Well, I wish I could say I coined this title, but “Shiver on the River” is an annual event held the first Saturday in February here in Southeast Michigan. Its purpose is to lure people to the Detroit River to explore beautiful Belle Isle in the Winter.
I had planned to go to Lake Erie Metropark today, but the weather forecast called for snow and sleet this afternoon and I didn’t want to get caught there if the precip started earlier, so I found a venue closer to home. I set my sights on Bishop Park in Wyandotte, John Dingell Park in Ecorse and then to my regular stomping grounds, Council Point Park, to round out my day. It was not sunny like yesterday and a gray and gloomy sky prevailed.
Bishop Park was my first stop.
I wanted to check out the frozen Detroit River and that sight (above) sure didn’t disappoint.
I worked in downtown Detroit for many years and I must say that I never ventured down to the River’s edge during the Winter. But, even from high up in an office building, the big freeze was impressive.
It was even more impressive at ground level! As I strolled along the boardwalk, I marveled at that bulked-up ice. I’m sure this thick ice formed during our Polar Vortex, and, despite a few balmy days, it has remained rock solid.
There were no seagulls and I have to say that is the first time I’ve been to Bishop Park and not heard the screech of seagulls, who are an integral part of this riverfront. I must admit I kind of missed them. They are always good for a picture as they pose nicely and don’t need treats to entice them to stay put.
Overhead, the Canada geese were buzzing back and forth over Bishop Park. They kept landing in one area, where they congregated and stalked around the pier like they owned the joint, making it virtually impossible for me to pass them.
As a general rule, I usually just sidestep the geese when walking past them, but the cacophony of honks and hisses told me I was not going to venture anywhere near them today. Besides, what if I walked on this scenic pier and they blocked my only way back? It was really cold along the waterfront with the wind clipping along and I would not want to be held hostage by a group of geese, even if they are from Canada like me.
I saw a small break in the ice under the pier and one goose was holding court with the ducks.
With limited places to walk on the boardwalk, I turned around to head back to the car. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a huge dark object in one of the trees in Bishop Park. I figured it was a squirrel’s nest, but then it moved. I put the camera down and took a look with my naked eye and realized it was a bald eagle. I was ecstatic. I took at least a dozen photos of him, trying to get a good profile shot. I got two, including one showing how his feathers were ruffled by that brisk breeze.
John D. Dingell Park was next on my agenda.
I’ve been to this park several times. My first visit was about a year ago after I heard chatter at Council Point Park about how the bald eagles from uninhabited Mud Island fly down from their nests in the tall trees to fish from the ice floes. I went that weekend and yes I saw them. I took some photos from far away, then I returned a few weeks later with binoculars to check the eagles out again. I understand that photographers and birders line up along the pavilion every February, the coldest month of the year and when the ice floes are most prevalent, for a glimpse at these regal birds.
So, on the heels of seeing the eagle at Bishop Park, would I see some eagles sitting on ice floes and dining on fish? I sure hoped so.
As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the flag at half-staff flapping in the breeze. The flag’s status honors the memory of former Congressman John D. Dingell, who passed away last Thursday at age 92. He was the longest-serving member of Congress (59 years) and represented the district where I live. This park, formerly known as Ecorse Park, bears his name.
I noticed a few people sitting in their cars, binoculars trained on the tall trees at Mud Island, which is just across the channel from this park. However, no photographers or birders were standing there. It was still early though and very cold. I asked a gentleman if any eagles had been sighted and was told there were twelve there yesterday, but none so far today.
I thanked him and went down to the boardwalk to see what was happening on the icy-cold water. Interestingly, the Detroit River is not frozen solid here. That is because the nearby plant churns out a lot of steam and hot liquid runs into the water, keeping it flowing freely, making it a draw for local waterfowl. In the distance, far away from the pavilion, thick ice could be seen, and occasionally thin ice floes would lazily drift by, making tinkling noises, much like ice cubes in a glass. The waterfowl were plentiful and they seemed unfazed by the chunks of ice that floated past them.
