… (and no, it doesn’t involve squirrels).
Mother Nature strung together five days of great weather, so I made plans for each day. It was unfortunate that Saturday, July 27th was the hottest of those stellar days, but I decided to head out anyway, aiming to visit three new venues.
I am the first to admit that I am not the best at driving directions. My car, a 2009 Buick LaCrosse, is on the cusp of reaching 13,000 miles on its 15th “birthday” next month, but, without any GPS navigation tools, I rely on my written directions gleaned from Google Maps, then hope an impatient semi-truck driver does not ride my bumper, slam on the horn and get me so rattled that I make a wrong turn, like a few years ago when going to the Sunflower Festival in Belleville.
So, on July 27th my agenda was visiting three new venues.
The first was a visit to another unit (portion) of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. I’ve already visited the Humbug Marsh Unit at the Refuge Gateway, plus the Gibralter Bay Unit (which I’ve not written about yet). So this would be the Strong Unit for today’s visit.
As I neared the trailhead, the area looked wild and untamed with a postage-stamp-sized parking lot. Remembering the tick that hitchhiked home with me from the Gibralter Bay Unit and, hesitating a bit as I eyed the nearby Osprey platform and twiggy nest that might yield some more Osprey shots, I just decided “nope, not happening!”
So without even getting out of the car, I continued down Port Sunlight Road to The Village of Estral Beach. I’d seen signs for the exit to this community (population of 413 people in 2022) when driving to and from Sterling State Park. This town was touted as a primo spot for viewing the path of totality of the North American Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Many local eager eclipse watchers bought special glasses like these …
… and planned to converge on Estral Beach, but its Mayor begged those eclipse watchers “please go to Ohio, don’t come here – we can’t accommodate you!” Plus, the Mayor further cautioned about a lot of construction going on nearby – it would be a nightmare. So fewer people showed up at Estral Beach, opting to view the 99% totality in communal bliss at Lake Erie Metropark instead.
After I saw the photos of picturesque Estral Beach, I was eager to visit. I knew I could not get lost – the entire village of Estral Beach does not encompass a mile. I planned to park and walk around, camera in hand. I understood the picturesque beaches were public property. As I tooled along at 15 mph on the one-and-only-street through this beachy-vibes venue, I saw boats bobbing in the dikes and colorful boathouses. At every twist and turn of this road were signs warning “private property” or “no parking” and there was no beach in sight. I knew I didn’t get lost – hmmm. So, by 8:45 a.m. I had toured this sleepy little town without seeing a single soul. I’ll try again in 2025 when the Village celebrates its 100th birthday.
My third destination was Pointe Mouillee State Game Area.
So the question was: “would this venue merit getting out of the car?”
I was skeptical of going here as it would entail a long drive down a dusty, gravelly drive in a rural area. I’ve followed the Detroit Audubon Society (now known as Detroit Bird Alliance) on social media for years and they make frequent birding trips here. As I drove up a pothole-ridden road and pulled into a small dirt lot I couldn’t help thinking “this is it??”
I wasn’t impressed, but decided to take a short walk and see if there was anything to see.
Then I spotted a gentleman getting his fishing gear out of the back of his vehicle. A bicycle was next to the vehicle. I wondered why he wouldn’t just walk to where he fished, but kept that thought to myself as I approached him and said “am I in the right place for Pointe Mouillee – it looks desolate to me.” He laughed and said “yes, you’re in the right place, but you’ll have to go up that gravel road a piece first.” We chitchatted a little and he said he liked going fishing, but had to have a good spray for his clothes to keep the ticks at bay. Of course I had to tell my tick-in-my-ear story.
The sun was already beating down. I’d left the house at 8:00 a.m. purposely to avoid the heat and I had not yet taken a single step! So I thanked him for the info and said I’d be heading out on a walk after I grabbed the camera from the car. By the time I walked back, he and another fisherman were in the distance, fishing gear strapped to the back of their respective bicycles.
