“The Earth is what we all have in common.” – Wendell Berry

I chose the above quote by environmentalist Wendell Berry as the title for today’s post because, in an ever-changing world chock-full of disparagement and dissension, perhaps this is a statement we can all agree on. 

This walk happened on Earth Day, April 22, 2025.  The entire week was picture-perfect weather-wise and by week’s end I had visited all my favorite venues.

I decided Earth Day merited a meander at Humbug Marsh at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (“DRIWR”).  You may recall I’ve told you how the entire area was remediated from former industrial brownfields and polluted areas, transforming it into restored habitats.  The Humbug Unit of the DRIWR is the last undeveloped coastal wetland along the U.S. portion of the Detroit River.

But the primary reason I was visiting that day was to see the Killdeer nests scattered in a grassy area away from the hubbub of Humbug Marsh, the Korneffel Fishing Pier and the Visitor Center.  Since I follow the DRIWR on social media, a post alerted us to the multiple Killdeer nests, (a/k/a “scrapes”), each with a tall orange flag near them, to hopefully avoid accidental crushing of the eggs.  Killdeer are ground nesters and both parents incubate the clutch of four, tan-colored eggs.  I wanted to see the nests and photograph them.

You couldn’t miss the flagged areas, eight in all, near the overflow parking lot.

I stopped here first, content to grab a few photos of a nest.  I was surprised that the contents of each nest were identical, i.e. four, tan speckled eggs, all tipped upright.  Here are two of the eight nests; see how they blend in with the brown twigs and small rocks?

Having secured these shots, I planned to step back from the nesting area. But, would my very presence trigger a Killdeer adult to dissuade me from getting close to a nest by feigning a broken wing? 

Sure enough, moments later one Killdeer parent began feigning the broken wing scenario in earnest, even though I really was not close to its nest and I have no clue which nest belonged to this bird.

You may recall my earlier post from Mother’s Day about the Killdeer and its actions, with more photos and a video.  Here is that post in case you missed it.

I didn’t want to create disharmony here, especially on Earth Day, so I moved along, much to the delight of the Killdeer parent which “miraculously” flew away, but still monitored my movements from afar.

It had been a while since my last visit.

When I arrived, I couldn’t help but notice the huge flag at half-staff due to the passing of Pope Francis the day before.  Pope Francis championed multiple causes and broke ranks in many instances and, if you didn’t know, he stood for climate justice.

Korneffel Fishing Pier.

I walked the 700-foot (213 meters) Korneffel Fishing Pier to see if there were any Cormorants.  These seabirds like roosting in the dead trees across from the fishing pier – nope, zero Cormorants, nor were they out on the water perched on a log. 

Anglers lined the fishing pier, which is not unusual in the Spring when the Walleye and Silver Bass are running.

Look at all the boats in the water – I had to take two shots to get all the boats in!

The water here is very clear, so the shorebirds would have no problem spotting fish as they cruised overhead, but there were no seagulls swooping down here – perhaps they thought the fisherman would share their fish with them?

The Monguagon Delta.

Next, I headed to the long Monguagon  Boardwalk over the Monguagon Delta.

Pausing midway, I was disappointed because no Herons or Egrets were fishing.

The Refuge was still wearing its blah, Winter-weary look, brownish-colored grass and weather-beaten cattails, with little green to be found.  Dried Phragmites reeds rustled in the breeze …

… rising up from the Delta area which had a surprisingly low water level.  We’d had a lot of ice and snow – where did it all go?

There was nothing to see here, so I retraced my steps and headed to the woods.

A walk through the forest.

The Old Growth Forest is a wooded area consisting of 32 acres of very old trees, some over 300 centuries old.  These are some of the Shagbark Hickories.

There were no frogs bobbing around in the Vernal Pool as that area was totally dried up.

Hmm – so far, but for the Killdeer experience, I was definitely striking out critter-wise, but I was happy for no Eastern Fox Snake encounters – whew!

Luckily, the good weather meant no muddy feet once I stepped off the walkway.  At the end of the trail, there is another overlook at the marsh; often the Herons and Egrets are fishing there, but perhaps the shallow water deterred them.  Usually, this water laps right up to the overlook.

I walked both the Orange and Green Trails, 2.7 miles (4.3 kms.) altogether.

I vowed to return when the leaves unfurled and the entire area greened up a little more and …

… the dull browns of early Spring had vanished.

There were a few spots of color, however. The mosaics at the back of the Visitor Center, are comprised of beach glass that has been embedded into the cement and is designed to capture the sun’s rays onto the glass, creating a wavy, ripple effect that mimics the sparkling colors of the Detroit River on a sunny day.

