Join us at 9:00 a.m. on January 10, 2026 for our "Big Sit" at the Sanctuary. We'll have the wood stove fired up, along with hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks. From the winter quarters, we'll watch the feeders and see what birds stop by. Please dress for the weather and bring a chair. This is an accessible event with no hiking or walking. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and website if the weather is snowy or very cold - we may cancel the event in certain conditions.

Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Road, Mishawaka. Please contact tai.gunter@sbeaudubon.org with any questions.

The South Bend-Elkhart Bird Alliance and the Elkhart County Parks are calling upon volunteers for the 30th annual Elkhart County Christmas Bird Count, which will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

Volunteer bird counters can participate in two ways:
Field observers will be assigned an area and given maps to count birds within a designated part of Elkhart County. Teams will bird by car and foot from dawn to dusk. Participants should dress for the weather and bring binoculars and field guides. Field observers will meet at Ox Bow Haus Shelter in Ox Bow County Park on Saturday, January 3rd at 7:30 a.m. Ox Bow County Park is located at 23033 County Road 45 in Dunlap. Field sections can also be assigned prior to the date.
Feeder counters can count birds in their yards. Participants must count the highest number of each species seen at once in their yard on that day. Feeder counts can take place during any amount of time and are welcome to include all birds seen from your yard, especially along waterways.

The Elkhart County count circle extends from the state line on the north to Waterford Mills on the south end, and includes the towns of Bristol, Middlebury, Goshen, and the eastern portion of Elkhart. The center of the 7.5-mile radius for the count circle is the intersection of County Roads 18 and 23.

Birdwatchers are encouraged to contact Ronda DeCaire with the Elkhart County Parks at (574) 535-6458 or via email at rdecaire@elkhartcounty.com to register their name, address, phone number, and email to receive further directions for the bird count. We are excited to celebrate 30 years of counting the birds in Elkhart County for this wintertime citizen science project. We especially want to thank our long-time volunteers who have joined us for several decades to make the count consistent and productive. Your dedication to science is appreciated at the local and national level.

Help wanted! We need both feeder counters and field observers for the South Bend Christmas Bird Count, to be held on Saturday, December 20th. The count circle is centered on downtown South Bend and extends out 7.5 miles in each direction.

Volunteers of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to take part in this traditional event. We will once again be having a compiler party after the event for any and all participants where refreshments will be provided as we tabulate our results. Hope you can join us!

Please contact Lindsay Grossmann at lindsay.grossmann@sbeaudubon.org or (574) 807-4443 for questions or to sign up!

Pro tip: it makes for a memorable family and/or friends gathering!

Please join us Sunday, December 14th at 1:00 p.m. at the Elkhart Conservation Club (ECC) for our annual holiday potluck and slideshow! The ECC is located at 55515 Riviera Drive, Elkhart, Indiana 46514. That is approximately 1¾ miles east of the major intersection of Ash Road and McKinley Highway (Old US 20), on the south side of McKinley.

Turkey breast and drinks will be provided. Please bring your own table service along with a side dish to share. We will begin the slideshow, with photos provided by attendees, after the meal. If you have any nature or birding photos you wish to share, please bring them. A flash/jump drive containing the files is preferred. Showing photos directly from a smartphone is more complicated.

We will also be presenting the proposed 2026 budget to the membership for approval. The ECC will be opened at approximately 12:00 p.m. to allow us time to set up all the tables and chairs and the hostess station and to put out table decorations. Anyone interested in helping with those tasks is more than welcome to arrive early to assist. As always, our membership meeting is open to the public.

Looking forward to seeing everyone’s smiling faces. Don’t forget to bring your appetite!

On December 6, 2025 we will be traveling to Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area (JPFWA) to witness the gathering of thousands of Sandhill Cranes. This is one of Indiana's greatest natural spectacles. Approximately an hour before sunset, large flocks of Sandhill Cranes kite into JPFWA's Goose Pasture to gab and socialize.

