Fall has arrived … bigtime!
Just like that (snapping fingers), a cold front brought in some wicked winds that raced through here mid-day Friday and 75,000 people in Metro Detroit lost their power from those high winds. I was lucky and only lost mine for about ten minutes when winds were clocked at 40 mph.
This year’s weather madness continues. When I left the house this morning, it was 20 degrees cooler than yesterday. Unbelievably, it was only 56 degrees! Obviously, I needed my mom to be here to dress me, because a hoodie and lightweight pants sure weren’t warm enough, and even my hands were cold. Granted, I trekked around the boat harbor right on Lake Erie and when I arrived there, the wind had really picked up and was whipping around at 15 mph and the sun was MIA once again. I went to the boat launch area at Lake Erie Metropark, as it is considered a primo point for hawk migration, especially this week. But I’ll save that story and pictures for another post. Suffice it to say, I was glad to get into the car and turn the heat on full blast to warm up. Next I went to Grosse Ile to the alpaca farm, where I was ready to snuggle up close to a few of those cutie pies just to warm up. I’ll make that visit tomorrow’s post because I have collected a few photos from Council Point Park this past week to welcome in Fall.
I’ve always fallen for Fall …
Autumn is my favorite season of the year, even though it is the harbinger of things to come, i.e. the season I dislike the most … Winter. I love the chill in the air, the harvest décor, even the color scheme of the gourds, jewel-toned mums and the beautiful leaves. I have always fallen for Fall.
Fall has already come calling at Council Point Park.
Before the official arrival of Fall, the color change has been subtle. In the five years that I’ve walked at this venue, I always find it interesting that the first leaves to turn color are the scrappy-looking bushes or swamp weeds that grow along the banks of the Ecorse Creek. During the Summer months, they are rather nondescript looking, but all of a sudden, many of the leaves have begun turning crimson …
… and, not to be outdone, the yellow leaves have similarly put in an appearance.
Even the orange-toned leaves, not quite a burnt orange just yet, are present on many bushes along the perimeter path.
The weather this week was like a roller coaster ride … up, down – who can keep up with it? Earlier in the week, we had tropical-feeling weather, Wednesday it was chilly, then Thursday we dealt with torrential rain and storms a good part of the day. That rain wrecked my walk and Friday it was a little soggy and back to the heat and humidity again. That heat and humidity so early in the morning was good for something though … butterflies love the heat.
Migration and Monarchs.
It is amazing how the Monarch butterflies know when it is time to ditch the chilly northern climes and head on down to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. They usually begin their long journey in August, but likely these beauties hung on a little longer due to our warm September. At Council Point Park yesterday, a group of Monarchs passed through there while I was on my walk. There were not a great number of them at one time – in fact, they came through in dribs and drabs. I have not seen a single Monarch at the Park this Summer and I saw two or three of them try to alight on tree leaves on one branch. The camera was already out, but it was so windy they had difficulty alighting on a leaf. I’ve lost track how many I followed, trying to get a close-up, only to have them drift off into the air, or onto another leaf, often away from my view. So, this was my best effort, but what a treat to see Monarchs at nearly every turn of the perimeter path and I saw several as I walked home from the Park too. Good thing they didn’t delay their journey another day – Brrrr!
Friday was fabulous for waterfowl photo ops.
First, I saw fellow walker, Mike, who told me “you’d better hurry over to the cement slab because YOUR heron is there and I’ve passed him twice and he hasn’t moved.” So, I made a beeline over to see MY heron. Usually he bolts seconds after I arrive anywhere near his turf, but he stood there, just like a statue and seemed oblivious to my presence.
I seized the opportunity to get a photo of him in this pensive mood, then inched a little closer just as he bent over to scope out fish in the dirty water.
I decided to press my luck a little more, but he rebelled as I entered his personal space. He let out a squawk that could raise the dead and took off down the passageway.
Meanwhile, I found another bird to occupy myself with, so I spent the next 15 minutes or so watching him (or her) diving for breakfast in the murky Ecorse Creek water. Meanwhile the heron figured I’d vacated his turf by now, so he took another pass by his favorite spot, only to discover the annoying human was still there. He flew by, legs outstretched behind that scrawny body, and let out another screeching noise, which I took to be his disgust with my presence nearby his favorite perch.
Next up – another Cormorant.
After the heron departed (the first time), I saw movement in the water. It was more than the snapping turtles coming up for air and leaving a trail of bubbles in the water.