Again, I wondered why they just wouldn’t walk? How far was that fishin’ hole anyway?
Well, it didn’t take me long to learn why they were on two wheels instead of two feet as I began MY long journey along a gravelly uneven path, careful to stay in the middle to avoid the abundance of raggedy weeds and wildflowers that encroached into that path.
To my left was a marsh and to my right were fields.
These two signs were on each side of the pathway.
I guess a hunter did some target practice on one sign?
On the marsh side, an area popular for birders and photographers, I scanned the skies for the coveted American White Pelicans I hoped to see – I’m not sure if this was one.
I saw still-in-progress American Lotus beds and lots of lovely Lotuses like these.
The Purple Loosestrife was vibrant – it is invasive and found in all the marshes.
Were there waterfowl? Well, it was molting season, so likely most waterfowl would be found along the shoreline, not flying.
I thought I saw Seagulls but discovered when I viewed the images on the screen, they were Caspian Terns. Here is one of them; yes you have to squint to tell.
There were delicate Swamp Rose-mallows along the marsh shoreline.
On the right side of the walking path was “Nelson’s Nest”, so named for the farmer who donated the land to build the 200-foot long ADA-compliant blind. Donors supplied wood and volunteers built it in 2021 and the blind and observation deck is not just for birdwatching, but primarily for shooting ducks.
There were endless fields on this side …
… and here you see the Fermi 2 Power Plant huffing and puffing in the background.
To the left I watched a gathering of black birds. Before zooming in, I recognized their profile and hooked beaks as Double-Crested Cormorants.
The walk was now becoming a trudge in the hot sun.
And it wasn’t all THAT exciting.
Since beginning my walking regimen Labor Day weekend of 2011, I have long stated that when a walk turns into a trudge, it is time to head back to the car and/or head home. That mindset still prevails, especially when it is very hot and sticky.
I stopped and turned around just in time to see something small land in the middle of the path ahead of me. I thought it was a toad, but Google Images tells me it was a Leopard Frog.
At this point in my excursion Mr. Frog had more spring in its step than I had in mine!
I cooled off in the car and had one more pit stop with minimal steps, just photos.
This excursion post needed some vibrant photo fodder. So, at the busy intersection of Roberts Road and U.S. Turnpike, I positioned myself to take photos of this building with its Sunflower field.
The blooms, some snuffed out already, others gettin’ there, were hardly the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but they were perfect for Terri’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge: Yellow and Gold.
Mission accomplished, a 54-mile trip to three new venues, with only one more to go to reach my “five-new-places-to-visit-and-blog-about-in 2024” goal. I hope the next time it is way simpler and painless!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Wow, that was a lot of work for a short walk. Good for you for exploring new places, though. And, that frog is very cute so that was a win!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Janis, the more obstacles I faced, the more I thought about just going to Lake Erie Metropark where I’m always guaranteed to have a nice walk and come away with some respectable shots. I won’t be going back to this portion of Pointe Mouilee any time soon. I went to another portion on Friday, the DNR Headquarters and that was okay. I follow a local photographer on Facebook and I liked what he was posting, so I went there and I got some Osprey pics and some Caspian Terns, but that’s it for these two venues. That frog jumped out of nowhere – the only memorable part of this walk!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Finding out new places for early morning walks sounds amazing. Nice of the frog to keep you company too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I am open to trying new places Zena, but I didn’t score too well at the outset. At least I know it wasn’t me, like sometimes. 🙂 The frog was the best part of the day!
