Rookie Birdher

05/26/2026

Check out the Bee Hummingbird we saw, locally known as Zunzuncito in Cuba. Smallest bird on Earth! Weighs less than a dime and about as long as a thumb — 2 inches.

05/20/2026

Join us for a Guided Bird Walk at Conner Prairie on Thursday, May 21, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, an event open to all with general admission, at no additional cost. https://www.connerprairie.org/calendar/event/5678351 Conner Prairie Access Birding

Check out all of our upcoming events and programs at Conner Prairie.

05/13/2026

I was coming down the driveway and was so surprised to see this Pileated Woodpecker right in front of my car!

05/13/2026

Silent Auction for Bird Conservation. Find amazing items and getaways. The auction concludes Saturday, May 16, evening. Browse items without registering https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nrd/i/_All/zZx0/?search= and grab the $1299, 7-night Mexico stay, fixed price.

Help Indiana Audubon Society spread the word about 2026 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival Silent Auction!

05/09/2026

May 16 Indians Dunes Birding Festival Youth and Family Day. Free! Lots of fun

Join us a week from today for the Youth & Family Birding Day at the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center — free and open to all!

Saturday, May 16 | 9 AM – 4 PM CT

Free activities from a range of partners, including bluebird box building, hourly nature hikes, live birds of prey, and much more. No registration required.

05/05/2026

In case you find a baby bird …

At some point, nearly everyone who spends time outdoors finds a baby bird—one that is unable to fly well and seems lost or abandoned. Your first impulse may be to help the young bird, but in the great majority of cases the young bird doesn't need help. In fact, intervening often makes the situatio...

04/12/2026

So excited to see this collab with birding backpacks in libraries throughout Indiana including Indianapolis! Check out the library list at the end of the article. International Crane Foundation

03/10/2026

When I was a child, I likely heard Looney Tunes’ Yosemite Sam calling someone a ‘yellow-bellied sapsucker’ as an insult. At the time, I had no idea those words described a bird! Decades later, every sighting of this species brings a special delight. Phone Skope Birding Phone Skope Indiana Audubon

https://indianaaudubon.org/2026/03/03/a-winter-bird-sighting-yellow-bellied-sapsucker/
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As a member of the woodpecker family, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker leaves small, shallow holes in tree bark arranged in neat rows.

02/15/2026

Money and Cuba
There is an official exchange rate published by the bank of Cuba which is about 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) to one dollar. It is very difficult to get money from the bank in Cuba. We have seen long queues of frustrated Cubans. In short, cash is king, and USD is common, and Cuban pesos are widely used ATMs exist and we are told they have no money in them.

Why? Cubans are paid electronically And pay for things electronically. The rub is the sites for online purchases are difficult to access:/gets overloaded and transactions cannot be completed. With unreliable electricity fo those without other forms of power— solar, generators (which use fuel, also getting difficult to obtain), an informal/unofficial exchange rate is used for everyday transactions.

The informal exchange rate when I arrived was 440 Cuban pesos to $1. Yep, 440 one-hundred pesos notes = $100 USD, a literal handful! Basically, it is black market to exchange goods and services. Daily, I’m told a site called El Toque publishes the informal Cuban peso exchange rate for various currencies, including USD. As we travel, we are staying and eating in private/family-owned businesses, not by the government.

02/14/2026

Enjoyed this Giant Lizard-cuckoo in Viñales in Cuba. Amazing creature. Yes, the B&Bs have electricity and the provider reserved fuel months ago for the trip.

Stygian Owl seen testers y at Las Terrazos reserve.