WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Finally the wintry weather took a hike and so did I. 

After weeks of snowy and icy roads, brutally cold temps, having muddled through Winter with a disgruntled mindset directed toward Mother Nature, I seized the day when conditions finally improved, laced up my lug-soled boots and got out with the camera. 

Having re-acquainted myself with my furry and feathered friends at Council Point Park the day before, on this Friday the 13^th, I made a quick pit stop there, then devoted the rest of the afternoon to visiting two venues along the Detroit River.   Just one week before, according to several weather site webcams, the entire Detroit River was still iced over, so I was hopeful to get some fun ice floe photos, just as I did on March 13, 2025, when there were waterfowl gliding along, perched on ice floes that sparkled as much as the water due to the sun’s intense rays that day.  I even came home with a sunburn. 

So I stopped at Dingell Park first.  Unbelievably there was minimal ice, except way across the River, much farther than my lens could handle.  Well, that was unfortunate as I could see many swans, seagulls and ducks, too numerous to photograph, let alone count, on the ice.

Count, you ask?  You see my visit to the venue was twofold:  get some fun photos for a post and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, which I’ve been doing for the last few years.  It’s fun, it’s easy – you just devote 15 minutes’ time, anytime during a specific four-day period, to count birds, at any location, whether you remain in place, or are moving about.  You count birds from each species, then submit your tally to the website.  This year I did three bird counts, one which was mentioned in last week’s post.

At Dingell Park, the Boardwalk had not been plowed (likely since the first snowfall in November) and the snow was high, crunchy, ice-laden and dangerous.  The pavilion and parking lot had been salted but that was all. 

I picked my way along the Boardwalk, high-stepping over goose poop and icy spots, taking some photos, but then I just stayed at the pavilion, focusing on the many Canada geese that were waddling in the snow, paddling in the water or agitated about something, likely me, as they took flight.  I’ll save those photos and Bird Count report for a “Dog Days of Summer” post and you’ll appreciate them to cool off, just as you enjoyed the summery pics in the middle of Winter.

I left and drove 2.5 miles (4 km.) down the road to Bishop Park.

Bishop Park was better with lots of birdies! *

Well I’ll clarify * … “birdies” being waterfowl and seabirds, but birdies nonetheless, even one or two with orange feet, your/my favorite!  The Boardwalk had been heavily salted, a real plus after my last adventure.

I was the only person on the Boardwalk.  Just like at Dingell Park, I could see lots of birds farther out.  I follow a few local birders and the Detroit Audubon Society on social media, so I knew Canvasback Ducks were here and congregating in the Detroit River.

Seagulls never disappoint in my opinion.

Five Ring-billed Seagulls dotted the Boardwalk railing, allowing me to inch closer to them while taking photos. They were fairly calm until I crossed that invisible line, thus encroaching into their personal space and the hootin’ and hollerin’ began, this guy/gal in particular.

And then another gull joined in. The more the merrier, right?

Suddenly, for no reason at all, with a noise loud enough to wake the dead, a few of those flighty birds (pardon the pun) flew away in a huff. The two that remained were eyeing my every move.  “Okay, have it your way” I told them. “See how many others on the Boardwalk want to take your photo!”  (Easy for me to say since I was the only person on the Boardwalk that day.)

Interestingly, later, after I took at least 50 shots of two Mute Swans, as I strolled toward my car, one gull relented, seemingly with a change of heart, as it was calm, even posing sweetly. Was it jealous I had found other subjects to photograph? It’s all about seagull drama – someone has always got ruffled feathers and it is not necessarily caused by the wind.

Yonder, look at that!

I was prepared and brought along binoculars in case I needed them for counting and pressed them to my eyes – yes, that WAS a large paddle (group) of  ducks, likely the Canvasback Ducks I’d seen on a local photographer’s Facebook site.

I could see blurs of white – seagulls, swans, but too numerous to count, let alone photograph.