Then, I definitely saw something large and dark streaking beneath the surface, so I stood there, poised to await the muskrat coming up for air.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a huge bird come bobbing to the surface. Its slender neck and long beak reminded me a loon, but I was positive it was the same bird I saw at Heritage Park last week – a Cormorant. That long beak with the hook on the end gave me the clue, since I could not see his big webbed feet, and, this time he was diving and not displaying his large wingspan. This graceful bird, feathers slicked back from diving, continued plunging into the water, and nearly a minute later he would surface as far as 15 or 20 feet away. These are the best pictures I got since it never stayed above the surface long enough to get a good shot.
I zigzagged around the Park, feeding my regular nutty buddies, but with an eye toward the Monarch butterflies that kept flitting around the trees and bushes.
Time slipped by way too quickly and I glanced at my watch and knew I’d have to hustle to get home on time to start work.
The neighbors have begun hauling out their harvest décor. Hopefully we don’t return to the hot weather again or those pumpkins will turn to mush long before harvest season is over. As to the cool weather, it sure is welcome because …
I
FALL!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Those are gorgeous pictures!
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Thank you – I collected the leaves pictures throughout this past week and it is amazing how quickly they turned color. The heron was a lucky shot as I practically stalk him every day I walk there. He generally bolts as soon as he sees the whites of my eyes so he must have been daydreaming! 🙂
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I loved your preview of Fall.
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Thanks Anne – it was so cold this morning it felt like it was late October instead of late September!
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Linda some nice bird pictures yes Fall is coming or Autumn as we call it.
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Thanks Andy – that was the closest I’ve ever gotten to that heron. I feel like I am stalking him! I like the sound of the word Autumn better than Fall … I don’t recall using the word “Fall” growing up in Canada.
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Even in the cold you still manage to get the best photos! Every single one could be framed 😍 this makes me nostalgic for the Midwest… we had a little trailhead that had wildlife like this. Thanks for sharing, Linda!
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Glad you enjoyed these Mackenzie … unbelievably it is only 48 degrees this morning and I think I have to get out a warmer coat, and maybe gloves for my walk … no, not gloves in Michigan on September 22nd!! On the trail I was on at Lake Erie Metropark yesterday, the wooden walkway was just strewn with leaves, likely from that bad windstorm we had on Friday.
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WHAT! Gloves? That is so crazy!!! I hope it ended up warming up a bit- I cannot believe it’s that chilly.
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It’s a fluke and over tomorrow they say and muggy and warm again on Thursday. SMH. It was cold this morning … took gloves but didn’t use them, but hate to use the camera with freezing fingers.
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Oh my gosh, that is nuts! What is that weather! So fickle
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Exactly – fickle is the perfect description for our weather!
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Beautiful photos, I especially love the idea of the heart shaped leaf at the end!
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I’m glad you liked the photos. Fall in Michigan is really beautiful … we had drought-like conditions a good part of July, so the leaves are coming down much earlier than usual. I figured I’d better get a few photos of them before they all fluttered to the ground. I was hoping I was not the only person who thought that leaf looked heart shaped. P.S. – Glad you are getting a breather from schoolwork to pop in. 🙂
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I loved the post! And thank you, I’ve got the weekend to check in with all of the lovely blogs I follow!
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We have the same crazy weather you have only a day later. Hot, cold, rainy with one sunny day! Argh! We’ve been having deer sightings here. In yards. This morning three young does were napping in the neighbor’s yard and another three were walking around the ‘hood. We live about a half mile from a nature preserve and they don’t understand where the perimeter ends. I always worry because of cars but they seem to navigate pretty well.
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I like seeing the deer Kate, like I saw a few weeks ago at Hines Park. The park where I walk daily is too small to have deer, although one walker said he saw a small doe at 6:30 one morning and it was still dark. I never walk in the dark. The wooded area is not really deep enough for them to live or hide. You might as well plan on cold weather tomorrow then, because it was 49 this morning when I went outside. But, on the plus side, it was a beautiful day, the kind that makes you want to stay outside all day until dark – something like we have come to expect in the Summer and fell short this year. We are getting the muggies back on Thursday so this cool weather is short lived (again).
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We are having rainy, gloomy and cooler weather until Friday which will be our one nice day this week.
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It is raining here now and was dark, gloomy and “spitting” when I was out this morning. I heard there is a possibility of potentially severe weather tomorrow afternoon; hopefully it blows over. My wish is that Fall does not disappoint us like the past three seasons in 2018.
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Wow you really did get some great photos of wildlife this week!
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Thank you AJ. Sometimes I can go to Council Point Park and only see squirrels and it’s been ages since I even saw a cardinal – remember how they kept zipping down to the ground for peanuts? And then sometimes, I’ll come home loaded with pictures from one outing!