The many Mute swans were gorgeous and I looked for the pair of Trumpeter swans which went overhead as I was walking from the car, but couldn’t locate them.
The geese and ducks were skittish while I was around, some of them taking flight as I stood on the pavilion’s overlook area.
I laughed out loud at this pair of geese, where one fractious goose was in hissing mode and didn’t mind his manners with what may have been his mate … what a shame, with this being Valentine’s Day week and all.
There were Canada geese galore, a few herons … all companionably swimming alongside the ducks and swans. It looks like a day at the beach here doesn’t it?
There must have been hundreds of ducks, mostly mallards, but also canvasbacks. I’ve seen photos of canvasbacks on Dingell Park’s Facebook site and had hoped to get a look at some. The males are striking, mostly white plumage with dark markings and a light brown head. I took some photos, but the canvasbacks were grouped together near a faraway ice floe and the pictures were not clear, so I didn’t include them.
There were icy ledges where some of the ducks grouped together. Just looking at them made me cold and I wondered if their webbed feet were warmer on the ice or paddling around in the cold water? Neither of those choices seemed like a good option to me.
Well there were a few bald eagles and they kept their distance from the ice floes, deciding to stay up in the trees. I saw two eagles and they flew to their perches, following one another. When the second eagle joined the first one, it made a loud chirping noise.
In late December I wrote a post about how Harry the Heron showed up every day to fish, and my amazement at seeing the seagulls floating in the Creek like ducks. I learned that the shad were running. Shad are small feeder fish and that’s why the seagulls were buzzing around overhead and sitting on the surface of the Creek.
Well, the shad were running down at the Detroit River as well. I saw geese, herons and ducks grabbing up those wiggly fish and downing them. While the heron usually swallows his fish whole, it’s not such an easy task if you’re a duck.
I watched in amusement as a female mallard grabbed a shad, and tried her best to wrangle that fish to enjoy it while a wistful male mallard looked on. Ask me if she shared her fish with the drake – nope. She twirled that squirming fish this way and that in her bill, and at one time dropped it into the water, but quickly recovered her prize with a look of pure delight. Believe it or not, I came home with about twenty pictures of the ordeal from start to finish and reluctantly winnowed the photos down to seven for this slideshow.
I left Dingell Park after spending an hour there, and had spent a good hour at Bishop Park too. I was freezing, despite layering up well – my fingers were the worst to be honest.
Last stop – Council Point Park.
I couldn’t resist going to my favorite stomping grounds which is a little over a mile away from Dingell Park. I decided to walk two loops giving me four miles today and feed the squirrels as well, since we have a week of ugly weather ahead. The snow and freezing rain has already begun and we’ll have another round of that wintry precip tomorrow night. Old Man Winter has worn out his welcome with me.
I’ve made this a squirrel-free post, but I do have a tale to tell later about their antics today, which left me smiling and shaking my head.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Lovely lovely pictures – I have never seen a bald eagle up close. You must have needed some hot chocolate when you got home!
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Thank you Joan – I never did either out in the wild. I was lucky the one was in the tree, because the other two were hard to see – they blended right into the trees. Funny you said that because I did finish off the rest of the Swiss Miss packets when I got home. My fingers were the worst. Wasn’t that ice just incredible? Looked like boulders sitting on the top of the water.
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How marvelous that you saw eagles and got some good shots of them! I loved your description of the ice — making a tinkling sound.
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Yes it was Anne – I felt lucky seeing that first eagle … I took some more pictures at the second park, but because it was such a gray day, they look like silhouettes. That ice was very thin and kind of swam alongside of the waterfowl and it was bumping against the side of the boardwalk like a bumper car and it made a gentle sound. It was so dainty compared to those big boulders of ice that just sat there without budging.
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The sound of ice on tidal water was different, but I don’t remember it well enough to describe it. There were many years when the inlet did not freeze.