Postscript: I returned here a month later (as well as visiting the other two venues where I had taken photos of the three “Mamas-to-be” and their nests).  I found young families of geese at those respective venues and, as to these eight Killdeer nests, I’m not sure where all the floofy-looking babies went, but I did see this inquisitive cutie-pie with a raggedy-looking tail, which may have been a Juvenile.

I am joining Terri’s August Color Challenge:  Tan, Beige, and/or peachy shades.

Unknown's avatar

About Linda Schaub

This is my first blog and I enjoy writing each post immensely. I started a walking regimen in 2011 and in 2013 I decided to create a blog as a means of memorializing the people, places and things seen on my daily walks. I have always enjoyed people watching, so my blog is peppered with folks I meet or reflections of characters I have known through the years. Often something piques my interest, or evokes a pleasant memory from my memory bank, so this becomes a “slice o’ life” blog post. I respect and appreciate nature and my interactions with Mother Nature’s gifts is also a common theme. Sometimes the most-ordinary items become fodder for points to ponder over and touch upon. I retired in March 2024 after a career in the legal field. I was a legal secretary for almost 45 years, primarily working in downtown Detroit, then working from my home. I graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in Mass Communications (print journalism) in 1978, though I’ve never worked in that field. I would like to think this blog is the writer in me finally emerging!! Walking and writing have met, shaken hands and the creative juices are flowing in Walkin’, Writin’, Wit & Whimsy. I hope you think so too. - Linda Schaub
This entry was posted in #Monthly Color Challenge, birds, nature, Spring, walk, walking and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

70 Responses to “The Earth is what we all have in common.” – Wendell Berry

  1. Linda, your killdeer pics of the chicks are adorable, and how unusual the placement of the eggs. Nice to see they were flagged too. Marsha shared some killdeer pics todag too…are you both psychic?

    Yes, summer is on the wane everywhere. I’m sure you’ll continue to have good weather for bird watching. Love the tan wildflowers/weeds, very pretty.

    I’m heading back tomorrow, almost 6 hours driving. Hanging with Marsha and the other ladies was worth it!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you Terri! I think the Killdeer are the prettiest birds with their coloring. Great minds think alike for Marsha and I in fulfilling your brownish/peachy Challenge. 😉 I was surprised that every single nest was identical – all four eggs, all tipped upright and same color. I am glad the rangers flagged the nests and posted about it on Facebook as I might have seen the flags and though it was associated with a survey. We had some stormy weather today, though it didn’t amount to much, but I turned off the computer for a while to let it pass, then came back and oops – another storm event by 7:00 p.m. Finally, done for the night – severe weather tomorrow though. Maybe it will break this horrible heat and humidity to enjoy some long walks.

      I see you wrote this last night, so hopefully you had an uneventful trip home!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. rajkkhoja's avatar rajkkhoja says:

    I can enjoy your lovely post for environment. I much like that quote by environmentalist Wendell Berry. Wonderful photography. Beautiful different flags. I like Bird sitting on the Nest. Nice Bird eggs 🥚🥚🥚🥚.

    Beautiful you sharing your Walk & visit Park. Beautiful you have a knowledge. I like read & watch you blogs. You always sharing New photos. God bless you,Linds.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you Raj! I am glad you enjoyed this post about my walk on Earth Day. It is unusual with the bird nests for sure and having all identical nests/eggs, etc. I liked that quote too. I saw it on social media on Earth Day and decided it would be fun to use it for this post so I saved it. I have taken a lot of nature walk photos you have not seen yet, some even from last Summer, which is good as I have not walked as much this Summer due to the heat, humidity and wildfire smoke from the Canadian wildfires. I feel badly for that as this is the time of year I do most of my walking/nature photography.

