Wake Audubon Birding and Environmental Meetup

Birding at Hilltop-Needmore Park (North)
Saturday, JANUARY 24, 2026
Time: 8:30 to 10:30 am
4621 Shady Greens Drive, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Leaders: Kyra Bartow (leaders also include Larry Zoller and David Southwick)
Free Bird Outing with Wake Audubon! Join us for a Wake Audubon bird outing at Hilltop-Needmore Park on the fourth Saturday of most months (check here for updates).
The walk is limited to 20 participants; the RSVP on Meetup opens January 1 at 7 am.

We will meet at the lower end of the old Club House parking lot. Look for a "Bird Walk Here" sign. We will start promptly at 8:30 am regardless of the weather and should finish by 10:30 am.
Dress for the weather and be prepared to walk paved trails and occasionally on wet grassy fairways. There is some elevation change but we will not be moving quickly as we stop frequently for birds. No birding experience is necessary. Bring your binoculars and a bird guide if you have one. The walk is not recommended for children under 6. Please leave your pets at home.
Ebird hotspot site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L16295752

Let's Go Birding!
The Leader will make and share an ebird list and share it with your ebird account. Individual lists are discouraged because they duplicate the data, but you can edit your list once it's shared to you.

Meet volunteer Mary at the Big Field parking lot for a short tour around Lake Crabtree County Park to enjoy the winter birds.

We will be on grass, dirt trails, and paved paths with some elevation change. Parking lots and paved paths that we will use meet ADA criteria. Restrooms are ADA accessible. Some may climb the stairs to view the lake from the tower, but the lake may also be viewed from an ADA accessible pier.

Warm layers, sturdy shoes, and water are recommended. Please bring binoculars if you have them or contact Mary at mary.abrams@wakeaudubon.org to borrow binoculars.

Please consider staying afterwards to participate in the Meadow Habitat Volunteer Workday after the walk. Sign up for that event here.

Photo credit: Tufted Titmouse/Audubon Photography Awards/Daneil Geoghegan

Enjoy food and fellowship 8:30 – 9 a.m. Birding begins at 9:00 a.m.
Borrow binoculars from us or bring your own. Arrive at 8:20 if borrowing binoculars.
Sponsors: Wake Audubon and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Wake County.
Step outside with NAMI Wake County and Wake Audubon for a morning of connection, calm, and curiosity.

Our new partnership with NAMI Wake County continues with our 2026 launch of Birding for Wellbeing – mindful outings with a slow pace to observe birds, relax in nature, and enjoy social connection in service to our physical and mental health.

Why partner together?
As more and more stressors impact our everyday lives, the toll on our mental health can be debilitating.
As remedy, birding, bird song, and time in nature are proven to ease stress, boost mood, promote community, and strengthen well-being. We’re a natural fit.

What is slow birding?
If new to you, slow birding is an approach to observing birds that majors on mindfulness and connection, designed to appeal to persons who prefer a more, relaxed birding environment, whereby we take time to meet one another, and identify birds, enjoy their song, watch their behavior, and notice their habitats and the other wildlife around them.'

While slow birding can take on different forms, here we’ll amble around the lake to view the key species that call Shelley Lake Park home.

Your hosts
Our lead guide will be NAMI Wake County Executive Director Mark Simon. An avid birder, Mark is grateful for how birding has served his own mental health and passionate about sharing this source of well-being with others.

Co-guiding this outing will be Wake Audubon volunteer Lori Spangler, who regularly hosts birders around Shelley Lake, giving us insider’s knowledge of where to look for various species, with other Wake Audubon helper-guides along to assist.

Co-hosting will be Wake Audubon board director and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging event lead Rick LaRose (he/him), who serves to bring accessible and welcoming ways for everyone to enjoy birds and take part in nature, wherever they are in their life journeys.

Driving directions and logistics
Enter at 1400 West Millbrook Road, Raleigh in the parking lot for Sertoma Arts Center. Meet at the picnic tables to the right of the Center.

What to expect
We’ll start by snacking on pastries (some gluten free) as we all greet and enjoy community with each other 8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. Bring your own breakfast beverage of choice if you’d like.

During this time, we’ll assist anyone to borrow binoculars. If borrowing binoculars, please arrive by 8:20 to allow time to reach our gathering spot, be provided a pair and receive personalized help to focus them for your eyesight, meet other birders, and grab a snack. There’s no requirement to use binoculars, yet, we’ll have plenty to borrow if you choose to do so and provide a safe space to learn.

Bring your own (refillable) water bottle if you intend to drink and/or carry water with you on the outing. There’s water available at a station outside gendered restrooms located adjacent to the parking lot.

We’ll ask anyone needing to use them or refill a water bottle to please do so in time for our 9 a.m. birding start.

We’ll amble to the lake and enjoy the view from the long bridge, then traverse some distance clockwise along the 2-mile loop of paved scenic greenway trails around the lake. We’ll likely see Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons (both are actively nesting along the trail), as well as woodpeckers, sparrows, cardinals, and winter waterfowl. While the path is paved, we may step off to the side of it at times, or onto grassy fields, being aware of others and any cyclists.

The paved trail from the Center to the lake declines at a slope of 7 degrees and is then relatively flat around the lake. There’s a serpentine incline at the dam end of the lake (near the end of our path), and a short, 15-degree decline that can be avoided by a taking an alternate trail back to the center. If you use an adaptive mobility device and have any questions, please contact Rick.

More info at https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/places/shelley-lake-park

What bird species frequent the Park and Trail?
Check out Shelley Lake Park sightings on ebird.org ahead of us adding a checklist of our own.
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L882613

Questions ahead? Email event manager Rick LaRose at rlarose.was@gmail.com.
Text Rick on the day of the event with any questions at 919 609-7570.

We're looking forward to sharing community and birding together with you on Saturday, January 24!

Wake Audubon advocates birds, wildlife, nature, and environmental conservation with a commitment to providing activities where all can safely access and celebrate nature as their authentic selves.
NAMI Wake County is the local affiliate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. We provide advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that people affected by mental illness can build better lives.

One of the highlights of winter is the arrival of migrating waterfowl at local lakes and ponds! Learn how to identify the various types of ducks, geese, and other species of birds that visit each winter. Instructor Colleen Bockhahn will cover field marks, behavior, and more during a presentation at the Nature Center, followed by a field trip to Lake Benson Park to test those new identification skills. This program is for beginner birders as well as experienced birders looking to refresh their winter waterfowl knowledge.

RSVP ONLY via the Town of Garner website at: Program: Winter Waterfowl Workshop
Registration deadline is 12pm on January 23rd.
There is a fee for this program ($3 for Town of Garner residents, $5 for non-residents).

The specific meeting location in the park will be shared with registered participants. Questions or trouble registering? Email Colleen at cbockhahn@garnernc.gov.