Calendar

	September 2025
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7	8	9 Wake Audubon: Invasive Mollusks of NC Wake Audubon: Invasive Mollusks of NC September 9, 2025 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Nature Research Center, 121 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27603, USA Wake Audubon Monthly Meeting: Invasive Mussels and Gastropods (Meeting is usually In Person and Zoom, but check back for updates!) Time: SEPTEMBER 9, 7:30 - 9:00 pm Nature Research Center, 121 W. Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601 Place: In-person + Virtual via Zoom Location: NC Museum of Natural Sciences: Nature Research Center, 121 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC - 4th floor meeting room Location: In-person + Zoom (Note: The two speakers will be on Zoom ) Place: In-person + Virtual - use https://www.zoom.us/join , choose "Join meeting" (no login needed) Meeting code: 831 3786 5298 Password: 4Birds Topic: The Silent Threats: Invasive mollusks of North Carolina Speaker: Arthur Bogan Ph.D. FLS Date: Sept. 9,2025 Location: NCMNS Nature Research Center, 121 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27603 Description: In our presentation we will examine the invasive freshwater and terrestrial mollusks found in North Carolina. We will cover their biology, distribution and hazards to other wildlife including humans. Some of these species are used as food items but can be a potential source of parasites. These invasive species have a direct impact on their local environment and compete with the native fauna. Following the presentation from Art Bogan, John Gerwin will give a brief overview of the relationships of Snail Kites and Limpkin to the snails they feed on. Speaker Bio: Arthur Bogan is the Research Curator of Mollusks at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and his research focuses on the freshwater bivalve fauna of North Carolina and its relation to the rest of the Southeastern United States. The presentation is the joint work with Jamie Smith, the Collection Manager of the Mollusk collection at NCMNS. Park (for free after 6:30 pm) and walk to the main museum entrance on Jones Street, just to the right of the giant globe. Since the NC Museum of Natural Sciences is usually closed at night, someone will be at the door ONLY from 7 to 7:45 to let you in, so please be on time. Take the elevator to the fourth floor meeting room. The east-facing entrance of the "old wing" of the museum will not be used. If you feel unwell, please stay home and enjoy our presentation over Zoom We hope you will help us by joining Wake Audubon and National Audubon! visit wakeaudubon.org *Last updated 2025-08-23 by Beegle WATCH for updates. Location and date sometime change! See more details •	10	11	12 Williamson Preserve: Reservation-only birdwalk Williamson Preserve: Reservation-only birdwalk September 12, 2025 8:00 am - 10:30 am Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve, 4409 Mial Plantation Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610, USA Birding at Williamson Preserve UPDATE: THIS WALK IS FULL as of September 2. Please contact the organizers if you are unable to attend and have signed up, for they keep a wait list. When: Friday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025, 8:00 - 10:30 am Where: Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve, 4409 Mial Plantation Road, Raleigh Leader: Mary Abrams Note: After a heavy rain, the preserve may be closed to prevent erosion, so we may have to cancel the outing. You should receive an email from TLC if the event is canceled. Sign up using this link; a waitlist is available if the walk is full! https://triangleland.org/explore/events and scroll to the Wake Audubon event. Join Wake Audubon and Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) for a morning of birding and exploring the Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve near the Wake County / Johnston County line. Our volunteer birder, Marc Ribaudo, will guide you through the meadow and Two Ponds Loop covering about 2 miles of soft trails. Please wear good walking shoes and bring a water bottle, and binoculars if you have them. More info available on Meetup. See more details •	13 NC Art Park Birding NC Art Park Birding September 13, 2025 8:00 am - 10:00 am Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park, 1800 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA NCMA Goodnight Park birding is on the second Saturday of each month. Register via Wake Audubon Meetup, limited to 25 participants. Leader is LynnErla Beegle