As mentioned in previous posts, on July 21st I returned to Lake Erie Metropark after a six-week absence due to the heat, humidity, stormy weather and wildfire smoke. On July 21st I visited this venue, not once, but twice. The first time was early morning, as I stopped at the marina to get some shots of the Osprey family in their platform nest, but evidently they were gone fishing, so I drove right to the DNR Headquarters at Point Mouillee where I knew there was also an Osprey platform nest. Happily, I had success photographing that family and the DNR Headquarters’ bed of flourishing American Lotuses.
Several hours later, I arrived back at Lake Erie Metropark. In last week’s post, I told you how I was wowed by the beautiful Mute Swan family near the Offshore Fishing Bridge. Well, I wanted to make that post all about them, not me. So today’s post is like the late, great Paul Harvey’s feature “The Rest of the Story” because following my encounter with the swan family, I went off to explore, albeit on a relatively short walk as temps were already creeping upward – it was 71F/22C at high noon.
At the parking lot near Cove Point I was surprised to see this new pollinator garden and I wondered aloud “so, when did all this happen?”
After all, I always park at the same spot on that side of the park and a mere six weeks earlier it was just a ditch, like several other ditches around this venue – nothing special, except a place to collect rainwater and, if you’re lucky, you will get a Springtime serenade by the singing frogs.
Hmm – so, did someone plant some native flower seeds back in the Spring and the abundance of rain we had in June and July caused a proliferation of blooms?
Or, were those tiny native flower seeds whisked around the park on all those many windy days we experienced all Spring? This was the more likely reason, as those featherlight Black-eyed Susan seeds went airborne and ended up in the moist soil and began to grow.
In pursuing more photos of the Monarch, I whirled around and saw another pollinator garden in the distance.
The pollinators paused here while sipping nectar.
As I zoomed in on a few flowers, I saw this Monarch butterfly gracefully flitting from one Ironweed (a/k/a Vernonia) plant to the next. The featured image shows this graceful creature and here are two more shots of it, including alongside a bee, before it eventually moved on.
A wasp or hornet decided to take a dainty swig of the Ironweed.
There were a few other wildflowers with shades of purple like Chicory and Loosestrife, as well as this somewhat faded, bedraggled Wild Bee Balm (Bergamot).
A Cabbage White butterfly nestled into some greenery.
The fuzz was flyin’ from the Creeping Thistle, its downy-looking fibers …
… glomming onto the sticky leaves of this still perky-looking Black-eyed Susan.
On this Queen Anne’s Lace plant, several flies and other winged insects appeared to be sunning themselves on the lacy-looking blooms.
I spent about 15 minutes there, hoping to see a few more pollinators, but there were no more, so I headed to the wooden overlook to find and photograph a few Barn Swallows. I had no luck back on June 1st and similarly no luck today either. The old dead tree where they often perched for a breather from their exhausting in-flight insect grabs had become quite dilapidated – so much for that perfect photo op location.
The overlook is quite long and there were several anglers hunched over the railing, seemingly with high hopes for catching “a big one” by the looks of this large net.
I didn’t see any fish in pails, so maybe these were catch-and-release guys? I chatted with a couple of these young anglers as I searched the shoreline for a glimpse of any Lotuses in the usual two beds – there were no blooms and the plants were nonexistent as you see below.
All I saw was some seaweed, duckweed and some mottled-looking Pond Lilies.
Good thing I had gotten my “Lotus fix” earlier that day.
I left the anglers, intending to extend my walk, but there was really nothing more to see beyond that point and it was full sun – ugh, so I crossed back over the overlook. You know me – if I’d seen a doe and fawn, I’d have pursued that photo op, but I was a weenie, wilting with this increasing heat, having traipsed around for four miles already.
As I started back onto the overlook, one of the fishermen I had chatted with moments earlier, pointed to a Great Blue Heron that was just landing in the marsh, all the while squawking and screeching its head off.
