Each fall, waterfowl and other migratory birds stop at The Oxbow, and so do I. They are resting and feeding in the shallow bodies of water on their long trip south. I am just taking inventory.

A friend had messaged me, asking for a recommendation of a site to visit with the hopes of photographing a Bald Eagle. My reflex response was The Oxbow. After making the recommendation, I went to Oxbow, Inc ‘s social media where they had posted of multiple eagle sightings there since late October.

It so happened that my daughter Caroline and I had scheduled a day together for two days later, and we quickly added a visit to The Oxbow to our itinerary.

The Oxbow has a fascinating history. Until the mid 1800s the Great Miami River in Southwest Ohio, entered Indiana and flowed through this parcel, where it emptied into the Ohio River. With a flood in 1849 however, the river channel, and its mouth into the Ohio River, moved 1.5 miles eastward. All that remained were a chain of shallow lakes in the path of the former river oxbow. The rich soil of the surrounding land was ideal for agricultural crops, but the high risk of flooding prohibited the construction of structures on the property. Over the years, as often happened with wetlands, parts were used for landfills. In the 1980’s there was a proposal to develop a 700 acre river barge facility on the property. Conservationist mobilized and were able to protect this ecologic jewel with the creation of the non-profit Oxbow, Inc., whose mission is to preserve and improve this wetland. In the Cincinnati region, the preserve is just known as “The Oxbow”. I, with friends or family, have been visiting The Oxbow during most falls for 40 years.

Caroline and I parked our vehicle at the entry lot and exited full of anticipation. As you stride down the gravel lane with an arch of trees overhead, you are pondering what species of visitor you might see, and you get your first glimpse of one of the lakes.

You veer right and have a series of lakes to your left.

You peer through the openings in the brush that stands between you and the lake, hoping to see some migrants.

On this visit, the first were just a couple of Mallards.

But then we saw a Great Egret gliding in gracefully from our left.

For readers from other locales, seeing Egrets may not be exciting, but in the Ohio River Valley they are not common, especially in the numbers we began seeing. During our two hour outing we saw them in groups of up to eleven.

They look regal as they wade through the shallow lakes.

Egrets are in the Heron Family and they had no problem mixing with their cousin, the Great Blue Heron, at The Oxbow.

Caroline captured a couple of action shots. First a Great Blue Heron landing on driftwood,

and then one with a small fish in its bill.

Great Blue Herons are year round residents at The Oxbow, but migrating herons from their northern range stop over during the fall, adding significantly to the population.

In addition to the wading birds, we also saw a collection of ducks. The first that we noted, other than the Mallards, were Shovelers. The males have some color similarities with the Mallards, but have a white chest (the male Mallards’s chest is brown), and their bill is black (the Mallards’ bill is yellow orange). In both the male and female Shoveler the bill is broad and bulky and described as spoon or shovel shaped. It is where they get their name Shoveler, and their nickname, Spoonbill.

With their heads half submerged as they paddle, they filter the water to collect invertebrates, seeds, and plants, as seen below.

Another species of duck seen were Black Ducks, which Caroline captured on wing with these two excellent photos.

A final waterfowl photo was a pair of Mallards being photobombed by a male deer.

Part of the management plan at The Oxbow is for the organization to lease out the surrounding acreage for crops, with the provision that 10 percent of the grain stay in the field. That is why you are equally likely to find birds in the harvested fields as you are the lakes. First a collection of Egrets, and then of Great Blue Herons.

Soybeans were noted on the soil of the harvested field, which the birds appeared to be eating.

In addition to the avian visitors we enjoyed seeing other wildlife along the way. Noted were a tremendous number of grasshoppers. This distinctive Pine Tree Spur-throated grasshopper looks to have a custom camo coloration. Perfect for blending in with lichen covered tree bark.

The abundance of grasshoppers caused us to hypothesize that this gluttonous American Toad could not move for having eaten too many.

With the next two photos one can appreciate the featherless head of the Turkey Vulture. This feature allows the bird to scavenge in the carcasses of dead animals without soiling their feathers.

Lastly a gallery of some of the other interesting nature that we saw on this outing: Fritillary butterfly, Milkweed seedpod, Wooly Worm, Lady Beetle, and Cabbage White butterfly.

In summary, our mid-fall hike at The Oxbow was a great outing. We were able to see several species of migrating birds not commonly seen in the Ohio River Valley. While we did not see any Bald Eagles on this date, I have been back twice since and have seen three. One of the unusual things about The Oxbow is that you do not even need to get out of your car to enjoy it, as many visitors just drive the gravel lane through the preserve. Others will drive through and periodically get out at the several pullovers and overlooks for better visibility. If you chose to drive, I would encourage you to complete the route more than once as I am confident that you will see something different each time you pass through. Most importantly, remember to bring your binoculars – you will be glad that you did.

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Photo credits to Caroline Burns Grizzle.

Overview:

Location – In southeast Indiana, about 16 miles from downtown Cincinnati, just off I-275. Take Exit #16 to U.S. 50 West. In Greendale, you turn south off US 50 onto Production Drive, between the Waffle House and the Circle K. The street sign is hard to see but the businesses are not. You will be passing through a collection of commercial enterprises including a large auto repair business, a towing service and its vehicle lot, and a staging area for a waste management firm, so do not be surprised. Follow the road to the stop sign and turn right onto Reardon Drive. The entrance to The Oxbow is on the left, less than 100 yards after the turn.

Parking – Gravel lot for 6 cars. If full, park on the edge of the gravel drive but be sure to not obstruct traffic. There are always brochures and maps at the parking area.

Facilities – None.

Trail Conditions – The primary “trail” is a gravel drive. There are grassed trails through the meadows and bordering cropland. Multiple short side trails leave the gravel and allows one to get closer to the lake edge. If one walks from the parking area to the last overlook on the lakes and back, it is an approximate 2.5 mile walk. The last overlook is just past the second utility tower that is alongside the gravel road. If you decide to drive through the preserve you can treat it as a loop, exiting at west gate near the casino and reentering between the Waffle House and the Circle K.

Benches – Two noted at the lake overlook.

Kids – Kids who are able to negotiate the gravel and avoid the occasional pothole should do well.

Dogs – No restrictions noted on their website or literature.

Suggested paired hikes – arising off the gravel drive is the Osprey Lake Trail. Osprey Lake is a man-made lake and a relatively recent addition to the preserve. It is basically the result of the donation of property after soil had been taken for a nearby public works project. It is beautifully integrated into the preserve and is a haven for wildlife. The trail winds around the lake with many excellent vantage points, some with benches, that overlook the water. This trail added about 1.5 miles to our outing.

Links:

https://www.oxbowinc.org

The Oxbow bird species list:

https://www.oxbowinc.org/birds-of-oxbow.html

Here are links to two previous articles that we have written about The Oxbow.

https://footpathsblog.com/2023/12/31/the-oxbow-revisited-greendale-in/

https://footpathsblog.com/2021/12/26/the-oxbow-lawrenceberg-in/