Location is Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park, 1800 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; meet outside the Park Welcome Center, near the old tall smokestack, west end of the parking lot. See more details Wendell Park with Frank Wendell Park with Frank September 13, 2025 8:30 am - 10:00 am Wendell Park, West 3rd Street, Wendell, NC BIRD OUTING: Frank is back and ready to bird on SEPTEMBER 13, 2025, from 8:30 to 10:00. Location: Wendell Community Park, 601 West 3rd Street, Wendell, NC This birdwalk repeats on the second Saturday of most months. Check Meetup ( https://www.meetup.com/wake-audubon-meetup/ ) and wakeaudubon.org calendars for updates. Wendell Park is one of our easternmost Wake County hotspots. It has a range of habitats. It tends to get plenty of winter birds if conditions are right (not windy). Technically, an RSVP is not required for this birdwalk, but it is helpful.  Park in the grassy field on the left. Look for people with binoculars. Wendell Park ebird hotspot: http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L5460345 Thank you for your interest in birding with others. Our Meetup is FREE to you and supported by Wake Audubon. We hope you will support us by joining Wake Audubon Society ($20 per year) and by donations and by volunteering. See http://wakeaudubon.org/support/ for more information See more details • •
14 Bass Lake Park with Jessica W Bass Lake Park with Jessica W September 14, 2025 8:15 am - 10:30 am 900 Bass Lake Rd, Holly Springs, NC 27540, USA Join Jessica W and Wake Audubon for a Bird Outing at Bass Lake on Sunday, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025, 8:15 The park opens at 8 am. The address is 900 Bass Lake Road, Holly Springs, NC (note that this is the main parking lot, not the smaller lot on another road). Meet at the end of the parking lot near the building. This 2+ mile walk on unpaved trails begins at 8:15 and ends shortly after 10:30. **This outing is on soft trails. We might cover the east side of the lake and then walk to the adjacent Sugg Farm, which is also part of Bass Lake Park. Wear shoes that can take a bit of mud as the trail if it has rained recently. Leader is Jessica Williams ([email protected], 913-424-5062). See more details •	15	16 Book Club - Wake Audubon Crossroads Starbucks Book Club - Wake Audubon Crossroads Starbucks September 16, 2025 6:45 pm - 8:15 pm StarBucks, MacGregor Crossroads, 101 Edinburgh S Dr, Cary, NC 27511, USA Wake Audubon Book Club Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 6:45 pm to 8:15 pm Starbucks, 204 Crossroads Blvd, Cary, NC 27518 We will be discussing Looking for Longleaf: the Fall and Rise of and American Forest. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, November 18 at 6:45, and the book will be The Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers.. Please bring a readily-available book to suggest for our next Book Club meeting. Thanks See more details •	17 Chimney Swift talk and watch! Chimney Swift talk and watch! September 17, 2025 5:45 pm - 7:45 pm The Willard Rooftop Lounge, 9 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603, USA Chimney Swift - Talk and Watch! Who: John Gerwin and other Wake Audubon members When: Wednesday Sept 17, 2025. The Presentation is from 5:45pm to 6:30, with limited Q&A to follow. The talk takes place in the conference room which is alongside the bar/lounge/area. We will then walk out to the patio. Then from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, watch Chimney Swifts swirl into a chimney to roost for the night on their fall migration route! Where: The Willard Rooftop Lounge, 9 Glenwood Road, in Raleigh's Glenwood South region. For the Willard Rooftop Lounge, find parking along the various side streets. Street parking is free after 6 pm on weekdays. Bring your binoculars, cameras and some friends. You may purchase a beverage at the bar, on your way out to the patio. There is a small, unused chimney alongside the Willard's client parking lot. A small but impressive flock of Chimney Swifts have been roosting in this chimney for years. From the Willard Rooftop outdoor lounge area, we are situated well above the top of the chimney. This affords us a great view of Chimney Swifts as they circle around, often at our level, before they drop into the chimney, usually starting around 7 pm (sunset is 7:18 PM). See more details •	18	19 Early Birders at Prairie Ridge Early Birders at Prairie Ridge September 19, 2025 6:45 am - 9:15 am Prairie Ridge Ecostation, 1671 Gold Star Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA Early