This Great Blue Heron enjoyed posing.
I thanked him and soon focused on capturing some images of this wading bird after it settled, its stunning reflections in the surprisingly clear water on this side of the marsh.
I think this Heron likes what it sees as it peers into the marsh water.
As I focused on the Heron, the Heron focused on fishing and soon it was more successful than the fishermen, having downed a fishy snack, a fact I did NOT point out to the fishermen. 🙂
I decided to leave and head home, having secured enough photos for several posts at this park alone. The heat had now turned my walk into a trudge.
As I passed the “two-mile” sign …
… I glanced at the pedometer – a little over 8,200 steps and soon I would call it a day.
I am joining Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge: Autumn (or Spring) Plant Life.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Those flowers were a pleasant surprise Linda. It was lovely to see the butterflies and other insects about as well. Good catch by the Heron
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I like seeing wildflowers Brian and was amazed at how quickly this ditch had begun a pollinator garden. A few weeks later, on the other side of this park, they had planted something called Virginia Mountain Mint in one of the Grow Areas. It had not been there the last time I stopped by. It was full of butterflies and bees. I have not sorted through those photos yet, but there were so many pollinators, I contacted the interpretive guides and asked the name of the plant which was white with tiny flowers. I thought it’d be nice to have in the garden. It was as tall as me. That Heron did well – I wish I had a pic of the catch of the day!
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You caught the heron who caught a fish! You got quite the walk in, Linda, and lots of beautiful flowers too.
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Yes, Terri – the heron still had its mouth open after that catch of the day and it was already studying the water for another fish (likely before the first fish got all the way down that long neck)! I was amazed how quickly that pollinator garden took off.
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That’s a lot of walking on a hot day! Congrats for pulling that off. 👌 The pollinator gardens are lovely, as are the butterflies. Herons are such interesting birds. Great closeups! 😀
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Yes, it was a lot of walking Debbie, but it felt cool when I started out as we’d had so many days of heat and humidity. I generally try to leave before the heat of the day, but that trip to the other park to see the Osprey nest made me later than normal. I was amazed to see the pollinator garden spring up like that. They have another longstanding garden on the other side of the park and they added some new plants to that garden and I discovered the Monarchs and bees really like it. I visited that garden a few weeks later and have not looked at the photos yet. I have four days of photos to sort through, the latest trip which was today as it was so beautiful outside. I like the Herons as well – it is fascinating to watch them as they study the water for food. I rarely get a photo of them with a fish since they strike, catch, then gulp it down in a matter of moments.
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I particularly enjoyed the heron and the wild flowers. Beautiful post!
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Thank you Anne! This park added some new plants to the pollinator garden on the other side of the park and there were some beautiful butterflies there when I visited. The heron was fun to watch with its fishing prowess and the great reflections that day.
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this sounds very much like Kensington. If you walk long enough you’ll find something.
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Yes, the same Dawn. Just when you think “I might as well go home now” something good comes along. I was there today as it was such a beautiful day. There was a bit of color, but most of the marshes are very dry and full of dead reeds. I hope the upcoming wind and rain doesn’t knock the rest of the leaves down.
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💚love narcissus the heron! Linda xx
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The herons are fascinating to watch Linda. They study the water and are so patient, then within moments they spear a fish and gulp it down. Patience is a virtue with them. 🙂
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Yes, they are amazing… the fish don’t have a chance!
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No, you are right about that Linda. They study the water, waiting for the perfect moment to go for it!
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I think the butterfly photos are my favorites, although the heron with its reflection ranks up there too. Thanks for saving me the hike!
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Thank you JP. It was nice to see this big pollinator had sprung up in six weeks’ time. I have a few more shots to share of that butterfly in an upcoming Wordless Wednesday post. The heron was my lucky find that day, especially with his reflection. Yes, it saved you the hike! 🙂
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Great heron shots! Love that they have pollinator beds. So cool!