We will start our afternoon at Kiwani Marsh in Kankakee Fish & Wildlife Area to look for waterfowl. From there it is approximately 30 minutes to JPFWA. We may make a brief stop along the way to look for a Golden Eagle.

After viewing the Sandhills we will possibly head for dinner and socializing in North Judson. You may join us for all or any part of our trip. Dress for the weather (layers are best) and bring your binoculars. It is often cold and windy on the Sandhill Crane viewing stand. You may also wish to pack a lunch or snacks. It is a moderate walk from the parking area to the Sandhill Crane viewing area. There is also limited handicapped parking closer to the viewing stand and the viewing stand is handicapped accessible.

Here is our itinerary (all times are EST):
12:30 p.m. – Meet at the north end of Kohl’s parking lot on Ireland and Miami in South Bend for carpooling or to caravan.
1:45 p.m. – Arrive at Kankakee Fish & Wildlife Area Kiwani Marsh, 4320 Toto Rd., North Judson, IN. Here is a pin drop for Kiwani Marsh: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rQVSNUuDGTrLfomj8.
3:00-3:15 p.m. – Leave Kiwani Marsh for approximately 30-minute drive to JPFWA Sandhill Crane Viewing Area.
3:45-4:00 p.m. – Arrive at JPFWA, 5353 County Rd. 1650 W., Medaryville, IN.

We will stay at JPFWA until dusk. Sunset is approximately 5:30 p.m. We will then depart for North Judson for possible dinner. Dinner arrangements will be decided the day of the field trip.

Any questions, call, text (text is best), or email me, Carol Goodall: (574) 276-7249, fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

You have likely noticed the local press dedicated to data centers, which have located in St. Joseph County. The trend has been concerning for our own local water and power systems, which, of course, also have repercussions for the biodiverse communities with whom we live.

While many know about the Amazon Data Center Campus located in New Carlisle, an article in the New York Times explained just how big it really is. The June 24, 2025 article “At Amazon’s Biggest Data Center, Everything is Supersized for A.I.” states the Amazon data center in our county will consume “2.2 gigawatts of electricity – enough to power a million homes.” The Indiana Citizens Action Coalition reported that the Amazon Data Center combined with the neighboring GE battery manufacturing facility have been granted permission for a combined use of up to 24 million gallons of water a day from the Kankakee aquifer (https://www.citact.org/ai-data-centers). St. Joseph County officials have also approved a Microsoft data center on 900 acres at the former St. Joe farm in Granger. 

Perhaps it is no surprise that when a third data center was proposed, this one off of the Chicago Trail in New Carlisle, residents are fighting back against the possibility. This data center would convert 1057 acres of prime agricultural land to industrial use – again using massive amounts of water and electricity, though current public information is scant about the exact quantities.

This industrial use is inconsistent with the multi-year, multi-stakeholder county comprehensive land use plan as well as its future land use plan map. The recommendation within that plan is to preserve highly productive agricultural areas, especially ones recognized by the USDA as prime farmland. This land would fit that definition. Additionally, this potential rezoning is also not in-line with New Carlisle’s comprehensive plan. The Area Plan Commission recognized all of this when they gave the agricultural to industrial rezoning a 7-0 unanimous UNFAVORABLE recommendation. However, the decision of whether to let yet another juggernaut locate here ultimately rests with the St. Joseph County Council.

It is important to note that we truly do not yet know the effects that this kind of electricity and water consumption will have on the biodiverse communities of our area. We have not found any publicly available forecast of Indiana’s increased electricity usage with data centers included for the coming years. We do know that there is county legislation that puts additional barriers to large scale solar installation, a carbon-free power source. Therefore, this increased energy demand is going to have climate implications. And we know birds are already gravely threatened by the changing climate. Audubon scientists have found that two-thirds of North American birds are at greater risk of extinction because of warming temperatures.  