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Really!? See my geography is bad and I figured you would have the same scene there. I was just amazed at these gigantic ice boulders – I thought I might be at the North Pole, not Wyandotte.
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Long Island is generally warmer than the mainland. Upstate always got lots more snow and frigid temps than we had. Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh, so it was not common for us to have much ice in the harbor.
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I got a geography lesson tonight Anne – see, I just assumed that you’d be dealing with the same cold temps and snow that the East Coast deals with. My friend Carol is in Honeoye Falls, NY and they are near the snow belt – the snowfall and blizzard-type conditions they get there are just amazing. I could not deal with that … what we are having tonight and tomorrow are bad enough.
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Our Long Island weather was quite unpredictable and often less severe than surrounding areas.
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I’m cold just looking at those pictures. You are tough. 🙂
Hopefully it’s warming up a bit out there.
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Thanks Bryan – this erratic weather is wearing me down, especially all the freezing rain. At the most, we’ll get freezing rain or ice storms once, maybe twice in March and that’s about it. We have had multiple bouts of freezing rain, and have back-to-back days of it now. I was just astounded by the ice at the River – it looked like something from the North Pole! 45 degrees on Thursday … a one day event, kind of like a “Blue Light Special” for lack of a better description.
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Be careful.
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Thanks Bryan. I may not even go outside tomorrow – the weather reports sound horrid. I am grateful to work from home.
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I can tell that you loved finding that eagle Linda! Good for you!
Each pair has a territory with boundaries. That pair upon seeing another eagle coming towards or even near will fly out and escort said interloper away.They always come up from behind.All animals absolutely hate that! By staying behind them they make that other eagle feel very nervous.
However,during spawning season the hosting pair to a given salmon stream will allow other eagles to come into their territory. If theres lots of food for everyone,no need to fight!
So in your situation I bet the eagles are watching for schools coming into the river and upon seeing a school will swoop down and grab one. They miss 3 out 4 times. Once they grab one they simply perch on a ice flow to chow down. More easy to fly over rather than to fly high up in the trees.
If there are plenty of fish the eagles won’t fight. Ben Franklin didn’t like the idea of the Bald Eagle being the national symbol because eagles steal fish from other eagles. A bad moral trait he thought!
He thought the Wild Turkey was far more nobel.
Lucky that more practical heads prevailed!
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You’re right I did Wayne – I was lucky I happened to see it up in the tree … too bad it was such a dark and gloomy day as he looked more in silhouette, but he was huge. He kept shifting around and the wind was ruffling his neck feathers. I went from one side of the tree to the other for a profile picture and that accounts for why the background was a different color. When I got to the second Park where the eagles live on Mud Island, I saw no eagles at first. I was there for a while taking other photos, and kept glancing across the channel. Then three eagles suddenly were in the sky at one time – it happened fast. I did not mention the third eagle in the post because yes, just as you said, the third one would have been the interloper. I thought he just changed his mind about landing there with the other two, because he made an about face and left. So that WAS a pair and one of the pair chased the third eagle off, then returned and I heard the chirps. I chose that picture because it showed him landing on the branch near the other eagle. Then I heard the chirping across the channel from me, it was loud, but no one was talking, it was quiet except for the ice making the clinking noise. I stayed longer, but the two remaining eagles never emerged from the trees. Two photographers came along and asked what the eagles were doing … “nothing” I said. They had the same camera as me, but said they’d try to get shots as they had 800 mm lens (both of them did). I will have to go back again before the ice completely melts. Last year I saw the eagle on the ice floe. I think the shad are too small to fill up an eagle and I wonder if they can see them in the water. I saw several ducks that caught shad, just this female mallard was fairly close to me. She was having a tough time trying to manipulate that fish as it flipped around in her bill. I think the drake wanted her to share with him! The ice in the first park was amazing – it was like boulders. I’ve never seen ice look that before. I’m glad you saw this eagle post … and now I’m off to bed. All that fresh air and walking and I’ll be out like a light in record time.
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I bet bigger fish are following the Shad schools and that the eagles are looking for those preoccupied bigger fish near the surface!
