TOPIC:

We took a ride to the Nipsco plant down by Wheatfield last weekend and there were thousands of SandHills feeding in the fields. With not much to do this time of year its nice to go down there and see those beautiful big birds. Might head back down and try to get some good pictures.

Interesting split...they usually are already gone by now aren't they? Maybe they know something we dont't, like the nice warmup I'm seeing the next 10 days...and maybe beyond!

I saw that warm up too Mike. I hope it holds up, that will take us to early Feb.

Mike thats what I was thinking also. Was bored so took the drive down there and went all the way to Jasper Pulaski game preserve and then as evening was approaching , back tracked to the Nipsco Plant. They were in almost all the fields around there and feeding heavily. I guess with not much snowfall, there are plenty of corn fields that they can feed in. Saw alot of geese down that way and they are usually further south. My oldest son is stationed at the Airforce base in southen Illinois. He loves to hunt geese. He said that this winter the birds have never come down that far south. Last year they were having alot of fun with the ducks and geese. I'm not complaining at all. Like you I have been looking at the long range forecast. Sure has been a different winter so far.
Lake Erie has ice on the west basin to Catawba. East of there has open water still. I read a recent report that a fella on a snowmobile left on the ice near the west side of Catawba Point to go fish. He came off the ice without a snowmobile. If the Huron area on Lake Erie stays open and we can find a couple of days on a warm up, we might head out there to fish open water walleye. Strange winter for sure!

Since last time down, it appears many birds have moved. Drove the same route and Jasper Pulaski had none. Any birds that were around were close to the Nipsco generating plant. Still a good population of sandhills, but didn't see hardly any geese.
Saw this lonely looking button buck, he wasn't afraid of to much.

Nice pics. I do like watching and listening to the sandhills!