July 20th was still another sweltering, sauna-like day in the Summer of 2024. Two days later, WORLDWIDE, the former high temperature record was smashed.
I’m not only a weather worrier, but daily, before heading out, I consult multiple online weather sites, in addition to my trusty AM all-news radio station. My agenda that day was visiting Sterling State Park, a venue that is a 60-mile (96 km) roundtrip from home and I wanted to get there early to beat the heat.
I intended to do a marsh meander along the 3.6 mile (5.6 km) Sterling Marsh Trail, then walk the beach shoreline. Allowing for picture-taking, this would be a three-hour hike before heading home.
That was the plan anyway – I did NOT, on that sweltering Saturday, plan on getting lost … more about that debacle later.
I began at the trailhead …
… then crossed over the bridge that leads to the pavilion.
Along the pathway, various wildflowers were blooming profusely.
I stopped to get some photos of two butter-colored butterflies flitting about the Purple Loosestrife and tiny wildflowers. You may remember these beauties from a Wordless Wednesday post.
This was my first time seeing these dainty butterflies and later I had to research to ID them. And even then, why would they be named like this – they look almost identical to me. Cloudless Sulphur versus Clouded Sulfur – hmm.
Ahead was the pavilion, which roof provided a respite from the sun and already-searing temps. Shading my eyes I peered down the steep hill to see if there were any waterfowl, which would determine whether or not I went down to the shoreline. It was unusual to see the marsh devoid of any waterfowl.
While there were many American Lotus leaves in the marsh, it was still a little early for the Lotuses to be in bloom, despite the tropical-feeling temps. There are four parks in Michigan where these non-native plants can be found. Lake Erie Metropark claims the prize of best viewing; they have two large Lotus beds, about two and five acres, respectively. The Lotuses at this park are also worth a trip in August to view them.
On that day, however, Purple Loosestrife, not Lotuses ruled the marsh shoreline.
As I started to turn away and step onto the perimeter trail, I noticed an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly alighting on a Milkweed plant, so I ended up going down the steep hill anyway.
That perfect butterfly is the featured image; here are a few more shots of it and the Common Milkweed plant it is sitting on. I believe this is a Milkweed Beetle.
Incredibly, I was only about fifteen minutes into my morning meander and I’d already seen three butterflies. While that might not seem like many, our butterfly population continues to diminish thanks to global warming, habitat loss and overuse of insecticides in agriculture. We have lost one-quarter of our butterflies here in Michigan and across the U.S. the last 20 years. So these pretty and delicate creatures are always a delight to see.
A trip-and-fall event will happen if you daydream while walking.
I’ve only been to this state park a handful of times and this is mostly because its asphalt-paved perimeter trail is a trip hazard. As you can see here, there are ruts and tree roots that buckle the pathway – it’s especially difficult in Fall when leaves cover over the ruts and crevices, so I usually walk alongside the trail whenever possible.
The park even warns you about the trail.
But, there is good and bad news in that regard because Sterling State Park is in the process of repairing these trip hazards. The Sterling Marsh Trail is closed through the end of June for tree root removal and fresh asphalt surfacing.
I passed the observation tower and no, I was not game to climb it, even though it might give me a nice panoramic view of the marsh.
I went to an wooden overlook and settled for that perspective instead. I had to concede that without waterfowl to gawk at, the Hunt Club Marsh was a bit boring.
Soon my meander became a trudge, after I somehow took a wrong turn. Suddenly I heard vehicles whooshing by, yet I didn’t see any, so I walked a little more, then spied a worker in a golf-cart park vehicle and learned I was walking toward the City of Monroe alongside the I-75 expressway. Oops! He said I had to walk about a mile to return to the Sterling Marsh Trail.
So that was an unwelcome detour on a warm, no … make that hot … day.
Making lemonade from lemons.
I would have welcomed a tall glass of icy-cold lemonade, but instead I was lucky to discover a small, albeit green-and-goo-laden pond that produced a few photo ops – yay!
I spotted these turtles on a log.
They must have been sunning for a while as their shells were partially dry.
And, to use another well-worn phrase, while I personally may have not had MY ducks in a row, I saw these fine feathered friends lined up on a log near the pond. These Mallards were in eclipse phase meaning they were molting and while awaiting their full plumage, the males and females looked alike.
