Events

Triple Tube Feeder

Wake Audubon Annual Community Events

Join us at these varied and exciting annual events – as a participant, or a volunteer. They take place the same month each year as shown. Check our calendar a couple of months in advance for exact date and time and contact information. Then, take part in the fun!


Woodcock Walk

Each February around Valentine’s Day

Join naturalist and woodcock expert John Connors on a sunset walk to the courtship grounds of this curious bird. Wake Audubon is working with NC State University Department of Forestry to preserve appropriate sites within Schenck Forest for these birds’ courtship displays and nesting needs. See and hear the courtship display and learn how you can help maintain the habitat that these birds need.


Great Backyard Bird Count

Each February on a mid-month weekend

Count birds coming to your bird feeders or on a walk with a naturalist. Learn to identify the common birds of winter in your local area. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event where what you see helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society learn how bird populations are doing year to year and identify species of concern. Submit what you see, and see others’ submissions in the official birdcount.org database.


Aldo Leopold Day

First Saturday in March

Aldo Leopold Day is sponsored by the Center for Human – Earth Restoration and is celebrated each year at Historic Yates Mill Pond County Park. Free activate include fishing tree identification, and a scavenger hunt. Wake Audubon volunteers lead bird walks and host a table with displays about our programs. To volunteer to help at this event, check our calendar for the event coordinator’s contact information.


 Raulston Blooms and Birds

First weekend of April

JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh hosts a garden festival and birdhouse competition every year. Wake Audubon participates by displaying and selling bluebird and nuthatch houses and informing event-goers of our activities and environmental concerns. Participate as an observer or help us at our display table.


Songbird Celebration at Blue Jay Point

Fourth weekend in April

Blue Jay Point County Park hosts this bird-themed community event to raise awareness about birds and their habitat needs. Wake Audubon leads bird walks and has a table with information about what we do. We also sell bird houses and have activities for kids. Participate by volunteering to help at our table or lead a walk. Or bring your kids and enjoy a fun-filled and informative day outside.


Herbfest (Cary)

First Saturday in May

The Friends of Page-Walker Herbfest is held rain or shine on the grounds of the Page-Walker Arts & History Center. Visitors will have the opportunity to find out how to start their own herb garden while touring the Anne B. Kratzer Educational Garden, including a close-up look at the historic 1850s Page smokehouse. In addition to touring the garden, festival-goers can stroll through booths selling a wide variety of garden-related items, including home care products, soaps and lotions, edible treats, garden products, and crafts. Wake Audubon hosts a table with special emphasis on native plants for birds.


Longleaf Festival

Saturday in May

Harris Lake County Park host this festival to celebrate the history and importance of the longleaf pine and its ecosystem. Enjoy many family-friendly activities such as wagon rides, crafts and games. Wake Audubon hosts a table with information about our conservation, education, and advocacy programs. We sell Brown-headed Nuthatch boxes and provide information about native planting for birds and other native wildlife.


 Spring Bird Count

Second Saturday in May

Currently discontinued, but we may start again if there is interest. The same locations in Wake County are surveyed every year and the results reported to a national database. Participate by contacting the count coordinator shown in the calendar listing, who will assign you to a specific count location and leader. Enhance your ability to identify birds by sight and song and have fun outside with other birding enthusiasts.


Pollinator Festival at Lake Crabtree County Park

Third Saturday in June

Lake Crabtree County Park hosts an annual Pollinator Festival, featuring games, crafts, and all sorts of other activities celebrating everything that pollinators do for us and the rest of the planet. There’ll be prizes and other cool stuff for you to take home. Wake Audubon will participate with information on our conservation, education and advocacy programs.


 Chimney Swift Roost Watch

September

Chimney Swifts nest in Raleigh and further north during the summer. Throughout September, waves of Chimney Swifts migrate south to their eventual winter home in South America. Watch thousands of Chimney Swifts at dusk as they circle a large chimney and then funnel into it for the night. Come and enjoy the spectacle, encourage others to come, and learn more about these amazing birds.


BugFest

September

NC Museum of Natural Sciences hosts BugFest every September. Wake Audubon participates with a large table display. This is an opportunity to reach thousands of people with our conservation messages. Participate by attending, or better yet by volunteering to help at our table. We sell items and discuss our many conservation and education projects.


Christmas Bird Count

December

Participate in this annual worldwide event. Contact our count coordinator (shown in the calendar listing) to be assigned a count location and leader. On count day, spend the morning with a small group counting birds as you walk your site. Enhance your bird identification skills and contribute to the national database on bird population trends. Enjoy the fellowship of other birders. The morning’s results are shared at noon when groups gather at Historic Yates Mill County Park.