ABAS Event Calendar
Featured Events
Eagle Creek Birding Festival
Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center 6515 Delong Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center for their Birding Festival! This is an all-day event where registrants will experience the wonderful birding opportunities that our park has to offer. Join us for an expert-led birding canoe excursion, van tour, and hikes! We will have a special guest lecturer during a catered lunch. No birding experience is required. Park admission and lunch are included in the cost. Canoes and life jackets will be provided. Binoculars will be available for checkout.
Ornithology Center Celebrates Ten Years!
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesFor 10 years, the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center has provided top notch bird-based education to the city of Indianapolis and beyond. Join Ornithology Center Manager Will Schaust as he updates members on improvements to the center, ABAS funded projects, the 10 year anniversary of the "OC", and answers your questions.
Bird Photography Walk at Eagle Creek
Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center 6515 Delong Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Amy Hodson on a walk at Eagle Creek Park to photograph birds. All levels of photography are welcome, especially beginners! Don’t have camera gear quite yet, but still want to learn? This will be a great opportunity to learn about the basics of bird photography.The group will meet at the Ornithology Center to practice shooting at the feeders. We will then head into the park to see what lingering spring migrants and resident nesting birds we can find!Registration is required. Please RSVP for this event by emailing info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Although there is no fee for this walk, park entrance fees apply.
Newfields Bird Hike
Virginia B Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres at Newfields 1550 W 38th St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesABAS 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 first hike will be led by ABAS President Rob Ripma. Meet at Lake Terrace in the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres. The hike is free and open to the public. Registration is requested by emailing us at info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Join us as we explore the nesting species of this wonderful property.
Beers with Birders
Metazoa Brewing Company 140 South College Avenue, Indianapolis, INJoin ABAS for an evening a Metazoa Brewing Company. We will meet from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm to collectively share our birding experiences and adventures at this informal gathering.
Kankakee Sands Sparrow Field Trip
Meet at Dick's Sporting Goods 6030 West 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Mark Welter as he leads you on a trip to Kankakee Sands in search of breeding sparrows. Kankakee Sands is a birder’s paradise for nesting prairie species. The 7,000+ acres are actively being restored to a natural prairie habitat under the protection of The Nature Conservancy. Targets for the trip will include Song, Field, Vesper, Henslow’s, Grasshopper, and Lark Sparrows. We will seek out additional species known to nest at Kankakee Sands such as Orchard Oriole and Blue Grosbeak. Meet at 6:00 am at the Dick’s Sporting Goods located at 6030 West 86th Street and carpool to Kankakee Sands. The majority of this trip will be done birding by car and walking will be minimal. Participants can expect to return to Indy around 3:00 pm. Contact Mark at shooter2_indy@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Garfield Park Swift Watch
Garfield Park Arts Center 2432 Conservatory Dr, Indianapolis, United StatesLearn about Chimney Swifts as the sun sets with ABAS education chair and park naturalist Jessica Helmbold. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, binoculars or scopes to observe an active colony at Garfield Park Arts Center, plus several other bird species that are active at dusk
Fountain Square Swift Watch
Rooftop Garden at Fountain Square Theatre Building 1111 Prospect St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS education chair and park naturalist Jessica Helmbold for bites, drinks, and Chimney Swifts at Fountain Square Theatre. From the Rooftop Garden Cocktail Lounge, mingle with ABAS members while observing an active swift colony, plus Common Nighthawks.
Bird Photography Walk at Eagle Creek
Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center 6515 Delong Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Amy Hodson on a walk at Eagle Creek Park to photograph birds. All levels of photography are welcome, especially beginners! Don’t have camera gear quite yet, but still want to learn? This will be a great opportunity to learn about the basics of bird photography.The group will meet at the Ornithology Center to practice shooting at the feeders. We will then head into the park to see what lingering spring migrants and resident nesting birds we can find!Registration is required. Please RSVP for this event by emailing info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Although there is no fee for this walk, park entrance fees apply.
White River Vision Plan
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Brad Beaubien, Long Range Planning Administrator for the City of Indianapolis, as he presents an update on the White River Vision Plan.