Very meticulously, these ducks were using the gooey, green slime from the marsh water to refresh their feathers.
Now, while you may say “eww” to this ritual, look how pretty they are, posing nicely for me as I photographed them. 🙂
The last leg of my walk was in full sun, along the South, then North Lagoons. This trail runs parallel to both lagoons and is so narrow and in such disrepair that two people are not able to easily pass one another. This park’s Facebook post promises erosion control and shoreline stabilization are part of the remediation process this Spring/early Summer. I may be encouraged to walk there more.
I glanced at my pedometer and I’d walked over five miles already. In my heart I knew I would be skipping the trip to the beach.
Just then twittering noises made me swivel my head upward and I saw these birds, seemingly vying for a place at the very top of this swag.
Last week, fellow blogger and avid birder Donna and I were commenting on a bird I identified incorrectly in last week’s post. She offered to help me identify any birds I was stumped on. These birds were a mystery to me – were they Eastern Kingbirds or Bank Swallows? Donna knew right away – they were Tree Swallows (immature birds in the first pic and most likely their mother, in the foreground, had joined them in the second pic). Thanks Donna!
Finally, I crossed back over the bridge – the end of this walk was in sight and was I “fresh as a _____ …
… daisy” … well, perhaps not!
Mother Nature nurtures best!
Terri’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge this week is “Favorite Flowers” – well, wildflowers are my personal choice.
Once upon a time I was a gardener, with a butterfly garden, fragrant and delicate roses and annuals. Was it beautiful? Yes, but it was a lot of work keeping those flowers free from bugs, slugs and blackspot. There was endless deadheading, pruning, fertilizing and watering. I began to resent the hours toiling out there once I began walking and then blogging, then a wicked Polar Vortex wiped out most of the backward plants in the Winter of 2013-2014.
Now, as I stroll through the Metroparks and other marshy venues, I see flowers flourishing everywhere, relying not on any gardener’s TLC, but just the TLC Mother Nature provides.
I embrace Spring when “Spring Beauties” arrive. They are the tiny pastel flowers that carpet the base of tree trunks in early Spring. They bring joy to my Winter-weary soul, just like the first Red-winged Blackbird’s call in early March.
From wild Black-eyed Susans to Swamp Roses, Lotuses to Pond Lilies – they return each year, sans human intervention. Common Milkweed lures butterflies. Even the Goldenrod that thrives in late Summer is a welcome contribution by Mother Nature, nurtured with sun rays and rain – it does not get any simpler than that.
Tell me Mother Nature doesn’t do a good job here with her wildflowers …
… or here …
… or here.
Or, any of the pretty flowers I showed you from this walk.
Sure, no one is there to deadhead the spent petals, but the pollinators are not particular.
Be giddy for Spring as Mother Nature rolls out all the colors for you!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Lovely, Linda!
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Thank you Pam!
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How wonderful to see such varieties of wildflowers, Linda. Not a flower to be seen here yet, but soon our trails will be bursting with them. We have a lot of pine forests that inhibit a lot of wildflowers except for the wild sunflowers. Your post reminded me I need to visit the lavender farm again this summer. That pathway you shared looks scary. Glad they’re fixing it…too much liability for us old folks! Thank you for sharing your florals today!
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The wildflowers grow so many places in these large parks Terri and no matter how dry it gets, they seem to bounce back. Even a volunteer garden in our City thrives and I should visit soon for the early bloomers like the bulbs you have planted. They also have irises, bleeding heart and coneflowers so I get butterfly shots there come Summer. I’ve not been to a lavender farm before, but one opened a few years ago in the same venue they have a sunflower festival every September.
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One can never have too many flowers!
Thanks Linda!
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That’s for sure Wayne and wildflowers thrive no matter what Mother Nature dishes out, unlike my butterfly garden which bit the dust after that bad Polar Vortex!
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I bet you are looking forward to spring and all its lovely flowers (but maybe not so much the heat). 🙂
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We are turning a corner this week Janis – it will be about 70 on Tuesday. A “one-day special” and I will enjoy that for sure. I said I would not complain about the heat after this very cold, icy and snowy Winter, but it seems I forget that once the 90s are here. 🙂
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I could almost feel the heat coming through my computer! Great pictures though. It was worth it!
