Wednesday, March 9

Things are getting nicer around here weather wise. We had a Carolina wren calling in the yard for the past two days. Still plenty of time to get blasted by cold weather and snow, but at least there’s a glimmer of better weather ahead. Dragonflies can’t be far behind.

Sunday we went chasing a couple birds down in Jackson County. One was the harlequin duck in Jackson Center we went for in January but forgot to take the scope. This time the little guy cooperated and was close enough we could easily see him with binos. Along with a bunch on inbreeding mallards and geese. It’s not pretty when cousins marry too often. Probably Trump supporters. Or Indiana legislators. Or both.

Harlequin duck among mallards.

An example of mallard cousins marrying too often. The heads should be green, the bodies grayish.

The other bird we chased was a golden eagle that had been spotted along a particular stretch of road. We didn’t get the eagle but we could tell by the ruts in the snow where people have been pulling off to see it. We did a Northern shrike as a rather nice consolation prize.

Jackson County likes to say it’s where the Republican Party started. Technically the first meeting where the name Republican Party was suggested was in Ripon, Wisconsin, but the first convention organized under the Republican Party name was in Jackson County. Their platform was the abolition of slavery. Ironic how they descended into a party of petty obstructionists, whose sole purpose is opposing and blocking the first black president of the United States. Pretty pathetic. They deserve the Donald as their candidate. You reap what you sow.

This evening was cloudy and misty but pleasantly warm. Not wanting to pass up a pleasant early spring evening we took a little jaunt to some local spots. First we hit Park Lake where we got our first ring-necked duck, red-headed duck, and lesser scaup for the year. Then we popped over to Lake Lansing which was a bust. On the way home we hit the Foster-Davis Natural Area and got woodcocks peenting and doing their aerial display. Just a lovely night to be out, even with occasional sprinkles.

Park Lake