Snow outlined the Detroit River, much like it had at Dingell Park.  It would have been quite a sight had I made it here to see the solid ice cover.  I’ve seen it before, waves frozen in place, then after a brief warm-up, heavy slabs of ice that have slammed against the shoreline.

Putting the binoculars down, I focused on what I could see under my nose, albeit a little bit too close to photograph, as there were waterfowl hugging the shoreline, just beneath the Boardwalk.

There was flurry of duck activity as a dozen ducks suddenly streamed away from the seawall where I stood; they headed toward the 300-foot (91 meters) fishing pier across from me.  Though these ducks might look similar at a glance, I could see Canvasbacks and Redheads, the latter, a duck I have never seen before. 

These are the Canvasback ducks …

… and this is a Redhead duck; unfortunately I only got one shot of this beauty.

There are always Mallards down at the River, so here’s a picture of a drake, not to be outdone by his copper-colored counterparts.

Behind me, eight Canada Geese grazed, happy to find some grass where the snow had melted. These are three of them.

My feet remained planted on the salt-encrusted sidewalk, scribbling down bird tallies, binoculars still slung around my neck, as was the camera, both tugging against my turtleneck sweater.

It was then I saw two Mute Swans, likely mates, paddling up close to the Boardwalk, way too close for good pictures.  I bided my time, staying in place as one, then the other, gracefully paddled away from the seawall – they are such graceful creatures.

I liked the way this swan seemed to study me. 🙂

What a gorgeous profile they have!

Then one swan approached the ice …

… and began to explore that icy ledge beneath the Boardwalk, inching ever closer, even reaching beneath the ice, perhaps to nibble on any plant life that might have survived our brutal Winter. I was very close to them at this point.

Suddenly, the ice cracked and splintered in spots as one massive, webbed foot pushed against it and a split-second later, one swan climbed onto the ice. I hung over the Boardwalk railing to get these two photos; it was tricky for me to keep the railing out of the shot. 

The scene reminded me of the day at Council Point Park, when the Mute Swan I nicknamed “The Ice Cutter” had pushed through the ice-covered Ecorse Creek using its bill as well as its feet to reach the shore.  It climbed up clumsily, shaking ice from its feathers and mere feet away, it began preening, seemingly oblivious to me.  I had never seen a swan out of the water and standing close to me, I was sure we were both the same height (5’ 9”/175 cm. tall).  You can read about that adventure here.

But this Mute Swan had nowhere to go – physically, it was unable to climb up to the Boardwalk without taking flight.  I watched as the pair scrounged for food, sometimes upside down with their feathery butts in the air.

I wanted a shot of these two beauties together, so I finished up the tally and walked over to the fishing pier.  I still hoped I could hone in on those Canvasbacks and Redheads that had bolted for the pier when they saw me. 

Well, that was a disappointment because the wooden pier had not been shoveled or salted.  The lack of salt made sense – it would likely destroy the pier in no time.  It may look snow covered here but trust me, this was hard ice and plenty of it.  Had the trashcans not been there I’d have had solid footing near the railing, but I was not going to fall over the railing and land in the drink.

So, I stood at the entrance to the fishing pier and got this shot of Mr. and Mrs. Mute Swan and a few brave ducks which had escaped my eagle eye from my vantage point at the Boardwalk/railing.

Since Valentine’s Day was the next day, I wished these two Mute Swans would pose bill to bill, arching those graceful necks into a perfect heart.  Well, that wasn’t meant to be, but I still had a camera card of photos, along with more tales to tell and my second bird count of the day was complete. 

It was time to leave – that would make everyone here happy and less wary.  As I walked along the Boardwalk, I saw this park bench with a moving message.  There are several park benches at this venue that I’ve featured before in my posts, all with touching remembrances of loved ones.

It was good to get out and feel the warmth on my face and get a walk with the camera in tow, something that I had sorely missed. 

Here’s my bird count tally:

Terri has no Photo Challenge this week.