… to bend the rules just a tad.
Since purchasing my first Metropark pass in the Summer of 2018, I have made countless excursions to various Michigan Metroparks, especially my favorite, Lake Erie Metropark.
The first year I practically wore a path driving to/from this venue, not only for weekend meanders, alone with my camera, but I also took multiple interpretive group walks, plus two different interpretive boat excursions on Lake Erie and the Detroit River.
On my first interpretive event led by long-time guide Paul, just as we ended our woodsy walk, I saw a squirrel and since I always have a peanut or two stashed in a pocket (because you never know when a poses-for-peanuts photo op might happen), I reached into my pocket to toss a peanut to that squirrel, who, mind you, was NOT begging, but just happening by.
Paul saw me and just before I launched that peanut, I got the equivalent of a scolding AND a hand slapping when he informed me that WE do not feed the wildlife in the Metroparks, with the exception of the Nature Center at Kensington Park where it is okay to fill your open palm with treats or seeds and birds will alight and feast without fear. However, feeding the bold and brazen Sandhill Cranes that will come up to you and poke their pointy bill into your pocket hoping for a treat is not allowed.
Okay … got it. I put the peanut back into my pocket and saved it for where feeding is allowed, i.e. state, county or city parks and, of course, my favorite nature nirvana, Council Point Park.
So, lesson learned. There are also many signs throughout Lake Erie Metropark, namely that dogs must be leashed, no diving or swimming allowed and no stopping on the side of the road. I’ve always abided by all the park’s rules, even though I often see drivers pull over and their passenger will snake their arm out the window to snap a few photos or a video of deer. But, unfortunately, for me it seems in this four-mile, 1,607-acre park, I generally see more deer while I am driving in/out or around the park, so stopping is not an option.
But on the morning of July 19th this year, things were, let’s just say, a little different.
Something to fawn over.
During the Spring and Summer months, on each excursion to this park, I hoped to see new life – oh, there were plenty of goslings toddling after their parents on the shoreline, as well as ducklings streaming out behind Mama Mallard in the marsh, photos I’ll be sharing in the coming months. But, I hoped to see a fawn or two and if the resident Sandhill Crane pair produced a “colt” the term for their offspring.
So, on that July morning, while driving to the Offshore Fishing Bridge where the Sandhill Cranes generally hang out, I glimpsed a flash of brown in a wooded area. I slowed down and saw a doe and her fawn. This was not the sweet, wobbly-legged Bambi I was hoping for, but it was a fawn, still with its spots and positioned close to its Mama. Ahh – yes, I was smitten. 🙂
They were near a small road, just off the main road, with a locked gate, so I knew no service vehicles were arriving anytime soon. Thus, I figured I could pull in, stop and get my shots, then head to my original destination, all within minutes.
Mama and Baby paused, while munching on some greenery, just as I flew out of the car, grabbed the camera, not even bothering to shut the door, lest the noise would scare them and the pair would bolt.
As quickly and quietly as possible, I got a few shots in …
… and, while Mama was probably aggravated with my presence, the fawn seemed fascinated as we locked eyes …
… but, this magical moment (for me anyway) was soon lost as the pair seemed suddenly spooked by my presence. Mama turned around and daintily hopped over the fence, the wires of which are barely discernible in this picture below …
… then the fawn tried to follow suit, but could not jump that high.
Even though the fawn was big, it tried a few times, but was unable to scale that fence. Had it been tinier, it would have simply squeezed between the fence and gate.
It stood wondering what the heck to do …
… and then ran back to where Mama disappeared.
While it ran parallel to the fence, plaintively bleating for its Mama, it was kicking up its heels and flashing its white tail, for which the description of its species “White-tailed Deer” aptly applies, Raising its tail vertically is known as “flagging” and it means a deer knows something is wrong and is attempting to make an escape.
I wondered why Mama wouldn’t look for her fawn, then I felt incredible remorse having created this distress for the fawn.
But then this sweet fleet-of-foot fawn eventually realized that if it gained some speed, with just enough oomph …
… it might just hightail it over the gate, which it eventually did. Yay!
So, of course you are now wondering why I didn’t complete the series of photos showing you the fawn flying over the fence and reuniting with its Mama?
Well, there was a situation … an intrusion if you will.