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Thanks Kate – yes it was worth it. The butterflies and those cute ducks with their green goo body wash. 🙂 Please remind me when it’s 90 degrees in the shade that on the coldest days of Winter I said I would not complain about Summer’s heat and humidity!
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🙂 Oh, we’ll complain!
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I know we will! 🙂
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The butterflies were a good omen Linda. Some good bird and flower photos. Pity about the wrong turn on a hot day
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Thank you Brian – it was a good day, despite that heat and taking that turn. Had I come up empty and no shots after that heat, I would not have been too happy. Sadly, our butterfly population is diminishing rapidly, especially the Monarchs. I find the Swallowtails as pretty as the Monarchs – it seems the Monarchs get more press though.
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What a walk! I enjoyed it, particularly since I was not hot.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the walk Anne – to me, this park is very large and not quite as picturesque as other parks as it’s mostly a marsh. But there are plenty of deer and Bald Eagles here. I saw one eagle in October when I visited – they might have been somewhere cooler. I have all the walks/photos from last Summer when it was so hot and I keep telling myself I will not complain about the heat after this brutally cold, snowy and icy Winter. I hope that mindset “sticks”.
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This a lovely post from start to finish Linda! Thanks for sharing your walk, the wildflowers and the butterflies. Perfect for the Sunday Stills prompt.
Debbie from Debs-World.com
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Thank you Debbie! It was a wonderful walk, even with the detour on a hot day. I still have a stash of walks from 2024 Spring through Fall to use (although they are finally dwindling down), so I knew when I saw Terri’s prompt that the wildflowers and butterflies would be a good fit for that topic.
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As always, I enjoyed your lovely walk with all its beautiful butterflies, flowers, and birds. The ducks really were accommodating! I’m looking forward to spring but not to the hot, humid weather.
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Thank you Rebecca – it was a great walk, even if I got lost (again); I told myself after that debacle at Crosswinds Marsh about five years ago that I would never let that happen again. At least this time the woods is not dense like there where I wandered around for hours, also in the heat and humidity. I thought those ducks were especially accommodating too! They sure cleaned up nice after preening using that green marsh water and I am convinced they were camera-happy. Like you, I am looking forward to the spring, but not the severe heat of summer. You will have it much worse than we have here in SE Michigan, plus way more volatile storms, always something to worry about.
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What a beautiful Birds & flowers. Nice butterfly sitting on the flower. I like butterfly. Nice turtles. Thank you sharing your taking a Walk,Linda.
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I’m glad you enjoyed this walk Raj. I like butterflies too and these were beautiful ones, especially the Swallowtail. The turtles are always nice to see – they usually plop into the water when they see me. I took the pictures partially hiding behind a tree to not spook them.
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Iam glad too. You kindly reply me. The great photography. I like too beautiful ones specially,Linda. Your turtle is happy to see you, because it associates you with food, and may want some interaction for enrichment.
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Thank you Raj. I was surprised about the turtles – they are especially skittish.
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Yes,Linda they are especially skittish.
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A wonderful wander through the marshes. I am always happy to see the gorgeous flowers and wildlife. We are only just now seeing the odd bee appearing, mostly still slow from the cool weather.
And the only flowers out seem to be the daffodils. Which always look so cheery and friendly. 🙂
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It was a wonderful walk Ari, despite getting lost off the main trail and it boggles my mind how I did that as it is clearly marked. I’ll blame that on the heat. It is nice to see all the colors and especially the butterflies from these photos in putting together this post. We are about two plus months before we see all those colors and bees and butterflies; our daffodils’ leaves are still underground, but we will hit 70 F (21C) twice this week, so I’m looking forward to that and getting out for a long walk.
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Lol, you didn’t get lost, you just had an unplanned adventure 🙂
Our daffodils are all blooming at the moment and we have finally started to see the carder bees and buff tail bees. They always make me smile but I cannot wait to see the butterflies!
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I will borrow that phrase for sure Ari because there will be other unplanned adventures in my hiking days, I’m sure of that. How nice with all that color – not here, although we had a brief respite of almost Summer-like weather, but then that was replaced by cold air and we are likely to have a wintry mix tonight. It won’t stay on the ground, but how to you drop 40-50 degrees in 24 hours? The new normal sadly. Our bees and butterflies are still dormant … sigh.