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Those are the good days!!! You’re making good progress on your miles too:)
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Yes they were. I know I’ll think of Mitch Miller for that big harvest moon for sure. Thanks, I’m hoping I get to 1,051 miles by year-end – that is my goal, but I didn’t anticipate all the rainy days we had this Spring. We had rain every weekend for about a month … and the torrential rain that lasts most of the day. That set me back and Winter lingered into Spring for the longest time … ice and snow in April for goodness sake; got rid of it, then went right into the rainy spell.
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Yes the weather has been crazy here too! How many more miles do you have to go before year end to make your goal?
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I just added to my log from the weekend … I now have 251 more miles to go til year-end. I’m hoping we get the El Nino Winter they are promising and I can keep on going. Three months and one week seem like enough time to do it, but the time change and then black ice that you have to watch out for after mid-to-late October and potential snow. I’m willing if Mother Nature cooperates!
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I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!!! Too bad I can’t give you some of my miles as we don’t get anything too cold usually until the new year
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That would be great – wishful thinking!
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It’s nice to have some cooler weather and finally see some signs of autumn. Nice nature photos!
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I hear you Rebecca. Today it was 49 when I left the house – rather dramatic, even for Michigan where Michiganders say “if you don’t like the weather, stick around a few minutes”. Glad you liked the photos too. I am glad to have captured some of those early leaf colors. Those bright red leaves are as red as a poinsettia!
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Fantastic beautiful pictures!😊 Now the fall is really on its way. We have between 40-50° F at six o’clock in the morning. But some days, in the afternoons, we can still get up to 77° F.
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Glad you enjoyed them John. Your weather is exactly what we had today – 49 when I went out and in the 70s this afternoon. But, this is not normal and is only here a day or two, then back to hot and humid weather. I hope your ducklings are doing well and it’s good to hear from you again. 🙂
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Gorgeous photos! I love autumn, such beautiful colours before the winter. Your heron is so beautiful too. So elegant. xxx
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Thanks Heather – Autumn has always been my favorite season. I collected the leaf photos through the week and then the heron, duck and butterfly were all on Friday morning. I couldn’t believe all those Kodak moments at one time. I think the heron decided to just let me take his picture … I’ve been trying to take his picture up close for several years and I guess he said “I’ll just humor her … just this once.” 🙂
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Wonderful shots, Linda! 🙂 We are appreciative of the cooler temperatures for sure; summer was way too hot (and sultry in a nasty way).
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Thanks Tom – I am glad you enjoyed them. Those leaves were amazingly colorful for the third week in September and I got lucky with the critters on Friday. Temperature- wise, we went down to the mid-40s Saturday night and it was just 49 when I went out today – brrrr. Going back to the muggies later in the week – so nothing to look forward to. Sultry is apt for describing this Summer and you’re right … it was in a nasty way.
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Dear Miss “Fallen for Fall”……………………your opening picture of the squirrel eating those fall leaves should win a Blue-Ribbon prize!
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Thanks Ann Marie – That squirrel ran up into the tree with his peanut and I took about five pictures of him, all similar, and decided that one of them would be the “header picture” … he was so sweet tucked behind that half-crumpled-up leaf.
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Yet another amazing post about the beautiful nature that you always seem connected with. I am with you on your love of autumn/fall. It is such a beautiful time of year to enter into with the beautiful changes in nature all around ❤
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I’m glad you enjoyed it Zena. Today we had dark and gloomy weather and it’s raining now. I’ve always enjoyed seeing the leaves changing colors, ever since I was in grade school and our teachers had us pick up Autumn leaves and press them into books – did you do that too? We’d identify them as a class assignment. I remember my mom putting them between wax paper and using a hot iron to “preserve them” for my leaf book. I should write about that one day as I get more pictures of colorful leaves.
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Oh yes I remember doing that in school too. I was always amazed how the children could tell the differences between each leaf because they just looked like blurs to me but I loved feeling the different textures of them and their smells. Thank you for triggering such a lovely memory ❤
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I am glad I triggered a nice memory for you Zena and I think I will write about it one day – it was a nice memory for me too … walking on Speers Road, which was a small woodsy area, near my home, in the Fall. I never learned horse chestnut leaves because I saw that tree in the neighborhood about a month ago, with what I thought was fruit and asked if anyone knew what it was – a couple of people said horse chestnut. I’ve been watching that tree to see what happens with the nut when it is ripe – nothing yet.
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My favorite season! Thanks for sharing!
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Mine too Diane. I just love the colors and smells of this season.
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Great pics, Linda! I was worried about what lurked beneath the water – my first thought was a croc! Then I remembered you’re not in the South! Lol.
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I know there was such movement under the water and a big hole when the bird popped out – funny you say about the croc because recently, something in the crocodile family was found in a shallow pond. The animal rescue organization figures it was a pet and got too big and someone left him there … good thing they discovered it before it got this cold.
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😱😱😱
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