Events, Programs, & Education
The power of community nonprofit engagement lies in the simple yet profound truth: alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. It's the moment when individual passions converge into a collective force for good, reminding us that we are not here for ourselves alone, but are placed here for each other.
Next bird count event Coming up
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The Great Backyard Bird Count (Cornell Lab of Ornithology will take place over several days - February 13th through 16th.
All lists must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on 16 February 2026.
The resources below provide you with the tools for counting and for submitting your count. We will use the same form for both counts and recommend that you review all of the materials below prior to the count dates so that if you have questions, there is time to get the answer. There are also some training video links below from previous counts that you may view for reference.
Reference video for the Great Backyard Bird Count:
Use for all St. James Bird Counts:
Need the list easier to navigate?
We made an alphabetized check list to help you locate your bird. It corresponds by the line number on the original checklist.
If you use this list, please transfer your final count back onto the original before sending it to Hugh. Thank you!
Hugh Shaw recommends both a book with drawings and a book with photographs to help with your identification process:
- books containing drawings of birds are
Roger Tory Peterson - "Birds of Eastern and Central North America"
David Sibley - "Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America".
- books contain photographs
Donald and Lilian Stokes - "Field Guide to Birds (Eastern Region)"
National Audubon Society - "Field Guide to Birds of North America"
Smartphone in your hand rather than a book? Download the app MERLIN. It is a free mobile application from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that uses artificial intelligence to help identify birds by sight or sound.
Examples of helpful "Tip Sheets" you can find on our "Resources" page:
Upcoming events,
Highlights & Features
From one of our bird walks:
Thursday was a beautiful day in St. James, and the birds were celebrating the good weather in our ponds, at feeders, in bushes and trees, and just cruising in the clear blue sky.
Our guide, Hugh Shaw, took us to several ponds where the ducks had recently arrived for the winter, and then to enjoy the songbirds who were putting on quite a show for us in his backyard. We even spotted the rare Blue Heron (whte morph) in one of the ponds!
We recorded a remarkable 24 species including Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, Canada Geese, White Ibis, Double-crested Cormorant, white Blue Heron, Snowy Egret. Killdeer, Turkey Vulture, American Crow, Mourning Dove, Pine Warbler, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Carolina Chickadee, Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and just the song of a Carolina Wren.
Our walks are free, low key, and rewarding. You should join us!
A few scenes illustrating the St. James Birders engaged in our community.
We offer memberships which have advantages over nonmembers.
A club car tour of Bald Head Island
Another program at Woodlands Park, St. James.
We offer memberships which have advantages over nonmembers.
Every act of kindness, every hour volunteered, and every shared resource creates a ripple effect, building a stronger, more resilient community for everyone. In this engagement, we find our deepest fulfillment, as Winston Churchill once noted: 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give'.
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Watching birds has become part of my daily meditation affirming my connection to the earth body. - Carol P. Christ
Birding Events
Bird Walks/Excursions
Membership has its rewards, and this is a big one. Our expert led bird walks and excursions are available to our paid members. You will experience a high level of birding experience, inside information on the skills, process and best practices to ensure best results. This includes what to wear (and what not to wear), equipment recommendations, how to pick the best field guide, and much more. All of this depends however on the location conditions, weather, and of course, cooperative birds.
Our bird walks will be more local, while excursions will involve regional day trips.
Education
Birding Resources
We will never be completely finished with this website. As new data, observations and technology take place, we will update corresponding information here. Our research reveals new reports and advancements in bird studies are constantly changing. Not only that, but the change in season alters bird behavior as well as their habitat. We'll react accordingly as your go-to resource for all things birding.
Your choice of bird seed matters as does what plants you have (or don't have) in your landscape.
Programs
Speaker Presentations
Speakers, movies, panel discussions and vendor presentations are part of our community outreach and education program. Whether the topic is species specific or a much broader coverage on trends in migratory patterns, or diversified habitat, we will bring the experts to St. James.
We have connections and a network of talent across North Carolina and the eastern coast. Birding has everything to do with environmental conservation. In nature, everything is connected and the more you learn about the natural world, the more likely you will help take care of it.
Coming Up Next
Stay Tuned for schedule updates
Wed, Nov 12Homer Wright Event Center
- birding, bird walks, observing nature
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Volunteer for birds, volunteer for nature. There is a place for you at our table.
It Takes a Village
Every community has a story, and you help create the story of St. James through your actions, contributions, and support.
Here's why we need your help:
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Continued development is taking place all around us and we witness this every day. Where will displaced songbirds and our wonderful waterfowl find a safe haven?
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Vital habitat is being permanently altered, and healthy ecosystems are often replaced by non-native plants that don't support our local and migrating birds. We can, and should, do something about that.
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One of the primary focuses of environmental volunteering is conservation and restoration - we need both here.
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Protecting biodiversity helps maintain genetic diversity and prevent ecosystem collapse.
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Helping maintain our natural areas and preserves protects our coastal community and infrastructure from flooding and erosion.
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Supporting natural landscapes support critical processes that humans depend on, such as pollination, nutrient cycling, and soil regeneration.
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St. James' natural landscape helps shape our identity and gives residents a shared sense of place. Protected spaces also provide a setting for community interaction and civic engagement.
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There is a moral and ethical obligation to conserve natural landscapes for future generations so they can also enjoy and benefit from a healthy, sustainable planet.
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We need volunteers with us to join our conservation efforts creating safe havens for coastal birds to flourish here in St. James, NC.
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With your help and membership, we will add to our story
and be part of the solution!
Volunteering has beneficial side effects. Join us and experience them.
