The

Raven's

Nest

September

2026

Friends,

September is off to a good start. Nighthawks have been gracing our evening skies, along with swarms of chimney swifts. The first northern warblers are already south, and despite the temps, you can feel fall around the corner.

September is always a busy time for Blue Ridge Audubon, but especially so this year. By the time you read this our Birds and Bagels on the Blue Ridge Parkway event may have already taken place. Our annual Swift Night Out is slated for Thursday, September 24. And we have a September program lined up the night before that, with Kevin Burke giving a Fall Warbler Identification Workshop at OLLI (details below). All this in addition to the kickoff of our Blue Ridge Renewal Project–an ambitious fundraising program to pay for much-needed repairs to the boardwalk, parking area and other parts of Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. We have already announced our first event: a Falconry Experience! And soon we will share more details of our plan to keep protecting this fabulous tract of bird habitat.

Unfortunately, larger threats to birds and the places they need to thrive also seem to be multiplying. The current federal administration is relentlessly pursuing a scorched earth environmental policy that is causing irreversible harm to bird and wildlife habitat. These include some audacious deals to give parts of Yosemite National Park to a private developer, granting mining permits on national monument lands in Utah and reinterpreting the Endangered Species Act to narrow protections of endangered species and the habitats they need to survive.

These actions are also translating into direct threats locally in the North Carolina mountains. 

The Trump Administration recently gave notice that it is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule in National Forests and Federal Lands that protects over 58 million acres from logging and clearcutting. These changes threaten many local treasured places in our local national forests including Graveyard Ridge, South Mills River and Craggy Mountain, all wonderful tracts of pristine bird habitat. You can voice your concern and sign petitions to comment on this proposed change through September 21.

We had already been engaging on protecting valuable habitat in our local national forests before Helene came to town, but the havoc wreaked by that storm has only intensified both the threat and the opportunities. After the 2023 Forest Service plan for Pisgah NF was ruled illegal in April 2026, we recently wrote a letter to the North Carolina Forest Supervisor James Melonas, advocating for the inclusion of wise management of new habitat created by Helene before committing to drastic practices like salvage timber sales and clearing. Now we are also receiving word that the National Park Service intends to invoke emergency authority to perform salvage logging along the Blue Ridge Parkway while circumventing normal approval processes. It is not at all clear that this is either needed or ecologically sound. The potential areas include prime cerulean warbler habitat near Town Mountain Road and the Elk Mountain Scenic Parkway, where the newly-opened forest has seen its first breeding red-headed woodpeckers in decades! MountainTrue is taking the lead in fighting this action, and you can help voice your concern here.

If this seems like a lot, that’s because it is. Sometimes our leaders fail to understand the importance of protecting bird and wildlife habitat. We know that protecting habitat for birds also protects the people around them. That is why it is important that every one of us makes our voices heard. So please take the time to sign petitions, write your elected representatives, and participate in public commentary forums that guide policy. The birds are depending on us, more than ever.

John Koon

Flock to the Rock

Saturday, September 19, 10 am - 3 pm

Chimney Rock, at Chimney Rock State Park

Break out the binoculars and get ready for Chimney Rock's 18th annual feathered frenzy. Bring the whole family for live raptor programs, birding activities, intro to birding hikes, and the annual hawk watch from the Chimney.

Blue Ridge Audubon will be on site with information and activities!

Cost: Included with Park admission.

The Chimney by Jennie Burke

Program Meeting: Confusing Fall Warblers

Helpful Hints and Tricks to Identify Our Wood Warblers in Autumn

with Kevin Burke

Wednesday, September 23, 7 pm

OLLI at UNC Asheville

Common Yellowthroat, by Kevin Burke

Many of the eastern wood warblers show very different plumages in the fall. If you are a little confused as to who's who, then this is the talk for you! Join Blue Ridge Audubon member Kevin Burke for a talk on taking the "confusing" out of fall warbler ID. Kevin will go over most of the area’s fall warblers and how to confidently ID them in the field. Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, Prairie, and Pine Warblers will be a breeze after this presentation! 

Join us in person at OLLI at UNC Asheville, 300 Campus View Rd, Asheville, NC 28804

Or join us virtually on Zoom - a link will be emailed to all registered attendees before the program.

Swift Night Out

Thursday, September 24, 6:45 pm

Civic Center Garage,

68 Rankin Ave, Asheville

Fall is the season for Chimney Swift migration! During migration, these birds gather in large flocks in the evenings to roost communally in chimneys, smokestacks or hollow trees--and it is quite a sight to see them swirl into their roost at dusk!

