Bird Alliance of Central Indiana

Canceled – Bird Walks in the Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab
2020-04-22 08:00 - 10:00, 2020-04-15 08:00 - 10:00, 2020-04-08 08:00 - 10:00, 2020-04-01 08:00 - 10:00, 2020-03-25 08:00 - 10:00, 2020-03-18 08:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab, 3200 Cold Spring Road, Indianapolis, IN, 46222, United States
The Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab is a wonderful place to bird watch, with over 165 different species sightings being recorded since 2002. No experience is necessary, and the hike will be led by one of the bird experts at Marian. The only things that are necessary are binoculars and a little bit of patience!
We will meet at the St. Francis statue just west of the Allison Mansion on the Marian campus at 8:00 am every Wednesday starting March 11 and ending April 29. Bring water to drink and wear comfortable shoes. No reservation is required. Contact David Benson, dbenson@marian.edu, with questions.

Canceled – Holliday Park Bird Hike
2020-04-21 08:00 - 09:30, 2020-03-17 08:30 - 10:00 | Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, 46260, United States
Join us at Holliday Park for a bird hike through the woods and along the White River. Meet in front of the nature center. For more information call (317) 327-7180. Beginning birders welcome!

Canceled – Z'Greenfest
2020-04-19 14:00 - 17:00 | Zionsville Christian Church, 120 N 9th St, Zionsville, IN, 46077, United States
ABAS will be exhibiting at the Zionsville Christian Church. They will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Z’Greenfest is Zionsville’s annual celebration of Earth and Arbor Day, presented by Boone County Voices for Change Green Team. They will have educational displays, demonstrations, and giveaways. Z’Greenfest is also a participating Drive Electric event, and we will have several EV’s on display.

Z’Greenfest is free and fun for the entire family!

Canceled – Eagle Creek - Bird Hikes
2020-04-19 09:00 - 11:00, 2020-04-12 09:00 - 11:00, 2020-04-05 09:00 - 11:00 | Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center, 6515 Delong Road, Indianapolis, IN, 46278, United States
Each Sunday year round at Eagle Creek Park. Meet at 9:00 am at the Ornithology Center.
This event is free, though a gate fee to Eagle Creek Park applies.

Canceled – Ft. Harrison State Park Spring Migration Walks
2020-04-19 08:00 - 10:00, 2020-04-12 08:00 - 10:00, 2020-04-05 08:00 - 10:00 | Fort Harrison State Park, 6000 North Post Rd, Indianapolis, IN, 46216, United States
Join Don Gorney for his spring migration bird walks at Ft. Harrison. During the walk Don will point out birds seen and heard and provide details on how to identify spring warblers. Walks are ninety minutes to two hours on relatively even terrain. There is no fee for the walk but standard gate admission applies. Meet in the northeast corner of the Delaware Lake parking lot. For more information, contact Don at dongorney@yahoo.com.

Canceled – Bird Rehabilitation
2020-04-14 19:30 - 21:00 | Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, 46260, United States
Join Liz Hatton for an informative discussion of bird rehabilitation. Located in Westfield, Liz has been a DNR permitted wildlife rehabilitator since 1995. Her husband, Chris, joined her in 1991 following his retirement from Dow Elanco. Last year they registered over 800 birds for rehabilitation. Starlings, Pigeons, and House Sparrow don’t have to be registered so they actually treated about 900 birds last year. She will have a few live birds that aren’t candidates to be released and will demonstrate feeding techniques with some young birds if possible.

Canceled – Smith’s Longspur Field Trip – Lye Creek Prairie Burn
2020-04-11 09:00 - 13:00 | Lye Creek Prairie Burn – Meet at Denny’s in Lebanon, 1524 West South Street, Lebanon, IN, 46052, United States
Join Shari McCollough, Indiana Audubon Society Membership Chair, and host Clint Murray 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, as the property is managed specifically for them. We will meet at 9:00 am at Denny’s restaurant located just off I65 exit #140 at 1524 West South Street, Lebanon and carpool to The Burn. While in the area, we will also seek out any raptors, waterfowl, and shorebirds that may be present. Participants can expect to return to Lebanon at around 1:00 pm. This field trip is free and open to anyone but limited to 20 participants. Registration is required. Please register with Chuck Anderson at chucka1999@aol.com or text Chuck at (317) 767-5438. Contact Chuck if you have any questions.

Canceled – Thornwood Nature Preserve Bird Hike
2020-04-11 08:00 - 10:00 | Thornwood Nature Preserve, 1597 South Morristown Pike, Greenfield, IN, 46140, United States
Join the Greenfield Birders for a bird hike. Beginners are welcome.
These walks are opportunities to meet other birders, hopefully see new birds, have new experiences and learn from each other. All walks are weather pending. You can keep up to date with any changes, rescheduling, or local bird happenings by searching “Greenfield Birders” on Facebook. Feel free to join!

Spring Migrants at Starkey Park
2020-04-11 08:00 - 09:30, 2020-03-28 08:00 - 09:30 | Starkey Park, 667 Sugarbush Drive, Zionsville, IN, 46077, United States
Explore Starkey Park in search of spring migrants with Zionsville birders Jonathan and Whitney Yoerger. Among the park’s many features are hillside and bottom meadows, seven rustic walking trails, and a variety of habitats along Eagle Creek.
All people and skill levels are welcome; co-birding and learning together is our goal. Bring your own binoculars and meet in Starkey’s parking lot, located at 667 Sugarbush Drive.
Registration is not required. This bird walk will be held rain or shine, so dress appropriately. If the birding is good, we’ll extend the walk beyond the allotted timeframe.
Contact Whitney Yoerger with questions at whitney.yoerger@gmail.com.

