Well, it was Valentine’s Day and in the heart of Winter after all.
So, was this mere infatuation or are these a mated pair? It is squirrel mating season in Southeast Michigan. For a quick minute, as I peered at these two cute Eastern Gray squirrels through my camera lens, I felt like a voyeur. 🙂 Here’s another shot of these cutie pies after they inched a bit closer, seemingly oblivious to me and the shutter clicks.
Then they saw me. Curiosity got the better of them and they peered down at me as if to say “privacy please … unless of course peanuts are involved!”
In a show of good faith, I stashed the camera in my fanny pack momentarily and rattled the bag of peanuts to ensure I had their attention. Oh ya … their ears and noses perked up when they smelled the fresh peanuts and they hustled down to ground level. Since peanuts were promised, the sweet endearments could wait.
They even alerted a friend which sat there, bright-eyed and bushytailed ready to feast.
A few minutes later, two of the three squirrels scampered back up the tree.
Stand by your man.
At the Creek shoreline there were a lot of waterfowl, most of them mingling on the ice. I laughed out loud at these two Canada Geese – the sight of them took me way back to elementary school and “Field Day” and two-legged races. It was at the end of the school year, we had a picnic, outdoor games and got ribbons for prizes. Only these two weren’t so animated, but their respective poses, perched on the poop-strewn ice did give me cause to pause for some photos.
One of the geese suddenly bent over – was it thirsty, or wanted to take a gander at its reflection in the icy-cold water? Pretty fancy footwork, bending down like that, still on one leg. Balance is everything, right?
I’m gonna soak up the sun.
Soon, both geese were back to soaking up the sun, one lifting its head to feel the warm of the beautiful day, just as I was, only I preferred planting both feet on the still icy-dicey ground, to their respective one-legged stance.
Moments later the pair had company, a few fine-feathered friends, first the “Odd Man Out” who stood on two wide webbed feet and a Mallard that photobombed the trio and their reflections, while causing a pretty impressive reflection of his own.
I never tire of seeing those iridescent Mallard drake heads, especially in Winter when colorful images are hard to come by.
My eyes adored you …
What an intense gaze this Mallard male was giving the Mallard female. I hope this was its mate and not the snoozing female in the foreground, but I had my doubts because …
… moments later, the object of his intensive gaze paddled away. Hmm.
Life is a journey … I continued on my merry way.
Would I see any more quirky photo ops at my favorite nature nook?
In between stepping precariously on the sometimes icy path …
… I shielded my eyes from the sun to gaze into the sky, searching for my pair of Northern Cardinals that always find me. They announce their arrival in a series of tweets. Sure enough, just as I paused at this park bench, the year-around spot where I leave them sunflower seeds and peanuts, the lovebirds flew over to see me. Too bad I didn’t get that photo as they perched on a branch, side by side, while I was busy stomping out a place in the snow to drop off their treats, as you see below …
The male Cardinal usually eats first (even on Valentine’s Day). If I wanted the color red for this heart-related holiday post, the male fit the bill to a “T”.
After the male ate his fill of sunflower seeds, he took a peanut “to go” and his mate flew to the ground, then back to the park bench momentarily to snack on a sunflower seed.
I was happy she went back to the seed stash in the snow, thus giving me time to get a few shots of her.
While I was grateful the brutal cold, snow, icy roads and fierce winds had finally subsided and I was able to return here, it was far from safe and most of the time I walked in the snow or grassy areas to avoid the ice. Even the soft ice might present a slip-and-fall issue. It still looked desolate, the Phragmites waving their heads in the gentle breeze and ice and snow were present at “The Point”, the place where both sides of the Creek merge.
I could see skid marks where Jacob, the Park’s resident catch-and-release fisherman, had dragged his shanty to shore once he decided the ice was unstable. The last time I’d been here, albeit briefly, he still had the shanty in place.
A whole lotta shakin’ (and scammin’) goin’ on!
There were not as many squirrels as in past years, so as I ambled along, leaving peanuts in the usual spots, my second trip around, I was happy to see most of the peanuts I had left an hour before were now gone. Of course, it might have been the piggy Blue Jays. They are famous for stealing in-shell peanuts from right under a squirrel’s nose. I found a few Jays busying themselves, shaking and/or tossing the peanuts into the air to test their weight, then flying off with a peanut to add to their cache of treats.