Birders at Prairie Ridge (NO LEADER, 2025-09-19, 6:45 AM or later) Early Birders welcome at Prairie Ridge Ecostation on: Friday, SEPTEMBER 19, 2025, 6:45 AM or any time thereafter! Leader: NONE. Bird on your own or with people you meet. Address: 1671 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh. Do NOT park outside the gates. The Prairie Ridge staff are opening the gates EARLY, ONE FRIDAY A MONTH, so that birders can come enjoy early morning birding. And yes, you can arrive ANY TIME after the start time! Visit the event website here: https://naturalsciences.org/calendar/venue/prairie-ridge/ Normal hours of operation for Prairie Ridge Ecostation are Tuesday through Saturday, 9am to 4pm (closed on Sunday and Monday) and closed on most state holidays. Please note that there is no official birding program happening. Their website says: "Mornings can be an especially magical time in nature, so we are pleased to welcome Early Birds at Prairie Ridge! Bring binoculars or a camera and go for a bird walk, take a hike on our trails, bring a morning picnic, go for a trail run, watch the sunrise – come take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy Prairie Ridge earlier than our usual opening hours one Friday a month! This is a drop-in, self-guided birding or exploration opportunity designed to give you extra morning time at Prairie Ridge — we hope you enjoy! No pre-registration is required. Rain cancels event. Assume no facilities will be available. See their website for maps and other information. https://naturalsciences.org/prairie-ridge Follow along on Facebook @prairieridge NOTE: Prairie Ridge is NOT a wheelchair accessible site; it has all soft trails. It is best to wear long sleeves and boots for your visit. NO DOGS are allowed at Prairie Ridge Ecostation. The restrooms in the building near the Purple Martin houses might be open. The brick building is not open to the general public. Hope to see some birders out nice and early! : ) See more details •	20 Durant birding - Registration required Durant birding - Registration required September 20, 2025 8:00 am - 9:30 am Durant Nature Preserve, 8305 Camp Durant Rd, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA Early Bird at Durant Nature Preserve (registration required off Meetup) Saturday, SEPTEMBER 20, 2025, 8 am - 9:30 am Register Off-site only: Requires a login and password: Login FIRST at https://ncraleighweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/splash.html THEN register for this free event at: https://ncraleighweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=401672991 Or click on Search - Keyword Search and type in "EARLY BIRD" Grab your binoculars and meet us at beautiful Durant Nature Preserve’s NORTHH entrance (end of Camp Durant Road, along edge of parking lot near picnic bench in Raleigh, NC) for a bird-watching hike led by Wake Audubon guest naturalist, Lynn Erla Beegle. Spend your morning watching and learning about birds that prefer forests and thickets edges on this approximately 1.5 mile hike. For beginning and advanced birders. Bring your binoculars, or borrow a pair of ours. Pre-registration is required. Limited to City of Raleigh residents. Meet in the NORTH parking lot at Durant Nature Preserve on Camp Durant Road, Raleigh (note there is also a south parking lot at 3237 Spottswood Street, but you cannot drive from one lot to the other through the park . See more details •
21	22	23	24	25	26	27 Hilltop-Needmore Park (North) Bird Outing Hilltop-Needmore Park (North) Bird Outing September 27, 2025 8:30 am - 10:30 am Hilltop Needmore Town Park & Preserve, 4621 Shady Greens Dr, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526, USA Free Birding trip with Wake Audubon at Hilltop-Needmore Park NORTH 4621 Shady Greens Drive, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 Leaders: Larry Zoller and Kyra Thurow Bartow Location: Lower Clubhouse Parking Lot Date: Saturday, SEPTEMBER 27, 2025, 8:30 to 10:30 AM Come join Wake Audubon for a fall morning bird walk on the North Trail. The walk is leisurely with frequent stops for birds. There are elevation changes but we often stop to enjoy birds. Please wear shoes good for walking on the dew-covered grassy fairway. Anyone 6 years and up are welcome to join us! The path we take includes steep inclines, but no stairs. Note that we have moved this walk to the fourth Saturday of most months. Ebird hotspot site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L16295752 Let's Go Birding! See more details Beginner Birders workshop (RSVP off-site) 2025.09.27 Beginner Birders workshop (RSVP off-site) 2025.09.27 September 27, 2025 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park, 5229 Awls Haven Dr, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA Complete this form to register. This free workshop requires registration OFF Meetup. Beginner Birders Program with Wake Audubon and Raleigh Parks. Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Arrive 10 minutes early to reach the Education Center from parking; arrive 8:40 a.m. if borrowing binoculars), Location: Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park, 5229 Awls Haven Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614 Calling everyone curious about birding, but not sure where to begin! ‘Birding’ – or the observation of birds in their natural habitats as a hobby – has become one of the most popular outdoor activities. If you are taking a new interest in birds and looking for help getting started, come develop your skills together with others at our Beginning Birding workshop. This free public program teaches the basics of bird identification; how to use binoculars, guides and apps; types of bird safety and ways to bird safely; and the importance of inclusion and allyship in birding and the outdoors. We’ll spend time outside putting your learning to quick use. Our route outside will consist of a mix of paved, gravel, and grassy surfaces with slight gradients. Gendered restrooms and snacks will be available. No binoculars? No problem! We have plenty of loaners to spare. Co-founded by Wake Audubon and Field Inclusive, Inc., in partnership with City of Raleigh Parks, our mission is to provide safe, equitable and accessible outdoor experiences for everyone. Note: Participation may be capped due to space restrictions, at which time notice of a wait list will be added to the top of the registration form. Please continue to register to join the waitlist. Should we receive cancellations, we’ll right away invite those on waitlist to confirm in the order registrations were received. Reach Wake Audubon board member, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging co-chair and Beginning Birding program manager Rick LaRose at [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to you beginning to bird with us on September 27! See more details • •
28 Chimney Swift at Transfer Food Hall Chimney Swift at Transfer Food Hall September 28, 2025 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Sunday in September with Swifts When: Sunday, September 28 Time: 6-8:00 pm (sunset is 7:02 pm) Where: Transfer Company Food Hall, 500 East Davie Street, downtown Raleigh What: Please join Wake Audubon as we witness the twilight spectacle of thousands of chimney swifts coming to a Raleigh roost as they begin their southward migration. Who can come: Everyone is welcome, no limits on numbers or ages What to Bring: Binoculars, and dress for the weather Transfer Company Food Hall: Years ago, the Transfer Company Food Hall dedicated its historic chimney for nesting and roosting swifts. Please support their efforts by patronizing the food and beverage vendors at the Food Hall while you are here. *Leader: John Connors Contact: [email protected] 919-841-8206 See more details •	29	30

Wake Audubon event categories:

Monthly Programs

Wake Audubon meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St., downtown Raleigh. Free parking is available one block past the Museum on Jones St. All meetings are free and open to the public. You’ll see these events colored blue in the calendar.

Field Trips

Please join us as we explore the natural areas of North Carolina, both local to Raleigh and farther afield. Please note that some trips may have associated fees. These events are shown in green in the calendar.

Monthly Bird Walks

Each month, a different Wake Audubon member will lead a walk to the location of his or her choice. Usually these trips will begin in the morning around 8:30 a.m. and participants will travel to a birding hot spot somewhere in the Wake County area. Check your newsletter or this site often to see where we will be going next. These events are colored red in the calendar.

General

These are various Wake Audubon Events that don’t fall into the field trip, monthly bird walk, or monthly lecture series. These events are colored purple in the calendar.

Young Naturalist Club

This is a group for junior naturalists ages 12-18. Join us as we explore North Carolina’s natural areas! These events are colored yellow in the calendar.

Learn More ›

You can also keep track of Wake Audubon’s calendar of activities through the Wake Audubon Meetup site. Learn more.

September 2025