Thank you so much Michael! Wow! What a fantastic response! I will be sure to
share any good pictures I get on the Ornithology Flickr page. I am sure this
summary will be a great help to many people!
God Bless you!
Robin Work
Oldham County
------- Original Message -------
On Monday, February 7th, 2022 at 3:44 PM, michael autin <mauniquity@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Apologize for the length, this is long.
I have attached a file of the refuge map, hopefully it is up to date. The
visitor's center is closed at current, which is unfortunate because it is a
great place to see and photograph finches and sparrows. I haven't been there
in a long while, but I remember that in general Richart lake was good for a
variety of common divers and dabblers, I think Stansfield was a little deeper
because we seemed to get more diving ducks on it and an area that was known
as Otter Marsh, not marked on the map, was good for a variety of dabblers.
When you start the auto tour drive past the visitor's center, take a right
and follow that road, it will go over a canal, and then through an area of
woods, on the other side on the right is Otter Marsh. Ducks can be anywhere
on the auto tour, but they tend to concentrate at Otter Marsh. Just past
Otter Marsh, the road goes uphill slightly. The hedgerows and brush around
this area can be a good place to find a variety of sparrow species when the
visitor center isn't an option. Scan the tops of the trees, especially the
tallest barren ones; my friend and I had a Northern shrike in this area one
year, though it is unlikely. Look for recent reports of unusual winter birds
on ebird to see if anything interesting has been seen nearby. A snowy owl was
just south of Columbus last year and might still be around. As you continue
on the auto drive the road bends to the left in a very big open grassy area.
There is a gravel path at the bend that goes back towards a pond on your
right and Endicott Marsh on your left, I have seen tree sparrows here
midwinter, and there maybe ducks or possibly otters in the pond on the right.
The pond is up a little uplift, so you won't see the water from the trail.
Continuing on down the road past the bend in about 3/4 a mile, I think you'll
come to t-intersection. On your right are some woods, on your left is a
slough/ pond that often has waterfowl on it. If you turn right, it will take
you up a hill to the end of the refuge, where a Eastern screech-owl maybe
present in the box on the right near the gate. If you go left instead, you
continue to go through wetlands on the auto drive until you reach Another
road, if you go right it will take you to Stansfield lake, if you go right it
will lead you back towards the visitor's center.
West of Seymour, Indiana, in Brownstown there is an area called the Ewing
bottoms. Sandhill Cranes congregate here in fall and early spring, but may
not always be around right now, however it can be good for harriers and open
country birds like Horned Larks. To the south, if you take 256 east from the
Austin exit for about 6 miles or so, you will eventually come to the
intersection of 203 and 256, at Pioneer Square. Turn left and follow the
signs for Hardy Lake. Scan the lake up and down and especially to the left
towards the dam where there maybe loons, grebes, or other diving ducks.
Before you go though make sure the water isn't frozen up there, Muscatatuck
with no open water is quiet indeed, and often nearly waterfowl-less. Good
luck and hope this helps.
Good Birding,
Michael Autin, Louisville, KY
On Mon, Feb 7, 2022, 10:29 AM Robin <robin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I am heading up to Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Friday for a couple
of days and I am not very familiar with the area. I was wondering if anyone
had suggestions on the best places to look for wildlife while there and if
there are any bird hotspots in the surrounding area that would be worth
trying to get a few pictures.
Robin Work
Oldham County
