We are back in Okemos, drinking the official summer drink, a gin and tonic, after a six-day, three state, road trip. Lots of miles, good people, some decent birding, and a transition into summer. We left with early spring temperatures. We got back, and it was high summer and praying to the great air-conditioning god.
Tuesday, May 22, we drove to West Lafayette to spend the night with Sue and do some errands. Soaking up the Indiana humidity on the porch at Littleton Street we heard our first nighthawks of the year.
Wednesday morning from West Lafayette it was over to Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park to drop of Bob’s WWII dress jacket and journal for their museum. Then it was down to Versailles State Park for some work Lise is doing at the park. With a stop for lunch in Greensburg, IN where they have a tree growing out of the courthouse roof. And have had a tree growing from the courthouse roof since 1888. At Versailles we got a yellow-breasted chat, rough-winged swallow, and willow flycatcher. Also, a couple neat dragonflies I couldn’t ID without my field guide. Didn’t take it because it’s been too cool for dragonflies in Michigan.
Greensburg, IN courthouse with a tree growing from the roof.
From Versailles we took a side trip to Madison IN where we got black vulture and purple martin. After Madison it was down to the Falls of the Ohio near Louisville KY. These falls were likely never very impressive, as in cascades of water falling over large cliffs. It was more like a small ledge that made a rapids. Buffalo could cross the river there, but boats and barges couldn’t get up and down the river. So, with the typical treatment of anything that impeded progress, we put some dams and a canal in place to castrate the river and let barges get through.
There is some history associated with the Falls. This is where Merriweather Lewis met William Clark before starting their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. Also, John James Audubon spent time there, and collected bird specimens locally. The Falls area also has some famous fossil beds, but when we were there the water level was high enough to cover them. After the Falls it was on to Corydon, IN for the night.
Falls of the Ohio. Interstate 65 bridge with Louisville in the background. It may not look very impressive but that small drop was a major hindrance to navigation. It’s now bypassed by a dam and canal.
Fossils by the falls. The famous fossil beds were under water when we were there.
Thursday morning, we started at Hemlock Cliffs, one of my favorite places in Indiana. It’s a rare gem of a place in a state better known for corn, the world’s longest left turn, and homophobic politicians. In a good wet season, one can get up into a large shelter cave behind a small waterfall. Unfortunately, the waterfall was dry. Birding was good though. We both got wood thrush, worm-eating warbler, yellow-throated warbler, Acadian flycatcher, summer tanager, hooded warbler, and yellow-billed cuckoo. Lise also scored Louisiana waterthrush and a screech owl.
The shelter cave, without a waterfall.
View from inside the cave, looking down the canyon.
From Hemlock Cliffs we drove over to St. Louis for a couple of nights to see baby Ava. Oh, yeah, Stefan and Kasey too.
Lise with baby Ava.
Me with baby Ava. Easy to see which person she like best. (She likes whoever holds the bottle. — Lise)
St. Louis is can be a great place when you have good guides. We did the Missouri Botanical Garden, Citygarden sculpture park, the historic court house where the infamous Dred Scot case started, the Arch, and the Soulard Market, a market since 1779. All in a day and a half. Plus, some good chatting, playing with Ava, eating, and drinking. I would definitely put St. Louis in the “drinking town“ category.
Plant pictures from the Botanical Gardens.
Laying on the floor, looking up through the dome of the historic courthouse. I’m betting Dred Scott saw it in an entirely different light.
The Arch.
Leaving St. Louis yesterday morning we hit Horseshoe Lake State Park across the river in Illinois. There we got great egrets and, of special note, the Eurasian tree sparrow. The St. Louis area is one of the only places in the continental U.S. where you can reliably find the Eurasian tree sparrow. From St. Louis it was back to West Lafayette for a night.
This morning, after a stick to your aorta breakfast at West Lafayette’s famous Triple X Diner, we did a quick trip to Prophetstown State Park where we got dicksissel, Henslow’s sparrow, sedge wren, and blue grosbeak. A short visit with Fred and Jackie in Fremont IN, and we are back where we started six days ago. Home again, home again, jiggity jig.
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 