Once you close to one of these beautiful creatures your soul is forevermore marked!
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Ah, that makes sense Wayne. I’ll try again down at the River and head to their happy hunting grounds, once this spate of ugly weather passes. The weather folks have now extended the freezing rain/snow event through Wednesday … I’m catching my walks and photo adventures when I can and have to just buck up and deal with it for now. I sure was happy that I looked up in that tree. While I missed the features that your photos exhibit, that regal beauty when eagles fly or perch, hopefully there will be more opportunities for close-ups down the road.
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I’m sure you will get some great pictures Linda! Lets hope the weather cooperates!
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I hope I get more eagle pics too Wayne. I am looking forward to that early Spring the Groundhog promised us.
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I hope so too Linda and as far as Mr.Groundhog goes,thats just for entertainment because winter is so bleak.
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Yes, some fun to get through the Winter doldrums. I think our El Nino has gone bye bye.
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Linda
Today you have been blessed indeed. I thought the bald eagles were an endangered lot – at least that’s what was taught in our schools and general knowledge classes and here you say there were at least three or four that you spotted and perhaps many more on Mud Island. Wow ! Are they not endangered any more ? I remember reading about Rachel somebody’s theory that the bald eagles egg shells were destroyed by fertlisers like DDT and so were getting destroyed or broken. Do they appear only in the winter? Thanks for sharing those pictures and to Tofino above for all the extra knowledge about them.
Glad to know all the birdies are well except the seagulls- do you think they have temporarily moved to the sea side where the water may not be frozen over.
The ice on the Detroit river was surprising and thrilling- I was reminded of the Titanic. I have heard a lot of boats have been lost during icy weather in the past over lake Michigan- have you heard of any ? Do ships or boats move on these icy waters these days or do they wait for fine weather to move across ?
Loved the stories of the ducks and mallards and the geese who were from Canada. The Canadian geese know how to hold their own among American birds.
Susie
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Hi Susie – yes I was blessed to get down to the River yesterday – I was lucky the weather cooperated to get the car a little run and me an outing.
I’m glad I went there, even on a gray and gloomy day It is really a nice view and good experience especially when no one is around … just enjoying nature and the birds doing their own thing. The mallard with her fish made me smile. I wanted to include all those images, but knew they would be boring if I did, so I picked just seven. I wish I had a video of it as that would have been better. I was so impressed by those huge boulder-like ice formations on the River. I did not capture them as they looked as I stood there, much as I tried. I do believe the bald eagles were a protected species, but their situation is not so dire now – I’ll find out and let you know. I know it is illegal to harm or even kill an eagle and if an injured eagle is discovered, it will be rehabbed and if it cannot be rehabbed, it will be destroyed. The waterfowl on the icy River at the second park was beautiful … the pic of all types of birds looked to me like a crowded beach. Where will my next adventure be Susie … three days of crummy icy and snowy weather does leave me frustrated … here in a four-season climate, the Winter can be beautiful, but tiresome by this time of year … I know I am not alone in this feeling.
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Great shots of the Eagle.. I never seen it at bishop and in the tree’s I have seen them out on the ice years back. I love how the eagles are so close this year. Not that i suggest this but once i went out to the dock at night it was cold and we were to see shooting stars. the sound the ice makes when it hits each other and the dock is really creepy at night. we laid out on the dock and just listened. too cold to stay long but it was an experience. thanks for sharing your wonderful photos!!
