A rare bird sighting at Dillon Nature Center has people flocking to see

CAPTION: A possible Tropical Parula warbler bird was sighted for the first time in Kansas at Dillon Nature Center by Mark Nolen of Wichita on Tuesday, May 6. The bird is rare in Kansas, and its normal range is in Mexico and the southernmost tip of Texas. PHOTO CREDIT MARK NOLEN

By Kate Irelan

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A Hutchinson man may be credited with sighting the first known Tropical Parula warbler bird in Kansas. The rare bird for this area was first spotted by Mark Nolen of Wichita on Tuesday at Dillon Nature Center in Hutchinson, and the news quickly drew a birdwatching crowd from cities across Kansas.

Mark Nolen is a professor of biology at Hutchinson Community College. He said that he occasionally stops by Dillon nature center after work. He knew there were Northern Parula birds at the nature center and they are fairly common in Kansas. “Hutchinson is the most northwest spot to regularly see the Northern Parulas,” said Nolen. “I heard one of those calling, and the bird appeared, but it looked a little funny. It had a black mask with a yellow throat.”

Nolen said, “Then it hopped on the ground about 10 feet away and I could see it had black mask, but I couldn’t get a photo.” He said that the next day he went back to Dillon Nature Center and heard the bird calling and was able to get a good look at it with binoculars. “I thought as soon as I looked at it that it was probably a Tropical Parula,” said Nolen. 

Knowing they were rare in Kansas, he texted a group of other birders to help identify the bird. They came to Dillon Nature Center, tracked down the bird, and found it building a nest. They posted the sighting on the private Facebook group page, Kansas Rare and Notable Sightings, and by Thursday, bird watchers from other areas in Kansas were coming to catch a glimpse or photo of the bird.

Malcolm Gold from Overland Park, Kansas said, “Seeing a life bird, the first time seeing or hearing a species, brings a big level of excitement and joy. It was hard for me to contain my smile this morning when we met, I was still riding that euphoric high.  The bird was showing quite well this morning and made multiple calls.” 

Gold said that state firsts and extreme rarities, like the Tropical Parula from one the far edges of Southern Texas draw a crowd. “It’s definitely a big deal,” said Gold. He said while he was at Dillon Nature Center, he met other birdwatchers from Newton, Wichita, Emporia, Lyons, Hays, Manhattan and the Kansas City area. 

Nolen is on the Kansas Birds Records Committee. He said the committee will decide whether it is a confirmed first sighting or not, but he will not vote since he submitted the sighting. He said it may be months before this record sighting is confirmed depending on the next round of voting and when he submits the sighting. 

Nolen said that it seems that the bird is a Tropical Parula, but it could be a hybridized bird with the Northern Parulas in the area. “There’s a lot of variation in birds,” said Nolen. “The male has a darker black mask, and females do more nest building but males do help. The bird’s behavior seems female, but it looks like a male. I haven’t had time to check with experts on the bird.”

He said that it is interesting for people to see it and to look at it scientifically. The Tropical Parula breeds in Mexico and in the southernmost tip of Texas. “They are birds and they can fly and show up in funny places,” said Nolen. “One was seen in Colorado 20 years ago. I am asking scientific questions, like is this a fluke? Are they moving? Why are they here? 

Nolen said for people interested in learning more about birds in Kansas and birdwatching, beginner birders can find many resources to identify birds. He said that an updated Sibley Field Guide to finding and identifying birds by Peter Jansen and Bob Gress will be released sometime this summer. He said there is also a phone or computer application that compliments the book, and CornellLab has an all about birds website.

Gold said, “I love the birding community for sharing information and sightings via eBird, multiple Facebook groups, and/or the KSBIRD-L listserv. The Wichita Audubon Society is a great local club and many of the individuals there this morning are active in the programs, field trips, and conservation efforts.”

Nolen said, “Birds are all around us all the time and it all seems just normal, but if you really watch them, they do interesting things.”

