Indianapolis, IN

Indy wildlife: State and city parks offer wild views

Published

6 months ago

June 28, 2024

Indy wildlife: State and city parks offer wild views

When Hoosiers need a break from phone screens and notification pings, there are plenty of opportunities to spend some time in the fresh air and see native wildlife in natural habitats.

You can spot Bald Eagles at Eagle Creek Park and maybe some coyotes at Fort Harrison State Park.

Here are some of the best places to visit to spot native wildlife in Indianapolis, or close by.

Fort Ben is bustling with wildlife

Fort Harrison State Park, in Lawrence, is a great birding spot with trails that wrap around Delaware Lake or trace the banks of Fall Creek.

Emilie Sweet, a naturalist at Fort Ben, said there are a variety of bird species that stop by the park, especially during migration season, which is in April and May in the spring and September and October in the fall.

While the park is a must-visit for birders, there also is a large white tail deer population that is best spotted during early morning hours, Sweet said.

There are also coyotes at the park, though Sweet said these aren’t as common to see, but there are mink, beaver and muskrats that can be seen along Fall Creek and near Duck Pond.

Herpers can find aquatic turtles basking on logs near different snake species that call Fort Ben home.

Visit Fort Harrison State Park at: 6000 N. Post Road, Indianapolis, IN 46216

Wildlife finds a home in Indy Parks

Eagle Creek Park is one of the largest city parks in the country as with trails through the woods and along the reservoir, wildlife is abundant.

Birders will enjoy scoping out trails, fields and meadows at Holliday Park, Marott Woods Nature Preserve, Southeastway Park and Riverside Park.

Alex Cortwright, with Indy Parks, said the Fall Creek and 30^th Park has the Fall Creek Greenway that cuts through it, and wildlife enjoys using that trail, too.

Bit of a drive: Want to see some of Indiana’s best wildlife? Take this expert advice and go west.

Wildlife spotting within a short drive from Indy

Out near Anderson, northeast of Indy, Mounds State Park offers excellent bird-watching opportunities as it’s on the Indiana Birding Trail.

Kelley Morgan, naturalist at Mounds, said even folks not wanting to hike the trails can take shelter at the wildlife observation area inside the park’s nature center. Birds and other wildlife can be spotted here from the comfort of the center’s couches.

There’s also a honey bee hive at the center. The park works with local veterans to help combat PTSD, and they tend the hives.

While no Bald Eagles are nesting at the park now, Morgan said some visit the park daily. There is also habitat to support great blue herons, green herons, egrets, kingfishers and many different songbirds.

If anyone is around the park during dusk, Morgan said there are screech and barred owls that call out as the sun is setting.

Much like Fort Ben, Mounds is surrounded by development but still sees its fair share of mammals. Deer, red fox and coyotes can be spotted traipsing around the park.

Visit Mounds State Park at: 4306 Mounds Road, Anderson, IN 46017

How to be responsible when viewing wildlife

While witnessing soaring eagles and spotting the white tails of deer is an experience, these are wild animals and must be treated with respect.

Hoosiers visiting these parks also are visiting the homes of these animals and should stay on marked trails and leave no trace of the visit.

Don’t disturb the wildlife’s natural habitat, Sweet said. Minimizing human interference is important to keep the park’s animal populations safe and healthy.

Do not try to touch wildlife unless they are in danger. Sweet said moving a turtle out of the road is fine, but don’t try picking them up out of the creek or other natural areas.

Ethan Plumier, with Indiana Department of Natural Resources, has six main tips for ethical wildlife viewing:

Give wildlife space: The best relationship with wildlife is a long-distance one
Keep it clean: Don’t litter and pick up trash
Keep your hands to yourself
Keep your snacks to yourself: wildlife can find their own food
Keep pets at home or leashed
Lead by example: help others become wildlife watchers

Tips for seeing wildlife in Indy

Strategies for viewing wildlife will depend on the species Hoosiers hope to spot, Plumier said. Bird spotting can be done from a car with binoculars but there are other ways to spot some off the roads.

One place Plumier recommends heading is where habitats transition. This can be from woods into a wetland or a field. These edges are a highway for wildlife and have everything an animal needs from food to safety.

“Just plop down along the edge of the woods and see what’s moving,” Plumier said. “Go as deep as you want, sit down, be quiet and see what happens.”

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

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Indianapolis, IN

Colts vs Titans TV coverage map in NFL Week 16

Published

6 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Colts vs Titans TV coverage map in NFL Week 16

The Indianapolis Colts host the Tennessee Titans in NFL Week 16 action as the Colts try to remain in the AFC playoff race.

The CBS game will be shown in only the Indianapolis and Nashville NFL markets. It will also air in much of Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee, and in parts of Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

When do the Colts play the Titans in NFL Week 16?

1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

How to watch Colts vs Titans in NFL Week 16

CBS, with Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), and Ross Tucker and Jay Feely (analysis).