      Liked by 1 person

      • rajkkhoja's avatar rajkkhoja says:

        Most welcome,Linda! Iam so happy too. Beautiful you sharing Earth Day & nice your thoughts. Where you live & why you can’t walk this summer. What happened. I like your nature Walk photography. Can you send me on the mail 💌 or a WhatsApp, please. It have possible. God bless you. Tack Care.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Lovely post! The killdeer are rather stately looking.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Debbie D.'s avatar Debbie D. says:

    Looks like a wonderful hike for Earth Day! 🙂 Good to see that people are taking care to protect nature. So funny about the Killdeers feigning a broken wing to get people to leave. 😆 I love the mosaics!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Debbie, yes it was a great day for a hike and a wonderful weather week for Spring. I am glad that the rangers flagged the nests and posted about it on their Facebook site, otherwise I’d have seen the flags and just thought it was for surveying. It’s funny with the broken wing ritual because once you move away, they are perfectly fine, like this one was as it stood on the curb. During the broken wing scenario, you can see it looking over its shoulder at me. 🙂 The mosaics are unique and the sun was not working any magic with them when I was there, but I can see how they would dazzle like water.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. bushboy's avatar bushboy says:

    Lovely post Linda. I am always amazed at birds who lay eggs in the middle of grassed areas.
    We have masked lapwings who do the same. Once they laid eggs in the middle of a hockey field 🙄 Summer has taken its toll on places.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you Brian! I am glad the rangers flagged where the nests were because they blend in so well. If they had not posted about it, I would have seen the flags and thought they were for surveying purposes, nothing more. I think the Killdeer are beautiful birds and I remember Googling to see your Masked Lapwings when you mentioned them before. A hockey field is not a good idea at all. A few fellow bloggers found nests by their driveways. Our Summer has not been nice and I’m eagerly awaiting Fall. We are back in this heat wave mode the last week and now have had storms today and will the next two days … it will break the heat for a day or two, then back to the heat and humidity again.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Prior...'s avatar Prior... says:

    I enjoyed so much in the post, especially the portraits at then end – with great tan and striped details. I also really liked the colored beach glass that has been embedded into the cement – I think this kind of art really adds a lot to spaces.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. What a great idea, flagging the killdeer nests to protect their eggs. Your egg shots and the one of the killdeer feigning the broken wing are fantastic! There were certainly a lot of fishers out that day. I love shagbark hickories and was glad to discover that some do live down here. Were you in a drought in April? Those turtles looked like they were impatient for spring to get underway, too. Well, seeing the killdeer seems like it made your Earth Day excursion very worthwhile. 🙂 I’m glad you found at least one young one when you returned. I love the pictures you got of it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you Barbara! I thought it was a great idea by the rangers too. It’s nice they posted about the flagged nests as I would have just thought they were surveyor’s flags and nothing more. We actually had a very wet Winter, snow and freezing rain and then we had a big meltdown over two mild days. I remember finally getting to Council Point Park on one of those very mild days in late February or early March and the ice and snow had melted so much that the Park had many pools of water everywhere, even on the asphalt perimeter path. There was no way to even cross the grassy area as it was pools of water. I worried it would turn to ice as it was to get colder. Everything looked so dull and lifeless near the water and the trees were not out yet, but it really made me wonder why everything dried up like that, even the vernal pool. The turtles were basking in the sun and looked so content. I was glad to get one shot of the Juvenile Killdeer, with its fuzzy little tail and collar ring and eye ring not as defined yet … and doing a head tilt was cute too.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Great shots. Everything looks so winter-y (as compared to now).

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you Kate! Yes, it was still looking a little Winter-weary as nothing had greened out. I could not believe how much water was out of the Delta area and vernal pools – just dead grass where they had been!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. J P's avatar J P says:

    Your lovely photographs enable me to experience nature from the air-conditioned comfort of my chair!! Nature comes to me this way, and I like it!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you JP! That is the way to experience nature in this heat and humidity (not to mention the wildfire smoke). I would say that week following Easter was the best weather week Michigan has had in 2025! I’ve not walked as much as last year, that’s for sure.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Pingback: Story Chat Digest: “Uncle Ted: Case Closed” by Yvette Prior – Marsha Ingrao – Always Write

  11. ruthsoaper's avatar ruthsoaper says:

    Wow, that’ a lot of killdeer nests and so close together. It’s hard to catch them as fluffy hatchlings because they are up and out of the nest so quickly. It’s then about three weeks before they fly, so they may have flown away by the time you returned (hopefully). I’m sure the one in your pictures is a juvenile.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Isn’t that amazing Ruth?! All those nests and good thing they were flagged as the nests blended in so well with the grass since nothing had greened up yet. I hope the rangers post when they have nests next year, so I can monitor it better, although I think the weather (rain/storms) interfered with me getting back there sooner, but I was glad to find the youngster. I thought it was a juvenile too as its white eye streak and neck collar didn’t look as defined as the parent’s and that tail was fuzzier and not developed yet.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Ruth, is your husband following the 411-mile relay memorial swim from the “Edmund Fitzgerald” site in Lake Superior to Belle Isle? They have around 70 swimmers but their escort boat is having problems, so they had to stop.

