Heading back to my home town (Cincinnati) for a brief visit, I crossed the farmlands of Missouri and southern Illinois, the forested Shawnee Hills of southern Indiana and the Ohio River hills of northern Kentucky. Major river crossings included the Missouri, the Mississippi, the Wabash and the Ohio. Bright sunshine and cold, clear air augmented the scenery but wildlife observations were rather modest.
As one might expect, flocks of pigeons, starlings, crows and red-winged blackbirds were observed on the farmlands; other sightings included turkey vultures circling above the rural landscapes, the Mesozoic forms of great blue herons flapping across the Interstate and dozens of red-tailed hawks perched along the highway. The highlight turned out to be a rough-legged hawk in southern Illinois.
Alas, no migrant geese were encountered. Perhaps my return trip will be more productive.