If you would like to speak out for birds, people, and the planet you can join the SBEBA at the following meetings:
The County Council Committee Meeting may hear the rezoning request within their Land Use Committee on Tuesday, October 28th at the County-City Building, 4th floor, 5:30 p.m. No public comments are allowed but presence is important!
The rezoning vote may officially occur at the November County Council Meeting. Because of Veterans’ Day, the County Council Meeting will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 12th, at the County-City building, 4th floor, 6:00 p.m.

Please also consider contacting your county council representative to voice your concerns. You can find your council person at https://www.sjcindiana.gov/2386/County-Council/.

On November 1st we will see what birds we can find at Cobus Creek County Park in Elkhart. Cobus Creek has a nice, relatively flat, woodland trail and some prairie.

 Meet at Cobus Creek County Park at 9:00 a.m. The park is located at 30680 County Road 8, Elkhart, IN 46514. Google Maps link for pin drop: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iMks5padHsiW55uM9.

 Dress for the weather. Bring binoculars if you have them. If not, I can supply them.

Any questions, email fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

Treat yourself to a mid-week nature break.

Let’s take a walk and see what interesting things we can find. Join me October 15th at 5:30 p.m. at the South Bend-Elkhart Bird Alliance Wildlife Sanctuary. This month will be our final walk for this year. It is already beginning to get dark sooner and once the time changes it will be dark by 6:00 p.m. That’s why we will start this month's walk at 5:30 p.m. to give us a little time before dark.

 Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana.

On October 4th, meet at 9:00 a.m. at Boot Lake Nature Preserve. Boot Lake is located at 51430 County Road 3 in Elkhart, Indiana. Boot Lake hosts a nice variety of habitat which includes woodland, marsh, and prairie.

Wear sturdy shoes. Bring insect repellent, water, and binoculars, if you have them. I will have extra binoculars if you do not have your own.

You need not be a member to attend our field trips. All are welcome.
Questions, email fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

Take a mid-week nature break! Join me on September 17th at 6:00 p.m. for a relaxing walk around our wildlife sanctuary. You never know what interesting things we might find.

Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana.

Join us on September 6th at 8:00 a.m. at Potato Creek State Park, 25601 IN-4 in North Liberty, Indiana to look for fall migrants. There is a gate fee to get into the park. 

Where to meet:
After entering the park, take a left past the gatehouse and continue on the main road to the first right at the sign for Deer Meadows Picnic Area. When you enter the picnic area, you will take the first road to the right, then park in the first lot on the left (north side of the road).

We will meet here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cNQaTx6mSrsvVU9F9

Wear appropriate clothing for the weather and comfortable shoes. Walking will be flat, but we may walk in some wet grass.

Bring insect repellent, water, and binoculars (if you have them). I will have extra binoculars if you don't have your own.

You need not be a member to attend our field trips, and they are free. All are welcome.

Join us for a relaxing mid-week nature break at 6:00 p.m. We will take a stroll around our wildlife sanctuary to see what interesting things we can find. The trails can often be muddy so wear appropriate shoes. Insect repellent is recommended. Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana.

 All our events are open to members and non-members and all ages are welcome.
Questions, contact Carol Goodall at fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

We need your help to cover this educational event!

If you are interested in helping, please contact Melissa at education@sbebirdalliance.org or (574) 371-6282. Please indicate the name of the festival you would like to help with as well as the number of hours you are willing to volunteer. Even if you can only volunteer one or two hours of your time, we would still greatly appreciate it!

Riverfest: August 23rd, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Riverbend Park, 511 E. Warren St., Middlebury, IN 46540

We will have a booth with informational materials about birds and our organization as well as a bird related activity for the kids to do. Your job is to simply talk to people that visit our booth about birds! If you haven't helped at an event before because you think you don't know enough about birds, do not fear! None of us are bird experts, and it is always acceptable to tell someone you don't know the answer to their very random bird question! Also, you will almost always have another volunteer at the booth with you! 

As always, thank you to everyone that helps to educate and inspire our community about birds.

