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Barred Owl in Dunn Meadow

Feb 5th, 2012
by Mitch.
1 comment

Early last evening, during the light rain, I was walking home through Dunn Meadow. I noticed a student close to the wooded bridge, and she was off the path and staring into the darkness near the creek. She noticed me looking at her, and said excitedly: “There’s an owl!” 

I looked and sure enough there was a large owl sitting on a limb hanging over the Jordan. It’s stripped breast and size were a dead give away. She assumed the owl was fishing, but I opined that it was more likely looking for mammals or birds coming to drink, but after checking my books, I realized she could be right. That part of the Jordan has a fairly large shiner population, as well as the numerous birds, chipmunks, squirrels, shrews, raccoons and others who visit the Jordan for water. 

The owl flew to another low branch on the mulberry tree that crosses the creek near the bridge. I was able to get pretty close and watch his/her movements, and could see that the bird was definately watching the water. I got a couple of dark, grainy pics. From one angle you can see the outline of bird and branch, and in the other the barred breast is quite visible. I can testify that even in the rain, owls make very little noise when flying.

From Animal Traces in the Hoosier Uplands
From Animal Traces in the Hoosier Uplands

Posted in: Animal Traces, Bird Sightings, Dunn Woods.

I-69, No Way to Go

Aug 3rd, 2011
by Mitch.
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I wrote this song, Highway 69 Revisited in 1992, when it was estimated to cost about $1 billion. When I recorded in 1994, it was up to $2 billion, and now $3 billion or more is quite possible. With the new website (I-69 Whistleblower) and lawsuit now public, I thought I should post my little contribution to the cause.

Lost public money, IMHO, the least of our problem, it is the destruction of our forests and farmland to further the interests of corporations over people, and on the public’s dime no less, that rankles my butt. Then there is the whole issue of peak oil, as well as the advantages of local sourcing of our goods, foodstuffs, and services. Don’t get me started!
Illustration by Brian Garvey
Ok, so I guess I have some rant left in me, but I tried to get it all out with this song. If this issue seems important to you, here are some links to follow up with.

Highway 69 Revisited MP3
I-69 Whistleblower-Lawsuit to stop the highway
IDS Story about the Lawsuit
CARR Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads
I69 Cost Fact Sheet
Is I-69 a Cost Effective Rural Economic Tool?
Peak Oil

Posted in: Community.
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Decimation in Dunn's Woods

May 26th, 2011
by Mitch.
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Last night’s (May 25, 2011) storm brought down a second round of large trees in Dunn’s Woods, at least 10 percent of the large trees are down, many more are damaged.

On Monday, straight line winds knocked down a dozen large trees in Dunn’s Woods, all the paths were blocked were blocked by trunks or large limbs from nearby trees. I was happy to see that the Cooper’s Hawk nest had not been blown down, and the maple tree was somewhat protected on the east side of the woods. Two years ago a big storm had caused the parents to abandon the nest after the chicks had died. They moved the nest to the east side of the woods last year.

From Dunn Woods

I have been watching the nest, and saw the mom get up and resettle in, while the dad flew from tree to tree around the nest.

We live just a few blocks from the woods, and last night’s storms were loud, but nothing we had not seen before. So I was surprised to find just as many trees and limbs down in the woods today as from the storm on Monday. To my dismay, the large maple with the hawk’s nest was down. I climbed through the limbs to where I had remembered the nest to be, and found it with 2 baby hawks dead just a few feet from the nest. If they had not died from the impact of a 60 foot fall, they would have died of exposure as they had no feathers at all. One was much larger than the other.

I took these pictures, and then as I was climbing out from the limbs, I heard one of the adults call out (to me?), and then call again, I am sure they knew I was visiting the chicks. The other called from farther in the woods, it was a heart rending call of bereaved parents.

