For a nice variety of waterfowl, woodpeckers, and 3 or more species of sparrows. Possible Golden-crowned Kinglet and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Slight possibility for Sandhill Crane.

This should be a very enjoyable, birdy experience, if the weather doesn't get in the way.

** CANCELED IF RAIN **

If in doubt, check with leader,

Pete Webb, pete6314webb@gmail.com, or 443 904-6314,

to learn if the trip is on or is canceled.

Meet either 7:15 a.m. at the Sam's Club parking lot off of Bloomfield Road, for carpooling, or 9 a.m. at the Muscatatuck NWR visitor center.

DIRECTIONS:

For the Sam's Club lot - from I-69 southbound, the next exit after 3rd St is for state route 45, Bloomfield Rd. Don't take the ramp going right for 45 southwest bound, take the straight portion, right lane, and wait for the light, to go across Bloomfield/45 and it wil take you to the back of the Sam's Club parking lot. Look for a gray 4-door sedan parked in the lot with a tripod placed on its roof. People carpooling for the SAS Muscatatuck trip will consolidate there into fewer cars to save gas, and to save parking space at Muscatatuck.

For people preferring to drive without car pool, Muscatatuck is a short distance east of Seymour off U.S. 50. For most folks in the Bloomington area, the shortest route is state route 46 east to eventually reach I-65, go south on I-65 to U.S. Route 50, go west on US 50 about 3 miles, watch for sign for Muscatatuck on the right, turn right, go about 1/2 mile to the entrance for the visitor center on the right, and go about 0.1 mi. to the lot for the visitor center. Driving time from Bloomington typically about 1 hour 10 or 15 minutes, depending on where you are in Bloomington and depending on traffic.

The ducks are back, and so is Sassafras Audubon's Semi-Annual Ducks and Donuts at the Stillwater Marsh observation platform. We will be there from 8–11 a.m. with donuts, coffee, binoculars to spare, and scopes to spot ducks through. Please stop by this free and fun event to bird and chat, share your best duck identification tips, and enjoy the snacks and scenery. Welcome to birders of all ages and levels of experience.

Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 8:30 AM at 3595 N Headley Rd. Bloomington IN 47408

For early migrant warblers and summer resident arrivals. Wood Thrush probably will be heard-only but present. Parula warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Scarlet Tanager and Baltimore Oriole are species likely to be present and singing, having recently arrived. Other possible birds are Green Heron, Bald Eagle, some spring migrant warblers, and some sandpipers on the flats. The trail might be muddy if recent rains, you might do well to wear boots. The walk will start with a mostly level walk along the lake side, and then return most of the way back, with an option to split there, one can go back to the lot, or join with hardier souls heading up the hill to a field edge, more chances to encounter more birds.

Meet 8:30 a.m. at parking lot off Headley Road which becomes Hinkle Road north of the reservoir where the parking lot will be on the right (east). Click here for location and trail map.

Directions: from state route 45, go north on E Matlock Rd. (It's Fee Lane south of 45). Where Matlock ends at Headly Rd, turn left (north), follow it all the way to the bridge over the reservoir, cross the bridge and immediately right (east) into the parking lot. Walk might not go if it's pouring rain, but if it's just light sprinkles we'll go. A few pair of binoculars will be available to borrow.

Leader: Pete Webb (email, call or text)

Bloomington Hardware, 2700 E Covenanter Dr, Bloomington, IN 47401

Saturday, April 20

The Sassafras Audubon Society will hold its Spring Feeder Cleaning on Saturday, April 20 at Bloomington Hardware. Your feeders will be cleaned and sanitized to protect the birds you love. Feeders can be dropped off between 9am-2pm and picked up between 2pm–4pm that same day. A donation of $5 per feeder is suggested. Bloomington Hardware will have bird feeders and seed at 20% off on Saturday.

NOTE: there will be NO early feeder drop-off.

We depend on volunteers to make this event successful — Click hereto sign up as a volunteer for the event or contact us at sas@sassafrasaudubon.org if you can help.

Interested volunteers should signup as soon as possible to be considered. Volunteers will be contacted a week (or, hopefully sooner) prior to the event to confirm scheduling.

Woodcock Walk at Flatwoods Park

Saturday, March 16th at 7pm

Join Patrick May of Sassafras Audubon Society for a special combined bird walk and American woodcock outing at Flatwoods Park on March 16th at 7:00PM. The goal of this program is to have everyone witness the courtship flight of the American Woodcock, an amazing spectacle early each year and a pre-sunset bird walk. Participants will gather at Flatwoods Park (9499 Flatwoods Rd.) west of Ellettsville at 7:00 PM to learn about the woodcocks and Flatwoods Park. We will then walk the concrete path before heading into the field for the woodcock show. After dark we will hope to hear the “peent” call and the spiraling flight that follows.

space is Limited to 20 people

All participants need to register by e-mailing Patrick at sas@sassafrasaudubon.org. attendees will need to sign a waiver at the park. it May be chilly and boots are advisable.

The ducks are back, and so is Sassafras Audubon's Semi-Annual Ducks and Donuts at the Stillwater Marsh observation platform. We will be there from 9–11 a.m. with donuts, coffee, binoculars to spare, and scopes to spot ducks through. Please stop by this free and fun event to bird and chat, share your best duck identification tips, and enjoy the snacks and scenery. Welcome to birders of all ages and levels of experience.

This event will also serve as the March meeting for the Young Birders Club. If you will be joining as part of that group, please click here to RSVP for the meeting.