On August 16th we will head to the Lake Michigan lakefront in search of shorebirds. We will begin our morning at Washington Park Beach in Michigan City, Indiana and will explore the pier at the Michigan City Lighthouse. After Michigan City we will most likely head west along the lakeshore with possible stops at Miller Beach and Marquette Park. We will discuss things as we go. This will be a longer day. It should be a wonderful time to be at the lake during fall migration.

Meet at 7:30 a.m. eastern time at the far northwest corner of the parking lot in Washington Park Beach. This is the area of the parking lot closest to the lighthouse. The entrance to the park is at City Hall and 100 E. in Michigan City, Indiana.
https://goo.gl/maps/Wb5i7p16rKopKPGP6

There shouldn’t be a gate fee if we get there this early but still be prepared to pay a gate fee. We may also visit other locations which may require a gate fee.

Bring sunscreen, water, and binoculars if you have them. I will have a spotting scope and extra binoculars for us to use. You may also want to bring some snacks. We might find a place to get a bite to eat for lunch. We will decide this on the day of the field trip. Or you may prefer to pack a lunch.

We need your help to cover this educational event!

If you are interested in helping, please contact Melissa at education@sbebirdalliance.org or (574) 371-6282. Please indicate the name of the festival you would like to help with as well as the number of hours you are willing to volunteer. Even if you can only volunteer one or two hours of your time, we would still greatly appreciate it!

Envirofest: August 8th, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Island Park, 200 E. Sycamore St., Elkhart, IN 46516

We will have a booth with informational materials about birds and our organization as well as a bird related activity for the kids to do. Your job is to simply talk to people that visit our booth about birds! If you haven't helped at an event before because you think you don't know enough about birds, do not fear! None of us are bird experts, and it is always acceptable to tell someone you don't know the answer to their very random bird question! Also, you will almost always have another volunteer at the booth with you! 

As always, thank you to everyone that helps to educate and inspire our community about birds.

Join us for a relaxing mid-week nature break at 6:00 p.m. We will take a stroll around our wildlife sanctuary to see what interesting things we can find. The trails can often be muddy so wear appropriate shoes. Insect repellent is recommended. Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana.

 All our events are open to members and non-members and all ages are welcome.
Questions, contact Carol Goodall at fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

On July 5th we'll be taking our annual field trip to Beverly Crone Restoration Area in search of grassland birds. Our target birds on this trip will be Eastern Meadowlark, Henslow's Sparrow, Sedge Wren, Bobolink, and Dickcissel. We will need to get an early start to beat the heat of the day as there is no shade at the property. The trails are gravel and slightly hilly.

Beverly Crone Restoration Area is located at 21448 Jackson Road in South Bend. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the parking area on the corner of Jackson and Locust.

https://goo.gl/maps/tgG9cx8WpyUzkgqz5 

Wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent, and binoculars. There are no restrooms at Beverly Crone Restoration Area. You need not be a member to attend our field trips.

Questions, contact Carol Goodall at fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

On June 28th join us at 8:30 p.m. for a mothing night at our wildlife sanctuary. We will set up a light and a mothing sheet to see what variety of moths and other insects call our wildlife sanctuary home.

Bring a chair and insect repellent. We will provide soft drinks. This is a family event so bring the kids. You need not be a member to attend our events.

Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Road in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Questions, contact Carol Goodall at fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

Join us for a relaxing mid-week nature break at 6:00 p.m. We will take a stroll around our wildlife sanctuary to see what interesting things we can find. The trails can often be muddy so wear appropriate shoes. Insect repellent is recommended. Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana.

 All our events are open to members and non-members and all ages are welcome.
Questions, contact Carol Goodall at fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

On June 21st we will head to Michigan to Mud Lake Bog. Migration has passed and we have reached the summer birding doldrums so this will be more of a botany trip. We may see a few birds. Our main goal on this trip is to see carnivorous plants. Mud Lake Bog is the best place in our area to see these plants because the boardwalk sits right on top of the bog. We will see pitcher plants and both sundews (round-leaved and spatulate-leaved). We may find some orchids blooming. Last year we got lucky, and the orchids were blooming.

