Charlie Ayers began birding when he arrived at college and joined the school’s Birding Club. He originally entered college intending to specialize in amphibian disease ecology, but his life took a different turn on a cold March evening along the Blue Ridge Parkway. He and a few club members set out to watch the mating displays of American Woodcock. As darkness settled over the ridge, they heard the first peent. Moments later the bird rocketed skyward, and on its descent it passed so close that Charlie felt the wind from its wings on his face. That moment changed everything—his spark bird—and he has never been the same since.
Five years later, that woodcock encounter remains one of his favorite birding memories. Since then, Charlie has immersed himself in ornithology and built a broad range of field experience. When he’s not guiding, he works seasonal field jobs that have taken him across Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and even into the Peruvian Amazon.
Charlie has spent most of his birding life in the southern United States. Growing up in Georgia and studying in North Carolina, he has developed a deep understanding of the region’s birdlife and considers the Southeast his true home turf.
He is happiest outdoors, sharing the beauty of the natural world—from the obvious to the subtle, the everyday to the easily overlooked. With a degree in wildlife biology, Charlie brings a scientist’s perspective to guiding. He enjoys teaching guests about the ecology, behaviors, and habitats of the birds they encounter, while also drawing attention to mammals, amphibians, and plants that complete the story of a landscape. His goal is to provide an experience that is rich, educational, and grounded in the joy of discovery.