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Beautiful images that remind us, winter won’t last forever. 🙂 Love the butterfly and duck closeups, especially. Those ducks are showing a lot of personality! 😀 I hope they fix the trail, as promised. It does look a little dangerous.
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That you Debbie and thank goodness you’re right about how we forget how nice Summer can be! I might have gotten lost and the heat was oppressive by the time I finished, but it was worth it. That was a first for those butterflies and a perfect Swallowtail, with no tatters, which is always a treat to see. I’m glad I hung out with those ducks long enough for them to finish preening, so I was rewarded with some cute poses, especially the second one, with its shy, almost demure look. 🙂 I hope they fix the trail too because, as you can see, it has potholes and the tree roots make it very bumpy. The narrow trail by the marsh sure needs it as the water is right up at the trail.
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The bridge in your photo looks almost exactly like one in the park I walked around in yesterday. Enough so that I had to take a double take. Don’t know why that surprised me but there you go.
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I wonder if yours is a state park Ally – maybe the state parks all have similar bridges? Once I remarked to Laurie (Meditations in Motion) about how I liked the goose logo at the wildlife refuge and she said she liked it too and that all wildlife refuges used the same logo – something new for me to learn. I think we’re both going to enjoy this week of nice weather that we so deserve.
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Didn’t know that about the connection between the goose logo and wildlife refuges. Laurie would know. YES, I’m all for pleasant weather this week. Enjoy!
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Yes, I’ve learned a lot from Laurie over the years … it is the logo for all National Wildlife Refuge Systems. Finally, we get a reprieve from this Winter weather. As long as it doesn’t spike too quickly and cause volatile weather … we will be 71 on Saturday before a gusty storm. Sigh.
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Lovely photos, as always! I always scratch my head at a nature trail having hours of operation. It is as though the trees and squirrels punch a time clock when they arrive and when they leave. “Sorry, there is no nature on duty so the trail is closed.” And warnings that a nature trail has been damaged by, umbrella, nature is also a head scratcher. Is that a natural version of self-harm?
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Thank you JP! This was a good walk for gleaning some photo ops, especially after getting lost. I’m with you about posting hours too JP, unless they expect trouble after hours, especially since some folks enjoy walking in the pre-dawn or dusk to see wildlife or to accommodate their work schedules. It seems unfair to me too. There were a group of women who used to walk at Council Point Park with flashlights after the time change, in order to keep their daily walking regimen and still get to work on time.
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A great post, Linda. I am guilty of being giddy for spring!
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Thanks Ruth! It was a good walk, despite the oppressive heat and getting lost. It’s good to be giddy for spring as we appreciate it more that way. This week will be a real treat weather-wise – Friday to near 70 – now that is exciting isn’t it!
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Today in my backyard, I saw my first clouded butterfly of the spring season. Yes, only one flying solo. I can tell it was a clouded sulfur butterfly because above the lemon yellow there is a black border along its upper wings.
I can tell cloudless sulfur butterfly don’t have such a prominent black border but may have some black spots.
They are named this because of the yellow color is like sulphur. Think of the black border as black clouds; thus clouded. It’s common to see both here in Corpus Christi, TX migrating through in the spring and fall.
May 2022, I watched the migration of the Lyside Sulphur butterflies which are completely yellow, no black at all. I happened to come home from grocery shopping when i discovered the event. So I sat in my backyard for two hours seeing groups of 50 or so at time. It was surreal experience. It was on the TV news that evening. I’ll send you a separate email on that event.
Your Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly photos are wonderful! So lucky to get a chance to snap a picture!!
I think the ducks might stink if they are swimming in green goo. They definitely are itching. But you have your ducks in a row!!
Love the catchy title of this post. And I hope you are feeling “fresh as a daisy” as those are my second favorite, third carnations and for me roses are my most favorite of all.
So… will you be planting a wildflower butterfly garden come this spring?
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Thank you for the distinction between the Clouded and Cloudless Sulphur Butterflies TD and also for the link you e-mailed me. I think I had one of each type, but Googling to find an image of each I was still unsure, so that is why I included a screenshot of what came up after my search.
It would be incredible to see a large group of migrating butterflies. I saw the tail end of a small group of migrating Monarchs a few years ago. They sat on a bush at the Park, just briefly, then continued on their way, so I only got a couple of them. It was in September.
