Greetings!
Eleven of us made a morning trip to Summit Lake SP near Muncie, IN
yesterday (Sat) to find the Red-throated Loon reported last weekend.  We
weren't sure if the bird was still around after the storms this week,
however, the chance of finding a Red-throated Loon for the Chili Challenge
was more than enough reason to get up early on a very cold morning!! We
fortified ourselves with Jill's homemade coffee cake and headed for
Summit.  We had one of the most successful Chili Challenge day on record!!
We found a beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker caching corn in a maple in front
of an old farmhouse on Hwy 35 above Hwy 70.  At Summit we found a
relatively large bird a distance out in the lake that was the first
reported Red-necked Grebe this year!! From the overlook we spotted a
loonish shaped bird on the far shore--dashed around the lake to find the
basic plumaged Red-throated Loon still present!!!(see poor picture).  From
the loon we heard reports of G. White-fronted Geese in the vicinity so
retraced out steps to Sunset Shelter to find the four White-fronted Geese!!
(see photo).  We had 12 species of ducks including Greater Scaup and Ruddy
Duck.  To cap a tremendous morning we checked the pine grove where last
year Jill and I had seen Long-eared Owls (I was told the owls were back
this year) and were treated to brief (but cool!!) glimpses of 13 Long-eared
Owls!!!
Cheers
Dave