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The Caroline County Bird Club, a Chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) celebrated its 75th Anniversary March 21, 2026 at the Wharves of Choptank J.O.K. Walsh Visitor & Heritage Center, 3 Crouse Park Lane, Denton, MD. Founded by the late Jerry and Roberta Fletcher in March 1951, the Caroline County Bird Club (CCBC) was the first established chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society on the Eastern Shore.
The celebration included a slide show of CCBC’s activities and accomplishments, a brief overview from MOS President Steve Sheffield of upcoming MOS work and events, a raffle of items to raise funds for the CCBC, then time for refreshments and fellowship. Photographer Mickey Pullen took many photos memorializing the event for the Club.
The event also included two individual members’ special celebrations with certificates presented from the MOS and CCBC.
Bill Scudder celebrated his 70th anniversary as a member of the Maryland Ornithological Society and its Caroline County Chapter. He joined when he was only 10 years old. “ I believe I hold the longest consecutive membership in MOS to date” Scudder proudly stated. Bill attributes his love of birds and birding to his late mother, Carol Scudder. She got him involved at age 10 birding, banding birds, even climbing trees to retrieve abandoned bird nests. “I learned from my mother how to identify the birds and how to respect them,” Scudder said. “Birding probably kept me out of a lot of trouble!”
Steve Westre celebrated his 54th anniversary as a member of the Maryland Ornithological Society and its Caroline County Chapter. “I met [CCBC member] Miss Butenschoen somehow and she lent me a pair of binoculars”, Steve reminisced . “Then I found $20 in the A&P parking lot, and while I told them I found some money in case anyone reported losing some, nobody came forward. So I bought a pair of Tasco’s [binoculars] that were very good considering the price. Miss Butenschoen said I had to meet Jerry [Fletcher], and that’s how I got connected to the club. I’m wondering if my first Christmas Bird Count was ‘72 or ‘73. I went with Jerry. I had a lot of firsts with him. I remember him saying we’d see a shrike and we did.”
A recent accomplishment included the Club’s work with the Town of Denton, Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter, Caroline County Garden Club and Leaf & Garden to make the Town of Denton a Maryland Bird City. Jerry and Roberta Fletcher’s granddaughter, Robin Fletcher Lahnemann chaired the committee, and accomplished this goal in January 2026. Robin is the current Treasurer of the Caroline County Bird Club.
The CCBC’s meetings and other activities are free and open to the public.
For more information about the Caroline County Bird Club and its current schedule, visit its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057407532650 or website: https://www.carolinecountybirdclubmd.org/
