on the hunt

Mike had to work yesterday, so I got the boys up and we went off in search of birds. First stop was the Borkholder Environmental Center in Nappanee, which we had never been to before. It was small, but we still managed to see some good birds. It was also pretty boggy, so we made a loop around and then decided it was time to head out.

northern flicker way up high

white-breasted nuthatch

male downy woodpecker

After that, we stopped at Rise n Roll, which we had also never been to. It's a doughnut joint with a signature product known colloquially as "Amish crack": addictive doughnuts with a thick coating of cinnamon and sugar. The doughnuts were good, but I can't really say I'm hooked. We also got some (very expensive) sandwiches for lunch, which we ate at the counter before moving on.

Our final stop of the day was an impromptu visit to Potato Creek, where we hiked a little and spotted an osprey, which was very exciting, at least for me. The boys were more excited by a big snake we saw in the road. Apparently this guy (or gal, I have no idea) is a black rat snake, a type of nonvenomous snake that is really good at catching rats (which I guess is right there in the name). Naturally, some dude came along and decided to poke it with a stick, which made the snake run away, thus bringing an abrupt end to the boys' excitement.

And check it out! Once we got home, we got a new visitor there too: our very own northern flicker (this one's a female)!