Blue Ridge Audubon's annual Swift Night Out (free) will be held on Thursday, September 24, on the roof of the Civic Center Garage (Harrah's). We'll gather at 6:45pm and watch as the swifts will gather overhead before swirling into a nearby chimney after sunset. We've had as many as 3-4000 swifts in recent years!

Note that there are two garages on Rankin Ave, and the garage we will be at is the most northerly of the two - the Harrah's garage on this City of Asheville map: https://www.ashevillenc.gov/service/park-in-a-parking-garage/

The experience includes learning about the ancient sport of falconry, discovering how raptors are trained and handled, and an up-close and personal introduction to birds that Jeff has trained.

Two types of experiences are available:

Handlers will have the opportunity for the birds to land on their gloved arm. Reservation donations are $200 per person. (Maximum of 20 spots available)

Observers will enjoy the entire presentation but will not have the birds flying to them. Reservation donations are $100 per person. (Maximum of 20 spots available)

Jeff will generously donate 100% of the proceeds to the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Renewal Project. A limited number of spots are available!

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Renewal Project

by Charlotte Moon

Fundraising to renew Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary has begun! We want to challenge everyone to join us on this journey to ensure that our much-loved property will remain safe and accessible for many years to come. The mission of Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter is to protect birds and the places they depend on, and we are eager to have work done in the Sanctuary to continue fulfilling that commitment.

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Renewal Project will be completed in two phases over the next several months. Our total fundraising goal is $100,000 to address urgent needs.

The boardwalk at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary

by Charlotte Moon

Phase I, $60,000, includes replacing about 500 feet of boardwalk and rails that have become damaged over the years due to use and weather conditions. Composite materials will be used for those sections of boardwalk to provide a longer lifespan before needing repairs. Construction is expected to begin in November of 2026.

Phase II, $40,000, includes resurfacing the gravel parking area, installing a dusk-to-dawn security gate at the entry to the gravel lot, and replacing and refreshing signage throughout the sanctuary. Work should be completed by Spring of 2027.

Over 50,000 people visit the Sanctuary each year, and if you have visited lately, you probably noticed things that could look better and be safer. If you were wondering if anyone was going to address those issues, the answer is YES! And the time is now! We urgently need your financial support to help repair and renew the infrastructure. 

The BRAC Board of Directors is 100% behind the Renewal Project with each member making a financial contribution before we began asking anyone else to donate. Since we are an all-volunteer organization, you can be assured that all funds received will go directly to the project. 

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is a treasured oasis in Asheville for both birds and people. It exists because a group of committed local people led a grassroots effort almost 30 years ago to purchase and protect the land from development. Please give generously to keep it safe and beautiful for all to enjoy.

WAYS TO GIVE

Make a secure online donation via PayPal, Venmo, or Credit Card:

Visit www.BlueRidgeAudubon.org/donate

You may also mail a check payable to Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter to:

Blue Ridge Audubon

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Renewal Project

PO Box 18711, Asheville, NC 28814

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

When you make your donation, please note your name as you would like to be listed in our newsletter. You may also state that you wish to remain anonymous.

If you need more information, please contact us at blueridgeaudubon@gmail.com and we will be back in touch as soon as possible.

2026 Birdathon Results

by John Koon

Blue Ridge Audubon is pleased to announce that our 2026 Birdathon raised $6598 from 70 donors this year! With the matching funds committed by the Board of Directors, we are sending $12,964 to SELVA Colombia to fund tree nursery reforestation, environmental education, and community investment in bird-friendly habitat in Boyaca province, Colombia, continuing and building our relationship with this community that hosts wintering habitat for many of our treasured breeding songbirds in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

While the team the Cardinal Sinners (Clayton Gibb, Seth Buddy, Amy Jackson and John Koon) won the birdathon competition by identifying a record 145 species this year, their bigger achievement was raising over $1150 in donations--the most of all nine teams. Team Quack Attack (Renee Dunaway, Chelsea Dunaway, Steve Mayer) won the Zero Carbon Category with 65 species identified, but also accrued the greatest number of donors-13!!

Thanks to all who contributed--and donated-- to this year's Birdathon.

Want to see how our Birdathon funds are being used?

Meet your board!

by Jennie Burke

The Blue Ridge Audubon Board of Directors met for our annual board retreat at the Asheville Botanical Garden last month. We have five new board members this year and many of our current board members have new roles. We'd like to introduce ourselves and share how we are helping our chapter.

