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Mounds State Park work day

Apr. 6 | 1:30 p.m. For our third annual service trip at Mounds, we’ll return to the area below the fen to remove invasive honeysuckle and burning bush on Monday, April 6. We’ll meet in the Friends Shelter parking lot at 1:30 p.m. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves, loppers, and drinking water.Continue reading “Mounds State Park work day”

Mounds State Park

Apr. 11 | 8-10 a.m. Please join us for our next monthly bird walk at Mounds State Park on Saturday, April 11. Meet in the parking lot next to the Visitors Center at 8 a.m.* Binoculars will be provided for those who don’t have their own. The following bird walk will be on May 9. *NOTE: From March-October, walksContinue reading “Mounds State Park”

Stout Memorial Woodland

April 25 | 8:30-10:30 For this trip, we’ll be in search of wildflowers and migrating songbirds, both of which are found in abundance at Stout Woods in the spring. The 36-acre state nature preserve, which is owned and protected by Red-tail Land Conservancy, is known as one of the best upland hardwood forests in EastContinue reading “Stout Memorial Woodland”

Dutro-Ernst Woods work day

Apr. 16 | 9-11 a.m. On Thursday, April 16, we’ll spend the morning working at Dutro-Ernst Woods, a Red-tail Land Conservancy property, to attack Asian bush honeysuckle and other invasive plants. Bring loppers, shovels, gloves, and a warrior spirit! The Dutro-Ernst parking lot is at the corner of Perdieu Rd. and Kilgore Ave., on theContinue reading “Dutro-Ernst Woods work day”

Hueston Woods State Park

May 2 | 8:30 a.m. – ? On Saturday, May 2, we’ll explore Hueston Woods State Park, in southwest Ohio, with Jared Merriman (a member of the Dayton Audubon Society) as our guide. The 3,500-acre park—which includes the 625-acre Acton Lake—has been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. It offers uniqueContinue reading “Hueston Woods State Park”

Salamonie River State Forest

May 16 | 8:30 a.m. – ? Salamonie River State Forest is a beautiful 950-acre forest in Wabash and Huntington Counties. It should be a great place to see some migrants, other birds returning to their breeding grounds, and those who never left! Salamonie Lake, directly adjacent to the forest, hosts a variety of waterfowlContinue reading “Salamonie River State Forest”

Indiana Audubon Society celebrates Robert Cooper

The Indiana Audubon Society recently published an article about our chapter’s namesake, Robert Cooper, that was written by Terri Gorney Lehman. The article, which celebrates both Dr. Cooper and his wife Esther, is part of Terri’s Flight Paths Through History series, which explores the people, places, and moments that have shaped Indiana birding. Terri, whoContinue reading “Indiana Audubon Society celebrates Robert Cooper”

A link to the past: the Civilian Conservation Corps

May 20 | 7 p.m. | BSU Nature Lab & Zoom Liz Marthaler, Assistant Property Manager at Mounds State Park, will discuss the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the impact this program had on national, state, and local park systems within the United States, including their impact on the Indiana State Park system. Liz will alsoContinue reading “A link to the past: the Civilian Conservation Corps”

Good genes or good parenting: What’s preferred in a bird’s mate?

Apr. 15 | 7 p.m. | BSU Nature Lab & Zoom For birds, choosing a mate can be a high-stakes decision, with impacts on both current reproductive success and lifetime fitness. Is it better to choose a mate that will pass good genes on to offspring or one that will be a good parent andContinue reading “Good genes or good parenting: What’s preferred in a bird’s mate?”

Christmas Bird Count results – 2025/26

This year’s local Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on January 3, with 14 volunteers who counted from their cars, on foot, and at their backyard feeders. Altogether, they observed 45 species and 2,650 individual birds (plus a Black Vulture during Count Week). During our December 2024 CBC, we saw 44 species and 5,440 individualContinue reading “Christmas Bird Count results – 2025/26”

2025-2026 season

Oct. Cammy Sutter, executive director of the Little River Wetlands Project, told the story of Eagle Marsh, one of Indiana’s largest wetland restoration projects, and the remarkable journey that transformed flooded cornfields into a thriving 800‑acre wildlife preserve that is now home to more than 250 species of birds. She also explained the challenges ofContinue reading “2025-2026 season”

Avian flu and backyard bird feeders

As Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues to take its toll on bird populations everywhere, and specifically in Indiana, many of us are wondering whether we should take down our feeders and bird baths. The latest article from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, posted on February 17, 2025, contains this advice: “There has been widespread transmissionContinue reading “Avian flu and backyard bird feeders”