ABAS Event Calendar
Featured Events
Birds & Brews with Audubon Great Lakes
Metazoa Brewing Company 140 South College Avenue, Indianapolis, INAudubon Great Lakes, a regional office of the National Audubon Society, invited ABAS chapter members to join their Birds & Brew event. Great Lakes Audubon will provide the drinks and a speaker panel of experts who will discuss exciting climate policy solutions at the local, state, and federal levels to protect the future for birds, wildlife, and people in Indiana.
Fountain Square Swift Watch
Rooftop Garden at Fountain Square Theatre Building 1111 Prospect St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS Education Chair and Indy Park Naturalist Jessica Helmbold for bites, drinks, and Chimney Swifts at Fountain Square Theatre. From the Rooftop Garden Cocktail Lounge, mingle with ABAS members while observing an active swift colony, plus Common Nighthawks. There is a limit of 10 for this event and registration is required.
Garfield Park Swift Watch
Garfield Park Arts Center 2432 Conservatory Dr, Indianapolis, United StatesLearn about Chimney Swifts as the sun sets with ABAS Education Chair and Indy Park naturalist Jessica Helmbold. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, and your binoculars to observe an active colony at Garfield Park Arts Center. There is a limit of 15 participants at this Indy Parks event. Registration is required.
Fall Warblers & Migrants – Strawtown Koteewi Park – Canceled
Strawtown Koteewi Park 12308 Strawtown Avenue, Noblesville, IN, United StatesJoin local birder and ABAS field trip leader, Terry Ballenger, as we look for migrating fall warblers and local resident birds in the 800-acre park. We’ll meet at the Taylor Center of Natural History building parking lot at 8:00 am and bird on foot from there. The terrain is flat and the trails are well defined. The Taylor Center opens at 10:00 am and has modern, well-maintained restrooms, as well as great cultural exhibits. There is no fee for the field trip. However, it is limited to 12 participants, and registration is required.
Bats of Indiana – And Beyond
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Ryan Slack for our September program about bats. He will touch upon everything from myths surrounding bats, their classification and specialized anatomy, their habits, conservation, why bats are important, the threats they face, bat species native to Indiana, the truth about bats and rabies, and the latest in bat call analysis. Ryan holds a BS from Purdue University in Wildlife Science.
Warblers and Migrants – McCloud Nature Park
McCloud Park Nature Center 8518 Hughes Rd, North Salem, IN, United StatesJoin ecologist, botanist, and ABAS bird hike leader, Roger Hedge, as we look for migrating fall warblers and year-round residents in this 232-acre park in Hendricks County. We’ll meet at the Nature Center at 8:00 am and bird on foot from there. The trails are well defined and the terrain is flat. The Nature Center opens at 10:00 am and has modern restrooms, as well as a bird feeding viewing area. There is no fee for the field trip. However, it is limited to 10 participants, and registration is required.
Warblers and Migrants – Eagle Creek Park
Eagle Creek Park Marina 7602 Walnut Point Rd, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin birders extraordinaire Lisa and Randy Vanderbilt as we look for migrating fall warblers. We’ll meet at 8:00 am in the parking lot at the marina and bird along the road leading to the marina, as well as the open area and trails near the parking lot. Walking distance will be minimal and we’ll be on both paved roads and well-defined, hard-packed dirt trails. There are indoor restrooms at the marina. The field trip is limited to 12 participants and registration is required.
Brown Bears of McNeil River
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Chuck Anderson, ABAS President and Field Trip Chair, for an informative program about the Brown Bears of McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska. Chuck will share his four-day experience watching Brown Bears interact, feed, sleep and play. Many of the bears photographed were within 25 feet and one curious cub came within 5 feet before mom called him back to her side.
Lye Creek Burn – Fall Sparrows – FULL
Lye Creek Prairie Burn 240 East County Road 650 North, Cherry Grove, IN, United StatesJoin experienced bird hike leader Laurie Voss on a field trip to the Lye Creek Prairie Burn, aka “The Burn”, in search of fall sparrows, migrant waterfowl, and possible shorebirds. We’ll meet at The Burn at 9:00 am. Participants should expect to hike two to three miles. The terrain is flat, but there are no defined trails. Please dress for the weather and wear appropriate walking shoes. As always, don’t forget your binoculars. There are NO restroom facilities on the property. There is no fee for the field trip. However, the field trip is limited to 12 participants, and registration is required.