LikeLike
Thanks for trying.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anne, I decided I was at least going to get a blog post out of it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
In behind all those great shots are many miles of so called “disappointments” that nobody sees but are perquisite!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Wayne – I really wasn’t keen on going here, but I promised myself to visit new places and doggone it I was going to do that. And, I went back to this area last Friday – to a place down the road a little, because I follow a local photographer on FB that has been photographing an Osprey family at the DNR Headquarters for Pointe Mouilee. I was there once, out in the boonies 1 1/2 miles off the main road on a Sunday morning in the Winter hoping to see a Snowy Owl that had been spotted around there. I saw nothing and it was too desolate for me. But I know they have a boat launch there and fishing and the office is open open during the week, so I returned. I watched three Osprey in the nest – one juvenile had fledged and was fishing, so that was a good trip and I saw Caspian Terns, like the tiny picture you see in this post, but there were lots of them along with Seagulls. So I got a couple of close-ups of Caspian Terns which are unique looking with their red bills and black caps. They were “arguing” with one another – the noise was deafening, then suddenly they all took off at once.
LikeLiked by 1 person
you are introducing yourself to the locals
LikeLike
Yes and I hoped to find someone up and outside at Estral Beach so I could ask them how to get to the beach area … a whole town, people still asleep.
LikeLiked by 1 person
use Google Earth to preview a area you’ve never been before. It helps tremendously.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I tried it after reading your comment Wayne. I never tried it before as I thought it was a download but I could view it without the need to download. Looked at my house/neighborhood. Thanks for the tip!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It has a “3D” button as well. That will tell you the relief. You stick to mostly flat areas, so I don’t think that would help much?
If you zoom down to a road you can view “Goggle Street View” too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did my address, then did Pointe Mouilee, but it has multiple spots, so I just picked one and then I saw Google on the right-hand side with pics/reviews kind of like a sidebar. I went back just now and I was still signed in (although I don’t recall signing in and I was signed in with my Gmail account), so it was still there for my last search and I pushed the 3D button. It swirled around and turned into 2D … very cool how it swirls around like that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It may have been disappointing but at least you accomplished some of your goals (and didn’t get lost:) ). I didn’t know there were pelicans in Michigan. Love the frog and sunflower pics!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Ruth and that is true. I revisited Pointe Mouillee this past Friday, but at the DNR office this time and I got to see an Osprey family in the nest, one fishing and also some Caspian Terns. The DNR office is down the road about a mile from where I was in this post. I only recently learned there were White Pelicans in Michigan. I’ve been to several marshy venues looking for them, but no luck so far. That was another reason I wanted to go to Estral Beach as I understand they hang out there sometimes. The frog is so cute and I assumed it was a toad since it was in the middle of a gravel path. I passed the sunflower field on Friday and two weeks later they are bigger and more plentiful, but there was no way to get closer to them and U.S. Turnpike is busy and I didn’t want to trespass.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The American Lotus beds were yellow and I give them gold to meet the Terri W’s challenge! I think I am burnt-out on sunflowers.
You are becoming more social on your outings regarding short chats with strangers. I’m happy to see you blossoming!
As far as Estral Beach, I think the Mayor was clear. This is not for the lookie-loos, nor the long nose tourists with their zoom in cameras and drones. I think respecting their privacy would be the best gift one could give them to enjoy their private property in peace.
The place with the stop signs… definitely do not venture there September 1st through December 15th! Those who do are looking for anything moving or not as target practice.
While I am very proud of you, Linda, for stepping out of your comfort zone… I am so glad you made it back home to journal it and share it with us today. ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well TD, I guess the American Lotuses could pass for yellow. Depending on how much sunlight there is, sometimes they look white, off-white or pale yellow. Thank you – I now satisfy both of Terri’s requirements, but I also covered my bases by having a yellow Cloud Sulphur butterfly for this week’s Wordless Wednesday post.
As a general rule, I don’t really speak to a lot of people on my walks. Usually people are in pairs or families, but sometimes it happens I run into someone and do chat … I am not antisocial. However, at Council Point Park I do tend to be antisocial as I have always enjoyed going there, especially when I was working, to just “get away from it all” … the news of the day, the crime, politics … and so I’m not apt to engage anyone in conversation there, except maybe to whine about the destruction.
