August 12, 2026
They move as a group. They engage in curious behavior on our campus as they gather, seek, drink, socialize, then slowly disperse. They have a clear leader, and his name is Wes Homoya.
We’re talking about Birds & Brews with the Indiana Audubon Society at Newfields. Wes, a field ornithologist and ambassador for birds and conservation, gives guided walks to highlight the birds that inhabit The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park.
Appreciating and understanding this wildlife in the company of others and learning new things is the reward, but the walk also ends at The Beer Garden with a beverage and chance to mingle. Tickets sell out fast, so it’s no exaggeration to say the early bird gets the worm.
What got Wes into this niche? He was born and raised in Indiana to Barb, a nature-loving nurse who taught him compassion for little things like salamanders, and Michael, the Indiana state botanist for almost 40 years (who also co-authored Wake Up Woods, our first StoryWalk book in the park.) Nature has always played an important part in Wes’s life, and eventually led to him studying ecology and ornithology at Purdue.
So that’s the Birds part covered. And the Brews?
Wes’s brother is co-founder of Ash & Elm Cider Co., a local Indiana cidery (one of their styles is always on tap at The Beer Garden!). Turns out the apple didn’t fall far from the tree for both Homoya kids when it comes to nurturing a strong connection to nature and their local communities. Wes initially came to Newfields through a culinary connection, first working at Winterlights. It’s that insider (in cider, that is) knowledge that helps make Wes so unique.
On a recent Birds & Brews hike, Wes pointed out a wide variety of species in a relatively short time span: Common Nighthawk, Scarlet Tanager, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a group of Great Blue Herons flying over to the lake, to name a few. Between birds, Wes shared tidbits of info about fascinating insects and plants along the way, like the touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) plant’s seed pods that explode open when touched.
Two Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nestlings begging for a meal in a tiny cup nest (slightly bigger than a hummingbird’s) on a Persian-ironwood (Parrotia persica) tree. The Beer Garden may be nearby, but these birds prefer insects. Photo courtesy of Wes Homoya.
It’s impossible to name favorite moments, but Wes shared something special he’s found on Newfields’ campus. Not 20 feet from The Beer Garden, he’s encountered a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher’s intricate nest, and that’s one rare bird for these parts:
“Well, it's a special species. It requires a certain quality of habitat. It doesn't come to feeders, and it's a migrant. It travels hundreds or thousands of miles. This very cute little bird builds a neat nest, smaller than a fist, made up of little plant fibers, spider webs even, and fur from animals. The outside of the nest is adorned with this beautiful exterior of lichen that it probably peeled off some bark of a tree. Birds and other critters are creating art, every day, right here."
Looking for your next exceptional experience at Newfields? Look no further than Birds & Brews. Book now for the following dates:
Can’t make it this time but still want a taste? Check out our “live feed” of The Wild Birds Unlimited Bird Feeder in The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park.
