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Friendship Road

Bloomington, IN

HuntingFishing

When to Visit:
January - Less ProductiveFebruary - Less ProductiveMarch - Less ProductiveApril - Most ProductiveMay - Most ProductiveJune - Less ProductiveJuly - Less ProductiveSeptember - Most ProductiveOctober - Less ProductiveNovember - Less ProductiveDecember - Less Productive

Friendship Road is a long gravel road along Salt Creek which flows into Lake Monroe outside of Bloomington, Indiana.  The area offers woodland and marsh habitats as well as some farmland.

Specialty Species:

Warblers:  Listen for warblers along this road.  Stop and get out when you hear them calling.

Whip-poor-will:  During the late spring and summer, listen for Whip-poor-wills at the end of Friendship Road.

Chuck-will’s-widow:  During the late spring and summer, this is a reliable spot for Chuck-will’s-widow.  Drive to the end of the road and listen for them.  They can sometimes be seen flying over the road in this location.

Shorebirds:  After crossing the one lane bridge near the start of Friendship Road, there will be a farm field on the left (west) side of the road.  When flooded this is a great spot to check for shorebirds.

Sparrows:  Hike around the marsh at the end of the road looking for various species of sparrows in the spring and fall.

Where to Bird:

Friendship Road:  The best way to bird this area is to slowly drive down the road and listen for birds.  Stop often, and when you hear something of interest, pull to the side of the road and get out to explore the surrounding area.

Bridges:  Stop before or after every bridge on the road and listen and look for migrating passerines from spring through the fall. 

The Marsh:  Hike around the marsh for a chance to see many sparrows.  To get to the marsh, drive to the end of the road and follow the left Y.  Park at the end. There is a marsh on either side of the road after the gate.  This area is closed from October 15 – April 1 to serve as a waterfowl resting area.

Hours:

None

Fees:

None

Accessiblity:

Birding is done mostly from the car, but you do have to get out quite a bit to locate the birds you hear calling.

Trails:

Short trails are available at the end of Friendship road from April 1 - October 15.

Non-birding Equipment Needed:

Lenght of Visit:

30-90 minutes

Map:

Website:

Directions:

From the West:  From the stoplight at the intersection of SR-446 and SR-46 in Bloomington, travel east on SR-46 for 4 miles, then turn right (south) onto Friendship Road.  Drive this road slowly along this road with your windows rolled down listening for birds along the way.  When you find an area with a lot of activity, pull to the side to explore the area on foot.

From the East:  From the stoplight at the intersection of SR-135 and SR-46 in Nashville, travel west on SR-46 for 11.2 miles, than turn left (south) onto Friendship Road.  Drive this road slowly along this road with your windows rolled down listening for birds along the way.  When you find an area with a lot of activity, pull to the side to explore the area on foot.

Address:

None Available

Nearby Birding:

Stillwater Marsh