Back Row:

Andrew McLaughlin helps out with the Lights Out! Asheville program and helps organize the Audubon Climate Watch program. If you'd like to help out, please email him at alaughli@unca.edu.

John Koon is in his sixth year on the board and fifth as President. An airline pilot, he loves all things that fly. Feel free to reach out: johnkoonBRAC@gmail.com

William Gay is the president of the UNC Asheville Audubon Chapter. His goal is to keep the love of birding alive and inspire the next generation of birders to conserve and protect our feathered friends! To contact him, you can reach out to uncaaudubon@unca.edu.

Gabe Wolfe is our Education Program Coordinator.

Shane Myers helps coordinate the Saturday Morning Bird Walks in the area! If you'd like more information about the walks or would be interested in leading one reach out to him at: srmyers429@gmail.com 

Casey First recently joined the BOD and is part of the Fundraising Committee, working on projects like the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Renewal campaign and other efforts to increase chapter visibility and membership at the local level. He is also our email ambassador, serving as the gatekeeper to general inquiries from the public. Additionally, he serves on the Beaver Lake committee

Erika Wagner works with the volunteer database and heading up our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion efforts. Feel free to contact her at:

erikawagnerbrac@gmail.com if you're interested in being a part of the EDI committee and/or are interested in getting on/off our volunteer list.

Margot Popecki is involved with the Advocacy and Lights Out Committees. If you're interested in policy, please feel free to reach out! Her email is msingerpopecki@gmail.com

Kate Johnson has been on the board for over 4 years. She serves as Secretary, manages the Chapter website, and has modernized the Chapter's Christmas Bird Count maps with GIS software. Kate will be stepping down at the end of her term next year, so if you are interested in becoming the next Secretary or Website Manager, please contact us: blueridgeaudubon@gmail.com

Sarah Branagan is our publicity coordinator working in collaboration with many other board members to get the word out about Blue Ridge Audubon's programming and initiatives and serves as the media contact for the chapter. Let her know where you'd like to see our content in the community -- reach her at 18sbranagan@gmail.com!

Front Row:

Ben Bafaloukos is our social media coordinator.

Charlotte Moon is our Chair of the Fundraising Committee and excited to be leading the campaign for renewing our Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary this year. She can be reached at blueridgeaudubon@gmail.com

Kitti Reynolds is the new chair of the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary committee. She welcomes emails from folks interested in helping or who have ideas about improving the Sanctuary. She can be reached at reynolds.barbara@gmail.com. 

Danielle DiBella Lenaway is our Vice President. She’s had compassionately worked in wildlife programs from rescue to advocacy 

Heather Brannan is our program chair. Her role is to provide inspiration and logistical execution of social and educational programs that inspire the community to learn and celebrate the birds who share this world with us.  

Jennie Burke is our membership chair and newsletter editor. Please reach out if you ever have ideas for our newsletter! jennifer_bradbury85@yahoo.com

Dora Brande is our treasurer. She looks forward to meeting other members at programs and events throughout the year. She can be reached at BlueRidgeAudubon@yahoo.com

Anne Keller is our Outreach Coordinator and works with Erika to organize our events and get volunteers for them.

Not pictured:

Anna Hardy is our Education Chair.

Paula Caycedo serves as a liaison with the wintering grounds, helping strengthen collaboration with partners such as SELVA. She also supports planning and developing the Birdathon as a tool for community engagement and conservation fundraising. In addition, she contributes to developing and supporting BRAC’s conservation projects.

Great Turnout for Birds and Bagels!

by John Koon & Jennie Burke

Over 70 people showed up at Ridge Junction for Birds and Bagels on the Parkway this past Sunday, September 6. Birders took advantage of pleasant weather and were treated to dozens of hummingbirds and hundreds of warblers pouring over the ridge all morning long. Highlights among the 32 species reported included Canada warblers, pine siskins, rose-breasted grosbeaks and a peregrine falcon. People came from as far as Raleigh and Greer, South Carolina, to take part in the event. The coffee, bagels, donuts and muffins were definitely a highlight too! Thanks to all who attended this fun event!

Remembering Art Hulse

by Alicia Hulse

Art Hulse, a great friend of Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, died on July 11, 2026. As always in life, Alicia was by his side. Although born a city boy (Secaucus, New Jersey), he was most at home in the out-of-doors. He left New Jersey, never to return, to enter graduate school at Arizona State University. He became a herpetologist, which he defined as “someone who never had to grow up.” After spending two years on a post-doc in Argentina, he joined the faculty at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and remained there throughout his career. He mentored many students and left a legacy of numerous publications, including a book on reptiles and amphibians of Pennsylvania. His last research project was on the eastern hellbender.