      Liked by 1 person

      • ruthsoaper's avatar ruthsoaper says:

        He didn’t mention it so I doubt it. I just went and read a story about it. It’s too bad if they can’t finish but I tend to think things happen for a reason so maybe it’s best if they don’t considering the potential dangers.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

        My mom used to always tell me that exact line Ruth, that “things happen for a reason and if it doesn’t happen, it wasn’t meant to be.” In this case, maybe they should just abandon the idea so no one is hurt … enough lives were lost already in the tragedy.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Hi Ruth – I follow a Michigan blogger that features pictures by various photographers in Michigan (including himself) around our state. He also does stories about Michigan topics too. So he is starting a new feature today and I thought you might like to read this one as you used to have bees, but your bees are back. Maybe share it with Ruby and Ranger and your husband too. I’ll put it in another comment for you in case it goes to SPAM.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Here you are Ruth, the post I mentioned:

      https://wordpress.com/reader/feeds/61551/posts/5767262241

      or access it here if need be – I think you can access it above without following him.

      Animals with Cool Jobs: Maple the Beekeeping Dog

      Like

  12. Laurie's avatar Laurie says:

    Those baby killdeer have to grow up fast, don’t they? I’m glad you got to see one of the killdeer putting on a performance. I usually have to laugh when I see one dragging a wing, then miraculously “recovering” moments later when they determine that the threat has passed.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      It is amazing Laurie – I wanted to get back there to see the chicks after they hatched; surely there would have been a lot given all the nests, but we had a slew of rainy and stormy days, so I’m glad I got to see the Juvenile who was very cute, especially when it was doing a head tilt. Yes, that Killdeer was a bit of a drama queen with the broken wing and looking back at me the entire time, then miraculously recovering to fly over and perch on the curb. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Marsha's avatar Marsha says:

    We did it! Killdeer Day on Sunday Stills. Your post is lovely. You have some amazing pictures of unriled killdeer. I love your quote. I’d say the tree is worth saving. 🙂 xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      We are awesome are we not Marsha? 🙂 I have to go and look at your post and compare our animated Mamas-to-be and their acting abilities. Thank you, I’m glad you liked the Killdeer unriled and a Juvenile who was pretty darn cute. I saw that quote on social media on Earth Day and snagged it to use with this post. I think we should try and save as many trees as we can – we’ll all breathe better, which is important with all the wildfire smoke this Summer.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Marsha's avatar Marsha says:

        Yes, wildfires are a problem every year. Vince said the air in Visalia was terrible yesterday because of the fire in Woodlake. Even here in Portland, the air isn’t sprarkly clean like it is in the spring and early summer when rain has washed out of the debris. And trees are everywhere here!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

        That’s a shame about the wildfire smoke – well, it’s a shame for everywhere and everyone dealing with it, but especially in the areas of devastation. We are supposed to have a stormy evening – these storms are packing a punch but won’t get to my area until around 10:00 to midnight. Then we have a two-day respite, just the 80s instead of the 90s and lower humidity, but the wildfire smoke returns again (they predcit), then another heat wave. It has been a very disappointing Summer here in SE Michigan.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Marsha's avatar Marsha says:

        Yes, Michigan gets some intense heat. You keep cool, my friend. 🙂 xxx

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

        Thank you Marsha. We are finally getting a one-day respite, tomorrow. Mother Nature doles out nice Summer weather sparingly these days. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  14. TD's avatar TD says:

    The mosaics at the back of the Visitor Center reminds me of the Ishihara test that is a common and widely used screening tool for color vision deficiencies. I didn’t see a resemblance of the Detroit River.

    I enjoyed the flags and eggs for the Killdeer and the fake news flash mother. Lol.

    I love the Tree Sign! Perfect for Earth Day!!🌳

    The leaves have been falling for a couple of weeks here, already. Our temperatures have been very normal and usual this summer. I think our leaves are falling from the shortage of rain, yet we are considered to no longer be in a drought. Our resource where we need the water to fall is not getting enough rain either so our city is still in level 3 water restrictions. Our cut council government is at war with one another over desalination plan that we the tax payers have already been paying for and the contract was cancelled. Now we hat to pay the dollar amount for the cancellation and no water plan at all. Humans 🙄. The costs are in the billions. Our city is mostly 300 thousand Hispanic people and the city is dependent on tourism. Another 🙄.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      TD, yes, the mosaics are unique and it was sunny that day, but I was probably not at the right angle to make the beach glass shine to resemble the surface of the water. I don’t understand why so much of the delta and vernal pool was dried up – we did have a good amount of snow, but more than that, we had freezing rain and a lot of ice as a result of it, so it should have been filled with more water, I would think. I liked the tree sign too – very unique. I’m glad the rangers flagged the Killdeer nests so people didn’t step on them, although that area is off the beaten path and I would have seen the orange flag and decided it was just a survey. That’s a shame with your water situation. I remember how it was in California a few years ago as a former fellow blogger lived there and he often wrote about the water restrictions there.