Fall Migration Hike
Eagle Creek Park Marina 7602 Walnut Point Rd, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Rob Ripma on a series of hikes around Eagle Creek Park in search of fall migrants. We should find a different mix of migrants as we move through the month.
Newfields Bird Hike
Virginia B Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres at Newfields 1550 W 38th St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesABAS 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 first hike will be led by ABAS President Rob Ripma. Meet at Lake Terrace in the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres. The hike is free and open to the public. Registration is requested by emailing us at info@amosbutleraudubon.org. Join us as we explore the nesting species of this wonderful property.
Beers with Birders
Urban Vines Winery & Brewery 303 E 161st St, Westfield, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS for an evening at Urban Vines Winery & Brewery. 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@amosbutleraudubon.org if you plan to join us so we can be aware of how many will be attending.
Zionsville Birding Trifecta and Social
Elm Street Green Parking Lot 165 North Elm Street, Zionsville, IN, United StatesJoin Zionsville birders Jonathan and Whitney Yoerger for a birding trifecta to search for fall migrants, followed by an optional happy hour at Cobblestone Grill on Main Street. During the trifecta, you'll get an overview of three town parks offering small-scale scrub, riparian, and grassland habitats. Bring your own binoculars and meet at 1:00 pm in the Elm Street Green parking lot at 165 North Elm Street. Please note this is a 2.5-mile, afternoon birding walk.
Indiana Raptor Center
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesWho doesn’t love raptors? And, who doesn’t love learning more about them? Join us as we host the Indiana Raptor Center alongside some of their Education Ambassadors ... raptors! The presentation will introduce you to the world of raptors along with some of the current projects of the Center. ABAS Birdathon grants have supported the Center each year since 2015.
Fall Sparrow Field Trip at Lebanon Business Park
Lebanon Business Park - Meet at Dick's Sporting Goods 6030 West 86th St, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Scott Enochs as he leads you on a field trip to a local hotspot in search of resident and migratory sparrows. Our target sparrows will be Song, Field, Swamp, Lincoln’s, Vesper, White-throated, White-crowned, Nelson’s and LeConte’s. Due to parking limitations, group size will be limited to 12 participants.
Owls of Indiana for Kids
Cool Creek Nature Center 2000-1 East 151st Street, Carmel, IN, United StatesMark Booth with Take Flight Wildlife Education will be visiting the Cool Creek Nature Center and bringing a few owls that are found in Indiana. He’ll share some of the amazing adaptations that these birds have! This Hamilton County Parks program is for school-aged children. It is free and no registration is required.
CILTI Hike at the Fred and Dorothy Meyer Nature Preserve
CILTI Fred and Dorothy Nature Preserve 2600 N Old State Rd 67, Martinsville, IN, United StatesJoin the Central Indiana Land Trust (CILTI) for a fall hike at the Fred and Dorothy Meyer Preserve. This is a moderately difficult hike with some slopes and steep areas. The hike should present a beautiful sneak peek of fall colors in this Morgan County forest. This hike will be led by CILTI’s Stewardship Manager, Jamison Hutchins. The trail is considered moderate and appropriate for hikers who can handle some steep hills. Space is limited for this hike, so please register.
Birds of Great Britain
Holliday Park Nature Center 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesJoin Jessica Helmbold, ABAS Education Chair, as she unravels the mystery surrounding birds of Great Britain. How are British birds similar or different from US birds? Hint: it's not their accents! Step into the avian world of our neighbors across the pond.
Fall Birding at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
Muscatatuck NWR 12985 East US Highway 50, Seymour, IN, United StatesJoin ABAS Education Chair, Jessica Helmbold, for a day of celebrating the best of fall. Enjoy southern Indiana fall colors, fall waterfowl migration, and delicious hot fall beverages along with snacks and lunch at the picturesque Stream Cliff Farm Farm Winery in Commiskey, Indiana. Registration is requested by emailing Jessica at jh_beagle@hotmail.com. Please indicate if you plan to join us for lunch so we can make reservations at the restaurant. For those interested in carpooling, we will be meeting at 7:30 am at the Wal-Mart at County Line and Emerson. It's exit 101 off I-65. If you'd like to meet us at the refuge we'll be there between 8:30 am and 9:00 am.