• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

First CBC (1 Viewer)

Beverlybaynes

Mod Squad
3:) I ventured to south central Indiana for my first Christmas Bird Count, at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, just outside Seymour, Indiana. This is approximately an hour and 15 minutes south of Indianapolis, the state capital (and home of the Indianapolis 500, for you racing fans out there.

My journey began on Tuesday afternoon, Dec 31, as I drove from Fort Wayne to spend the night at my sister's, in nearby Columbus. Along the interstates, I spotted 7 Red-Tailed Hawks and 2 American Kestrels, plus one mystery bird that I've since decided was probably a Red-Shouldered Hawk. This is a drive of 167 miles, door to door.

On New Year's Day, I rose at 4:30 a.m. to drive on to Seymour and meet two friends who had driven down later the evening before. We had hoped to do some owling on the refuge before the count actually started, but it was raining steadily, so opted instead for a hot breakfast.

At the refuge's nature center, we had another person added to our 'team', a woman who had come alone from western Ohio. We were assigned Richart Lake, one of two sizeable lakes on the refuge (there are several smaller lakes and ponds, and lots of marshes -- the refuge is managed for waterfowl).

It was still raining steadily, with a cold northeast wind as we parked the car and started along the trail -- but it fortunately led to the only shelter on the refuge, and overlooked the lake. So for 2 1/2 hours, we were at least out of the rain and wind, if still very cold (temp was in the high 30sF). We saw mostly Canada Geese, with one Snow Goose (white morph) mixed in, along with a few Mallards here and there.

From the shelter, however, we got our mammal of the day, something I've looked for Muscatatuck for years. We spotted two River Otters capering about on a log at the waterline, across the lake from the shelter. Yippee!! River Otters were extirpated from Indiana in the early 20th century, but their first reintroduction to the state came at Muscatatuck in January of '95, and I've been looking for them every since.

We walked back to the car to get warmed up and headed out on the refuge auto tour, as this was the first time my two friends had ever visited there. The rain was starting to let up, so we were finally starting to see birds, with the highlight at this point being a dozen Wild Turkeys in a cornfield.

After a hot lunch at the center, we headed out on the auto tour again. The road passes the lake, so we were able to add birds from that stretch to our totals 'on territory'. There we spotted our 'bird of the day', a very cooperative and unusual-looking Red-Shouldered Hawk. He was an immature and very pale, with white scapulars, a broadly-white forehead and a very pale cere that also appeared white. He generously posed on the top of a couple cedar trees out in the open so it was easy to get some wonderful views through the scope and be sure of our ID.

Muscatatuck has extensive waterfowl resting areas that are normally closed to the public, but on count day, we could walk in, which we proceded to do. As the fellow who had that area for his territory left, he gave us the gate key, so we were able to later bring the car in, gratefully, as the wind was picking up again.

Muscatatuck had its first nesting Bald Eagles this last summer (in July, when birding with a refuge volunteer with a gate key, I was able to see the two fledglings in the nest with the adults standing sentinel in nearby trees), and our visit on New Year's Day rewarded us with both adults, perching and flying, and at one point with both in the same tree!

I have gone on long enough, so won't list everything here, but our day ended with 21 species 'on territory' and 42 for the day.

The other highlight for the day was seeing or hearing all of Indiana's woodpeckers, except the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. Of that group (Downy, Hairy, Red-Bellied, Red-Headed, and Northern Flicker), the only audio ID was of the Pileated Woodpecker, heard as we walked to our cars to leave at 4:50pm. At the same time, we picked up an audio ID of a Brown Creeper.

Freezing rain had been taken out of the forecast, fortunately, so the drive home was easier than anticipated, and I pulled in my driveway at 7:30pm. It was a long, wet, windy, miserable and COLD day, but I'll do it again in a heartbeat!!
 
Beverly,

That is great. The bird count is always fun (despite the weather). And to see two River Otters is fantastic. I would love to see wild River Otters.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 21 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top