Cave-in-Rock State Park 2011

Where the Ohio River separates Illinois from Kentucky, there is a unique cave formation that has served as a hideout for inland pirates, as a tavern and riverside stop for pioneers, and now as an Illinois State Park. 

I stayed in one of the duplex cabins, overlooking the expansive Ohio River.  Each cabin has a deck with great views.  Sunset and sunrise were both really beautiful.  Jupiter could be seen as a red orb rising in the evening sky.  There was a lot of barge traffic up and down the river, conveying huge amounts of coal.  It was so windy the first day that there were white caps pushing upstream! 

Since I had been on the road for 2 weeks I really needed to do laundry.  The lodge attendant said that the nearest laundromat was across the river in Marion, KY -- 11 miles away!  That meant I had to take the ferry to get my clothes clean.  The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet operates a free ferry by special agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation.  The free boat ride was one of the best parts of my Cave-in-Rock experience.

Other highlights include seeing numerous Black Vultures (a southern specialty), a flock of Eastern Bluebirds on the park swing set, and about 60 Greater White-fronted Geese migrating from their breeding grounds in the Arctic.  Here's a video postcard I put together from Cave-in-Rock, Illinois.

Le Conte's Sparrow 2011

I added a gorgeous Le Conte's Sparrow to my life list (#379) this month on a grassy trail at along the Platte River National Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon, Nebraska.  Initially, I had reported this bird as a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, but an eBird reviewer suggested it was a LCSP, becasue of crown stripe, crisp streaking on the flanks, and purple streaking on the nape. 

I had just led a bird walk at Montrose Point in Chicago a couple of days eariler, and LCSP was one of the unseen targets.  It was thrilling to see this beautiful little golden bird in the shining sun.