Welcome to the latest issue of the Sycamore Warbler! Attached is a copy of the latest issue.  Below you will find our scheduled activities you’re welcome to participate in.  The latest issue of the Sycamore Warbler can be found here!

Sept 3 & each Thursday | Early Bird Hikes Start. Celery Bog Park, West Lafayette, 8 a.m. These will be held every Thursday morning until freeze-up. Meet at the gravel parking area (first turn to the right).

September 12 – Saturday | Honeysuckle Control Work Day. Ross Hills County Park 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Equipment, gloves, water & refreshments provided, all you need to do is show up in older clothes and help out. See p.2.

Wednesdays in the Wild – September 16: Foods from Field & Stream by Angie Manuel, Interpretive Naturalist, Prophetstown SP. 1-3 p.m. Prophetstown Farm. Stroll over to the Prophetstown Village where we will prepare foods including duck, mussels, corn & beans. There is a $2 per person program fee. Bring a lawn chair if you have one.

September 19 – Saturday | Celery Bog Bird Ramble. Meet at the gravel parking lot at 7:30 a.m. This should be near the peak for many fall migrant land birds in addition to lots of waterbirds moving through. 1/2 day trip.

Wednesdays in the Wild – September 23: Meet Our Moon. Wabash Valley Astronomical Society 7:30-9:30 p.m. LNC. Indoor/outdoor. All about the moon and information on apps for astronomy. Weather permitted we will view the night sky with telescopes.

September 26 – Saturday | Audubon at the Overlook. Sycamore Audubon members will be at the overlook at Prophetstown State park from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to see what birds and other wildlife is in the area. Stop by and spend a few minutes or a few hours as your time permits. Learn a bit about the tools of birdwatching and techniques to improve your skills. The overlook is at the east end of the main park road, just a short walk from the parking lot.

Wednesdays in the Wild – September 30: Bird Watching Tips & Photo Poems. Barb Lucas, birder and photographer. Indoors/outdoors 1-3 p.m. Lilly Nature Center. A birding 101 indoor presentation followed by binocular practice outside.

October 3-4 – Sat & Sunday | Feast of the Hunter’s Moon. An historical reenactment drawing thousands of visitors and held at Fort Ouiatenon. SAS needs volunteers to help out at their booth over the weekend. See p.1.

Wednesdays in the Wild – October 7: Fen Walk led by Tom Swinford, Division of Nature Preserves. Outdoors. 1-3 p.m. Prophetstown State Park. Dress for the weather. Boots may be needed. $2/person fee (gate fee waived).

October 8 – Thursday | Program: Southern African Adventure. Rick & Debbie Read went on a two week guided tour to four counties in southern Africa earlier this year. The trip included safari vehicles, boat trips, elephant rides, helicopter tours and zip lines. Comes to hear about the trip and see Rick’s bird, mammal, and Victoria Falls pictures plus more. 7:15 p.m. Lilly Nature Center, Celery Bog Park, W.L.  Free parking plus refreshments. Invite a friend.

Wednesdays in the Wild – October 14: Fall Color Hike led by Bob Easter, NICHES Land Trust Steward. Outdoors. 1-3 p.m. at NICHES Indian Creek Bottoms property on south side of South River/Division road just past 750 W. Carpool from LNC at 12:30 p.m.

October 17 – Saturday | Eagle Creek Park Bird Hike. One of the best birding areas in the Indianapolis area. SAS hasn’t visited for several years. Good time of year for loons, grebes, ducks, and gulls. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Celery Bog gravel parking lot to carpool. Probably a full day trip depending on the birds.

Wednesdays in the Wild –  October 21: Migration: a twice a year birding extravaganza. Susan Ulrich, Sycamore Audubon. Indoors & outdoors, 1-3 p.m. Lilly Nature Center. Review bird species inside then visit the bog to see what’s around.

October 23-5 – Saturday | Fall Bake & Plant Sale. West Lafayette Public Library 6:30-9 Friday, 10-5 Saturday, & 1-5 Sunday. Held during the library book sale. We need donated plants, food items and helpers. See p. 2

October 24 – Saturday | Annual Excursion to Lake Michigan Shore. SAS’s annual fall trip to the lakeshore looking for the unusual birds of the season such as scoters, gulls, mergansers and maybe a late jaeger or an early Snow Bunting. Meet at 6:30 am at the Celery Bog gravel parking lot for car pooling. Full day trip.

Wednesdays in the Wild – October 28: The Savage Garden: Growing Carnivorous Plants. Doug Osman, Purdue School of Communication. indoors Lilly Nature Center. 7-9 p.m. Learn how to grow these unusual species.

Wednesdays in the Wild – November 4: Sandhill Cranes. Carpool from Battle Ground Museum at 4:10 p.m. to go visit Jasper Pulaski. F& W area, or meet Gus Nyberg, NICHES Executive Director, at J=P at 5:10 p.m.

Wednesdays in the Wild –  November 11: Great Smokey Mountains National Park.  John Macdonald. Indoor Lilly Nature Center. 1-3 p.m. LNC.

November 12 – Thursday | Program: All Over Ecuador + Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest = Birding Heaven. Wes Homoya, fresh from 4 months in South America. Wes will share his incredible experiences which covered months in various Ecuador habitats and a long stint at Reserva Ecológica da Guapiaçu (REGUA) in Brazil 7:15 p.m. Lilly Nature Center, Celery Bog Park, W.L. Free parking and refreshments.

Wednesdays in the Wild –   November 18: All about Gourds. Ida Kennedy, president, Indiana Gourd Society. The name says it all. Indoors 1-3 p.m. LNC.

November 22 – Sunday | Jasper-Pulaski Sandhill Crane Viewing. An afternoon trip to see the fall concentration of thousands of Sandhill Cranes (+ a Whooper??) at the Jasper Pulaski State Fish & Wildlife Area. A carpool leaves at 3:00 p.m. from the Celery Bog gravel parking lot. Return will be around 6:30 p.m.

December 5 – Saturday | Brush up on your Winter Birds. A practice/review to help get ready for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count on December 19th. Meet at 8:30 at the gravel parking lot at Celery Bog Park, W.L. Morning trip.

Wednesdays in the Wild – December 9: The Pollinators. Dean Shephardson’s Purdue Environmental Ecology students. Lilly Nature Center. 7-9 p.m. Pollinator gardens and how to help address the growing decline of native pollinators. Programs resume in mid-January of 2016

December 10 – Saturday | Program: A Summer Bird Banding in Southern Indiana. Patrick Ruhl, Barny Dunning’s Ph.D. student, banded birds at six different sites in the Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood State Forests.  Great up close bird photos. 7:15 p.m. Lilly Nature Center, W.L. Free parking and refreshments. Also CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT sign up and get a territory for the December 19th Lafayette CBC.

December 19 – Saturday | Lafayette Christmas Bird Count. Ed Hopkins, compiler. An all-day bird count—the original citizen science project. Call Ed (765-463-5927) to get a territory or come to the December 10th meeting and sign up there. Lots of fun and the birds can be quite surprising.