I do like the Swallowtails as much as the Monarchs and this was a perfect Swallowtail with no tatters on its hindwings, but I think that happens more in the neighborhoods where the butterflies alight on rosebushes or prickly thorns catch their wings and tear them.
Yes, the ducks may stink from the green goo, but they looked happy for their poses. Several years ago in Lake Michigan, we had severe algae bloom and a lot of Mallards died from avian botulism since they were drinking water or eating underwater plants saturated with it.
I never see carnations in gardens here, just in bouquets, but I like them and I like daisies and used to have them and roses in my garden. I still have three rosebushes, but even though I’ve wavered on whether to have another butterfly garden the past two years and I even had all the debris from the fire removed and a retaining wall put in, plus mulch, I decided over the Winter not to plant a garden. We had the Siberian Polar Vortex which was brutally cold and several other very cold weather events, I decided not to risk planting again … I don’t want to lose an entire yard of flowers again like happened in 2014.
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I certainly understand your decision on not planting a garden. When spring arrived last week I started dreaming how beautiful a rose garden would be until reality rudely woke me up!
We will both find happier activities to do with our retirement time. 😊
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Well TD, two Winters in a row I have stewed over it and was all gung ho with ideas for it in the Spring of 2024 and the landscape designer at the nursery didn’t contact me. I could have contacted him, but didn’t … I just don’t want to invest the money into plants and bushes, to have another Winter like this one again and they die like before. Plus last Summer it was very hot, we were in moderate drought status, so there’s that possibility of endless hours of watering as well. We can both keep it simple instead.
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I agree!
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Those ducks did pose pretty for you, Linda!
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Yes, I thought so too Eilene! And just when I thought I might appear to be intruding on their preening ritual, I was rewarded with the nice poses.
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Autumn is my favorite season, but I do enjoy watching everything green up and bloom in the spring.
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I am the same way Linda. By Summer’s end I am ready for Autumn’s crisp air and colors, but Spring is good for our Winter-weary souls when everything suddenly erupts into color.
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Wonderful post, Linda! I enjoyed walking along with you and reliving through your photos. Lovely Mallard poses, how sweet of them, as is your Eastern Tiger Swallowtail captures. And yes, I am giddy for Spring!
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Thanks Donna! It was fun for me reliving that long walk, even the straying-off-the-beaten-path part. A few years ago I got lost in the woods at Crosswinds Marsh for several hours until a kind dog walker helped me get back to square one – whew! I thought those Mallards did a great job posing for me and that Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was gorgeous. It’s easy to be giddy for Spring with our temps climbing to the 70s this week!
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I didn’t know there was a milkweed beetle Linda. The pictures of the ducks are so cute! Getting lost must have been scary but look at the extra miles you got that day. Loved the swallowtails too, I can’t believe the way the butterflies and swallows are disappearing at our house but I have cut way back on the flowers. As you noted, it’s a lot of work keeping up with a beautiful yard, I remember some of your pictures and you had a beautiful yard.
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Diane, the Milkweed Beetles are a bit invasive but unless they are in really large numbers they won’t harm the Milkweed plant nor Monarch eggs. I didn’t learn that until last Fall when I found the Milkweed plant pods that had gone to seed and the pod was cracked open and running with Milkweed Beetles, so I researched a little. It seems every plant has to have some kind of annoyance attached to it, doesn’t it?
I had slugs so bad one year I got the soapstone decorative mushrooms – you dug a hole and just left the top above ground and filled it with beer. The yeast attracted the slugs and they climbed up and into the beer and drowned – it didn’t work. Either did the massive amount of Sluggo pellets I used to get rid of them. Sigh. I did have butterflies too back then, Swallowtails and Monarchs, some Red Admirals, but not necessarily from the perennials as much as the Butterfly Bush. I lost all three of the Butterfly Bushes in the Polar Vortex of 2013-2014 and didn’t replant them. I saw when buying seeds and chipped peanuts for my Park pals that they have butterfly nectar you put into dishes, like the hummingbird nectar and it’s supposed to draw butterflies. Gardens are a lot of work and this is the last time I’ll entertain the idea of a butterfly garden – I spent two years in a row planning it in my mind, then changing my mind, but after this Winter’s brutal weather, nope – not going to do it.
