Blue Goose ~ Day 296

March 19, 2015 ~ Macomb, IL to Springfield, IL

Down along the Illinois River just north of the the small town of Meredosia is the last National Wildlife Refuge I visited on this Blue Goose Adventure which was fitting as the first one way back in early June was Chautuaqua NWR which is a sister refuge. (The third refuge in this Illinois River Complex is Emiquon; I opted out on that one.)

Meredosia comes from the French marais d'osier or willow swamp (Wikipedia).

Meredosia NWR - IL

As I drove into town from the east, I could see the tall arched bridge over the river at the west edge of town. The day was dreary which undoubtedly colored my impression of the town. I finally found a small parking lot with a refuge information kiosk after making a few wrong turns, driving past modest homes and trailers, past a woman standing on the side of the road holding the reins of three miniature horses, past several roaming dogs and four Wild Turkeys rummaging in a vacant lot.

Meredosia NWR - Illinois River - IL

I started down a trail leading to the river but had to maneuver around a huge dead tree that had fallen and was blocking the path. I could sense the advent of spring here in this riparian habitat. Birds were actively moving in the trees and brush. There was a boardwalk built out above the river which is always a good viewing option. Not much was happening on the water though...except for coots and a few Canada geese.

As a refuge, Meredosia is still acquiring land along the river. Its primary objective is to manage the floodplain for wildlife. From their web site: "We attempt to mitigate the human-induced changes to the flood cycle in order to promote biological diversity, stability, and resilience in an altered system."

I continued down the refuge road which was nearly level with the river in some spots. A small white dog appeared out of the brush and ran after my car for a long time, The river was wide here with ducks in the distance. I turned around at the refuge boundary and went back into the town of Meredosia. The little dog chased me again.

It had started to rain, and by the time I got to Springfield, it was pouring. I drove around in busy traffic before finding the motel where I had made a reservation. I ate a complete Thanksgiving dinner at a Cracker Barrel next to the parking lot: roasted turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and cranberry sauce. And then I worked to pay for the motel.

Cabin IN the town of Meredosia, IL