      Like

  15. Nancy Ruegg's avatar Nancy Ruegg says:

    In spite of the drab of early spring, Linda, you certainly found plenty of interesting material for your photos! Years ago my in-laws’ property (outside Columbus, OH) backed up to a farmer’s field. We’d often hear the killdeer’s distinctive call when we visited there. Even though they’re not colorful birds, the striking black eye strip and beak call attention. I also love the way their back feathers form rows of scallops.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      I was lucky on that walk Nancy, that’s for sure! I think that week after Easter has been the best weather week for Michigan this year to be honest. I recognize the Killdeer’s distinctive call too and always look up or over to see if I can find it/them as they will be nearby (if they don’t walk too quickly and go the opposite way from me)! I think they are striking with their plumage colors too, especially the head and neck. That’s what made me think the last four photos were of a Juvenile as its tail was still a little fuzzy looking and the plumage was not as distinctive.

      Like

  16. Eilene Lyon's avatar Eilene Lyon says:

    It seems surprising how close the nests are clustered. Maybe the adults look out for each other’s nest as a collective effort? The juvenile at the end is a cutie! I liked the Berry quote and the sign on the tree.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      You know I never thought of that Eilene – that is done with geese, looking after other goslings besides their own. I have seen up to two dozen goslings with only two adults. I liked that quote too. I saw it on social media for Earth Day and tucked it away to use with this Earth Day post. I think using that sign on the tree makes more of an impact than just posting a sign somewhere. The juvenile was so cute, still in the fuzzy stage with that raggedy-looking tail and a little unsure of itself as it went tripping along the path. Any critter that does the head tilt always endears me to them. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Joni's avatar Joni says:

    I’m wondering what that big black bird is in the tree in the photo just before the Detroit River sign? the mosaics are nice. I wonder why they nest on the ground – you would think it would attract predators?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Joni, that is a male Red-winged Blackbird. They are all over in the marshes here. I have a walk I took on June 1st and I must have taken 20 pics of them. I will use that walk on the 24th and you’ll see them. The females are brown striped. At Council Point Park (and all the marshy areas of larger parks), they return from wherever they migrate, right around the first day of Spring. It always seems like Spring is not far off, even if it’s cold, etc. when they return. They are loud with their call, so I would hear them before seeing them. They installed the mosaics when they built the Visitor Center – they are on the back area of the Center and they have Adirondack chairs there so you can look at the River. It seems strange to me that the Killdeer would build a nest on the ground – that is a rural area, so I’m sure there are lots of coyotes there, groundhogs and there are Eastern Fox Snakes in the marshy area. It seems odd they do that. Ruth said they built a nest by her driveway.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. The orange flags are a great idea to keep visitors aware and careful not to step on those eggs! I thought the eggs looked similar to quail eggs, in the pattern. The shagbark hickory tree is a perfect name for its look.
    We haven’t done much nature things this summer and missed out on nature sightings. I wish our duck pond was still filled with water and not drained…that’s where we could admire turtles, ducks, and coots. Since Elliot had that tick worry, although no tick got on him, it’s precluded us from going out hiking. We must start up again. When school starts, P.E. is one of his classes and I need to record 40 minutes of activity per day. That will keep us all busy and active.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Yes, that is a shame but ticks are bad and I can see his worry. I hope it cools down here and I can go to big parks, but I’m staying out of the woods. I guess if you’re willing to, you could find a mall where it is air conditioned and tick-free, or an outdoor mall when it gets a little cooler. You have to record the activity, so that is rough. Do you have an exercise bike at the house? Even using a peddler, one of those compact bikes that fits under a table and you just pedal. It’s good exercise on crummy days, especially rainy days.

