Author Archives: rcaudubon

Great Backyard Bird Count

Feb. 13-16 The Great Backyard Bird Count Gathering planned for February 15 at Jim Flowers’ and Annette Rose’s home has been cancelled, as the heavy snows have made their long, winding drive treacherous. However, the Great Backyard Bird Count will go on! We encourage everyone to do a backyard or local area bird count andContinue reading “Great Backyard Bird Count”

Eagle watching with Indiana Audubon Society

Various dates & locations We’re all invited to join the Indiana Audubon Society (IAS) on any of its January and February eagle watches, at locations where Bald Eagles are known to gather in the winter for feeding and roosting.  Each trip is led by an expert birder from the IAS, and the trips to SalamonieContinue reading “Eagle watching with Indiana Audubon Society”

Woodcocks at Cooper Farm

March 15 | 7:30-8:45 p.m. On Sunday, March 15, we’ll head to Cooper Farm (a Ball State University property) to look for male American Woodcocks performing their amazing aerial mating display.  Meet at Cooper Farm, 5800 W. Bethel Ave., Muncie, at 7:30 p.m.  Please park in the gravel lot next to the house, not by the barn.Continue reading “Woodcocks at Cooper Farm”

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”

White River Freshwater Mussel Propagation Facility

March 18 | 7-9 | BSU Nature Lab & Zoom On Wednesday, March 18, Laura Bowley will give a presentation entitled “The White River Freshwater Mussel Propagation Facility: Novel Approach in the Bureau of Water Quality’s Ongoing Efforts to Improve Water Quality.” Laura will begin by providing short background of the Muncie Bureau of WaterContinue reading “White River Freshwater Mussel Propagation Facility”

“Love birds” scavenger hunt

Feb. 9-14  |  Kennedy Library (Muncie) In partnership with our own Audubon chapter,  Kennedy Library is hosting a self-guided Love Birds Scavenger Hunt inside the library. Stop by the library to pick up a scavenger hunt list and search the library for seven hidden “love birds.” Once you’ve found them all, turn in your completedContinue reading ““Love birds” scavenger hunt”

What bird poop can reveal about microplastics

Feb. 18 | 7 p.m. | BSU Nature Lab & Zoom Microplastics have become ubiquitous contaminants in our environments, with the potential to harm organisms, including birds. Although we know birds are being exposed to microplastics, how that exposure varies among species remains unclear. For our February program, Victoria Moreira will describe her master’s-degree study on microplasticsContinue reading “What bird poop can reveal about microplastics”