Blue Goose ~ Day 125

October 2, 2014 ~ Seymour, IN to Columbus, IN

Muscatatuck NWR was five miles away and I wanted to finally get to a refuge early in the morning for once instead of mid afternoon, the hottest part of the day, the quietest for birds. 

First though, I had an early pre-sunrise breakfast at Burger King and watched CNN, a nice change from FOX which is usually the choice in public places in the Midwest (or sports). I listened to the latest on Ebola in Texas, wondering how a nurse (or anyone in that first ER visit) could have neglected to recognize that a sick person, recently from Liberia, might not warrant suspicion of Ebola. Like not rocket science here....

I loved Muscatatuck. It will be on my list of top ten favorite refuge, for now at least. I did get there early and spent four hours on an auto route, working hard for, but eventually seeing, 26 species of birds. There was no wind, it was just warm enough and the road went through a variety of habitats.

Muscatatuck NWR - IN

A few other cars came by; one couple was out with a long-lens camera, photographing Red-headed Woodpeckers and whatever else showed up. I stopped also, and it turned out to be a very birdy spot as all sorts of passerines showed up, which are birds with the following characteristics: 

BIRDING.ABOUT.COM

• Small to medium body size.
• Relatively vocal, including different calls and often elaborate songs.
• Altricial chicks that need extensive parent care after hatching.
• Relatively bright colors or distinct markings.
• Unwebbed toes and feet.
• The most prominent characteristic of passerine birds, however, is the anisodactyl arrangement of toes. These birds have four toes, three facing forward and one backward, which allows the bird to easily cling to both horizontal and nearly vertical perches, including branches and tree trunks. These birds also have an adaptation in their legs that gives them extra strength for perching, and in fact, the relaxed position of their feet and talons is to be clenched securely, so the birds are able to perch easily even when sleeping.

Cool word, altricial: Humans are considered secondarily altricial...

I walked the mile-long Turkey Trail through the woods, saw a Wood Thrush and twice just missed getting hit on the head by falling black walnuts, which are greenish and nearly the size of a baseball and which were dropping constantly all through these woods.  As were leaves...gently wafting down, often getting caught on branches on their way, and teasing as the movement mimicked a bird flit.

Cardinal at Muscatatuck NWR - IN

A small group of Killdeer on a mud flat with two Canada geese; several Eastern Phoebes, with yellowish bellies this time of year; many Carolina Chickadees....warblers and woodpeckers...ducks in the distance on the bright-green algae-covered impoundments.

Muscatatuck NWR - IN

The Visitor Center had hundreds of nature books, several very active bird-feeders, and interesting, informative, modern exhibits. Muscatatuck was all a refuge can be for visitors, and I appreciated the work that is required to create and maintain the roads, trails, lookouts and boardwalks.

By mid afternoon, I headed north on I65 to Columbus, not far from Indianapolis, and found a Starbucks...and here I am, ready to read for awhile, find the nearby Walmart and then (maybe) organize the inside of my van.

There were ponds behind the usual businesses (Menards, Walmart, several fast food restaurants, gas stations) and beyond those were fields of dried corn stalks. It was peaceful except for nearly constant skeins of Canada geese flying very low and loudly just over my head, but the sound of birds is welcome when the auditory alternative is traffic. And the skies of autumn are often pearly grey with subtle pastel colors in the early evenings on warm days.

I went to about four fast food restaurants, eating something at each one, trying to find something satisfying...and failed. The last one was a Culver's where I wanted an old-fashioned chocolate malted which they assured me they made...but it was totally not....

I think this particular stretch of Indian Summer is about to end but it's been wonderful!

Muscatatuck NWR - IN