CAPTION: A possible Tropical Parula warbler bird was sighted for the first time in Kansas at Dillon Nature Center by Mark Nolen of Wichita on Tuesday, May 6. The bird is rare in Kansas, and its normal range is in Mexico and the southernmost tip

Community foundation awards over $180,000 in grants

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On Wednesday, the Hutchinson Community Foundation announced that 28 local non-profit organizations received more than $183,000 during this year’s first grant cycle.

Hutchinson Community Foundation Director of Communications and Development Wendy Skellenger said in a press release that the grants are from the Fund for Reno County Endowment and “represent an innovative approach or collaboration, a new efficiency, a critical need that requires funding or an opportunity that needs a bit of local support to leverage resources for the community.”

The following organizations received grants:

Community Catalyst: $13,759
Projects that improve community engagement, communication, confidence and pride.

• City of Haven, $2,100: Through its own Love Where You Live initiative, the City of Haven will host interactive events, such as a speed connecting gathering and a guided bike tour, so participants may share ideas and feedback on improving local amenities and programs. These insights will drive future initiatives, ensuring Haven remains a safe, welcoming and vibrant place to live and work.

• City of Haven, $2,500: The proposal is for a digital sign to communicate to Haven citizens the programs and activities happening within the city from various municipal entities.

• Hutchinson NAACP Youth, $1,700: This project aims to enhance the Hutchinson NAACP Youth’s ability to actively participate in community outreach, which would foster greater community involvement and strengthen the organization’s mission of advocating for equality and positive change. Funding will supplement the costs of educational materials and marketing/engagement tools for outreach efforts, as well as supplies necessary for engagement activities.

• Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, $2,500: This project entails purchasing signage as a demonstration project to promote and improve vacant spaces in Downtown Hutchinson. During the implementation stage of the Downtown Master Plan, the signage will visually improve windows in vacant buildings by covering the interior storage and dressing up the Downtown neighborhood in a demonstration block area.

• Hutchinson Wesleyan Church, $2,500: Funds will provide necessary startup costs for a monthly free community dinner at the Hutchinson Public Library with the aim of building community and developing relationships across Creekside, Midtown, Grace Arbor and College Grove neighborhoods. The Big Table seeks to use its community dinner-based model to provide meals and foster a sense of belonging for those in need.

• Sylvia Helping Hands, $2,459: In the spring of 2024, a few citizens started a community garden with five raised beds to benefit the Sylvia community. Produce was harvested and placed in the city office and library for residents. Funding will allow the Sylvia Helping Hands organization to increase the size of the community garden.

Dynamic Culture: $56,400 
Projects that enhance and celebrate local arts, theater, history and tourism.

• Family Community Theatre, $7,600: Funding will help finish renovations of three restrooms in the Flag Theatre lobby.

• Emancipation Committee, Hutchinson, KS, $11,500: Funding will help with the costs of inviting an in-state and an out-of-state marching band to participate in the annual Emancipation Parade in August, increasing excitement, pride, attendance and, ultimately, a better understanding of what Emancipation weekend represents.

• Hutch in Harmony, $20,000 per year for two years: Funding will help launch the Hutch Pass: Hutchinson Cultural Passport Program, an interactive and educational experience encouraging residents to explore cultural, historical and artistic sites across the county. Participants will receive a physical or digital “passport” through a booklet and will be able to download an app that provides incentives for engaging with local cultural landmarks, businesses and events.

• Hutch Rec, $9,700: This project will bring the Hutchinson Municipal Band to performances in Hutch Rec’s Healthy Neighborhood Initiative neighborhoods, as well as the Smallville Festival. The project aims to transform public spaces into lively cultural hubs and foster a deeper sense of community while also increasing the band’s audience and, potentially, supporters.

• Stage 9, $7,600: Funding will help with the repair of the Stage 9 theater building façade.

Strong Organizations: $50,700
Projects that strengthen the capacity, sustainability and resilience of Reno County community-based organizations.

• City of Turon, $7,500: Funding will assist in the repair and maintenance of the entrance and some windows of the 116-year-old Turon Community Building, which serves a variety of functions within the community, including for Friendship Meals, City Council meetings, birthday parties, family gatherings and as a polling place.