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Hi Pril – I figured you would enjoy this post as we had mentioned this park for seeing the eagles in the trees and on the ice floes. I was watching the Dingell Park Facebook site to see if a lot of people were seeing eagles – there is one photographer on there, Mark Grosso, I believe his name is, has taken some nice shots down there – I knew that Saturday or Sunday would be a great time to go down there. I could not believe the ice down at Bishop Park – it was really beautiful and these photos don’t really do it justice. It was these huge boulders of ice everywhere … like there were waves and they froze in time. I would imagine it would be nice to go on the pier and hear the ice creaking and cracking – I have heard the ice cracking and creaking at the Park sometimes, but that water is not deep at all. But I have heard little fissures breaking open when it is quiet at the Park. I’d have gone on the pier as I usually do, but those geese just monopolized the area over by the kayak launch and I decided not to mess with them … I had visions of them following me onto the pier and trapping me there! They were loud and I laughed at my photos – geese looked like they were dropping out of the sky. The eagle at Bishop Park was such a treat. I waited a while to see if he’d fly away and I could get a shot of him over the water, but he didn’t budge, except to shift positions a little – I think the brisk wind was annoying him. It was deserted when I got to Dingell Park – maybe not many eagles because it was so gray and gloomy yesterday? Glad you liked the photos Pril!
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So happy you got to see the eagles Linda and what great photos you captured. I love the “beach” photo – amazing to see so many all in one location. Your slide show is very cool as well. Have a great day Linda!
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Hi Ruth – glad you enjoyed the pictures. The River ice just amazed me. Frozen solid as far as the eye could see and that beach shot was funny – the waterfowl having a great time like it was mid-Summer. Glad you got a kick out of the slideshow too because that female mallard was having the most difficult time keeping that wriggling fish from escaping … she plunged her head in the water when she dropped it. I am going to write a blog post this evening as it is my sixth anniversary of my blog today … time goes by so fast!
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bald eagle locally. There are occasional sightings but not by me.
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These two parks on the River are not far from me; the first one with all the ice is just five miles away – I was surprised to discover they were so close to residential neighborhoods and finding hawks in the City this past Summer … well, that was new to me as we’d never had them before, an occasional peregrine falcon, but that was about it. Those Coopers Hawks were huge.
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We get an occasional Cooper.
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I saw on our local Facebook crime site, that people reported them making nests on the electrical poles, then teaching their young how to hunt. We are not rural at all.
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We’re not rural either so it’s very rare to see one here. They are so much larger. I was stunned the first time I saw one.
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They are beautiful – when the one alighted in the tree a few weeks ago while I was driving past it, I got a good look at its plumage and large wingspan.
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Wow! You outdid yourself with this post, Linda. Love your eagle pics. I never heard of a mallard eating a fish before. I thought they just grazed on water plants and detritus. I can just picture you getting trapped out on a pier by a flock of angry geese! 🙂 You were wise not to venture out. Bundle up out there!
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Thanks Laurie – I am glad you liked this post. Seeing the eagle was exciting, especially since there was no activity out on the ice floes this year at Dingell Park. I was surprised the ducks ate fish as well. The ducks at Council Point Park just nibble on reeds and aquatic plants. I didn’t trust those geese … that pier goes one way and no options to get off it except retracing your steps … I see how the geese block the walking trail and I’ve been at Lake Erie Metropark when dozens of them will plunk themselves in the middle of the main road inside that large park and you have to wait for them to mosey along.
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OMG Linda what beautiful shots of all of the birds! I love the eagles and have gone Bald Eagle watching many times with our local Metro Park. When we went to Alaska they were everywhere and so many! Thanks for sharing. What a great day that was.
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Glad you liked these photos Diane. Yesterday was a real treat seeing the birds and all that ice. The big eagle in the first park was like a bonus. Alaska has always been on my bucket list – I had thought of a cruise with ports of call at all the scenic spots and you get to see the whales from the ship. I didn’t realize so many eagles were at Alaska – it must be beautiful there. My dentist had some buddies and they went salmon fishing in a remote location in Alaska every August. They were dropped off by helicopter and picked up one week later. Very rustic and lots of salmon to bring home.
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We went on the boat that was on the Deadliest Catch and they fed they Eagles from the boat. There had to be at least 50 eagles. I took a video of it. The Eagles were catching the fish in mid air. We flew into Anchorage and took a bus to Denali then a train back down. Then went on the cruise ship to all the ports. Best trip we EVER went on and was for our 25th anniversary. Definitely go if you get the chance.
