Stephanie and I were finally able to get outside this weekend and hike again! We haven’t really been able to do so since our First Day Hike. Between snow storms, ice storms, bad roads, frigid temps, vehicle failures and commitments, we have not been able to get out and hike as we would have liked.
On Saturday, as we unloaded our recycling at our local drop off location, we heard our first killdeer of the season.
On Sunday, we went to Rock River landing to take a short hike on the Sugar Creek Rail Trail. After carefully making our way up the steep, icy embankment at the trail head, we walked to the Nucor Bridge on Sugar Creek, which was mostly frozen over still.
Birds seen:
- Bald eagle
- Downy Woodpecker
- Chickadee
- Nuthatch
- Junco
- Canada geese
- Robins
- Tufted Titmice
- Blue Jays
- Cardinals
On our way home, we saw:
- Kestrel (many)
- Turkey Vultures (yay!)
- Robins
- Red-tail hawk stooping from wire to field for its prey
- Red shouldered hawk
- Horned Larks
- Mixed Blackbird flock
Monday found us heading to Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis. This is our second time to visit this park together. we are really impressed with it. I had visited previously with my husband to attend his company picnics, which left no real time to hike or bird.
We parked at the Ornithology Center and started down a trail that would connect us to the Red Trail out and around the causeway around the Bird Sanctuary, This is a very easy hike and very pretty.
Although most of the reservoir was still iced over, the area where the current evidently runs was still open. We were able to catch sight of several flotillas of ducks and Canada geese.
Several surprises for us were spotting a wood thrush and a wonderful long look at a Peregrine falcon.
We saw sign of beaver, but didn’t see any beaver themselves. We saw a pair of mallards possibly looking for a nest site.
As we lingered at the observation room at the Ornithology Center (Wonderful place to spend an afternoon) we were able to spot and ID mute swans and common mergansers.
Bird List for Eagle Creek:
- Red Shouldered Hawk
- Peregrine Falcon
- Coopers Hawk
- Blue Jay
- Nut hatch
- Tufted Titmouse
- Chickadee
- Down Woodpecker
- Red-Bellied Woodpecker
- Cardinal
- Goldfinch
- Field Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- Wood Thrush
- Mute Swan
- Canada Geese
- Goldeneye
- Wood Duck
- Common merganser
- Bufflehead
- Mallards
What a wonderful weekend with the promise of more to come!