Here are a few of those Jays. Unfortunately the tree’s shadow made the photos a bit darker than I’d like.
Rockin’ Robin.
Not only did it feel good to be out and about in the sunshine, the third walk with my camera in as many days, but a Robin was singing its heart out. I looked for it, thinking it should be easy to spot in the bare trees, but I had no luck finding it. I also heard a woodpecker, likely Rex, the only Red-bellied Woodpecker at this venue, but Rex remained MIA.
I was also here for the Great Backyard Bird Count.
It was my third bird count in two days. The event brings together birders or anyone who will stop for 15 minutes, anytime over the course of four days (always over President’s Day weekend), to count how many birds they see in one location, then submit their findings to the official GBBC website, or to the eBird website (which is where I always submit my findings). These sites work hand in hand to collect information on wild birds. This was my submission.
I just had a blogiversary!
Normally, I would have celebrated my blogiversary last week, but I did the tribute to my mom instead. I have been blogging since February 11, 2013.
I decided since I discovered Council Point Park in May of the same year, it is only fitting that I celebrate with a post about my furry and feathered friends I meet and feed along the trail.
As I left the perimeter path, near the pavilion I saw a solo Fox Squirrel standing on haunches on the salt-stained cement. It was Penelope, Parker’s main squeeze. Parker, as longtime followers know, was my favorite Park furry friend. He did not survive the Winter of 2024-2025, but his mate, Penelope, did. I offered to take her home so we could celebrate “Gal-entine’s Day” but she stayed put, despite my offer to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She was content to grab a single peanut and scampered off soon thereafter.
Terri’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge this week is “Love Your Pet”. I did not initially participate in this Challenge as I don’t have any pets, except those furry and feathered friends at Council Point Park, but Terri says my furry and feathered friends DO count as pets, so I am linking to her post. I’m lovin’ on these critters, albeit smaller than what we normally think of as pets. 🙂
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Too cute Linda. This post made me feel cold which is good as it’s a stinker here today.
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Thank you Brian – I’m glad I could help to cool you off! I was so grateful to just get out a few days after our horrible Winter and it was great to see my furry and feathered friends again. I’m not sure which of us was happier to see the other. 🙂
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Lovely tour of the park, and excellent closeups, as always! 👌 The Valentine’s Day angle is cute as well. I wonder why those geese liked to stand on one leg for so long? I couldn’t do it. 😆
Congratulations on your 13th Blogiversary! 🎉 Nice to see there are still some of us “oldtimers” around! (I started in 2009.) 😎
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Thank you Debbie! It was great to be back at my favorite park, considering I’d only been there a handful of times since our wintry weather began in November. I also find it odd the geese and seagulls stand on one foot, but I’ve never seen the ducks do that. They do this to warm their feet as their feet aren’t insulated and tuck their feet against their body, but seagulls do it in the Summer too. The geese made me laugh as they were holding up different legs and looked like bookends. If it was the same leg as the other, it would not have been so funny. Balance is good when you’re older, but I also would not attempt bending down to the ground on one leg as I would face plant! Thank you – 2009 is a long time to be blogging for you. I do feel like an “oldtimer” now having 13 years under my belt.
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great post and the slideshow of photos was outstanding – and your lens really captured so much fun – 🙃
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Thank you Yvette! It was great to get out and about as I’ve only walked about five times since November due to the wintry weather and only two days out of the three, I took the camera. Next week will be all the waterfowl I saw at the Detroit River. It was nice to get re-acquainted with my furry and feathered pals here.
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Looks like you had a lovely day out in nature! I loved the squirrels, of course, and the first image of the one legged geese, and the puffed up female cardinal.
Bruce is in the hospital so I’m up early to get there before the doctors do their rounds. I swear they come early to avoid having to talk to the family. Time to get going.
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I did Dawn, just like you getting out to Kensington! I’m glad you liked the photos. It felt like a breath of fresh air to get out in the sunshine and enjoy a walk. Next Sunday I’ll have a post from my visit to the Detroit River. Those squirrels gazing at one another made me smile and the rest of the walk kind of fell into place the day before. I’m sorry to read your husband is in the hospital and yes, those doctors do their rounds early to get in/out and avoid “family time”.