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Oh that sounds exciting Diane. I traveled a lot in my 20s and used to go on a trip every year. I went to the Panama Canal back in 1992 and debated at that time – do I take the Alaska cruise or the Panama Canal cruise? It was nice, but I was sorry I never did Alaska. I like the idea of the cruise as you unpack once and you’re done plus you see all the ports of call. I would do this when my boss retires (maybe 2-3 years). Did you go through a tour group that made arrangements for the bus/train/cruise and the boat trip which sounds very fun!
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Yes most all of it was through AAA but my husband went on line and booked events like the fishing boat etc.
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OK, thanks Dine – I have Allstate Insurance. I am going to look and see about the eagle fishing boat though. Thanks for the info.
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A wonderful set of photos! The ice on the river is beautiful and you were able to capture such a nice variety of birds. Sounds like a day well spent!
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Thanks Rebecca. It sure was an enjoyable day. The river just amazed me with all that ice and the variety of birds enjoying a frosty Winter day just made it perfect.
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Fabulous photos, Linda! What a special walk it must have been for you! I’ve seen eagles once at the beach here in Oregon, and quite a few a few years ago in the Everglades. There is also one eagle that has been flying over our neighborhood for a few months now. Today I saw a crow harassing him.
I’ll cross my fingers that you see them again! It feels kind of special to see them in nature, doesn’t it?
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Thank you Sabine! I am glad you enjoyed the photos – it was a real treat yesterday and I will make another trip down there this month to see if I can find them on the ice floes. I am so glad I looked up in the tree and was that close to the eagle. You are right – it was a day for wonders of nature – the eagles, those beautiful waterfowl, and, including those big icy boulders. I was just mesmerized by them and the vista of only ice as far as the eye could see. I was so glad I stopped there. I don’t believe it would be rock solid ice except after a Polar Vortex. Our last one was in 2014. That crow was a little big for its britches harassing the eagle!
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Yes, your pictures reflected the wonders of nature you saw! Stay warm and safe!
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Thank you for both of your comments Sabine.
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Miss Linda………………………..those pictures of the Bald Eagles are awesome…………………thank you for sharing them…………………I love it……………………………….cool!…………and the Detroit frozen river too!
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Thanks Ann Marie – and you and Steven should take a quick trip to Bishop Park and look at the ice. You can see it from the car easily enough. I hope we never have cold weather like that again.
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Hey, Dingell Park! That’s so cool! As were you on your crazy park(s) tour in such cold weather, Linda. The Susquehanna has had some ice on it lately. There’s something about seeing a frozen river — I mean, the water was moving and now it’s frozen! — that really makes you cold down to your bones. Great bird photos. You must have a really strong lens to get such good shots of the eagles since they nest so high up. Have a great day, xo
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Thanks Pam – I am glad you liked the photos and got a chance to see Dingell Park after we have written about John Dingell, a great environmentalist, on your recent blog post. We have a very icy day today and I understand that there are police stationed all around Dearborn, hoping to avoid further traffic issues as people will go en masse to his 11:00 a.m. funeral. I am just in awe of the ice on the river. To see these waves frozen in time was just breathtaking to me. I’ve seen pictures of the blue ice in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and it is pretty amazing as well – in fact, the Michigan photographer I follow on Facebook (Jell Wellington Photography) has some incredible ice shots. If you are on Facebook, you can check out her ice shots she posted Sunday at this link: https://www.facebook.com/jillwellingtonphotography/
I generally use a compact digital camera for every day photos, but last year I got a DSLR (Canon Rebel T6) kit and that kit telephoto lens is 70-300 mm. There were a couple of other people there as I got ready to leave with the same camera as me and both had an 800 mm lens so I imagine their shots were pretty awesome.
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It’s nice to have a zoom lens. Since I stopped carrying a camera (because I always have my phone) the pictures just aren’t as good.