As I watched the fawn’s final attempt to jump the fence, a car stopped on the main road, then a gentleman I’ve spoken to in the past came rushing over to me. His name is “Jim” and he lives nearby, so he drives through the park several times a day, stopping if something piques his interest. Thus, my parked car, with the door flung open and me taking photos piqued his interest. He asked “what were you taking pictures of?” I said “a doe and a fawn, but they’re gone now.” He proceeded to tell me that he’d seen a herd of deer passing by as he drove out of the park at sundown a few days before and … well, Jim didn’t finish his tale as one of the park rangers veered off the main road, pulled behind my car and walked toward us. The ranger asked me if I was okay and I nodded my head “yes” expecting to be chastised for pulling into the service drive. Instead, in a stern voice he told Jim not to stop on the side of the road again, then turned on his heel and left. We got into our respective vehicles and vamoosed. Whew!
I headed toward the Offshore Fishing Bridge and it was devoid of anglers and the Cranes. I didn’t even park the car, opting instead to walk on the Cherry Island Trail.
As I started on that trail I wondered if there would be any more adventures here today? I didn’t have to wait long to find out!
Behold both of us bending the rules here!
I started on the road to the trail and saw a doe standing motionless in the marsh.
She seemed unfazed by my presence and began fixing her gaze on me, a/k/a the intruder.
The doe peered into the marsh water – did it like its reflection?
Oh, she didn’t fool me – she was not admiring herself, but instead checking out which Lotus leaf to eat first!
I hoped to get a photo of her chowing down on the Lotus leaves, but unfortunately I heard, then saw, a massive mowing machine coming around the corner toward me. Yikes! Well, there went the photo op …
… or maybe not?
The mower’s operator gave me a thumb’s up, a smile, then went around me. I mouthed “thank you” for that courtesy, just as the doe bent her head and began chowing down on a small Lotus leaf.
The mower’s loud noise and cloud of spewed-out grass clippings soon rounded another bend …
… and was out of sight.
Wow – two free passes to take pictures where I shouldn’t be in one day … I must’ve been living right!
I’ve mentioned before that even though Michigan generally does not have the temperate climate you’d expect to grow delicate Lotuses, Lake Erie Metropark boasts having the largest and most accessible American Lotus beds in Michigan. They are dormant in Winter and the leaves emerge in early Summer, peaking in late August. Here are some I saw that day – not many blooms yet and the leaves weren’t all that large.
The American Lotuses are protected plants and humans are not permitted to pick the blooms, leaves or even take the dead seed pods – doing so will result in a fine.
But that doesn’t stop the wildlife from munching on them, like this deer and the muskrat in last week’s Wordless Wednesday post.
Next it was Swan Lake, er … Marsh.
At this point in the Cherry Island Trail, you may opt to walk along the road or on a wooden overlook. The overlook spans across a large marshy area and still more Lotuses and even a few Pond Lilies.
From the overlook I saw them, a family of Mute Swans. Like the doe with her fawn, these were older cygnets. This was a large family – usually a Mute Swan will lay between four and ten eggs. I’ve never seen more than three offspring with their parents, but I counted six cygnets. Yes, my lucky day all around it seemed!
I watched the family for a while, trying to capture as many family members in the photo without any being obliterated by the Lotus leaves. Just as I was ready to click the shutter button, I heard a small motor humming. “Now what?” I mumbled. This guy was also on the overlook and coming toward me, likely to do some maintenance. Sigh. So was he going to chase me off here?
He parked his vehicle, but remained at the other end of the overlook, eventually crouched down doing a repair of a wooden railing. So, while I didn’t get the proverbial “free pass” this time, I was able to stay and get my shots of the lovely Mute Swans and their cygnets.
Here are the parents, guiding the way for their cygnets …
… and a few close-ups of the adults, male first, then female. The male has a larger knob at the base of its beak.
As mentioned previously, these are older cygnets who do not look like a “mini-me” of the parents. Cygnets don’t get their white plumage until they are a year old and their orange beak and black “mask” will appear after that time as they mature.
The rest of the excursion was the usual Canada Geese, Mallards, Painted Turtles and a stop at Luc, the resident Bald Eagle’s cage where he gave me a chirp after I greeted him.
I’d say it was a good excursion, wouldn’t you?
Terri does not have a Challenge this week.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
excellent shots Linda! The Swans looked happy!