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Thank you Kate! The heron sure did like posing and the still water made for some good reflections. I was happy to see those pollinator beds, so there will be more chances to see butterflies. On the other side of the park, they planted tall, white wildflowers and butterflies and bees were everywhere, so I asked the name of the plant – it is called Virginia Mountain Mint. I hope the pics turn out well. I’ve not gone through photos from four of my long walks yet, the latest walk was today as it was so beautiful outside.
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How wonderful that they’re planting for the environment, not just lawns for people.
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I agree with you Eilene. I was amazed how quickly this pollinator had gone from a ditch to a thriving haven for butterflies and bees. A few weeks later, I was on the other side of the park and they were growing tall plants with white flowers and the blooms had butterflies and bees on them, so I asked one of the interpreters the name – it was Virginia Mountain Mint.
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You saw quite a variety of things Linda…..I especially liked the pollinator gardens – and the name! Ditch gardens! The blue herons are always my favorites too.
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Yes, I did Joni, plus the Mute Swan family that was the subject of last week’s post … a good day. They have added some new flowers to another pollinator garden on the other side of the park, so now there are beautiful white flowers and they had butterflies and bees as well. That will be another post as I’ve not looked at the photos yet. This heron was very patient while fishing. Good luck to the Jays tonight!
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The pollinator gardens are so pretty! Down below my house, there is a linear park. They have planted some pollinator gardens there too and I have been enjoying them so much this spring/summer/fall.
Way to get your steps in, Linda. Even the heat didn’t keep you from getting your miles in.
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I couldn’t believe how these pollinator gardens just sprung up from a ditch Laurie. On the other side of the park, they have planted Virginia Mountain Mint which was very pretty and attractive to pollinators. I took a lot of photos, on a separate day, but haven’t gone through them yet. That heat was a force to be reckoned with this Summer, but, I’ve tried to make the most out of every mile with our beautiful Fall.
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a nice smorgasbord of colours and subjects Linda!
Are you going to be able to hit your mileage this year?
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Thank you Wayne! I have some more shots of the Monarch in a different place for next week. I had already seen the Mute Swan family featured last week, but wanted them to have their own post. I like when the water is so calm and gives near-perfect reflections.
I have made some great progress on my mileage target since the second week in September when it finally cooled down a little and then we went days and days without a drop of rain. Now we are in a rainy period unfortunately … today was off/on rains and storms and very high winds and it will be like that the next two days. I did not get the hail like some spots got. Fingers crossed I can get to my goal, but I do have my doubts as I am behind. If we get snow/ice I may be sunk!
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A monarch a day will keep the Doctor away!
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Yes, something beautiful to see and remind us how wonderful and sometimes perfect that nature really is.
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remembering the beauty is like walking on the sunny side of the street
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Very true! The beauty is gone now with the last frost and we are going to 10 degrees in the next few days, so my remaining two or three roses in the backyard, on bushes from my gardening glory days, will likely freeze in place or be covered in tonight’s snow. We’re getting a coating to an inch of snow tonight and a little more tomorrow on grassy surfaces only. Years ago, we had freezing rain before I got a chance to cut the roses down in the Fall … you cut them too soon, they’ll get new growth. I went out with the camera and got pictures of the roses in the ice and snow. I was going to cut my roses down today, but we are having warmer weather later in the week.
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My frozen roses and it was pretty because the Red Maple leaves were peeking out from beneath the snow. I know you don’t miss the snow.
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The ditch to pollinator garden transformation is inspiring! The monarch shots are beautiful, Linda! I love how they don’t exactly color coordinate with the purple flowers they love to land on. It was nice seeing how busy the pollinators were on the flora that day. It’s always interesting watching great blue herons go about their fishing. They seem to put a lot of thought into their moves before striking.