From Dunn Woods

Posted in: Bird Sightings.
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City Birds

May 26th, 2011
by Mitch.
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Last night I rode up to the Cascades waterworks between North Walnut and College. I walked out to the waterfall to see what I could see. I first noticed the crop of water lotus that was growing close to shore, and the flowers were just beginning to bud out. The yellow balls were about 2 inches wide, and should bloom fully when we get some warm weather. I went down to the water’s edge, with rush hour commuters on either side.

I looked across the water to the College side of the pond, and there was a young great blue heron standing on the wall and eyeing the fish in the water below.

Great blue heron Cascades Pond

Great blue heron Cascades Pond

But my attention soon changed focus as I heard and saw a pair of medium sized birds hovering over my head. From their calls, and eventually when I saw the male, I knew they were a couple of red-winged blackbirds, and really did not want me to come near the water lotus. The mom hopped about on the leaves sticking up out of the water, and called to me repeatedly while the dad would fly over my head.

I kept my attention on the water lotus as I thought I had seen a mammal swimming between the plants, but then realized that might be what was disturbing the blackbirds. I looked up and realized the heron had flown off in the meantime, and I started to leave also.

But as I walked along the water’s edge, I realized that the nest was not among the water lotus leaves (now I see that did not make sense), but rather in the uncut grass which defined the verge. I stepped into the grass, and was buzzed by the birds, so I am pretty certain I am right. Let’s hope the grounds keepers know enough not to mow that last foot of grass, it is a family home!

Posted in: Bird Sightings.
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Hawks in Dunn Woods

May 15th, 2011
by Mitch.
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Cooper's Hawk nest in Dunn's Woods

For several years I have been watching the Cooper’s Hawks in Dunn Woods, right behind Bryan Hall on the IU campus. I first heard them in the spring/summer of 2007, the juveniles were in a couple of different trees calling for their parents to bring food, their calls could be mis-heard as some jays, but when I saw them flying from tree to tree.

I’ve followed them through a series of 3 different nests in the woods, then move every couple of years. One year I did not hear the young ones, nor did I see them, I assumed the eggs or chicks were damaged during an early spring storm that blew through with hail and high winds.

This week I’ve seen them flying back and forth to the nest tree, watched them as they shift around will sitting on the nest. Dad will sometimes fly in close and land in a nearby tree, call a bit, then fly to the nest, then on again for another mission. From the sounds of all the other birds in the woods, and the abundance of squirrels and chipmunks, I am assuming they are not hunting there at this time.

I can’t prove it, but I think they have found that it pays to wait and let their fledglings hunt in the abundant, and relative safe, confines of the woods later in the year. Are birds that smart? Do they want to keep relative peace with their neighbors while the kids are young? I’ve seen a murder of crows chase a hawk out of the woods, but I’ve yet to see or hear them attack the nest.

Posted in: Bird Sightings.
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Crank Forward

May 15th, 2011
by Mitch.
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I am looking for input about the crank forward design bikes that are now on the market. I am pretty convinced that Rans is the best brand, has anyone had experience with one? My understanding is that they relieve the pressure on the hands, wrists, arms and butt, like my recumbent, but had the more traditional design that makes it easier to ride, and it can be parked in a regular bike rack, which is always a problem, even with my short wheel base model. This looks like a great city bike, and is reputed to be a good climber (compared to a standard bent), but who knows? Do you?

Posted in: Hardware.
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Dutchman's Breeches and Squirrel Corn

Apr 17th, 2011
by Mitch.
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This spring I went to where I had found a hillside of wildflowers in Griffy Park, and my timing was perfect, they were in full bloom last week. I thought I had found thousands of Dutchman’s Breeches, but when I started looking at my pictures, something was wrong, there were two distinct types of flower, what was this. The answer was easily found in looking through the new Flower Finder for Indiana Spring Wildflowers just released by Kay Yatskievych of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

There were a couple of Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, in the mix, but the vast majority of plants were its cousin Squirrelcorn, Dicentra canadensis. As the latin name implies, they are a 2 part flower, but both the flower and the foliage are different several respects.

