope Bottomlands was a strong decline in the number of breeding bird species compared to what had been recorded in a survey conducted in the 1980s. To confirm that this was not just a particularly bad year, with numbers recovering to a more normal level thereafter, a more intensive breeding bird survey was conducted in 2024 by Steve Hall (NCBP), David Bradley (Durham Open Space Program), and the following members of the New Hope Bird Alliance: Jin Bai, Gail Boyarsky, Vicki Nebes, and David Anderson. Unlike the 2021-2 survey, which was qualitative – recording species as present or absent over a series of survey trips – the method used in this survey was quantitative, based on the type of territory mapping approach that has long been the gold standard for assessing the density of breeding bird populations. However, instead of using a large grid typical of those studies, we mapped the territories intersecting a 40-meter-wide corridor following the loop trail that runs through the bottomlands. By using the same protocols for handling edge territories as used in the traditional approach, we were able to compare our results to those of the breeding bird surveys conducted by Haven Wiley, Helmut Mueller, and their students at Mason Farm from the 1970s to 2010s. Among the neotropical migrant species, twelve species had either smaller territorial densities than were recorded in the Mason Farm surveys or were missing altogether. On the other hand, four migratory species had slight increases in density, as did eight of the eleven species of permanent residents. Overall, there was a net loss of 1.64 territories per hectare, but with a net loss of 4.43 among just the neotropical migrants. These results are consistent with trends measured over eastern North America.

/sites/default/files/publications/Breeding%20Bird%20Survey%2C%20New%20Hope%20Bottomlands%2C%202024.pdf

Steve Hall, David Bradley, Jin Bai, Gail Boyarsky, Vicki Nebes, David Anderson

2024

Hall, S., Bradley, D., Bai, J., Boyarsky, G., Nebes, V., Anderson, D. 2024. Breeding Bird Survey, New Hope Bottomlands, 2024: Report to the Durham Open Space Program, New Hope Bird Alliance, and North Carolina Biodiversity Project.

Birds

Haw River Spring Bird Count

lepidopteran — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:54:59 +0000

Haw River Spring Bird Count lepidopteran Fri, 03/08/2024 - 01:54

Sat, May 4 2024, 7am - 12pm

Join NCBP member Brian Bockhahn for the spring bird count at Haw River State Park.

Description: Butterfly and bird counts focus on identification and counting of subject critters, but we of course enjoy observing everything. Bring binoculars, camera, water, lunch, hat, sunblock and be prepared to be outside hiking all day in various terrains. Bug spray or tick shield clothing is helpful as we may go off trail some.

For more information, contact Brian Bockhahn at birdranger248@gmail.com.

Mayo River Spring Bird Count

lepidopteran — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:50:37 +0000

Mayo River Spring Bird Count lepidopteran Fri, 03/08/2024 - 01:50

Fri, May 3 2024, 7am - 12pm

Join NCBP member Brian Bockhahn for the spring bird count at Mayo River State Park.

For more information, contact Brian Bockhahn at birdranger248@gmail.com.

Pilot Mountain Spring Bird Count

lepidopteran — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:48:31 +0000

Pilot Mountain Spring Bird Count lepidopteran Fri, 03/08/2024 - 01:48

Thu, May 2 2024, 7am - 12pm

Join NCBP member Brian Bockhahn for the spring bird count at Pilot Mountain State Park.

For more information, contact Brian Bockhahn at birdranger248@gmail.com.

Kerr Lake Spring Bird Count

lepidopteran — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:45:06 +0000

Kerr Lake Spring Bird Count lepidopteran Fri, 03/08/2024 - 01:45

Tue, Apr 30 2024, 7am - 12pm

Join NCBP member Brian Bockhahn for the spring bird count at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area.

For more information, contact Brian Bockhahn at birdranger248@gmail.com.

Falls Lake Spring Bird Count

lepidopteran — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:42:44 +0000

Falls Lake Spring Bird Count lepidopteran Fri, 03/08/2024 - 01:42

Mon, Apr 29 2024, 7am - 12pm

Join NCBP member Brian Bockhahn for the spring bird count at Falls Lake State Recreation Area.

Durham Spring Bird Count

lepidopteran — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:41:11 +0000

Durham Spring Bird Count lepidopteran Fri, 03/08/2024 - 01:41

Sun, Apr 28 2024, 7am - 12pm

Join NCBP member Brian Bockhahn for the Durham spring bird count.

For more information, contact Brian Bockhahn at birdranger248@gmail.com.

Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve Program: Early Birds

lepidopteran — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 04:25:15 +0000

Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve Program: Early Birds lepidopteran Sat, 02/24/2024 - 23:25

Sat, Jun 8 2024, 8 - 9:30am

Join NCBP member Tracy Feldman at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve for an early-morning bird walk.

Description: Grab your binoculars and meet us at beautiful Horseshoe Farm for a bird-watching hike led by Wake Audubon guest naturalist, Erla Beegle. Spend your morning watching and learning about birds that prefer a meadow or edge habitat, on an approximately 1-mi walk. For beginning and advanced birders. Bring your binoculars, or borrow a pair of ours. Pre-registration is required.