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What a fantastic post! Loved all your pics. The squirrels are adorable and the reflections of the mallards beautiful. Stay warm out there today. 😉
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Thank you Pepper! I used to fill my blog with so many squirrel photos from this park and I hope one day the population will be like before (around 35-40), with black gray and Fox Squirrels all running over to greet me. It’s been fun with the Cardinals as we’ve established a pattern, just for this pair, though there are other Cardinals here too. The Jays also bop from tree to tree, following the peanuts/me. I’ve missed the interaction due to Winter. It was cold today, but at least no snow to shovel as it blew away. 🙂
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It must have been good to get out. The weather has been awful this winter. If not bitter cold, then snowy or icy. I love that the critters are still coming around for food.
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It felt so good to get out Kate and three days in a row I went here, plus down to the Detroit River to see if there were ice floes left – that post will be next Sunday. I feel I’ve let down these critters, by not showing up on a regular basis, but I’ll make it up to them once the weather improves for good. The ice may not look bad here as we had had two days over 32 degrees before I took the photos, but it was not safe to walk before, nor to get there. I can hardly wait until Spring and I am sure I am not the only one saying that. I hope you didn’t get slammed too badly with this latest snowstorm.
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The storm wasn’t bad. We got less than 6 inches and it was warm enough to start melting. Nuisance stuff.
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That’s good. Like our Sunday morning snow, wet and heavy and I got out to shovel it, then it was melted, even on the grass, by the afternoon. We got more snow last night, but it blew away … our windchills are in single digits right now, so no warm-up anytime soon.
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Congratulations on 13 years! And what great shots of your outdoor friends. I agree, those mallard heads are something I can’t get enough of!
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Thank you JP! It was a slow start the first 4 1/2 years with only friends as followers, but fun afterward and I hope to continue for a long time. I’m glad you liked the photos. It was good seeing them again. I’ve let them down due to this wintry weather impacting the neighborhood and the Park which plowed one time and never again. Those mallard heads seem like they would glow in the dark!
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I wonder If you could write your friends off on your taxes as dependants?
Technically they do depend upon you.
Lucky 13 eh, hopefully many more ahead!
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Wayne, I’ll bet I could have written them off when we had milder Winters and I made it to the Park on a near-everyday basis. It’s been horribly hit-or-miss visits on my part … last Winter and this one have been brutally cold, snowy and icy – ice being more worrisome and constant than snow it seems. I hope to resume regular walks once the weather stabilizes. Hopefully long before the goslings arrive in late April/early May! I hope there are many more blogging years ahead of me too. If it had not been for Uncle Tree, I may have still just had my few subscribers, friends and Marge. He “discovered” my blog in November 2017 and he told me to check out your blog right after that.
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Oh my goodness, I 💙 the first two pictures so much!!! They do seem to be very much in love. It’s so nice to see some of your squirrels getting back into the swing of things. The geese standing on opposite legs was pretty cool. They didn’t seem to mind the mallard swimming right through their lovely reflections. Nice to see the close ups of Mr. & Ms. Cardinal. Gotta love those bold, bossy, blue jays. Best wishes to Penelope, well along in her solo journey now.
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Thank you Barbara! Those two squirrels gazing into one another’s eyes was so sweet. I have missed seeing them, interacting with them and the weather caused me to let them down food-wise. I hope I can do better once the weather improves. The birds are always grateful, especially this cardinal pair. The jays are bold and bossy and if the squirrels aren’t paying attention, they grab all the peanuts. This is why I take trail mix sometimes. The birds don’t want the almonds as they’re too big for them. The geese made me smile with their one-legged stance. I felt badly for Penelope, looking so alone … there were several Fox squirrels there in the Fall, so I hope they made it through the Winter, or perhaps they relocated to the neighborhood for handouts?
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Love the furry’d and feathered Valentines Day antics, Linda. I think this post easily qualifies for Love Your Pet Day, so feel free to link up! These cuties see you coming with treats and you care for them! I got a kick out of the one legged double-duck pics… too cute! I hope to see some Arizona Cardinals while we’re there! I enjoy how you capture the critters’ expressions and interpret with the story.