How to stream, watch Titans-Colts game for NFL Week 16

The Colts-Broncos matchup will stream on Paramount+ at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. The app is available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Fans can also download NFL+ in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

Colts 2024 schedule

all times ET

Sept. 8: Texans 29, Colts 27

Sept. 15: Packers 16, Colts 10

Sept. 22: Colts 21, Bears 16

Sept. 29: Colts 27, Steelers 24

Oct. 6: Jaguars 37, Colts 34

Oct. 13: Colts 20, Titans 17

Oct. 20: Colts 16, Dolphins 10

Oct. 27: Texans 23, Colts 20

Nov. 3: Vikings 21, Colts 13

Nov. 10: Bills 30, Colts 20

Nov. 17: Colts 28, Jets 27

Nov. 24: Lions 24, Colts 6

Dec. 1: Colts 25, Patriots 24

Dec. 15: Broncos 31, Colts 13

Dec. 22: vs. Tennessee, 1 p.m., CBS

Dec. 29: at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m., Fox

Jan. 5: vs. Jacksonville, TBD

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Indianapolis, IN

Analyst Predicts Close Call Between Titans, Colts

Published

14 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Analyst Predicts Close Call Between Titans, Colts

The Tennessee Titans may be out of the playoff picture, but they find themselves in a big game against their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts.

The Titans can play spoiler for the Colts, who need to win to hold onto their faint playoff hopes, by eliminating them from playoff contention in a win.

However, CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco doesn’t believe that will end up being the case. He predicts that the Colts will pull out a 24-17 win against the Titans.

“The Colts are alive in the playoff race — barely. The Titans are done and might be making a quarterback change. The Colts did some good things in losing to the Broncos last week in a game they should have won. They bounce back here. Colts take it,” Prisco writes.

The Titans are certainly an underdog considering the fact that they are on the road and have won only three games all year long.

However, we have seen how difficult it can be for divisional opponents to sweep a season series, and the Colts came away with the win when the two teams met in Nashville during Week 6.

The Titans are coming into the game with a massive chip on their shoulder and a new source of energy with Mason Rudolph taking over as the starting quarterback after Will Levis was demoted earlier in the week.

The Titans have the ingredients necessary for a win against the Colts, but they still have to execute their plan in order to leave Indy on a happy flight home to Tennessee.

The Titans and Colts are set to kickoff at 12 noon CT tomorrow inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The game can be watched on CBS or streamed on Paramount+.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Colts’ Most Crucial X-Factors for Titans Clash

Published

22 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Colts’ Most Crucial X-Factors for Titans Clash

The Indianapolis Colts (6-8) are prepped for an AFC South clash at home against the Tennessee Titans (3-11), with still plenty on the line. If the Colts win this game, their slim playoff hopes stay alive at 15%. However, a loss destroys every probability of this happening, dropping Shane Steichen’s troops to 1% (NFL.com).

What this means is Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, and the offensive line must operate better than against the Denver Broncos, but the defense and Gus Bradley must carry over their performance at Mile High.

With Indy’s 15th game nearly here, these are the two X-Factors for the offense and defense (minus Richardson) most crucial to Indianapolis walking out of Lucas Oil with their seventh win on the season and with postseason aspirations still breathing.

Offense | Josh Downs

Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (all-white uniform) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Jets (green uniform).

Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (1) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Colts’ second-year wide receiver Josh Downs has emerged as the most reliable target for Steichen’s offense throughout 2024. The former North Carolina Tarheel has reeled 56 catches on 86 targets for 626 receiving yards (11.2 average) and four touchdowns.

After being sidelined with a shoulder injury, Downs is ready to bounce back from his underwhelming three-catch, 32-yard performance at Mile High. The Titans are a gritty defense, and Downs will face off against Tennessee’s slot cornerback Roger McCreary. Downs dominated in the first meeting, catching seven of nine targets from Joe Flacco for 66 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Expect Richardson to look Downs’ way often, especially considering that Alec Pierce (concussion) won’t suit up for this one. While Michael Pittman Jr. and AD Mitchell will get their fair share of throws, Downs is the safety blanket and most reliable pass-catcher.

The Colts have to get Richardson into a rhythm throwing the football to help the young field general over the 50% completion hump; the best way to do that since there’s nearly no tight end receiving production is getting Downs the football. Expect at least eight-plus targets for Downs on Sunday.

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Defense | Laiatu Latu

Colts' defensive end Laiatu Latu (all-white uniform) gets ready to try and get past an offensive lineman.

Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets offensive tackle Olu Fashanu (74) blocks against Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (97) during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After a rocky start to his rookie campaign, the Colts’ rookie 15th overall selection Laiatu Latu is finding his footing in the NFL. Along with Kwity Paye, the two have combined for 10 sacks, with Latu accounting for four. Latu also has Pro Football Focus grades of 72.7 overall, 72.9 pass-rush, and 64.3 run. While the last can improve, Latu is getting to where he needs to be under Charlie Partridge.

Against the Titans, Latu will have a chance to feast on a struggling Tennessee offensive line. The Titans’ protection ranks 28th in Pro Football Focus team grades for pass-blocking (56.6), so there’s areas where Latu can exploit.

While offensive tackle JC Latham has an acceptable pass-blocking grade (66.8), he’s second on Tennessee in pressures allowed (37) behind only fellow tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere (39). Latu has a chance to wreck Mason Rudolph with constant pressures that might lead to opportunities for sacks. For the year, the former UCLA Bruin has 34 pressures and will have a clear path to success against Latham and Petit-Frere.

Expect Latu to have a field day when taking snaps against Tennessee on Sunday, with a great chance at a sack or more.

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