Bird Fest | Eagle Creek

Ornithology Center open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Crafts, coloring, scavenger hunts, and interactive tables will be set up at the Ornithology Center (moved indoors if it’s raining) for all ages! Visit the raptor ambassadors, try the Migration Obstacle Course (ages 6-12), learn about the birds that visit the feeders, and explore our exhibits. We will also have special hands-on bone specimens, feathers, furs, and more on display today! Guests such as the Amos Butler Audubon Society, International Crane Foundation, Bird Safe Indy/Renewal by Anderson, and other Eagle Creek Park Partners will have booths as well. Thank you so much to our event sponsor, the Eagle Creek Park Foundation!

8:00-9:30 am Warbler Watch Location: Marina

Join Aidan at the Marina for an early morning warbler watch! This is a fantastic opportunity to observe and hear multiple migrant warbler species. We will plan to meet in the parking lot and will be birding the road leading to the marina, and the peninsula for migrant warbler flocks. Bring your own binoculars if you have them! If not, we will have a limited supply.

10:00 am – 12:00 pm  Coffer Dam Hike with Donna McCarty Location: Ornithology Center

Hike the Coffer Dam loop around the Bird Sanctuary with long-time park volunteer and experienced birder Donna McCarty.

Trail: 2 miles, moderate with one hilly portion

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Open Water Birding Location: Earth Discovery Center

Pre-registration required at indyparks.org – Canoe Rental #32238 or Bring Your Own Boat (BYOB) #32237

Get ready for an open water birding extravaganza on Eagle Creek Reservoir. This event will focus on enjoying, finding, and identifying birds from a canoe or kayak. Participants can rent equipment ($25) or bring their own ($15). Find more information and register at indyparks.org.

10:15-11:00 am  Story Time: Wake Up Woods  Location: Ornithology Center

Join Naturalist, Zach for story time in the nature playroom. He will be reading Wake Up Woods, a children’s book detailing native Indiana spring plants and the organisms that rely on these plants for survival. Afterward, you will also have the opportunity to join Zach for a short hike on one of the trails nearby the Ornithology Center to search for the plants described in the book!

11:00-11:45 am Fantastic Falcons Location: Ornithology Center

Learn about falcons and their conservation stories in Indiana while meeting our two falcon ambassadors, Hazel the American Kestrel and Freyja the Peregrine Falcon. They will be eating their favorite foods during the program, raw chicken and mice!

11:00 am – 2:00 pm  Campfire Lunch Location: Ornithology Center

Bring your own lunch and join us around the campfire! We will also be selling hotdogs, chips, and s’mores while supplies last. All proceeds go to our Raptor Ambassador Fund!

12:00-12:45 pm WFYI Woodpecker Video Showing  Location: Ornithology Center

12:00-1:00 pm Birding with Don Gorney Location: Skating Pond

Join Indy birder, Don Gorney at the Skating Pond to have a chance at seeing multiple spring migrants. This could include migrant warblers, thrushes, flycatchers and more! Meet at the Skating Pond Parking area to start the hike! Bring your own binoculars if you have them! If not, you can pick up a pair to borrow before the hike at the Ornithology Center.

Trail: 1 mile, easy, grass and forest, could be wet/muddy

12:00-2:00 pm  North Loop Hike Location: Ornithology Center

Join Aidan to bird the North Loop trail! We will focus on searching for any migrant shorebirds present on the north end mudflats, as well as any migrant songbirds we see along the trail. Bring your own binoculars if you have them! If not, you can pick up a pair to borrow before the hike at the Ornithology Center.

Trail: 2-3 miles, easy but muddy/wet.

1:00-2:00 pm  Family Bird Hike Location: Ornithology Center

Join the Nawrocki Family for a beautiful stroll around Lilly Lake.

Trail: 1 mile, easy, but may be difficult in some spots for strollers

2:00-3:30 pm Birding with Whitney Yoerger Location: Spring Pond/SE Fields

Join Whitney to bird the Southeast fields! This hike will focus on targeting field, scrub, and forest edge bird species such as orioles, sparrows, cuckoos, and more. Waterproof/mud boots are recommended for this hike. Please park at the Mt. Pleasant parking lot (close to 56th St. entrance) if space by the pond fills up. Bring your own binoculars if you have them! If not, you can pick up a pair to borrow before the hike at the Ornithology Center.

Trail: 2.5 miles, easy, likely wet/muddy on trails

2:30-3:00 pm  Raptor Feeding Time Location: Ornithology Center

Watch one of the naturalists feed the birds of prey in their enclosures at the Ornithology Center. They eat quickly so don’t be late!

2:30-4:00 pm  Caminata de Pájaros Bilingüe | Bilingual Bird Walk Location: Ornithology Center

¡Únase a nosotros para el segundo evento de nuestra Serie de Eventos Bilingües de Eagle Creek Park 2024 (español e inglés), una caminata de aves de primavera, con un naturalista bilingüe! ¡Trae tus propios binoculares si los tienes! Si no, puede recoger un par para pedir prestado antes de la caminata en el Centro de Ornitología. Sendero: 1-2 millas, fácil pero fangoso/húmedo.

Join us for the second event of our 2024 Eagle Creek Park Bilingual Event Series (Spanish & English), a spring bird walk, with a bilingual naturalist! Bring your own binoculars if you have them! If not, you can pick up a pair to borrow before the hike at the Ornithology Center. Trail: 1-2 miles, easy but muddy/wet.

3:00-3:45 pm WFYI Woodpecker Video Showing  Location: Ornithology Center

What do soldiers and feral cats have to do with wild birds? Find out with WFYI Live at Eagle Creek Park Birding Festival on Saturday, May 11. This event will include a screening of the Woodpecker Wars episode of PBS NATURE’s Wild Hope series, plus a new Across Indiana episode that reveals the connection between feral cat populations and Indiana’s native birds. The screening will last 45 minutes. Two sessions available: 12 p.m. or 3 p.m. Pre-registration is required for this free event due to limited space. Save your spot today! https://www.wfyi.org/events/wild-hope-at-eagle-creek-park-birding-festival

4:00-5:00 pm  Birds & Blooms Location: Ornithology Center

Join the Nawrocki Family for a spring wildflower and bird walk. The exposed bluffs around the OC are home to shooting stars, fire pink, and other ephemerals that like living on the edge! The Beech-Maple forest also stays moist and shaded, providing a great home for ostrich fern, spring beauties, and wood poppies.

Trail: 0.5-1 mile, easy, fairly accessible

4:30-5:00 pm Eagles of Eagle Creek Park Location: Ornithology Center

Meet Carson, the Bald Eagle Ambassador at the Ornithology Center, and learn about the conservation success story of eagles in Indiana and their populations in Eagle Creek Park.

EAST SIDE

Ornithology Center (OC) – 6515 Delong Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46278

Earth Discovery Center (EDC) – 5901 Delong Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46254

Skating Pond – square shaped pond on Reed Rd. south of 62nd St.

39.86447N, 86.29009W

Marina – 7602 Walnut Point Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46254

Spring Pond/SE Fields – Off Big Pine Drive: 39.85849N, 86.28530W

Overflow parking at Mt Pleasant Shelters: 39.85843N, 86.29015W

WEST SIDE

Eagle’s Hideaway 8901 W 65th St. Indianapolis, IN 46278