      Like

  19. BTW, do you feel ready for autumn? When I saw that you went on your visit to this place in April, I was already longing for spring. Spring to summer is my favorite time of year. In a way I’m dreading this semester although I feel ready for it. New challenges and kids growing up…it’s a natural process but also hard to let go. lol

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Nothing had greened up here yet on this April walk, but it was a nice week weather-wise, although Thursday that week was nice when I left in the morning, but it zoomed up to 85 or 90 degrees by the time I got back to the car around 1:00 p.m. Then it was pretty hot the next day too, but no humidity, so it was not as bad as in Summer. Having a “real feel” of near 80 in the early morning is something that only happened in mid-August, not all the time. Here it is the dew points and humidity that are so bad. I keep saying to myself “but I walked all Summer in the heat and was hot last Summer and in the past” but the weather folks keep stressing that the weather all this Summer has been “juicy” – we are supposed to be getting a storm tonight after 10:00 p.m. until midnight for the time frame. That’s unfortunate as it will be dark if there is bad weather/damage and, for the Perseid Meteor Showers in the sky tonight, that likely won’t happen due to the storm/cloud cover.

      Like

  20. Sandra J's avatar Sandra J says:

    You have so many cool parks around you. That is quite the pier. I love going out on piers. You have seen more birds than I have this summer for sure. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Yes Sandra, you’re right – I am surrounded by nice parks and lucky for that. This one took forever to open as they cleared away a toxic site and then had to try to restore it to a wildlife habitat, which took years and they were supposed to open in early 2020, then it was COVID, so they allowed people into the refuge area to walk and fish, but the Visitor Center didn’t open for about a year afterward, still due to COVID. That fishing pier is so unique and it is very long. It is Trex decking, so will last a long time, but as you walk along it, you can feel a little sway of the pier. Everyone congregates down at the River part of the pier though – probably more fish there then fishing on the side but the water was filled with fishermen and this was on a Tuesday, so that surprised me – maybe they’re all retirees.

      Like

  21. LaShelle's avatar LaShelle says:

    You and I have so much in common with our love of nature. I also learn quite a bit from you about types of birds I didn’t know about! Thanks for teaching me. Keep doing it. The photos are gorgeous ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you for saying that LaShelle. I like learning too and then sharing it here with others. I’m glad you like the photos – that young Killdeer is so cute, especially with the head tilt! 🙂

      Like

  22. AnnMarie Stevens's avatar AnnMarie Stevens says:

    Miss Linda……………………………that was a delight to see how bare everything looked in early spring as compared to full summer trees and plants that we take for granted due to all the rain that we’ve had…………………………..and a summer of hot sun……………

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      It is amazing isn’t it Ann Marie – it is a gradual greening, but it’s difficult to remember how dull everything looked just a few months ago, blah and a bit boring, but at least we were not sweltering in the heat and humidity, dodging torrential rain and enduring the wildfire smoke.

      Like

  23. What a great sign about oxygen! Too bad they still cut down so many trees. Those are the prettiest eggs as is the killdeer. Do they even have a nest, it looks like they lay the eggs right in the grass. I was shocked by how many there were and how close. The water was really low! It must be nice seeing the turtles, at least they didn’t leave. It is slowly making a comeback. How clever the mosaic was, that must have taken a long time to make. I would love to see it with the sun shining on it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      That’s a great sign Diane and I like the way they hung it on the tree and it looks like there are fingers holding the sign. In Northern Michigan, I had already paid for that 5K Run for the Trees in December 2024 for the April event and then read about how many acres of woods they were chopping down trees to make some solar center. I decided I would not walk again and almost asked for my money back. Then there was the controversy with them wanting to “gas” the geese and their goslings in big trucks. I did not like that either. Now people are raising a ruckus about how they want to cull deer in a few rural cities by using sharpshooters. This would be every January. I hope it does not pass. It is not near where I live, although we do get deer that get into our city, by running along the expressway from more rural areas.

      The Killdeer nests are very strange, just some sticks and a few small stones gathered together and placed right into the grass. I follow them on Facebook and they post interesting things like this, so I wanted to go see the nests as I heard before how they build them on the ground … what about predators like animals? That water was very low and that is the second year in a row for no vernal pond here – the second time I went to hear the singing frogs and zero pond and zero frogs. Even the water where the turtles were was quite shallow. The mosaic is pretty and I have gone to this venue many times when the sun is shining on the mosaic inserts – I can’t say it is really brilliant and resembles water, but it is nicely done and right into the cement behind the Visitor Center.

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  24. What a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day, among your feathered friends ❤️

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    • Linda Schaub's avatar Linda Schaub says:

      Yes, it was a delightful day Zena – in fact a very delightful weather week, one that I should have savored more than I did as it has been a very hot and humid Summer here, but I understand that you are also having similar weather in the UK.

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