Field Trips

Join ABAS Education Chair Jessica Helmbold for a day of celebrating the best of fall.  Southern Indiana fall colors, fall waterfowl migration, and lunch after the outing. Duck migration should be well underway and many species are expected to be present in the refuge. Meet at the Muscatatuck Visitors Center. Lunch will be at a local eatery with the location to be determined. There will be no fee for the field trip and it's open to the public.  Registration is not required but greatly appreciated. Masks will be required for the majority of the hike. There may be times when we can spread out and get a quick break from the masks.

Registration is full. Join ABAS 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, with a possibility of spotting a Long-tailed Duck. Snow Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose also frequent the bog. There is no fee for the field trip. However, it is limited to 12 participants, and registration is required. Masks will likely be required for most of the trip. There may be times when we can spread out and take a break from the masks.

Join ABAS Field Trip Chair, Chuck Anderson, for a trip to Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area (FWA).  This will be a great opportunity to view thousands of Sandhill Cranes as they congregate in Goose Pasture before returning to the roosting marshes. There’s always a possibility of spotting a Whooping Crane among the Sandhills. We’ll meet at 4:00 pm at the Sandhill Crane Observation Platform parking lot located on County Rd 1650W, 1 mile past the park’s headquarters entrance. Follow the very visible signage.  Bring binoculars and spotting scope if you have one. The trip is limited to 10 participants, and registration is required. Masks will likely be required during most of the viewing as this is a very popular location for observing the cranes.

Join accomplished birders Whitney and Jonathan Yoerger for a late afternoon 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. The is a limit of 10 participants and registration is required. The majority of the field trip will be by car with multiple stops to get out to view birds. Masks will be required when birding in close proximity to others.

Join experienced birder and field trip leader Scott Enochs as he leads 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 (41.7281N 86.9040W) 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. Make sure you dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Participants can expect to return to the Indianapolis area around 6:00 pm EST.  There will be a break for lunch in the Gary/Chesterton area. The field trip is free but is limited to 10 participants and registration is required.  Priority registration is available to ABAS members through January 10, 2021.  After that date, if any open spots remain, non-members may register. To sign up email Chuck Anderson at chucka1999@aol.com or text Chuck at (317) 767-5438. Masks will be required for the majority of the trip.  There may be times when we can spread out and get a break from the masks.

If you need an incentive to get outside mid-winter, join ABAS Field Trip chair Chuck Anderson as he leads you to several 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. The parks that we plan to visit are Turkeyfoot Nature Park in Zionsville, Starkey Park in Zionsville, Central Park in Carmel, and Daubenspeck Community Nature Park in Indianapolis. The field trip is free but limited to 10 participants. Registration is required. Priority registration is available to local ABAS members through January 10, 2021.

Join Indiana birder and photographer Shari McCollough on a field trip to the Lye Creek Prairie Burn, aka “The Burn”, in search of migrating Smith’s Longspurs. The Burn is located in Montgomery County and is the most reliable place for viewing Smith’s Longspurs in Indiana. We may be joined by Clint Murray who owns the property and manages it specifically for the Longspurs and other birds. The field trip is limited to 12 participants and registration is required.

Join ABAS Education Chair Jessica Helmbold for a day of celebrating the best of spring.  Enjoy southern Indiana blooming, migration, and lunch after the outing. Meet at the Muscatatuck Visitors Center. Lunch will be at a local eatery with the location to be determined. There will be no fee for the field trip and it's open to the public.  Registration is required.

Join 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.

Join 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.

Join 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.

Join 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.

join 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.