I’m looking forward to a wee break, but the Flower Hour will continue! Have a great day!
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I’m glad you liked the post Terri and I will link it to this week’s Challenge. I almost did that as they are like pets to me, even the birds, especially the Cardinals. After I took these photos on Valentine’s Day, I was eager to sort through and get them posted fairly close to the holiday. On this day, those squirrels looking so intently at one another and the other critters’ antics seemed to fall right into place for a holiday-type post. Yes, that is a nice long break, then Easter off as well for you. I will still link my flower this Wednesday – it is Milkweed and its seeds, which are lovely when they turn to fluff.
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Today, “my” Phoebe came back today and is fixing up her nest! Third year, so excited!
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That’s great! I hope she doesn’t have her brood until you return!
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I think it will take some time to fix up the nest. When we were gone in early April two yrs ago, she’d just layed her eggs. It’s still pretty cold here.
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Such beautiful observation and narration. Images of the squirrels, geese on one leg, Penelope will stay with me through the day. Congratulations on your blog anniversary.
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Thank you for your nice comment – I appreciate it. I once filled this blog with many photos of my furry and feathered friends at this venue, but then the last two Winters have been brutally cold, snowy and icy, so I’ve not seen them as much as I used to. I hope the weather improves so I can once again be a regular contributor to their well-being (truthfully it helps my well-being as well). If I had not discovered this little park in May 2013, I might still be writing about walks in the neighborhood instead of out in nature as I began exploring bigger parks and seeing more “wildlife”.
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Wonderful late Valentine’s Day post with most of your favorite critters and feathered friends.
I did not realize for sure that Parker did not survive the winter of 2024-25. So sad! At least Penelope is still around. Too bad she didn’t take you up on your PB&J offer.
It looks like you and I had about the same amount of snow on the ground on Valentine’s Day. A bunch of snow melted here with the warm temperatures in PA, but we got nicked with the coastal storm yesterday and now another 3 – 4 inches are on the ground. Ugh!
Happy Blogiversary!!! 13 years is quite an accomplishment.
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Thank you Laurie – it was fun to put together and also great to be back there again. It’s the little things sometimes, but I fretted about not getting out due to the brutal cold, ice and snow, not just for their well-being, but mine as well. This is the second Winter in a row we’ve had the same conditions, only the wintry weather began on November 9th this time! I last saw Parker around Christmastime 2024 or early January 2025. I never saw him after that last visit. That was the first Winter after the habitat on the shoreline side was ripped apart. Another walker insisted that coyotes had crossed the frozen Ecorse Creek and come to the Park or it was hawks/eagles, but it might have been the cold/starvation – they couldn’t access what they buried. He was my pal for a long time, but his mate Penelope knew me all those years, so she will visit me, but is not bold and brash like Parker.
The weather is horrible but this latest round of snow over the weekend is not lasting, even though it’s only 25 degrees. It is nothing compared to what you and others are dealing with – ugh indeed!
Thanks – yes, 13 years is a long time and no one here on WordPress “discovered” me until November 2017, so that’s when the fun really began. 🙂
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Great photos! You were able to get some lovely close ups of the different birds. Lovely.
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Thank you Monica! I used to fill my blog with stories and photos of these critters at the Park all year long, but our cold and wintry weather (same as yours) has held me back from visiting them. It was great to see them all again. 🙂
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A fun outing with your furry and feathered friends!
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Yes, it was good to get out and about again and see them since we have had those horrible Winter weather!
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Miss Linda…………………thank you for being such a great Blogger…………………….I enjoyed the close up pictures especially in the snow………………………and mostly for the Cardinals and Blue Jays……………………
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Thank you Ann Marie! It felt so good to be back there after this cold, snowy and icy Winter. It was nice to see my furry and feathered friends that I’ve been writing about for years up until last Winter and this one. I was happy to get the pictures of the Cardinals and Blue Jays. The few times I’ve been to Council Point Park this Winter, it was one time around, drop off seeds and peanuts, but did not take a camera. I hope the weather improves soon and I can be a regular visitor there to not only walk but dole out treats as well.
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Beautiful post!
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