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I have a friend who bought her DSLR the same time as me, and hates dragging it out, preferring to use her smartphone instead. That’s why I like the compact, it is easier to tote around. I fumble around a lot with the other one and seem to go in slow motion, then I miss my shot. I have to learn how to use it manually – my goal for this year. This story made the national news … two planes of Washington dignitaries flew in for Mr. Dingell’s funeral. We had horrible ice conditions most of the day and the two planes circled overhead for one hour and could not land, so 60 Washington colleagues had an impromptu service memorializing him in the air. Ex VP Joe Biden had to come into City Airport as Metro Airport closed for a time due to the weather.
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What a wonderful tribute. ❤️
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Yes it was. Not everyone gets a sendoff like that … I’m sure Thursday will be equally wonderful.
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🥰
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I’m so impressed that you continue to venture out despite the cold weather. I’m pretty sure I would just hibernate all winter if I lived where you do. But, by going out, you get to see some wonderful winter sights. I’ve never seen a bald eagle up close like that (even in Alaska) and your picture of all the birds swimming together is impressive. How fitting that Congressman Dingell had such a beautiful park named after him.
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Thanks Janis and I have to say that I am not sure I would not go out in the bitter cold if not for the walking regimen. This is the third week we’ve had especially crummy weather, yet the weekend was cold but clear to get out. When I worked on site, at the end of the week, if it was going to be cold or snowy, I came home on Friday night and stayed hunkered down in the house except to go out and shovel. I don’t like driving in this weather and that’s because I took the bus to downtown Detroit for decades and caught it the end of my street, so never had to drive in it. Today we had such horrible icy weather – tons of accidents and slip and falls. I didn’t venture outside – even if I wanted to, my screen door was iced over and I couldn’t open it! Yes, that is a beautiful park right on the river and today was his funeral – the weather was so icy, that two planes, carrying 60 Washington dignitaries came to the funeral and could not land at Metro Airport. Both planes circled for two hours, then they had to go back home as the airport was closed due to ice.
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Brrrrr… The frozen river is very impressive! My husband got a picture of a bald eagle once in the summer. His friend took him to a secret location where a pair was nesting. I was so jealous! Your pictures of the one you saw are fantastic! And the Canada goose hissing was great. 🙂 It’s a wonder how these water birds manage to survive the winter.
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I just stood there and gazed at the frozen Detroit River before taking these photos Barbara. I am so glad I found this post as I wanted you see how impressive the frozen waves were. There were big chunks of ice that that had banked up near the seawall … this is the same ice chunks situation that battered the lighthouse which destruction we were commenting on. It did significant damage on one side. I got a kick out of seeing the waterfowl on the ice floes. I went several times in 2020 to get eagle shots but they stayed in the trees or glided from tree to tree. I watch Dingell Park’s Facebook site where photographers, most of them with lenses as long as my arm, gather daily at the pavilion to get eagle photos. There are some beautiful photos posted on that site. I’ll send you a link next February to see them. I was dressed for that cold, but after hours on end by the water I finally (reluctantly) went home to thaw out. 🙂 I’m off to walk shortly – hopefully no rain as it is predicted and boy, is it cold … amazing that just a handful of days ago I left the house in the a.m. and it was 60 degrees.
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Looking forward to the link for the eagle photos in February! 🙂 Hope you enjoyed your walk… At least no frozen waves today.
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I hope I do not disappoint you Barbara. I had a long day outside today, walking and taking pictures, some which I won’t use until January. I used to do the post the same day as a walk, but it got to be too much to do that as I began using many pictures in my posts. It was just 30 when I left the house, but it turned out sunny and quite nice – tomorrow’s 50-55 mph winds and rain, will not be nice, so I really took my time outside today.