From Southern Indiana Wildflowers
From Southern Indiana Wildflowers
From Southern Indiana Wildflowers

Posted in: Wildflowers.
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Ice Biking 2010-11

Mar 12th, 2011
by Mitch.
1 comment

This was a long and cold winter, but I got in only a few good rides this year. My biggest was a 6 hour tour of Lake Monroe that included Moore’s Creek Bay, the causeway, Back Creek and Potter’s Cave, and finally to Axom Branch, where the stone cabin ruins are to be found. On the way back, just rounding the corner opposite Rush Ridge, I went through the ice where a spring had thinned the 6 inches of ice. Fortunately, I was riding my long wheel base recumbent, and only the front wheel went in. I was up to my armpits in the water, but it was easy to roll off onto the ice. I watched a second and realized it was wedged in, but would soon enough sink, so I grabbed the handle bars and pulled back and up but it was stuck. I realized I should not put extra weight near the hole, but there was little I could do about that. I pushed a little to free it, then pulled back and the bike came out. I stood around for about ten minutes, drying my Iphone and waiting to see if you was going to go into shock or get really cold.

But neither of these things happened. So I got back on the bike, and moved closer to shore where I knew the water was not deep, and made my way back about a mile to Pine Grove. Climbing the hill back to 446 warmed me up, and I only noticed the cold in my feet as I rode the 9 miles back home.

From Ice bike ride, Dec 28, 2010
From Ice bike ride, Dec 28, 2010

Posted in: Bike Rides, Winter Riding.
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Owls at Griffy

Mar 12th, 2011
by Mitch.
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Barred OwlLast night (Friday), I was walking around the Griffy Creek valley just before sunset. As I descended the ridge a Barred Owl, Strix varia, started hooting from the other side of the ravine, and continued for about 5 minutes. I walked into the main valley and was watching the sunset sky through the silhouetted trees, when I saw a large bird fly from one ridge to another, rounded wings tips leading me to think it was the barred owl. But soon the unmistakable sound of a great horned owl, Bubo virginianus, filled the valley. Soon a second started hooting, but a bit more quietly, from the other side of the valley.

They called back and forth for 15 minutes, moving ever closer together, each with its own particular tonality and resonance. They were still calling as I left the valley after dark, and as it seemed like date night in the valley, I was happy to leave them to their good times.

From Mitch's Bike Maps

Posted in: Bird Sightings.
Tagged: ·

Toothed Mushrooms in Southern Indiana

Oct 17th, 2010
by Mitch.
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I was amazed to find two fine specimens of toothed mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus & Climacodon septentrionalis) after nearly 3 months of draught here in southern Indiana. I always supposed the shrooms pretty much needed rain to form, but that is just not the case. Talking to Jim Biddle, a local shiitake grower, I found that some Japanese growers hit their logs with sticks to induce fruiting, and that he has seen fallen logs fruit with out any soaking. So water is not the only factor which governs fruiting.

The first was a specimen of the eminently edible lion’s mane, Hericium erinaceus. It has been growing for the past two years on the soft maple tree next door to us, right in Bloomington. But for some reason it fruited twice during the drought. The first flush came on very large, and I was amazed to find that someone else came and harvested it before I could get to it. I thought I was one of the few in the neighborhood who would know what it was. I was wrong. I harvested the second flush in early October, and it was delicious. I breaded and fried the steaks, ate them for two days after, it made 3 good meals.

From Mushrooms
From Mushrooms


My second draught tolerant mushroom was found in the Brummett’s Creek valley, about halfway up the side of the ridge. It was growing between the legs/roots of a beech tree overlooking a steep drop from the ridge. I am thinking it is Climacodon septentrionalis, northern tooth fungus, if anyone else has a different idea, let me know.

From Mushrooms
From Mushrooms
From Mushrooms

Posted in: Mushrooms.
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