Maps....

(Nature post for the day below this)

I've thought this might be a good time to put some maps of the Evansville area in my blog. This first map is of the Blue Grass Fish and Wildflife area. You can click on the maps to enlarge and see more details. This area is very nice at any time of year. I've already put information in my posts about what I am seeing at BlueGrass right now. In the past I have seen: Great Blue Heron, Gulls, Mallards, Canada Geese, Grebe, Coots, Teal, assorted sparrows, Mockingbirds, Robins, Goldfinches, Horned Lark, Killdeer, Harriers, an owl, hawks. That is all I remember just off the top of my head. There are extensive grassy areas for butterflies and other bugs as well. I've seen at least one snake and one turtle. I'm sure there is much there that I haven't seen on my trips.

This may was my attempt to show where the other places that I mention in the Evansville/Henderson area where I go regularly. They are all fairly close along the Ohio River area. I will say a little about each of these places.
1. Howell Wetlands: operated by our local parks system. Two water areas with boardwalks across them, large meadow, creek winding through wooded area. I post stuff from here all the time. I have seen: Great Blue and Green Heron, Mallards, Canada geese, Shovelers. Deer, muskrat, squirrel. Warblers and other songbirds. Butterflies, bugs, snakes, frogs, toads, lots of turtles.
2. Heron rookery and eagle nest area: If this has a name, I don't know it. Huge Heron rookery easy to see, but about 200 yards from where you park. Eagles nest in the middle of the rookery.
3. Henderson Slough: This is where the Snow Geese, White Fronted Geese, assorted ducks, swans, shore birds all seen during the migration seasons and they stay there all winter. The gravel road that I call "the butterfly road" is near here also, where I take lots of butterfly photos in the summer.
4. Angel Mounds: area of Indian mounds, with some wooded area around it that attracts wildlife. We saw Flickers and assorted songbirds. The mounds history is interesting, too.
5. Hovey Lake: Another Fish and Wildlife area on the Indiana side of the river. A very large lake that would be nice to go out on a boat. We always see hawks in the area, heron, songbirds. Have seen large group of gulls and large group of coots there. I'm sure there is a lot more but without a boat it is hard to see much. There is a track we follow between the lake and a swamp area.
6. Audubon State Park: A state park in Henderson near the heron rookery that has a wonderful building that looks a bit like a castle that acts as a museum for John James Audubon. Acres of woods, lake, recreation facilities.
7. ignore.....just mentions where I live
8. Wesselman Park: I didn't put this one on the map, but it is in the heart of the city and is the largest stand of virgin timber in a medium size city in the US. Very nice woods with hiking trails and lots of birds. I've posted birds from the windows of the Nature Center there. Very nice place.
I highly recommend the Evansville, IN/Henderson, KY area for seeing lots of good nature stuff! If any of you live near southern Indiana/Kentucky and come this way, give me a heads-up and I will be happy to take you to any of these areas.