• The Food Bank of Reno County Inc., $7,500: To accomplish the Food Bank’s goal of reducing food insecurity and improving services for children and families, it is in the process of developing a long-term plan, and part of that plan will require a more spacious and reconfigured facility. Funding will cover part of the project management costs of the project.

• Hutch Rec, $1,500: This grant proposal aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of the community’s music culture by exploring a strategic partnership with the Hutchinson Municipal Band, Reno County Choral Society and the possible restart of the Hutchinson Symphony. Funding will provide a stipend to people who serve on the exploration task force.

• Hutchinson School of Tae Kwon Do, $7,500: This project will allow for the purchase and installation of new training equipment and upgraded lighting to enhance the safety, accessibility and overall learning experience for underprivileged families, thereby fostering personal growth and strengthening the community.

• Hutchinson Wesleyan Church, $2,500: This hands-on project, which includes coaching and training, will help participants develop the relational and organizational skills needed to serve The Big Table community dinner events and start their own throughout Hutchinson and Reno County.

• Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation, $7,500: Funds will go toward a two-day retreat for the Kansas State Fair board and key staff members to develop a strategic plan.

• New Beginnings, $5,000: Funding will allow for replacement of six obsolete lab computers at New Beginnings, which are used by low-income individuals and families for education, communication and applying for jobs.

• Rise Up Reno Prevention Network, $4,200: Rise Up Reno staff will work with a trained facilitator of strategic review and planning processes to evaluate current programs and attitudes toward the work they do, and in turn, prepare for the most important priorities they will face moving forward.

• Salvation Army, $7,500: The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope initiative is an evidence-based program that strives to break the cycle of poverty by guiding low-income parents with children beyond crisis to stability. Funding will support the salary and benefits of the program’s case manager.

Thriving Kids: $63,088
Projects that support high-quality early care and education, youth development and families. Support for these projects also comes from the Helen Adams Hamilton Children and Education Fund of Hutchinson Community Foundation.

• City of Arlington, $20,000: Currently, the gymnasium in Arlington’s community building has no heat. As a result, the open gym for youth, as well as the community and family gatherings that previously filled the gym, has halted. This project will restore heat to the gymnasium in the community center through installation of two 60-foot radiant tube heaters and a center-circulating fan.

• ESSDACK, $4,500: Many Reno County students living outside of Hutchinson are unable to attend school daily at the Reno County Learning Center inside of the Hutchinson Mall because of lack of funds to purchase gas. Some students travel 80 miles a day round trip. Funding will help provide gas cards for those students so they can attend school.

• Girls on the Run, $5,400: In this program, trained, caring and qualified coaches deliver a life-skills curriculum during out-of-school times by guiding small teams of girls through twice-weekly lessons that promote social-emotional learning alongside physical activity.

• Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters Serving Reno County, $5,500: Funding will assist in providing large-scale match activities between Bigs and Littles.

• Kansas Children’s Service League, $5,275: Funds will provide transportation assistance to those enrolled in the Healthy Families program, helping relieve a frequent stressor for families working toward resilience.

• Reno County Education Cooperative, $2,300: This proposal will fund training 20 special education teachers in the PAX Good Behavior Game during a summer session.

• USD 312-Haven, $7,613: This project aims to initiate the rebuilding of the school library collection with current nonfiction books and quality fiction books starting with reading levels for students in kindergarten through third grade.

• Wisdom in Motion, $12,500 per year for two years: This organization serves at-risk and high-potential youth, fostering a sense of connection, empowerment and community engagement through structured mentorship, experiential learning and family-focused initiatives necessary for long-term success. Funds will help cover the costs of experiential learning initiatives, workshops and community engagement to help increase the impact on youth while also creating awareness of and engagement with the organization and programming.

The press release stated that the Hutchinson Community Foundation’s mission is “to inspire philanthropy, leadership and collaboration to strengthen Reno County. Since 1989, the foundation has granted more than $104 million to organizations.”

On Wednesday, the Hutchinson Community Foundation announced that 28 local non-profit organizations received more than $183,000 during this year's first grant cycle. Hutchinson Community Foundation Director of Communications and Development Wendy Skellenger said in a press release that the grants are from the Fund for Reno