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I was so amazed what transpired in six weeks’ time Barbara! It was a plain old ditch drain and there are several others like it that have been sprung up into wildflowers this year on that same side of the park. This is what I understood would be done at Council Point Park – I can live with that, but I wonder if it will take until mid-to-late Summer for the plants to bloom for the pollinators? The thought of having butterflies along the Creek makes me happy. We have milkweed plants and right now, the pods have opened and there are seeds flitting around, so hopefully more milkweed will help the shoreline view and lure monarchs to visit/lay eggs, etc. That monarch was flawless, not a tatter that I could see and I got more pictures of it to use in a Wordless Wednesday post. I do like watching the heron fishing – they do seem to put a lot of thought and effort into their fishing moves. This one was staring at the water forever, then suddenly it caught a fish!
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The wildflowers are gorgeous!
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Yes Linda, it’s such a nice addition to the park. The other side has pollinator gardens that have been around a while, so now there are more opportunities to see butterflies.
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Beautiful autumn plants and wonderful photos of the Monarch and Heron.
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Thank you Rebecca – it was a welcome sight to see there were pollinator gardens instead of ditch drains now. I have a few more photos of this Monarch that stayed on the flowers a long time, likely because it was a bit too windy for it to fly. The Heron was a real treat with the reflections.
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Miss Linda…………………………………………….such beautiful up-close pictures of the flowers and Herons……………………………………….thank you ………………………………..I enjoy reading your adventures…………………………..
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Thank you Ann Marie – the new pollinator gardens that are in this post are right at the area where you park for Cove Lake. I was amazed to see all the flowers in what had been a ditch drain. The heron was a treat to see too, especially all its reflections. I’m glad you enjoy reading about my adventures, especially since you’ve been here before and know the area. 🙂
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I wish we had monarchs but I don’t have enough flowers for them. We leave all the milkweed along the edge of our property but nothing. I just love your reflection pictures Linda, they are always so beautiful!
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Thank you Diane! I really like when I can get some reflection pictures and so this was lucky the heron was there fishing. I like monarchs too Diane – this one was beautiful, no marks or tatters on it, just perfect. I actually have some more pictures of it but on some green leaves, not a flower, which I will use in a Wordless Wednesday post coming up. Someone has planted (or seeds planted themselves) along the shoreline of the Creek at Council Point Park. The pods are all going to seed now, but I hope it flourishes and maybe I’ll see a few butterflies there next year.
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Great job on your steps ! I love watching Herons fish and eat, they are pretty interesting to watch and they take a long time to eat.
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Thank you! I like watching the Herons too – they study the water for so long and how they strike so quickly and grab that fish is always amazing to me. A fellow blogger once made a video of a Heron grabbing a huge fish and it must have swallowed it whole as that fish was thrashing about as it made its way down its gullet – yikes!
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yes they do swallow them whole, it’s fascinating and disgusting at the same time lol
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I know it – that video was something else, alive and kickin’!!
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So pretty. I love monarchs. We don’t have them where I live.
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I do too Kirstin. I’m sorry to read that you don’t have them in your area. They are such beautiful and delicate creatures. I also like the various types of swallowtail butterflies. Do you have them?
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I finally was able to read your post today. Lovely. We are seeing a few more butterflies randomly floating by. The past few days I have only had one hummingbird coming to my feeder. We had a cool front this morning bringing the temperature down to the low 70’s high in the 80’s. It looks like a gloomy winter day right now. Soon my hummingbird will be traveling to Central America. Although I will miss them, I feel a desire for a break from the chore of maintaining the feeder. I wonder what winter will bring. 🦋😊
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We had a beautiful Fall after the heat left. The latter part of September, then October has been beautiful, except three rainy days this past week, but it perked back up and is nice through at least Wednesday. I read that the male hummingbirds leave before the female hummingbirds, something that surprised me as I assumed they travelled all together, as a group, all family members, etc., but they don’t. Yes, when you have the extreme hot weather, it is difficult to keep the feeder clean and I got a product called “Nectar Defender” and it still didn’t keep the nectar good as it was out in the sun – since the downed wire fire, the trees were cut down, so zero shade now unfortunately.
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