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Thank you Wayne! I felt like luck was on my side the longer I was on this walk! That was the only fawn I saw all year, even at a distance. You remember how happy I was to see cygnets for the first time and they were far away? All these cygnets were practically under my nose! I don’t think the Swans noticed me as there are lots of reeds along the walkway so it helped block me – no wonder they were happy, no one bothering them (or so they thought).
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A lot of great pictures. Hope that fawn found it’s mom. I’m surprised the mom didn’t come back. Beautiful lotus.
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Thank you Kate. I hope the fawn found its mother too – once it realized it could run fast and gain speed and was able to clear the gate it was okay. Where the mom jumped was all trees and leaves and she could clear it easily. It made such a pitiful sound to me sounding like “Mama – where are you?” Years ago I was right next to a smaller fawn and its mom left for a swim in the marsh, leaving her baby with me standing right there and the fawn was okay, didn’t run after her and wasn’t crying for her. I must’ve taken 50+ pics of it. 🙂 Those Lotuses are beautiful – I’ll have more photos of them at peak as I roll out more walks over the next few months.
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That was an excellent excursion! I don’t know that I’ve seen that many signs at Kensington…definitely there are signs not to feed the crains…there should be signs not to feed the turkeys, they get aggressive too. There are probably signs not to park on the side of the road, but I don’t know if they’d chase you off if you were just grabbing a picture. Maybe they would. I am always ready for another trip to my Kensington Metropark. There’s so much wonderful stuff there. Much more than I ever see in any one trip. Loved your pictures.
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Thank you! I thought I was living right that day Dawn! The guide really was adamant about feeding the critters and at this park, the squirrels don’t even beg. I didn’t realize the turkeys were so aggressive. I’ve only seen a few turkeys and they were just kind of ambling along. I think most people who pull over have their passenger take the photo. The ranger was not mad I pulled in the service drive so that was nice – but did get mad at Jim and meant business. In the Metroparks Photographers FB site, there are colors now at Kensington. Hopefully the wind and torrential rain last night didn’t wipe the leaves off the trees.
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Lovely photos Linda
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Thank you Brian, glad you enjoyed them.
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Sweet deer photos (especially), Linda! Sure hope that that beautiful fawn got back with its mother. I’m sure that it did. I can’t get anywhere near deers in my area. They are way too spooked with all of the gun crazy hunters in this area. Your way of shooting is the compassionate “right” way to shoot!
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Thank you Tom – these were my only deer photos this Summer, although it was not for lack of trying, as I was looking each time I went to this venue. I am sure this sweet fawn got back together with its mom after it cleared the gate – it was not big enough to leap the fence where the trees were and where mom jumped over, but once it realized it could take that running leap, it was up and over. We have the duck hunters now at Pointe Mouillee and also at Humbug Marsh, so Lake Erie Metropark is in between those two places, so I hear gunshots all the time – poor animals and birds are spooked by the noise. Yes, you and I both shoot the “right” way!
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I love when wildlife doesn’t seem phased by my presence. It’s nice to have a friendly conversation and photo-shoot, isn’t it? And I understand most of the rules but provided you aren’t feeding animals that you shouldn’t – or what you shouldn’t – I don’t see the harm in it. I like the other parks that they don’t mind you taking peanuts to the squirrels and other critters.
Still adorable babies in this group!
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It was nice to see babies that day Zazzy! I hadn’t seen any babies since the goslings and ducklings and decided to hold off on any more photos of them for awhile as I had several posts about them in the Spring. It was a great day and I hated for it to end. I don’t see the harm in feeding the squirrels for goodness sake – they see so many park visitors, that they won’t remember you like at Council Point Park where they hone in on you. Sometimes rules are made to be tweaked!
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Wow, you certainly got a lot of nice pictures that day! I love the one of the deer munching on the leaf.
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I think it was my lucky day Janis! Sometimes I go there and it is just egrets, herons, geese and ducks. They really enjoy those leaves and once the marsh is wall-to-wall Lotuses (by late August), the deer will stand in the middle of the patch to eat them.
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Your escapes from being reprimanded made good reading. You have marvelous photos. The man and his mowing machine were favorites of mine.
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Thank you Anne – I am glad you enjoyed my lucky day getting away with a few things. 😉 It was a fun day with lots of critters every time I turned around. I have one more fun pic from that day to share in next week’s Wordless Wednesday – that will make you smile too. That man in his mowing machine was very nice to go around me – I appreciated that.