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Fascinating about the beetles Linda. Maybe they stick around just to eat something in the pod when it opens. I lost my butterfly bushes around that time too, I figured it was the cold winter and I never replaced mine either.
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I thought it was fascinating too Diane. I was amazed when I saw how many of the beetles were marching around inside the Milkweed pod that went to seed when I was here last October to look for White Pelicans. It looked like a Santa Claus face with the white whiskers everywhere. I am not sure if I checked if the butterfly bushes were the right grow zone, assuming that if they sold them here in Michigan, then they must be okay. They after they all died I learned they were only borderline okay so the Polar Vortex event killed them for sure. Now they have restructured the grow zones last year or in 2022. I read that in “Birds and Blooms” on Facebook.
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I wouldn’t have been able to resist that staircase overlook, if only to see what marshland view awaited me at the top. Having said that, I’m not sure I could’ve matched your mileage total, especially in the hot, humid months of Michigan. Three is challenge enough, but five? I’m sure you slept well that night. Favorite photos: a tie between the turtles (of course) and that beautiful little white bloom – fourth photo from the end.
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You’re more adventurous than me Dave. 🙂 I was eyeballing it and wondering if it was wobbly in the least and I also took into consideration all the weeds and flowers at the base – were there ticks? All that pondering made me decide no. It was way over five miles, about six by the time I got to the car. I should not have planned a long drive on such a hot day as I’d have been there earlier. I knew you would like the turtles and these guys did not catch sight of me and plop off their perch, so that was good. That is such a dainty little flower – I liked it too. I wonder how the tiny flowers thrive, especially last year when we were in moderate drought conditions into September.
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Great photos Linda ! It’s like spring here today, 13 Celsius, almost sandals weather lol
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Thank you Susan! It was a good walk for photo ops, especially for ducks and butterflies. Not getting lost would have been a plus on such a hot day. 🙂 We had similar weather today, but it will tank tomorrow, then warm again. This weather does make you think sandals. I was in a Winter coat this morning and a jogger on the Park path had on shorts and a tee-shirt.
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I almost didn’t join in but remembered I did have some photos I hadn’t shared before. It’s fun to see what captures peoples eyes. I always have a hard time choosing favorites.
These are beautiful!
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Thank you Kirstin! I usually have a collection of walks from the prior year to pick from, though they start to dwindle by Springtime. I try to always ensure I don’t run out in Winter. Today was my first long walk of 2025. I won’t be lasting long tonight as it is the first time I walked over five miles since last year as we have had such a cold, snowy and icy Winter. I am glad that Terri asked me to join her weekly Challenge as it has been fun. This coming Wednesday, it will be five years since I started doing Wordless Wednesday and I’ve done it continuously. I like that because I take so many photos and my posts are already very long, so I can use some of the fun ones for Wordless Wednesday.
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Sweet shots, Linda! I’m amazed that that park stays open until 10 PM. That’s very late!
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Thank you Tom! It was a lucky day for me photo-wise (perhaps not so much as to getting lost, but without that misstep, I would not have seen the turtles nor the very eager-to-pose Mallards. I think most parks around here close at dusk, so I wonder if this is because it is a state park? This is the only state park I go to.
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The eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly on the milkweed is so pretty! I absolutely LOVE all the pictures of the female mallards!!! Nice captures of the tree swallows. I agree with you, Mother Nature is the best gardener of all, if we’d just let her be. I’m amazed you did 5 miles in that sweltering heat, but you were rewarded with some great pictures.
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Thank you Barbara – I’m glad you liked the pictures. That swallowtail butterfly was perfect, unmarred by a single tatter. Those mallards were so funny with their preening antics, but when they were all finished, they posed so nicely, especially the one with its head down, like “aw shucks, you want my photo Linda?” I have never seen juvenile or female tree swallows, just the males with their brilliant cobalt blue and white plumage, so that was a first. Mother Nature’s flowers grow without all the TLC we humans give our garden flowers – they thrive all Summer and return the following year. I was lucky I took the wrong turn and got to see the mallards and turtles … it was such a hot day and last year I began wearing sun protection clothing: dark long-sleeved shirts and long pants and a sun hat as so many of my longer walks are near the water, so I was extra-hot because of what I was wearing.
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