Due to the threat of Hurricane Florence Swift Watch has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 20th! 

Join us for a fun and educational experience, join Forsyth Audubon at its annual one-night Swift Watch!

Date: September 20, 2018 Location: Northwest Middle School (5501 Murray Rd. Winston-Salem, NC 27106) at 7 p.m.

Each year, several thousand swifts amass downtown and at other county locations preparatory to migration to South America. Although swifts may use several chimneys in the area, most of them usually pick one. In the downtown area, sites of large roosts vary from year to year, and sometimes even week to week. In past years, they have been at a warehouse near Krankies, the Millenium Center, the Stevens Center and the old courthouse.

There usually is a very large roost of several thousands - yes, thousands - birds at Northwest Middle School. This is a fantastic opportunity for members of Forsyth Audubon and the general public to witness one of the many marvels of bird biology and it's a lot of fun for those of us who have been treading that path for a long time!

Chimney Swift Fact Sheet

Chimney Swift Quiz - online

Chimney Swift Quiz - printable (two per page)

See Also: Swift Watch

Hawk Watch at Pilot Mountain State Park: September 14th through October 8th

At Pilot Mountain State Park, observers can see the migration of Broad-winged Hawks and about a dozen other raptor species on their journey south. Each fall, they ride the thermals and mountain updrafts along the Appalachian ridges on their way to their wintering grounds in Central and Northern South America. Sometimes, the birds pass by in small kettles or groups of 5, 10, 30 or so. Occasionally, the kettles include 100s or even 1000s of birds. Typically, 2000 - 5000 hawks fly by the mountain each fall. However, on one day in 1993 nearly 11,000 broadwings sailed by. In 2006, observers counted a single kettle of nearly 1800 birds. We do all of our observations and counting from Little Pinnacle, just a short walk  from the parking area at the top of Pilot Mountain overlooking the knob.

See Also: Hawk Watch

For more information, or to participate contact: Jean Chamberlain

Gearharts receive 2017 Snavely Award!

Carol and Brent Gearhart are both great examples of dedicated volunteers to Forsyth Audubon.  Brent is a master at finding their resident Eastern Screech Owl at C.G. Hill Memorial Park.  He is always ready to help out with a bird count rain or shine. Carol was on the board and became the president of Forsyth Audubon from 2014 - 2015.  During this time she helped ensure our chapter remained financially sound while creating and following through with new projects.  The board still relies on Carol's expertise with successful grant writing, fundraising, and event planning.  Even though Carol and Brent haven't been active with Forsyth Audubon for decades like other Snavely recipients, their tireless work is appreciated and we are truly grateful for their dedication to Forsyth Audubon. 
-Nathan Gatto