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The great photography,Linda! that beautiful fawn got back with its mother. I’m sure that it did. I can’t get anywhere near deers in my area. Beautiful Lotus, I like.
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Thank you Raj! I am sure the fawn got back with its mother too, one it got over the gate as she was on the other side. It started running very fast and cleared the gate just as the Metropark police/ranger pulled up. The Lotuses are very beautiful – they were not even at peak. I’ve taken many photos to share in posts of the Lotuses at peak – in fact in two weeks I will have a few too.
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Thank you so much, Linda. I much like the Lotus. I wait for…,Linda!
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You’re welcome Raj – I will be doing the post on October 27th and there will be lots of Lotus photos.
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Okay, thank you so very much, Linda!
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You certainly have experienced some interesting moments!
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Yes, this was a really fun day Anne, full of lots of critter interaction. Sometimes I go there and it is just the usual egrets, herons, geese and ducks.
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Whew! What an eventful day. I am glad you didn’t wind up needing to be bailed out of Metropark jail by your faithful readers!
You got some great photos of the park critters that day, but I think my favorites may be of the lotuses. They are beautiful!
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Yes, I did luck out on this eventful day Laurie. I was lucky that my Metropark pass wasn’t revoked for bending the rules a little. Anything for photos for my blog. 🙂 The lotuses were beautiful then, but not quite at peak yet. I went to several parks with lotuses a month later and will have more photos of them looking lovely with their huge leaves.
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Definitely a good excursion! The deer story is fascinating, those animals are so darned fast and beautiful. I like the photo of the lotuses, pretty and regal without being too fussy.
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Ally, yes I was feeling lucky by the time I got to the car after a very long walk. Luck was in my favor for sure. I am sure the fawn caught up with its mother once it got over the pesky fence – too bad they were spooked by me so quickly. The lotuses were pretty and I will have some more photos next week, from a different/new locale in a marshy area – even prettier and more plentiful than these.
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Cute little fawn!
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Yes, he was Susan. I always like when they stare at you so intensely. 🙂
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Wow! It was your lucky day! Definitely a good excursion. 🙂 I’ve never seen a deer in the water before. You got some amazing pictures of the fawn figuring out how to jump over that fence, and the deer standing in the water nuzzling around for lotus leaves, and the gorgeous swan family looking after their large brood. You must have been over the moon with all the exciting photo ops! (Sometimes it pays to break the rules, if you play your cards right!)
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Thank you Barbara! It was one of those exciting excursions that I came home and could hardly wait to see the photos. Sometimes I let them sit until after the next outing, but not this outing – no, I had to see how all these critters, especially the fawn turned out. I have one more photo from that outing, which I’ll use in the Wordless Wednesday for October 23rd. It will make you smile for sure. It seemed every time I turned around something was happening. I was upset the fawn could not figure out right away how to leap over that fence and I kept waiting for its mama to return and jump back over, but nope, she let her baby figure it out on its own. Yes, breaking the rules was okay this day for sure!
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Mama deer was wise. Speaking as a mother, I know how difficult it is to watch a child struggle to learn something important, but in the end it’s the best way for them to master valuable skills.
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You are right Barbara – you would know better than I having raised children who are now grown and off on their own. I would have liked to have stayed there longer to see if they both appeared near the gate after the fawn jumped over the gate. I was pretty amazed it was that agile!
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A great visit Linda, I watch a Roe deer cross the water on day at Titchfield Haven It was a first for me and I was amazed how at ease it appeared in the water.
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Glad you liked it Andy. I never saw a deer in the water until I started going to this park and saw them wading in the marsh to eat Lotus leaves and once, a doe left her fawn standing near me and went into the marsh for a swim. I was amazed! In the Detroit River, we have a lot of uninhabited islands and I understand that deer live there, but occasionally they cross over to land by swimming, not just wading. People who fish down along the River described it to me as just like a dog-paddle and the Detroit River is deep, so all they see is the deer’s head – one person said all they saw was a face and antlers!
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They sure have a lot of rules! The deer photos were quite nice!
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Yes, all over the park JP. If I had not had so many photos in the post, I could have included some of the signs. Thank you! I was happy to finally find a fawn and its mom, then another deer – it seemed my luck just kept increasing throughout the walk.
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A fun day!
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Yes TD, luck was with me that day!
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Miss Linda……………………………….I’ve never seen a family of swans……………………thank You…………………..Very nice pictres of the fawn……I had a good day at Lake Erie Park thanks to you!!
