Welcome to the latest installment of the Sycamore Audubon’s newsletter the Sycamore Warbler. The latest issue can be found here Warbler Vol 36 Iss 4 (PDF) Below you will find dates through March. Also worth noting is the “Everglades of the North: The Story of the Kankakee Marsh” documentary project that you can read about here
Saturday, January 7 Bald Eagle Viewing Field Trip led by Rick Read. Join us to view wintering eagles and eagle nests along the Wabash. Meet at the Monticello Library (321 W Broadway) at 2 pm. Group should return by 4 pm.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD Jan 11, 1-3p.m., “Fire: Friend or Foe -An Ecological Perspective”: Drew Daily, Wildland Fire Supervisor, IDNR Div. of Forestry . Meets at Nature Center.
Thursday, January 12 PROGRAM: “Scandinavian Avians”. Dr. Barny Dunning spent the past July with a handful of students exploring and learning about sustainable resource use issues in Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. For this talk he will speak on the birds he encountered during his time there as well as some highlights from the sustainability program. 7:15 p.m. Lilly Nature Center. Refreshments & Free Parking.
Saturday, January 14 Goose Pond Trip. Still in the planning stages. Contact Wes Homoya (p. 7)if you are interested in going to visit this hotspot that has produced dozens of interesting species of birds.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD Jan 18 “Free Ranging Cats and Conservation” Mick Weeks, Purdue Dept. of Wildlife. Meets at Lilly Nature Center.
Jan 20-25 Reminder: Indiana Audubon Society Winter bird feeder count period .
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD Jan 25, 1-3p.m. “Killer Asteroids & Comets: The Kentland Connection” Dr. Jay Melosh, Purdue Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences. Meets at Lilly Nature Center.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD Feb 1 1-3p.m., “Is it an Opossum or a Possum? The Life History of the Virginia (O) possum” Bill Beatty, Graduate Student, Purdue Dept. of Forestry & Natural Resources. Meets at Lilly Nature Center.
Thursday, February 9 PROGRAM: “Attracting Purple Martins to Your Yard”. Landon Neumann. 7:15 p.m. Lilly Nature Center at Celery Bog Nature Area adjacent to the newly opened Lindberg Road bridge. 15-year old birding
prodigy Landon Neumann will share some of his secrets to success in how to welcome these feathered friends of humanity to your property (they eat flying insects for us in return for providing them shelter!). The public is invited to come and enjoy the presentation. Refreshments & Free Parking.
Saturday, February 11 Winter Birds Field Trip. Meet at the gravel parking lot at Celery Bog at 8:30. We will spend some time in Saturday the Celery Bog area (Cackling Goose, wintering waterfowl) and then go wherever we can to see winter specialties such as Rough-legged Hawk, Snow Buntings, and others. ½ day trip.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD Feb 15, 1-3p.m., “An Overview of the Healthy Rivers INitiative” Angie Tilton, Healthy Rivers Initiative Liaison. Meets at the Lilly Nature Center.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD Feb. 8 & 22 these two topics will be presented, but the order is not determined.
1-3p.m., “Bringing Back the Bluebird” (Plus Bluebird Box Building) Mary Cutler & Brenda Moore 1-3p..m., “Sea Otters & the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill” Dr. Paul Snyder, Purdue Dept. of Veterinary Medicine. Check back for details. Meets at Lilly Nature Center.
Thursday, February 16 Winter Birds & the Great Backyard Bird Count Program. A SAS presentation on birds that winter in the area and information about becoming a participant in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Cumberland
Branch Library, Lindberg Road, WL 2 p.m. Free parking.
Feb 17-20 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Try it. See information on back cover. You can cover any areas Fri-Monday you wish and do so over all or one of the four days if you so desire.
Feb 20-25 Reminder: Final Indiana Audubon Society Winter bird feeder count period. Send in your form to John Castrale.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD Feb 29 1-3p.m. “Nature’s Calendar: The Fascination of Phenology” . Meets at the Lilly Nature Center.
Saturday, March 3 Waterfowl and Eagles Trip. The big push of migrating waterfowl should be occurring at this time. Also, local Bald Eagle pairs will be on the nest. Meet at the gravel parking lot at Celery Bog at 8 am to carpool. ½ day trip with various stops dependent on what and where birds are being reported.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE WILD March 7 1-3p.m. “Native Prairie & Barrens Plant Communities Distribution in Indiana: The Historic & Prehistoric Climatological & Geological Influence”. Chad Evans, WLFI -18. Meets at Lilly Nature Center.
Thursday, March 8 “Big Sue’s Birding Adventure in Cuba”. Sue Arnold (affectionately known as “Big Sue”), a longtime Audubon member and nature enthusiast 7:15 p.m. Lilly Nature Center . Sue will share stories and photos from her March 2010 excursion to “the forbidden island” that was only possible due to a Department of the Treasury license sponsored by the Caribbean Conservation Trust. Among the trip’s highlights: the Bee Hummingbird—the smallest bird in the world! Refreshments and free parking.
Saturday, March 24 Lake Michigan Shore Trip. Meet at 6:30 am to caravan up to the lakeshore and chase whatever the lakeshore regulars are reporting. Should be good timing for waterfowl, loons, grebes and possibly the
“longshore” movements of early migrant songbirds moving E-W across the lakeshore. Timing of the start should allow us to stop at Jasper-Pulaski at dawn to see and hear the Sandhill Cranes roust themselves. An all day-trip although people can leave earlier.