Meet at 7:30 AM at north end of Meijer parking lot, 6309 Lima Rd (north of I-69)

OR at the Youth Campground at Chain O’ Lakes at 8:15. Hawks, woodpeckers, migrant songbirds. Up to five miles on mostly flat trails; may be some wet spots. Return about 4:00 PM.

Leader: John Winebrenner

SANJO CBC (Southern Adams Northern Jay Ouabache) will be held on Monday, January 1, 2024. There has been a CBC in Adams County for over 50 years either as a circle or a county count.

Members of Mississinewa Audubon Club, Robert Cooper Audubon Society and Stockbridge Audubon Society have participated the last several years. Territories include Limberlost Swamp Nature Preserve, Loblolly Marsh, Ouabache State Park, Rainbow Bend, Bird Sanctuary, Limberlost Park. There will be a chili lunch at noon at the Limberlost Visitor Center. All new comers welcome. We welcome counters and property and neighborhood counters inside the circle. Plenty of good territory.

Meet at Limberlost Visitor Center at 8:00 or go directly to your territory. Compiler- contact Terri Gorney Lehman for details 260-413-5671 or bandtgorney@aol.com

The Tippecanoe Audubon Society Christmas Count will be Saturday, December 30, 2023 in the Warsaw area. Birders of all skill levels are welcome. Those interested should get in touch with Dave Hicks at djhicks@manchester.edu or 260-982-2471.

Save the date! This will be the 9th official CBC at the SW Allen circle. We need field observers to cover the 6 territories in the circle, plus any number of feeder watchers, as long as you live within the count circle. Although Fox Island County Park is still closed because of the storm damage, they have generously allowed us to use the Nature Center for our chili lunch, to take place around noon. Everyone is invited but we'll need to know how many to expect.

This event furnishes a lot of valuable data to the National Audubon Society, but mostly it's fun!

Let me know if you can take part this year!

Cynthia Powers, compiler, 260-638-4291 or zzedpowers@aol.com

The 44th Annual Pokagon Christmas Bird Count will be held on Thursday, December 28, 2023. The Pokagon CBC is a part of the 123rd Annual Christmas Bird Counts sponsored by the National Audubon Society. From December 16, 2023, to January 7, 2024, all throughout North America, birdwatchers contribute to citizen science through the methodical process of counting and recording birds in established, predetermined 15-mile diameter circles.

On Thursday, December 28, birders in predetermined teams will disperse into a 15-mile diameter circle, the center being the center of Steuben County, to count both species and numbers of birds.

Participants will not gather at the Pokagon State Park to divide into teams and head into the field, as done in the past. Teams will be determined in advance and team leaders will be mailed CBC materials ahead of time. It will be up to each team to determine how they wish to bird in their respective areas. Each team will meet at a site determined by the team leader and from there, carpool or car caravan, safely stopping at birding sites they determine.

Birders should bring their own birding optics and dress for a day in the field. Participants should also bring a sack lunch to enjoy in the field, or their team may wish to make other lunch arrangements on their own. All results will be returned to the count compiler and a final report will be sent to the National Audubon Society and to all participants. There is no fee for the event.

Residents within Steuben County, within the count circle, may also participate by recording birds at their feeders and reporting them to the count compiler by January 5.

Prior registration is required. To do so, contact count compiler Fred Wooley at 260-243-0513 (cell) or E-mail fwooley@frontier.com. Registration deadline is December 15, to allow time to form teams, distribute materials, and for teams to be in contact and make their plans. For further information, contact Fred Wooley.

Meet at 10:00 AM at the BMX parking lot in Franke Park; finish at noon. This is the one of a series of bird walks meeting the first Saturday of each month at the same time and place.

Leader: Greg Majewski. 

Meet at the reservoir, 16000 Roth Rd. at 3 PM. Loons, grebes, ducks, gulls, and maybe Snow Buntings are possible. We circle the reservoir by car, stopping occasionally to get out and scope the water. Finish by 5:00 PM.

Must be a dues-paying member of National Audubon Society to attend.

Leader: Ed Powers 

Carpool will leave at 8:00 AM from north end of Meijer parking lot, 6309 Lima Rd

OR meet at 9:00 AM at Pigeon River FWA Headquarters ½ mi east of Mongo. Mostly driving. Waterfowl, possibly including scoters and loons. Return about 4:00 PM.

Leader: Stephanie Wagner. 

Meet at 10:00 AM at the BMX parking lot in Franke Park; finish at noon. This is the one of a series of bird walks meeting the first Saturday of each month at the same time and place.

Leader: Greg Majewski. 

Meet at the reservoir, 16000 Roth Rd. at 3 PM. Loons, grebes, ducks, gulls, and maybe Snow Buntings are possible. We circle the reservoir by car, stopping occasionally to get out and scope the water. Finish by 5:00 PM.

Must be a dues-paying member of National Audubon Society to attend.

Leader: Ed Powers 

Fogwell Forest is an ACRES Land Trust property at 9630 Whippoorwill Dr. It includes a forest and a restored prairie. Meet at the end of Whippoorwill Dr at 10:00 AM, finish by 12:00. Boots will be needed.

Leaders: Ed & Cynthia Powers. 

The Big Sit! is a bird count that was started by members of the New Haven (Connecticut) Bird Club to see how many species participants could observe from a 17-ft diameter circle. Our version takes place on the back deck of Fox Island Nature Center at 7324 Yohne Rd.

This event runs all afternoon. Access to the park is still restricted by storm damage, so try to arrive by 1:00 PM – the gate will be locked then. If you come later, call Ed Powers at 260-213-6349. We’ll stop around 5:00 PM.

Participants are restricted to the nature center, where snacks and rest rooms are close at hand. We’ll stay in place, counting birds around us, including overhead. Be sure to pay your $2 park admission; they can use the money. 

Meet at 10:00 AM at the BMX parking lot in Franke Park; finish at noon. This is the one of a series of bird walks meeting the first Saturday of each month at the same time and place.

Leader: Greg Majewski. 

Carpool will leave at 7:30 AM from NE corner of Rural King parking lot, 8801 US 24 just W of I-69 or meet us at 8:00 AM at Forks of the Wabash, SW corner of US 24 and IN 9, Huntington.

Migrating hawks and songbirds will be the highlights. Largely birding by car, but up to three miles on foot; some hills, may be muddy spots. Return to Fort Wayne around 5:00 PM.

Leaders: Andrew Wolfe, Stephanie Wagner.