THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / William K. Daby

Astronomical Society of Southern New England Astronomy Day, Barrington Town Hall Lawn, 283 County Rd., Barrington. www.assne.org. Dozens of telescopes specially filtered to allow views of the Sun. Children accompanied by their parents welcome to look at sunspots to see solar flares and prominences. Family picnic atmosphere, 1:30-6 pm. Around 7:30 pm, 30 telescopes set up to view the planets Mars, Saturn and its moons and Mercury; the Beehive Cluster, which holds tens of thousands of stars; asteroids and galaxies. Sat 1:30-9:30 pm. Free. Weather permitting; if it is partly cloudy, the event will go on; if it is overcast or raining, it will not.

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Bird Walks. 949-5454, ext. 3041; www.asri.org. Advance registration. Walks cancelled in event of inclement weather (more than just a little sprinkle).

•Thu. Marion Eppley Wildlife Sanctuary, West Kingston. Rare opportunity to explore this refuge which is closed to the public except for guided, educational programs. 7:30 am.

•Fri. Fisherville Brook Refuge, Exeter. Explore the refuge in search of neo-tropical migrants. Observe birds including northern waterthrush, prairie warblers, bluebirds, scarlet tanagers and others. Bring binoculars. 8 am.

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope St. (Route 114), Bristol. 245-7500; www.asri.org. $6, 65+ $5, children 4-12 $4, children under 4 and ASRI members free. Special exhibit: Bird and nature paintings by Ray Tameo. Opening reception Sun 1-3 pm.

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Programs. 949-5454, ext. 3041; www.asri.org. Advance registration.

•Sun. Biking and Birding. Along the South County Bike Trail beginning at the Kingston Train Station, Route 138 (meet next to the kiosk). Stop at Tri-Pond Nature Center for rest/snack/lunch next to Asa Pond before return trip. 9 am-1 pm. Children 12+ accompanied by an adult welcome. Bring bike, lunch/snack, drinks, binoculars; wear sunscreen, comfortable clothing. $14, members $11.

•Sun. Great Swamp Walk, Great Swamp Management Area, Great Neck Road, West Kingston. Springtime walk with Kimball naturalists features a variety of resident and migrant birds, as well as amphibians and reptiles. 3-5 pm. $12, children $6; members $8, $4.

Ledge Ends Learning Center Bird Watching and Bird Photography Program, Boesch Farm, 830 South Rd., East Greenwich. 884-5118; e-mail LedgeLearning@hotmail.com. Meet promptly at 9 am for walk led by birding enthusiast/photographer Geoff Dennis. Dress warmly; bring binoculars. Slide presentation, discussion after. Sat. $10, children $6. Advance registration.

Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Spring Birds and Wildflowers Program, Grill’s Preserve, Bradford. (860) 536-1216; www.dpnc.org. Hike through the preserve which lies along the Pawcatuck River and features white pine, pitch pine, deciduous woodland and shrubby openings that provide habitats for many plants and birds. Sun 10 am-noon. $8, members $5. Advance registration.

Painting Flowers with Watercolor, New Dawn Earth Center, 75 Wrentham Rd., Cumberland. 333-1341; www.newdawnearthcenter.org. Participants will create a realistic or stylized flower painting from a floral still life under the guidance of Germaine Gerie. Sat 2-4 pm. $25. Advance registration.

Save the Bay Ultimate Lighthouse Tour. Explore the lighthouses of Narragansett Bay aboard the Alletta Morris. Departs from the Save the Bay Center, Providence, Sat at 9 am for a trip down the west passage to Newport and return via the East Passage viewing more than a dozen active and inactive lighthouses. Lunch, binoculars provided. Tour returns at 4 pm. Bring hats, sunscreen and light outerwear for afternoon sea breeze. Cruise not deterred by light rain. With author Jeremy D’Entremont as guest host. $100, members $85. Advance registration.

Trustees of Reservations and the Paskamansett Bird Club Bird Walk, Watuppa Reservation Headquarters, 2929 Blossom Rd., Fall River. (508) 679-2115, ext. 11, or e-mail bioreserve@ttor.org. Featuring an array of warglers and other interior forest birds. With naturalist/bird expert Fred Thurber. Sat 6 pm. Free. Bring binoculars. Advance registration.