Details

• What we’ll do
Car pool: fromrom the West Chester area, meet at VOA in front of City barbecue, at 11:00.
Car pool: For those to the South, meet at Frisch’s, 1150 W Eads Pkwy, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025, (just west of Lawrenceburg), at 11:30.

• What to bring
tripods may be used
recommending very long lens
water, or drink of choice
snacks (it takes about 1 1/2-2 hours to get there)

Ewing Bottoms
The main attraction at the Ewing Bottoms in Indiana is the rather large numbers of Sandhill Cranes that spend January and February in the bottoms. The number of Sandhill cranes diminishes over the season. At its peak it may exceed 10,000. In the midst of the Sandhills there can be a Whooping Crane. This bird is color banded and has a radio transmitter band on one leg. This bird has been seen on previous occasions with Sandhill Cranes. It appears to be one of the Whooping cranes that were part of the experimental flock that were raised in Wisconsin and led to
Florida by ultralight aircraft. Each year they return on their own to Wisconsin. There may be also a few eagles and tundra swans.

Directions From Seymour, IN. take Hwy 50 west to Brownstone. In Brownstone turn right on Spring Street (corner by Stuckwisch Appliance store) Follow Spring Street. At a stop sign it will jog left, then cross the railroad tracks and the East Fork White River. Go left after you cross the river and you should soon see cranes. If you stay straight on this road, it will run into Hwy 135, or you can keep turning right and follow a circle of farm roads back to the river bridge. (I had some sightings January 1st)

• Important to know
All the land in the Ewing Bottoms is privately owned, so please be respectful of private property. Confine your picture-taking to road sides and do not block roads, try to chase groups of cranes with cameras, or park in private driveways. If the birds change their behavior because of your presence, you are too close. Cranes are protected by law and incidents should be reported to Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Offices at 812-837-9536.