 I strongly suggest wearing long sleeves and long pants because poison sumac may overhang the boardwalk in some places, but we will keep a careful eye out for it. Bring water, sunscreen, and insect repellent. There are no restrooms at the bog.

 Meet at Mud Lake Bog, located at 905 E. Elm Valley Road in Buchanan, Michigan at 8:30 a.m. This preserve is only about a 30–45-minute drive from South Bend.

 https://maps.app.goo.gl/JDoCxgd4mXCWunZG6

 You need not be a member to attend our field trips. Questions, contact Carol Goodall at fieldtrips@sbeaudubon.org.

Memorial Day is upon us so that means pancakes! Come out to the Sanctuary on Monday, May 26th from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and get some breakfast. We will be serving plain, blueberry, and walnut pancakes with syrup and will have hot coffee, tea, and water. Please remember to bring your own tablewares (plate, mug/cup, silverware).
Donations will be accepted to help fund future projects and manage the Sanctuary. After your bellies are filled, you can walk off the pancakes on our trails with our newest map!
To volunteer, email sanctuary@sbeaudubon.org.

Take a mid-week nature break! Join me on May 21st at 6:00 p.m. for a relaxing walk around our Wildlife Sanctuary. We always hope to see some birds, but you never know what other interesting things we might find.

Our Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana.

This is open to members and non-members and is free.

On May 10th we will go to Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, Indiana on another search for neotropical migrants. We will walk the bike trail from the West Lot to Potato Creek. This is a lengthy, somewhat hilly walk but the trail is paved so it makes the trekking easier. Plan to be out most of the morning. Meet at the West Lot at 7:00 a.m. This is the lot at the west end of the lake near the west Osprey nest. It is located here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eYcgqKeVk9UBWvh7A

Dress for the weather. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring binoculars (if you have them), insect repellent, water, and snacks (if you wish).

This date is also Global Big Day so we will be recording all the birds we see (and hear) to submit to eBird.

As always, our field trips are open to members and non-members and are free, but there is a gate fee to enter the park.

We need your help to cover this educational event!

If you are interested in helping, please contact Melissa at education@sbebirdalliance.org or (574) 371-6282. Please indicate the name of the festival you would like to help with as well as the number of hours you are willing to volunteer. Even if you can only volunteer one or two hours of your time, we would still greatly appreciate it!

Wild Ones Native Plant Sale: May 3rd, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Pinhook Park, 2801 Riverside Dr., South Bend, IN 46616

We will have a booth with informational materials about birds and our organization as well as a bird related activity for the kids to do. Your job is to simply talk to people that visit our booth about birds! If you haven't helped at an event before because you think you don't know enough about birds, do not fear! None of us are bird experts, and it is always acceptable to tell someone you don't know the answer to their very random bird question! Also, you will almost always have another volunteer at the booth with you! 

As always, thank you to everyone that helps to educate and inspire our community about birds.

On May 3rd we will bird the St. Mary’s Nature Area at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. The Nature Area trail is a wonderful place to see neotropical migrants in the spring. This will be a lengthy walk, but most of the terrain is flat. The trail along the river can be a little precarious so wear sturdy shoes. Plan to be out most of the morning.
We will meet at 7:30 a.m. in the northwest corner of the parking lot at the end of Madeleva Drive. To get there, turn west off US-31 on Brother Andre Drive (this is the road to the south of The Inn at St. Mary’s). Turn at the first right, which is Madeleva Drive. Madeleva Drive curves around and dead ends near our meetup location. Our meetup place is located here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GWfi5eJTE7CRCQiZA

Dress for the weather. Bring binoculars (if you have them), insect repellent, water, and snacks (if you wish).

Our field trips are open to members and non-members and are free.