Meet at the shelter at the end of RCA Park Dr.

You may contact the hike leader, Peter Webb, by e-mail or phone for more information.

RCA Community Park began as Thomson Community Park with the donation of 48.6 undeveloped acres on the city's southwest side by Thomson Consumer Electronics in October 1991. The company made the donation in recognition of the partnership forged between the residents of the community and this major industry. In 1992, a $75,000 Land and Water Conservation fund grant was awarded to the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department for partial development of the park. 

Early History Trail (0.7 mi.) begins near the tennis courts and proceeds south into a wooded area. The trail extends around the maintained section of the community park, detailing the natural and cultural history of the area.

Thomson Woods Trail (0.74 mi.) Two intersecting loops make up this wooded trail. The trail starts from the Early History Trail and wanders through the forest and a clearing. The trail contains a few interpretive signs and ends at the Small Shelter.

The Young Birders Club is intended for ages 5 – 10 years old. Reservations are required for this event.

Activities will include a bird walk led by SAS board member Casey Jones and a scavenger hunt on the Switchyard Park Playground.

Please submit your RSVP to attend this meeting by Wednesday, November 29th.  

Who is ready to give a WHOOP for Whooping Cranes?? Help MCPR and The International Crane Foundation raise awareness and appreciation for the endangered WHOOPING CRANE by attending our FREE Whooping Crane Ambassador Training on November 17, 2023! Training begins at 6:00pm and ends at 7:30pm.

Attendees will learn an overview of Whooping Crane ecology, conservation history, and become an official trained volunteer!

This event is open to all ages.

Act fast — Registration is limited to 25! Please complete a new registration for each person you are registering. Ages 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult guardian.

For questions, please contact Autumn Brunelle at abrunelle@co.monroe.in.us or 812-349-2805

The ducks are back, and so is Sassafras Audubon's Semi-Annual Ducks and Donuts at the Stillwater Marsh observation platform. We will be there from 8–11 a.m. with donuts, coffee, binoculars to spare, and scopes to spot ducks through. Please stop by this free and fun event to bird and chat, share your best duck identification tips, and enjoy the snacks and scenery. Welcome to birders of all ages and levels of experience.

Hosted by Sassafras Audubon Society from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., featuring bird walks and information about how you can help our local birds survive and thrive!

Presentation schedule

• 10:30 Protecting Birds: rewilding your yard (elisa pokral, go green district)

• 11:00 Feeding Winter birds (Ken Keffer, Wild Birds Unlimited)

• 11:30 barn owls (grace le cuyler, indiana dnr)

• 12:00 Window Bird Strikes (Malaak Alqaisi, IU Ketterson Lab)

Our annual meeting will be held on Monday, September 11 at 7pm. All are welcome to attend! The meeting will be held at the downtown Monroe County Public Library in Room 1C. We have an exciting guest speaker, Allisyn Gillet, state ornithologist, who will be speaking about the Indiana Wood Thrush Conservation Project.

We are in need of several new board members, so if you are interested in joining our board or volunteering, please attend this meeting.

David Rupp of IndiGo Birding Nature Tours will lead a Sassafras Audubon Society bird walk on Tuesday, May 30 at Morgan-Monroe State Forest at 8:30 a.m. We will meet at the State Forest headquarters at 6220 Forest Rd. (https://goo.gl/maps/tdapdqq4j6vtxmu66). Carpooling is encouraged. Plan on walking some of the trails that start near the headquarters. Please pre-register by contacting David (david_rupp@hotmail.com or 812-679-8978). Maximum of 20 people.

We will hold our Spring Feeder Cleaning on Saturday, April 22 at Bloomington Hardware. Your feeders will be cleaned and sanitized to protect the birds you love. Feeders can be dropped off between 9am-2pm and picked up between 2pm–4pm that same day. A donation of $5 per feeder is suggested. If you are out of town that weekend, you may drop off your feeders and donation on Friday at Bloomington Hardware and pick it up on Monday. Bloomington Hardware will have bird feeders and seed at 20% off on Saturday.

We depend on volunteers to make this event successful – please contact us at: sas@sassafrasaudubon.org if you can help.

David Rupp of IndiGo Birding Nature Tours will lead a Sassafras Audubon Society bird walk on Friday, April 21 at Stillwater Marsh at 9am. Plan on walking the levee in search of newly arrived migrant songbirds; we will also search for birds in the marsh as well. We will meet at the parking area south of the observation platform on McGowan Rd. Please pre-register by contacting David (david_rupp@hotmail.com or 812-679-8978). Maximum of 20 people.

Bob Watson will lead a Sassafras Audubon Society bird walk on Thursday, April 6th from 8:30-10:30 a.m. We will meet in the Clear Creek trail head parking lot off of W Tapp Road (39.13615, -86.56101) and walk the trail south. We will be looking for early spring migrants and any resident birds. The walk will be on the flat asphalt path, expect to walk between 2-3 miles. Maximum of 20 people. Please pre-register by contacting Bob at: sas@sassafrasaudubon.org.

Sassafras Audubon will resume our semi-annual Ducks & Donuts next month at Stillwater Marsh observation platform on McGowan Rd, Saturday, March 11. We will be there from 8–11 a.m. with donuts, coffee, binos to spare, and scopes to spot ducks. Please stop by this free and fun event to bird and chat, share your best duck ID tips, and enjoy the snacks and scenery. Welcome to birders of all ages and levels of experience, and a special welcome to our young birders group!