Canceled – Eagle Creek – Bird Hikes
2020-03-29 09:00 - 11:00, 2020-03-22 09:00 - 11:00, 2020-03-15 09:00 - 11:00 | Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center, 6515 Delong Road, Indianapolis, IN, 46278, United States

Canceled – Woodcock Walk – Strawtown Koteewi Park
2020-03-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Strawtown Koteewi Park, 12308 Strawtown Avenue, Noblesville, IN, 46060, United States
Unusual, weird, romantic, and unique are all words used to describe the American Woodcock. Come experience this rite of spring for yourself as male woodcocks perform their aerial courtship displays for the females in the prairie at dusk! An indoor presentation will take place inside the Taylor Center at 7:30 pm for those interested in knowing more about the life history of this bird. Those interested in seeing the aerial display should meet the group inside the Taylor Center and will be led by a Naturalist from Hamilton County Park starting at about 8:00 pm.

Woodcock Walk – Daubenspeck Community Nature Park
2020-03-21 19:30 - 21:00 | Daubenspeck Nature Park, 8900 Ditch Rd, Indianapolis, IN, 46260, United States
Join ABAS Board member Brian Cunningham for an evening walk at Daubenspeck Community Nature Park (DCNP), a great spot to view displaying American Woodcocks.
Woodcocks have a very acrobatic mating display that they perform at dusk known as the sky dance. While waiting for woodcocks, we will check the prairie and nearby woods for birds that may be going to roost in the park for the evening.
We will meet at 7:30 pm in the DCNP parking lot. The main trail of Daubenspeck is mowed, but the ground can be somewhat uneven.
Registration is not required. This event is free and open to the public.

Canceled – Coffee & Conservation
2020-03-21 14:00 - 15:30 | McCloud Park Nature Center, 8518 Hughes Rd, North Salem, IN, 46165, United States
Join ABAS Education Chair and Indy Parks Naturalist, Jessica Helmbold, on a discovery of the history of coffee. As you gain a greater appreciation for one of your favorite beverages, you should also think about how our consumption of this magical brew affects the environment.
One of the biggest threats to the environment, and more specifically to rainforests, is the clearing of land for the production of staple crops like bananas, pineapples, and coffee! Coffee is unique in that it can grow in harmony with the rainforest. But only if you demand it! You can vote with your dollars to support rainforest conservation through the kind of coffee you buy.
The Wood Thrush is just one of the many birds that overwinters in Central America and populations are declining, partially due to shrinking winter habitat.
Attendees will have an opportunity to sample different varieties of Rainforest Alliance/bird-friendly coffees.
Recommended for adults.
Free to attend, no advance registration needed.

Newfields Bird Hike
2020-03-21 08:00 - 10:00 | Virginia B Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres at Newfields, 1550 W 38th St, Indianapolis, IN, 46208, United States
ABAS is excited to partner with The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields for bird hikes on this beautiful property along the White River and Central Canal. The hikes will be led by ABAS President Rob Ripma.
Meet at Lake Terrace in the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres. There is free parking at the loop just ¼ mile west of the 38th Street entrance to Newfields. The loop parking is closer to the hike start and the address given for this event is approximate. You’ll need to be heading west on 38th Street to enter the loop parking area. Take the White River Pkwy East exit. Once in the parking area, walk north through the entrance down a very short trail to Lake Terrace. Alternatively, you can park in the main Newfield parking lots and walk down to the starting point.
The hike is free and open to the public. Registration is requested by emailing us at info@birdallianceofcentralindiana.org.
Join us as we explore the nesting species of this wonderful property.

About Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres
On, no surprise, one hundred acres along the west side of Newfields, just east of White River, you’ll find Fairbanks Park. Explore woodlands, wetlands, meadows, and the shoreline of a 35-acre lake. It’s one of the largest museum art parks in the country, and unlike most, continues to commission temporary, site-responsive artworks.
As a former farm and later gravel quarry, Fairbanks Park has a history of disturbance that has resulted in a mix of early successional woodlands, some mature woodlands, wetlands, and a lake. This habitat diversity has created a property with the ability to host niche species of several different habitat types. Newfields strives to maintain that habitat diversity by invasive species removal and planting of Indiana native plant species in all areas of the Park.
Recent additions include a nesting platform built to attract birds of prey, a wild grass labyrinth, and a variety of bird feeding and viewing stations.

Woodcock Walk - Carmel West Park
2020-03-14 19:30 - 21:00 | West Park, 2700 W 116th St, Carmel, IN, 46032, United States
Join Chuck Anderson, ABAS Field Trip Chair, 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.
We’ll be stationary with little walking required. Dress appropriately for the weather. We’ll meet at 7:30 pm in the West Park parking lot, 2700 West 116th Street in Carmel, just west of Towne Road.
Registration is not required. Text Chuck at (317) 767-5438 if you have any questions.

Beers with Birders
2020-03-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Field Brewing, 303 East Main Street, Westfield, IN, 46074, United States
Join the ABAS for an evening at Field Brewing in Westfield. We will meet from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm to collectively share our birding experiences and adventures at this informal gathering. This event is open to the public. Please email info@birdallianceofcentralindiana.org if you plan to join us so we can be aware of how many will be attending.
