IN-BIRD for Sunday, February 3, 2002

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Time   Flooded Wabash   Russell E. Allison   9:52am   Stillwater   whitehea(AT)INDIANA.EDU   1:26pm   Benton County: Rough-leg & Laplands   Lorraine Shaffer    7:44pm   Pine Creek   Chris Rea    11:42pm

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Subject: Flooded Wabash
From: "Russell E. Allison" <grounds1(AT)dcwi.com>
Date: 3 Feb 2002 9:52am

On ground hog day Barbara and I traveled W. on South River Rd. in Tippecanoe
Co. from west Lafayette. the Wabash was out of its banks and a lot of birds
were taking advantage of the high water.

We traveled to Attica,in Fountain Co., and turned S. on Rt.41. Drove to
Aylesworth rd.and turned
West. This is a good road to see Sharp-shinned Hawks,A. Kestrels, Horned
Larks, Killdeer,
(1) Turkey Vulture, Rock Doves, Sparrows. and (2) Coyotes.

Back to Attica,turned West on rt. 41. The flooded field after you cross the
bridge had 25 to 30
Ring-billed Gulls. Turn East on Independence Road. Very Scenic road, good
view of flooded Wabash.
Past Cicott Park, new nature preserve. Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks in
flooded fields.

We tried to get to the Eagles nest on 950 West in Tippecanoe Co. but the
road near the nest
is under 3 feet or more of water.We turned around at waters edge started
driving gravel roads. Don't know where we were. Saw a nice Rough-legged Hawk
and Sharp-shinned  working the same field. Also saw large group of starlings
in a hog lot. There was at least one Brown-headed Cowbird with them. On same
route we also saw (1) Red-winged Blackbird.

We ended up on Division Road and stopped At Ross Camp. We saw a large bunch
of Robins,Common Flickers, Eastern Bluebirds, and Juncos. After leaving Ross
Camp we had a very nice Pileated
Woodpecker fly across the road in front of us.  We had a total of (31)
species and a very nice drive.

Russ

Go Birding-

Russell E. Allison

Have a happy day!:)


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Subject: Stillwater
From: whitehea(AT)INDIANA.EDU
Date: 3 Feb 2002 1:26pm

Betsy and I birded Stillwater this morning - ran into Dan Leach there,
who had run into Jim and Susan Hengeveld earlier -. A nice assortment
of ducks, etc there today. Present were:

     Pied-billed Grebe - 1
     Canada Goose - 8
     Mallard - 14
     Black Duck - 4
     Gadwall - 24
     No. Pintail - 32 (Dan Leach's count)
     No. Shoveler - 1 (male)
     Green-winged Teal - 1 (male)(my first this Spring)
     Wood Duck - 2 (my first this Spring)
     Ring-necked Duck - 245
     Lesser Scaup - 3
     Canvasback - 2 (males - my first this Spring)
     Redhead - 2 (males)
     Co. Goldeneye - 14
     Bufflehead - 2
     Hooded Merganser - 1
     Red-tailed Hawk - 1
     Turkey Vulture -


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Subject: Benton County: Rough-leg & Laplands
From: Lorraine Shaffer <SwimLor(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 3 Feb 2002 7:44pm

Saturday 2/2/2002 after the Sycamore Audubon field trip to the Cinergy Power
Plant Eagle Days, Temple Pearson and I birded the backroada of Tippecanoe county
 on our way to Pine Creek Game Bird Habitat Area [PCGBHA]; I covered the same
territory today (2/3/02).

Both days saw classic rough-legged hawk at PCGBHA, hovering and hunting.  Today
saw complete dark phase bird at the Constructed Wetlands area (a Purdue project)
 and another dark phase (not as completely dark) bird at the PCGBHA.

Saturday, Harrier in gorgeous golden-orange 1st winter plumage landed in the
yellow sunlight atop a muskrat pile and tore apart and ate something while we
watched in the scope.  Same bird (?) obligingly hunting today both sides of the
road and swooped low and up over a ridge coming within 10 feet of my head.

A dozen white-fronted geese and 3 pintails there Saturday; none in sight on
Sunday (just 115 mallards).

Great flock of lapland longspurs on Co Rd 1075 East in corn stubble field
(Benton County, gravel road between 100N and 200 N). Heading north on 1075E,
field is on left (west) side of the road and birds were quite visible in scope,
as corn rows run perpendicular to the road. Easy to see them slinking and
sneaking from one row to the next :-)   Added feature was a heard of eleven deer
 in the same field.

Horned larks still abundant and three separate times two birds swirled up in the
 air together, circling and plummeting back to the ground.

Good birding, good weather, and good companionship!

Lorraine Shaffer
W. Lafayette, IN


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Subject: Pine Creek
From: Chris Rea <crea1(AT)PURDUE.EDU>
Date: 3 Feb 2002 11:42pm

        Today I traveled up to pine creek in hopes of coming across the
Longspurs.  I didn't find the Longspurs but I did have a pretty good day. I
found three Greater White-fronted Geese, and at least one Northern
Pintail.  Turning on to the gravel road that PCGBH is on I scared up a
very light phase Red-tailed Hawk that flew right over us.  Also I had
great looks at a Rough-legged Hawk and a Northern Harrier.

                                        Good Birding,
                                        Chris Rea