In this case, however, I asked the gentleman if this was Pointe Mouilee, a place where birders go, as Pointe Mouilee encompasses a very arge area and there are several entrances to the area and since I’d already wasted the best and coolest part of the morning, if it was to be another wasted stop, I would just go to Lake Erie Metropark where I was guaranteed a nice walk, not in the middle of nowhere and some nice photos. So yes we chatted it up.
Estral Beach did not want a lot of tourists there on the day of the Solar Eclipse as they could not accommodate them, in a one-mile square venue, plus there was a lot of construction near the Village. However, there is a public beach, so that was my intention … to find the beach and walk back to the town, which was quaint and picturesque. I will research another way to get there – this was clearly private property only.
I am trying to go to five new venues this year. I went somewhere else Friday, semi-new to me, so that may be #5 and that is it for this year. The construction is crazy and the ticks are bad, so I’ll likely stick to my old standbys until 2025.
LikeLike
boy, sometimes photo adventures just turn out this way. The flowers were pretty though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I hate when that happens Dawn! I thought the sunflowers were pretty until I saw Terri’s sunflower field! This field of sunflowers looked pitiful next to it and I told her so. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes when we try new things they work out; sometimes they don’t. You got some great photos of the cormorants and the sunflowers. Flora is so much easier to photograph. The flowers stay in one place while we click away to our heart’s content! Thanks for describing your adventures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Laurie and yes, that is true that new things don’t always work out. I did redeem myself this past Friday by going to the DNR Headquarters of Pointe Mouillee and I saw Caspian Terns and Osprey fledglings … so good things come to those that wait. So I got my five new venues and I’ll tackle another five next year. I had planned to go on a “nature walk with a photographer” event at the Interpretive Center this Summer, but after getting the tick last month, I decided that I’ll try it in 2025 instead. The lotuses are easy to photograph … they are beautiful and at peak now due to all the hot days we’ve had. I may be “marshed out” from so many marsh and lotus patch visits this Summer. I’ll need to string them out so I don’t bore everyone with all the lotus shots!
LikeLike
Like others have said, good for you for going where (maybe) no one has gone before, Linda 🙂 I love those yellow lotus–I can’t recall if I’ve ever seen any in real life. Of course I love all the sunflowers! And yes the frog–how could he bear that heat, though? What is the most unbelievable thing is your 2009 car has 13,000 miles on it. Whoa. Obviously you use public transit. My daughter has a 2007 and I said, “you’re worth 1 million $, its’ ok to buy a new car!”
Whatever works for you, my friend! I’m always happy to see your upbeat Sunday Stills posts!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Terri. Last Friday I went to another part of this huge game area, the DNR state headquarters, as a local photographer I follow on Facebook had been taking photos of three juvenile Ospreys hamming it up at and around their nest. One had not fledged; the others were flying around and one was fishing. So I went there and I did see them and a ton of Caspian Terns and Ring-billed Seagulls as well as some Lotus Beds. That is it for this year as hunting for waterfowl begins there in two weeks. The Lotuses are famous around these parts – almost very marsh I go to has Lotus beds, but Lake Erie Metropark is known for having the largest and most accessible Lotus beds in Michigan. The Lotuses are considered rare for our state. So I returned there today thinking they were at peak, but they were still not all in bloom. They are gorgeous and the leaves are the size of elephant ears. If you pick a Lotus or take a seed pod (even out of season), you’ll get fined. So it’s kind of funny when the deer wade in and munch them.
As for the car, no, I’ve not taken public transportation since I last worked on site in April 2009. I did take the bus to Downtown Detroit to finish my last two years of college and while working Downtown. I live near the bus stop, so I walked to the bus stop – no need to drive. I worked remotely from 2011 until I retired on March 29th this year. But, when I began my walking regimen, I thought it would be fun to walk more miles than I drove … except the mechanic said “no, you will have electrical problems like your last car.” My last car was a 1988 Buick Regal and I had it for 21 years and when I sold it (to the shop where I had it serviced), it only had 64,000 miles on it. That’s funny about your daughter. I hope this car lasts me for a long time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful New place. Beautiful photos. Beautiful blooming.Love the frog and sunflower pics! Nice photography. Nice memorable part for walk.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Raj – I am glad you liked them. If you look at the link for Terri’s Sunflower field, you will be really impressed. The Sunflower field I took photos of was not at peak yet. The frog was a bonus as I walked a lot in the hot sun and was getting a big exasperated. 🙂
LikeLike
Most welcome,Linda! Sure I have visit link , the Terri’s Sunflower But I like frog bonus.
