Rescheduled for April 2027 Our June 17 program, with speaker Aaron Stump, Habitat Programs Manager with the Indiana Wildlife Federation, has been rescheduled for April 2027. Please check back at this website next year for details. NOTE: This is our last monthly program before we go on hiatus for July and August. But be sure toContinue reading “Gardening for Wildlife”
Author Archives: rcaudubon
Mounds State Park
July 11 | 8-10 a.m. Please join us for our next monthly bird walk at Mounds State Park on Saturday, July 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 August 8. *NOTE: From March-October, walksContinue reading “Mounds State Park”
Purple Martin watch party in Blackford County
June 16 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, June 16, we’ll join members of the Mississinewa Audubon Club (MAC) for a visit to the home of RCAS and MAC member John Velasquez. There we’ll see John’s Purple Martin colony in full swing, with nine racks that hold nearly 60 gourds. He’ll offer an overview of Purple MartinContinue reading “Purple Martin watch party in Blackford County”
Strawtown Koteewi Park prairie
Aug. 1 | 8-10:30 a.m. Strawtown Koteewi Park, located in Hamilton County, near the town of Cicero, offers more than 800 acres of varied habitats, including 400 acres of restored prairie, which should be in full bloom for this trip. Amanda Smith, Superintendent of Natural Resources and Education for Hamilton County Parks & Recreation, willContinue reading “Strawtown Koteewi Park prairie”
Fall picnic & bird walk
Sept. 26 | 12-3 p.m. | Westwood Park Please join us for one of our favorite events of the year! We’ll hold our annual picnic in the Big Oaks Shelter at Westwood Park, New Castle, on Saturday, September 26. As the picnic is winding down, all are invited to join us for a leisurely birdContinue reading “Fall picnic & bird walk”
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”
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”
50th Anniversary Celebration
Our chapter’s 50th anniversary celebration, on April 6, 2024, was a wonderful event! It brought together more than 100 past and present members and leaders, community partners, artists, and others who are as committed as we are to enjoying and protectingnature in East Central Indiana. If you couldn’t join us, here’s a glimpse of whatContinue reading “50th Anniversary Celebration”
2024-2025 season
Oct. Several RCAS members shared photos and information about a birding trip they took to the Eastern Shore of the United States, where they witnessed the May spawning of horseshoe crabs (and the birds that depend on their eggs), the migration of Red Knots (a federally threatened species) and other shorebirds, a sprawling rookery ofContinue reading “2024-2025 season”
2023-2024 season
Oct. Reed Crawford, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, gave a presentation about the bats of Indiana, including topics of interest like species diversity, roost selection, foraging ecology, and strategies for conservation in urban and rural environments. Nov. With Kamal Islam, Ball State University Professor of Ornithology, we explored some of Colombia’sContinue reading “2023-2024 season”
Robert Cooper Audubon Society 