Art and Alicia, who had been colleagues and friends since Alicia became a faculty member at the same university in 1982, were married in 2005. It was Alicia’s wish to live in the southern mountains that brought them to the Asheville area. They shared a passion for travel and spent the next 20 years roaming the world to immerse themselves in scuba diving, hiking, food and wine, and (especially) wildlife. Art never did anything half-way and when Alicia introduced him to birding, he became an enthusiastic keeper of “the list.” Their last birding trip together was to the Jocotoco Reserves in Ecuador in January 2026, where they saw 386 species, with 85 being lifers. By the time Art hung up his binoculars, they had seen almost half of the world’s birds.

During the pandemic, the Hulse’s adopted the Sanctuary as their backyard. Art spent many happy and productive hours there, removing tons of invasive plants and leading the workdays after Helene. He was a committed conservationist, an ardent liberal, and generous to a fault, as well as being a gourmet cook, master of trivia, crossword addict, native plants gardener, and disregarder of fashion. He leaves behind many friends all over the world who looked beyond his sometimes gruff exterior to appreciate his genuineness and passion for life.



Urgent Action Needed!

by Margot Popecki

On August 18th, the USDA and Forest Service proposed rescinding The Roadless Rule, a conservation policy established in 2001 that protects roadless areas in our national forests from most new road construction and logging. Removing these protections could make previously restricted road construction and timber activity possible in National Forests, including Pisgah and Nantahala. This would have substantial effects on habitat quality and wildlife, especially birds as Western North Carolina is an active migratory corridor.

Please submit a public comment by September 21st, and contact our representatives to tell them you want the Roadless Rule protections maintained. The most effective comments are personal, specific, and draw on facts.

Link for public comment:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/20/2026-16965/special-areas-roadless-area-conservation

Additional reading on the proposed changes:

https://robertmcculleycampbell.substack.com/p/the-trump-administration-is-stripping?r=64hrt8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Contact information for policy makers found here:

https://www.landofsky.org/officials.html

NC Representative for District 11 (Asheville) - Rep. Chuck Edwards

Senators - Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. Ted Budd

Meet your Guides: Kevin Burke

by Kitti Reynolds

Did you ever wonder who these folks are who lead our fantastic (and free!) bird walks for Blue Ridge Audubon? This occasional column will give you some insights into their background and expertise in birds.

First we feature Kevin Burke, who has been a BRAC guide for many years. Kevin is based in Hendersonville, where he and his wife, Jenny, have their own nature tour company (Carolina Nature Tours) but Kevin also travels as a guide for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. You may know Kevin as the Warbler Guy, not only for his expertise in identifying fall warblers, but also for the warbler tattoos that he sports all over his body (as least the parts you can see).

His interest in birds was sparked by his grandmother, who taught him to identify birds at her feeder. He studied ornithology at Hocking College, and has a degree in Ecotourism and Conservation Ecology from the University of Idaho. Kevin is lucky to have guided bird trips in Ecuador, Costa Rica and much of the U.S, including Hawaii, which he described in a recent program for BRAC.  

I think you’ll agree that we are lucky to have the services of a professional bird guide on many of our Saturday morning walks.  

UNCA Bird Club update

by William Gay

The UNCA Bird club started off the new semester strong with an on-campus bird walk that attracted a record number of students! It is great to see our student body enjoying the beautiful world of birding. We are so excited to get moving on our long-term projects, including treating on-campus windows with Feather Friendly Window Collision Tape to help reduce window-related bird mortality on campus. Pending funding from UNCA's Student Environmental Center, and thanks to funding from Blue Ridge Audubon, we are hoping to get some of the most problematic windows treated this semester. Another goal this month is to get some of our members up to the Big Bald Banding Station to assist with Hawk Watch and Bird Banding! Let's Play Bird!

Blue Ridge Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in western North Carolina.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are

tax-deductible to the extent

allowed by law.

Raven's Nest Editor: 

Jennie Burke

jennifer_bradbury85@yahoo.com

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter

PO Box 18711

Asheville, NC 28814

Blue Ridge Audubon's mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. We believe that a world in which birds thrive is a world that benefits all living things.

Our vision is a vibrant and just community where the protection of birds and our natural world is valued by everyone.