Tack Care,Linda 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was really happy to scroll through Linda.
Hi 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ellie – it is good to see you here! I’m glad I had some happy photos for you … the frog is not as cute as my furry friend Parker, but made me smile too. Hi back!
LikeLike
Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Anne – it was a different day that’s for sure!
LikeLike
Great photos. Every new walk is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get (as said by Forrest Gump).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Kate … I forgot about Forrest Gump saying that. I will have to remember that wisdom for a Valentine’s Day post. This was a different day, that’s for sure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lots of pretty flowers for sure, sometimes our new spots we find can be a bit short on wildlife. But that looks like a great place for birds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the Lotuses are about at peak right now Sandra. I went to Lake Erie Metropark today to see them. Their leaves are as big as elephant ears. It is supposed to be a great place to go birding and the Detroit Audubon group have an annual, if not semi-annual excursion there.
LikeLike
Even if it turned into more driving than walking, it’s always good to explore new places. The sunflowers were dandy!
LikeLike
Yes, it is Eilene. I returned last Friday to another area of Pointe Mouilee and it was a better visit, due to an Osprey nest with juveniles with some attitude and a flock of seagull and terns with even a bigger attitude. They were screeching at one another – it was deafening, but a nice visit nonetheless. I passed by that sunflower field again and they were filled out a little bit more. I do like sunflowers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking at the pictures of the shot-up stop sign makes me wonder what goes on there when birders and photographers aren’t around! The lotuses and loosestrife are very pretty, but I love the swamp rose mallows best. The marsh and fields seem to go on forever. It does look like it was hot under that sun. So cool to spot a leopard frog! So many times we’re looking for one kind of creature when we stumble across another one. The sunflower field and barn made me a little nostalgic for the sunflower field we used to go photograph back in Connecticut. Lovely post, Linda!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seeing all the shots in the stop sign didn’t give me great comfort either. I’m glad you liked this post Barbara. Somewhere I have more swamp rose mallow shots that I took just for you since you introduced me to these swamp flowers. They are sorted out in one of my marshy treks for the future. They were more vibrant than these. I may be “marshed out” as to the lotuses as late July through August is when they are the prettiest and they have been in bloom in every marshy venue I’ve been to lately. I once went to Lake Erie Metropark and a huge patch of them were all in bloom which was amazing to see, but I must not have timed it right for all of them to be in bloom the same time this year. That was a first seeing a Leopard Frog – I didn’t know frogs strayed onto the gravel in the hot sun … it was very hot with no trees. I went past the sunflower field again last Friday and 13 days later it looked much more filled in – I guess I should have waited.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny how some of my pictures of swamp rose mallows popped up as a memory on Facebook about the same time as I was reading your post. 🙂 It’s hard to catch those sunflowers just right. They seem to blossom at slightly different times every summer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is funny Barbara … they are beautiful. When I walk to Council Point Park I pass the house where the property is like a triangle. This is where the homeowner planted all the arbor vitae bushes. I have watched him transform this house into a mini paradise. The former owners retired and moved to Florida and they had some flowers – nothing like now. The past few years he had a vegetable garden in one corner of the yard near the fence, off by itself. This year he has sunflowers. I have watched them shoot up to six feet high or better in the last week. He has a tall windmill ornament near the sunflowers. The spokes are made of garden trowels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your neighbor’s triangle garden does sound like a lovely little bit of paradise!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always look into his yard as I pass by to see what he has added new since last time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Laughing at “the walk that became a trudge.” Been there, done that. The ‘stop don’t do this’ signs aren’t the most welcoming thing to see. Love the sunflowers, don’t entirely get the appeal of a red roof, but it does catch your eye. A leopard frog? Never heard of that, but he’s darned cute.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s especially a trudge when it’s hot and humid and for this walk I had sweat running down my face and stinging my eyes, so really not enjoyable at the end, then I knew I still wanted to get shots of the sunflowers. The building was huge, didn’t have a name on it, nor a driveway and it really didn’t look like a barn so I was curious what it was used for. The frog was the highlight of the day – I swear he hopped out of nowhere right into my path. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh gosh, what an adventure. I am one of those people who want to know what I’m getting into…haha. It’s hard when it’s not what we thought or we didn’t see what we hoped to see. What a pretty place though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
KirsIin, I’m thinking I might not always trust Google reviews going forward. 🙂 I went back the following Friday, to another part of this place which is pretty large and that was a better experience, thankfully as I saw some young Osprey and some Caspian Terns and Seagulls. The Terns were a new bird for me and kind of unique looking.