I returned to Bishop Park and another riverside boardwalk and I thought of you and the Captain. There was a family parked their car near the boardwalk – man, woman and several kids. The man had a huge bag of bread he had cut up. He held it in the actual bread bag. Honestly, there were only two seagulls at the time, but suddenly he was swarmed with seagulls – must have been 35 – 40 easily, swooping and diving and fighting with one another for that bread which he put down in the parking lot. I was getting ready to leave but still had the camera and long lens out so I took a lot of photos – hope some turn out as they were everywhere. I didn’t look yet at those photos – maybe over Thanksgiving when I have time. But one seagull flew down onto the parking lot and was holding his foot up – he only stood on one foot and I could not tell if he was missing a foot or what the problem was, but I think he had a fish hook caught in it as he was dragging along some seaweed or something from his foot which I really noticed when he took off.. I took some photos just of him – hopefully they come out okay I know as the days dwindle and wintry weather is on the way, I try to get out as much as possible. I did not drive far today -This is just 5 miles from where I live and I can walk down the street one mile each way and see another riverside park. I was proofreading this just now – I nodded off. All my fresh air and miles walked I guess.
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Well, at least you got one good day outside this weekend. And made good use of it. 🙂 That’s too bad the family had nothing better to offer the gulls than bread, and you never know how someone might take it if you try to educate them about that. Sigh… Sometimes gulls stand on one leg to help keep themsleves warm. “During cold weather they tuck one foot deep within the feathers, keeping it snug and warm and change feet regularly to distribute the heat.” I see that a lot here in the colder months. That’s so sad the one you saw had something caught on his leg. Sometimes when they get their legs caught in fishing lines their legs or feet wind up amputated. Fishers are warned to not leave their used lines lying around but there are always those who are careless. So sad…
My husband bought me some bird seed and some cracked corn to take with us on our next walk in the woods. I’ve been tied to the house for a few days with a colitis flare-up but as soon as I’m better I can’t wait to see if we can discreetly attract some wildlife. 🙂
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I used to feed the ducks bread until I learned it gave them angel wing syndrome and damaged their wings so I stopped. There are several people I’ve written about at various parks through the years, that feed the ducks corn and birdseed mixed, or just corn and they have quite a following. These people venture out daily to feed those ducks. The ducks at Council Point Park rarely get out of the water so it is tough to treat them to anything, though I saw a young man feeding them last week when it was so warm, and they hopped out of the water onto a cement ledge to get some treats. I wasn’t close by so I don’t know what he had. As to the seagulls, never feed the seagulls as you know what will happen – they will not leave you alone and they are large birds … large and angry birds if they don’t all get a piece of the pie. My mom and I sometimes stopped at A&W Coney Island when we were out and the seagulls would be nervy enough to swoop down under the pavilion roof when they saw the car hop bringing out the food. This was a huge bag of bread this gentleman had and he was doling it out a little at a time – there was pandemonium to be honest with you and I hung back, happy to get a few shots of those birds, but they were dive bombing and he had young kids with him … a seagull could have easily knocked one of them over, but his wife kept them near her, so they were safe. I was not the only one taking photos – a few people stopped to pull out a phone to take pictures. Afterward, when they lined up in a neat queue along the boardwalk railing, I took some photos which I hope turn out, because they were still in a somewhat fractious mood, landing where others were perched … terrible manners as they pushed each other away. I normally am not in Bishop Park that late. I went to Council Point Park, then Bishop Park the first time and parked there, then walked to another park a mile away and was gone a good 90 minutes or so, then returned to my car at Bishop Park. There is never much commotion there – the fishermen are quiet, walkers are quiet – this was really something different.
I took enough shots of the seagull that I can surely use one … I am sure it was a fish hook since there was debris that was clinging to his foot. Yes, the fishermen and women do leave the hooks around or a line gets snagged and left in the water. Through the years, I have seen a few floats and lures that ended up in trees along the Ecorse Creek banks and hooks are still attached and hanging down. The trees jut down over the water, so no one takes them down as they can’t reach them.
Hope your colitis flare-up subsides soon and you and Tim can get out and about again. If your weather is anything like ours today, you won’t mind staying put. We have raging winds at 40 mph gusting to 55 mph, rain and also expecting hail and a little snow. A week ago today it was 77.
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