Waterfowl at Celery Bog – FULL
Celery Bog Nature Area 1620 Lindberg Rd, West Lafayette, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS President and Field Trip Chair Chuck Anderson for a field trip to Celery Bog Nature Area. This will be a great opportunity to view waterfowl and year-round resident birds. Target birds are waterfowl, including Northern Pintail, Redhead, and Canvasback ducks. Swans, Greater White-fronted Goose, and various species of grebe also frequent Celery Bog. There is no fee for the field trip. However, it is limited to 12 participants, and registration is required.
Bobcats in Indiana
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Geriann Albers as she tells us the story of Bobcats in Indiana. Geriann is a Furbearer Biologist for the Indiana DNR. She received her Bachelors in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois and her Masters in Wildlife Management from West Virginia University in 2012. She starting with the Indiana DNR in May 2017.
Beers with Birders
Ash & Elm Cider Co. 1301 East Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS for an evening at the Ash & Elm Cider Co. at their new location, 1301 East Washington Street in Indianapolis. We will meet to collectively share our birding experiences and adventures at this informal gathering. Light hors d’oeuvres will be provided by ABAS.
Waterfowl, Raptors, & Owls at Goose Pond – FULL
Goose Pond FWA Visitor Center 13540 West County Road 400 South, Linton, IN, United StatesJoin accomplished birders Bill Sharkey and Richard Garrett as they lead us on a field trip to Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area (FWA) in search of waterfowl and raptors. In addition to viewing multiple species of ducks and geese, we should see Northern Harriers hunting low over the fields. Just before dusk, Short-eared Owls will likely appear. There is no fee for the field trip. However, it is limited to 12 participants, and registration is required.
Adventures in Bird Training
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Jenna McElroy, Assistant Park Manager, and Rachael Ledbetter, Naturalist, to learn how the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center’s Raptor Ambassadors are trained for educational programs. Jenna and Rachael will share their training successes and challenges through video clips and with some help from a few of their feathered coworkers.
Gulls & Waterfowl at the Lakefront
Washington Park Beach Entrance 114 Lake Shore Dr, Michigan City, IN, United StatesJoin experienced birders Eric and Tina Rosier as they lead you along the Indiana Lake Michigan lakeshore in search of wintering gulls, waterfowl, and any vagrants that may be in the area. We’ll meet at Washington Park Beach in Michigan City at 8:00 am local time (9:00 am EST). We will spend the morning and early afternoon visiting various sites around the Indiana lakeshore. Most of the time will be spent traveling to as many sites as possible to scan the lake. There will be a break for lunch in the Gary/Chesterton area. The field trip is free but is limited to 12 participants and registration is required.
Exploring Costa Rica
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS Past President and Sabrewing Nature Tours owner Rob Ripma as he takes us on an exciting journey through the beautiful nation of Costa Rica.
For the Love of Birds: How Birds Played into the History of Valentine’s Day – CANCELED
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesThis event is CANCELED. Join Jessica Helmbold, ABAS Education Chair, for her presentation on birds and Valentine's Day. Who created Valentine’s Day and when and why did they choose to incorporate birds? Learn about the history of this popular holiday and the role birds played in making it what it is today.
Great Backyard Bird Count Caravan – FULL
Flowing Well Park 5100 E 116th St, Carmel, IN, United Statesjoin Chuck Anderson, ABAS Field Trip chair and President, as he leads you to three local parks in conjunction with the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) worldwide event. At each park, we will record the species and number of all birds seen and submit that list to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology via eBird. To get more information on the GBBC, go to birdcount.org. The field trip is free but limited to 10 participants, and registration is required.
Woodcock Walk – Carmel West Park
West Park 2700 W 116th St, Carmel, IN, United StatesJoin Chuck Anderson, ABAS President, for a trip to West Park in Carmel. Listen for the “peenting” sounds of a male woodcock as it attempts to court a female during the mating season. Watch the male perform an aerial display and listen to the sound of its twittering wings as it tries to attract a female. Registration is not required.
Sax-Zim Bog Winter Adventure
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Indiana birder and outstanding photographer, Shari McCollough, as she relates her experiences leading birding adventures to Sax-Zim Bog, north of Duluth, MN, in the middle of winter. Sax-Zim Bog is THE place to see northern owl species, specialty woodpeckers, and finches in winter. There were many days that the temperatures never rose above zero degrees and the winds were savage, but the birding was fantastic.