LikeLike
The lotuses were certainly lovely. I wonder if Mr. Frog was looking for them. Exploring new places can be fun but I might worry about all the posted warnings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are lovely right now Zazzy as they are at peak in August. They bloom and die off within a few days, so August is the best time to see the whole patch in bloom. Mr. Frog surprised me as I thought frogs only hung out near the water, except those cute tree frogs that park themselves in flowers and porch pots sometimes. I won’t be going back here and this place is down the road a few miles from Lake Erie Metropark where I can hear the duck hunter’s shots fired at the ducks come hunting season on September 1st. They also have hunting at Humbug Marsh (where the metal animal artwork is), something that surprised me when I saw the sign at the trailhead a few years ago. I don’t want to see ducks falling from the sky. I like ducks.
LikeLike
Amazing post Linda! I have never seen the center of the Lotus, how pretty! I was surprised by all the beautiful flowers in bloom. That was quite the walk that hot day. I hope you find the pelicans, my friend had a a flock of them in her backyard in the bay a few years back. That is the strangest thing to see pelicans so far north. That frog was the prettiest frog I have seen around here. All we get are toads. You and that car, 13,000 miles is crazy!!!
LikeLike
Glad you liked the post Diane. I always thought of the Lotus as being white and I never saw the inside and how yellow it is either. If you go there in the Winter and there is ice, the tall seed pods are all that is left. Picking the seed pods and/or the flowers gets a hefty fine. I follow a blogger who lived in Iowa and they used to gather along the Mississippi River and she would have photos of flocks of them, so I’ve tried a few times and hopefully will see them before they migrate. That frog was a cutie that appeared out of nowhere! We are unique, the car and I. 🙂
LikeLike
I just hit 1000 miles on our 3-month-old car yesterday. Not nearly as impressive for low miles as you!
I salute you for walking in that weather. You are tougher than I am.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If the weather doesn’t turn wintry too fast, I may hit 1,000 miles driven in 2024. My car is still a baby if you think of it. Thank you – it is tough in the heat and humidity, but I’m determined to make my mileage goal of 1,257 miles (2,024 km. – for the year 2024) by year-end and get enough walks/photos in so I don’t run out of blog fodder. We have had cooler weather this week – it has been wonderful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations on visiting new spots! It’s always fun to do that although you never know what you are going to get. I like Terns, I like to sit by Lake Ontario and photograph them diving into the water.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is Susan and I’ve visited four so far this year and I re-visited the DNR Headquarters for Pointe Mouilee where I visited in this post. I went one other time in the Winter looking for a snowy owl that was spotted there, but saw nothing and it was out in the middle of nowhere, tall Phragmites everywhere and a mile or so off the main highway. Too deserted so I left. I knew people fish here, so it would be busier this time. At least I had some luck with young Ospreys in the nest and a lot of Terns. I liked their colors but they got spooked shortly after I got there, so I only got a few up-close pics of them.
LikeLike