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Thank you Ann Marie – I wish every trip to Lake Erie Metropark was that exciting! Mostly I come home with photos of egrets, herons, geese and ducks and sometimes the pair of Sandhill Cranes. I remember going down to Dingell Park every week all Spring for several years looking for swan families. A walker at the Park had friends who fished at Dingell Park every day and he would go to join them after walking, then tell me “go there – there are swans and cygnets all over” but I never saw them. So this was a treat. The fawn was exciting too – we had a little staring contest going on. 🙂 I have one more fun photo taken that day and will have it next Wednesday, the 23rd – I hope you like it.
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Had we had more time my brothers and I would’ve ventured to one or more of your parks, or at least for a look at Lake Erie. My our maps it was pretty far from downtown Detroit.
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Yes, that’s too bad you didn’t have one more day Dave and you could have bopped over to Lake Erie Metropark and just taken Jefferson Avenue, first following parallel to the Detroit River and you’d end up there. (Just looked and that was a 20-mile drive that way).
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You were definitely in the right place at the right time to get these wonderful photos of the deer and swan. What a good day you had.
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Thank you Rebecca – yes it was a fun walk and I felt very lucky at which seemed like every turn on the trail that day!
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Excellent shots, Linda! 👌 I especially liked the swan at the top of the page and the fawn reflection photos. Worth bending the rules for! 😎
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Thank you Debbie! Those swans are so graceful and I really liked that pose too. I also like reflections, so I am glad when I can get them, but we have had so many windy days this year, cutting down on the incidence of completely still waters. Too bad for that. Sometimes I leave the house and it’s totally still and 15 miles away, the wind is blowing. I agree it’s worth bending the rules sometimes!
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You could write a children’s book with the story of the fawn! I didn’t know they ate lotus! Swans are so beautiful and graceful looking aren’t they Linda? Loved this post!
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Thank you Diane – I am glad you liked this post! This fawn and I locking eyes was memorable, but still not like the Mama Doe that left her fawn with me and went for a swim a few years ago. I know I floated home after that experience. It wasn’t scared like this one and I think it was even younger than this fawn. Yes, deer like eating lotus leaves – they are huge. The lotuses here in these photos are not yet at peak, so the leaves and blooms get much bigger by late August. Yes, the deer are smart and figured out that no one can holler at them or fine them for eating the lotus leaves. I really like the swans too and that’s the biggest family I’ve seen to date now.
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What a memorable day!
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Yes, it was – so many things to see Diane. Now I had a great day today – walked almost six miles and saw a lot of Fall foliage, but no critters at Lake Erie Metropark, except a few ducks that got spooked when they saw me, so I went to Elizabeth Park and got some Canada Goose shots there. No turtles sunning today.
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It’s funny how the temperature changes things. The leaves are beautiful again this year with more red than usual, at least at our house. A beautiful day for a 6 mile walk. Are you close to your miles goal yet?
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Yes, so suddenly with the leaf changes and I’m glad I got to go today because a lot of leaves were fluttering down and it wasn’t all that windy – they just were losing their grip (don’t we all)? I think I have 250 miles more to go – that seems like a lot to me, but I’ve been getting five or six miles per day done the last three weeks (except the day I had the painting class and didn’t walk as far. We have rain tomorrow, then not again until Halloween night, so that helps immensely.
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Wow you are doing great with 250 left! You aren’t adding more miles every year anymore right? You are my hero walking so many miles! I wish I could do that.
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I have put a lot of miles on my feet since I wrote this comment too Diane as we had great weather over the weekend and I racked up a little over six miles today at Sterling State Park – it was a beautiful day here, a little cool this morning, but I got a 58-mile roundtrip for the car and a long walk for myself and I saw a Bald Eagle and a ton of birds while there. I only add one more mile a year which is how I always did it until the fellow blogger challenged me to do 2,020 kilometers for the new decade 2020. That was a lot more than just one mile and I was lucky the weather didn’t make me miss my goal. My goal this year, 2,024 kilometers/1,257 miles. Whew. Thank you Diane – I lost two weeks of walking in the Winter when we had that ice storm. I’ve never gone that long without walking before, then in July (I think it was) we had so much rain, I also thought I may not make my goal, but luckily, all the rain-free days in September and most all of October has helped me push ahead and now I’m closer to 225.
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