What: Red Barn Rummage Sale
When: Saturday, April 26th, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Where: St. Patrick’s County Park, Laurel Road, in the Big Red Barn
Who: Everybody - the sale is open to the public
Why: (1) The sale dollars support our operations; (2) We’re helping reuse, repurpose, and recycle; (3) Volunteers have a great time meeting new folks and renewing acquaintances; (4) Bargains, bargains, bargains; (5) You have a good reason to spring-clean and/or downsize. 

Those with good memories will note that this article is very similar to the April article of last year. Why is that? Well, not much changes, except that we get different donations and we add new volunteers to our cadre of repeaters. 

So, Consider Volunteering: You can help with the sale in many ways. On Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m., we need three to four people to unfold and set up the tables. During setup, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. all days), we need helpers to unload donors’ cars as they come. We need pricers to tag items with good guesstimates. If you’d like to get your 10,000 steps in (or even just 1,000), we can use your help to take priced items to the appropriate tables. On Saturday, we need people at the sale to add up (tally) the customers’ items and give them a total, bag their stash, and carry heavier items to their cars. We need two cashiers who can make change without the help of a cash register. We need bakers to supply items for the bake sale and an assistant to help the Bake Sale Manager. We need helpers to pack up after the sale (12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.). Any amount of time is helpful, even an hour. We have put together a guide for volunteering for this event. Pick up one at the April 13th membership meeting or email martha.kummerer@sbeaudubon.org to get a copy in PDF. 

And/Or Consider Donating Items: Our sales in the past have seen almost everything; we always are surprised. We have tables assigned for about every category: dishes, glassware, pans, home décor, small appliances, holiday decorations, craft supplies, fabric, towels, curtains, draperies, blankets, bedspreads, toys, books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, games, puzzles, sports equipment, yard décor, office supplies, pet items, bird items, candles, framed pictures, luggage, purses, tote bags, shoes, boots, adult clothing, child/baby clothing and equipment, jewelry, clocks, lamps, tools, and more. Many rummage sale shoppers are particularly interested in vintage items; currently, that is anything older than the 1980s. If you need help delivering larger items, call/text (574) 360-7983 and we’ll try to arrange pickup. 

Times for Bringing Donations to the Red Barn South Door:
Wednesday: April 23rd, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: April 24th, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday: April 25th, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

NOTE FRIDAY TIME: We will close off donations at 1:00 p.m. Friday to allow workers to finish the setup on time.

We will have our first field trip of spring migration at our wildlife sanctuary on April 26th at 7:30 a.m. Unlike the evening “Meet the Naturalist” walks, the main focus of this walk will be birds. Birds are always more active in the early morning hours so we can hope to find a few more species than we do during our evening walks.  

150 species of birds have been recorded at our 34.5-acre wildlife sanctuary. Here is a link to the sanctuary’s eBird illustrated checklist: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L551558/illustrated-checklist.  

Dress for the weather. Wear sturdy shoes. Some trails may be muddy, and some trails are hilly. Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, IN, south of George Wilson Park.

Join me for a relaxing mid-week nature break on April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. We will take a stroll to see what interesting things we can find. We may see some spring migrants. Spring ephemerals should be blooming. Wear sturdy shoes. The trails may be muddy. Dress for the weather.

Our wildlife sanctuary is located at 59395 Clover Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana.

Our next membership meeting will be Sunday, April 13th at 2:00 p.m. in the Rum Village Park nature center in South Bend. Our speaker will be Amanda Brunson-Cruz, Education Curator from the Conservation Education Department at the Potawatomi Zoo. For her animal ambassador program, she will be bringing wild birds that are either currently being rehabilitated by the zoo or can never be released into the wild due to injuries or having been hand-raised by humans.

The public is always welcome to attend our membership meetings. Invite a friend to join you, meet new people, and enjoy some hot refreshments and delicious treats as you learn about these fascinating creatures. Will Amanda bring a Red-Tailed Hawk, a Barred Owl, an Eastern Screech-Owl, or an American Kestrel? Perhaps a Pied Raven or a member of the parrot family such as a Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo? Only one way to find out, so hope to see you there!