But, there is no rhyme or reason to this season. I listened to the weather before my morning departure – 55 degrees F (13 C), so I dressed for 55 degrees. The weatherman even said it was coolish out due to yesterday’s gloomy day. However, I cast off my hoodie, tied it around my waist, then rolled up my sleeves halfway to the Park. Whew, that sun was hot, or was it just my imagination? Nope, I arrived at the Park and, just like me, I saw several other women walkers, their hoodies looped around their waist and in short-sleeved shirts.
When I returned home, the weatherman said “we’re in for a spike in temperatures because the temps will climb to 80 degrees (27 C) and now the high angle of the sun will make it very easy to get sunburned, so be sure to apply the sunscreen.”
In my mind I flashed back to my teen years and cautions by my
mom like “don’t lay out in the sun – you’ll end up looking like a prune
when you’re older” or “if you get a few more burns like this one,
you’ll look like old shoe leather – neither your grandmother or me laid in the
sun and we have skin like a baby’s bum.”
So … ask me if I laid out in the sun anyway? Yes, I did and maybe you ignored that good
advice too? I ended up with a few really
bad sunburns from parking myself in front of a sun lamp or baking out in the
backyard. I was, and still am,
fair-skinned and I even conceded “you were right Mom” while she
slathered on the Noxzema medicated skin cream to tame that burn.
Bathing beauties.
It’s okay to laze around in the sun if you’re a Snapping Turtle
– after all, you waited through that long, cold Winter while burrowed down in
the silt, deep below the Creek, dreaming of the day you’d come out to the
cement landing and bask in the sunshine.
Perhaps my best advice to mother and daughter turtle is to at
least apply a little zinc oxide to those perky noses!
GRUMPY CAT MAY BE GONE, BUT CHECK OUT THIS ROBIN’S SCOWL. HMM – I WONDER WHO STEPPED ON ITS TOES?
I have enjoyed birds for many years, from the parakeets and canaries who were beloved pets, to the backyard birds that would line up on the chain-link fence every morning all year around to await their breakfast. In the Summer I’d watch them enjoying a cool drink or splashing in the multiple birdbaths I had in the backyard. It was a sad day when a new neighbor moved in behind and left his dog out 24/7/365 and never cleaned up after it and I discovered rats were visiting my yard. My garden, which had been a bird and butterfly paradise, was no longer a haven to enjoy, and I had to get rid of the bird feeders and birdbaths when a pest control service was brought in to bait the rats.
But I still can enjoy my fine-feathered friends on my walks, or when I am out and about in the neighborhood; they just aren’t technically “my birds” anymore. I love whistling back at them and go note for note. I usually give up whistling before they do when my “whistler” stops working. Try it one time when you’re in the backyard and you hear a bird singing – they enjoy doing this.
I’ve been photographing a lot of birds lately and have amassed many pictures … so, there was a dilemma. Do I have a post on only Robins, or just Red-Winged Blackbirds? And how about those NEW cute cardinal-with-a-peanut photos that you haven’t seen yet? Do I make a follow-up “Nutty Buddies”post? Decisions, decisions … so I decided to solve my problem and continue my run on bird posts, following on the heels of the Canada geese and goslings, and yesterday’s Mute Swan.
We have a new type of bird at Council Point Park – a Baltimore Oriole. I have been reading at the local Audubon and Wild Birds Unlimited Facebook sites, that we have lots of Orioles this year. I saw one flit by me and disappear into a tall tree last week. Another walker suggested I research their song online so I could identify with it before I actually looked for them. I don’t know what Orioles would be feasting on at the Park, grubs probably, but I do know Orioles love it if you put out half an orange for them on a simple feeder that is just a long nail driven into a board. They have quite the sweet tooth and like a little grape jelly or marmalade mixed with some water and placed right into their feeder … no English muffin, toast or peanut butter is necessary for them to show up to enjoy that jelly. Hopefully I see an Oriole this Summer and this stray orange-and-black feathered fellow wasn’t just passing through!
American Robin.
I may not like when the Robins try to build their nests in my front coach light – it is messy with mud, dried grass and bird droppings everywhere, so I have to shoo them away with plastic bags stuffed in the lamp elbow. It’s not a good look as to curb appeal for the house, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the Robins who cross my path.
Last month I showed you Mama Robin on the nest and then the hatchlings. I thought she was incubating the eggs originally, but it turns out she must have been keeping those hatchlings warm on those chilly days we had in mid-May. I posted some photos of those baby birds and was monitoring their growth, and one day – poof they were gone. I was a little bummed because I had hoped they would be like the other Robin families and the fledglings would stay near the nest, but they all up and left … they said “bye-bye, gotta fly!” I was sad to see the empty nest and even Mama and Papa were no longer around.
They had usually been close to their young ones, seeming to gaze off into space at times, but one eye was always watching those hatchlings with their mouths gaping open, awaiting worms and grubs from their parents. This was a photo I took a day or so before they became a pair of empty nesters.
I find that Robins have a perpetual scowl on their faces (especially the ones I’ve chased away and torn down their nests in the past). But, despite that stern look, like the Robin is wearing in the photo up top, they are interesting to observe and I love their cheerful birdsong. Here are some of my photos I’ve taken the last few weeks of the American Robin. There are times the Robins land on the perimeter path as if to say “if you’re doling out peanuts, how about doling out some mealworms too?
Since I don’t bring along Robin treats, I get the scowl and often a dive-bomb from one of our red-breasted friends.
Northern Cardinal.
The male Northern Cardinal is so beautiful and at the Park it seems the males are much bolder in their pursuit of peanuts than the females. Very rarely do I see the rather drab-colored female venture to the perimeter path.
Once again you’ll see below that the male Cardinal watched me from the tree as I was feeding the squirrels. So, with that advance notice, I had the camera ready as I knew he was going to soon swoop and swipe, just the same as in all the other photos I’ve posted. I had to laugh as he came down a little too quickly and a squirrel was nearby … it looks like this Cardinal put on the brakes in the second shot! Then he waits patiently on the pathway, as the squirrel, busily noshing on a nut, ignores his presence … in he goes and this bright red bird is ready for his own peanut nirvana.
Red-Winged Blackbird.
The Red-Winged Blackbirds are mean and ornery and will peck any bird, no matter the size, to antagonize it … the male is not defending its mate and the nest when I see these altercations. It just picks on geese or other birds and pecks them on the back or head. This species of bird is a bully, but a striking-looking one. This time I included a few photos of the female. I was walking past the reeds and saw a pair sitting near the bulrushes so I think perhaps they were nesting there. The female may be a dull brown, but her stripes make her easily identifiable. She does not grab peanuts from the perimeter path – she lets her mate do that dirty work because she’s a stay-at-home mom. Both the female and male Red-Winged Blackbirds are pretty vocal – just look at that beak when it’s open.
While the trees were still flowering, I heard, before I saw, this male Red-Winged Blackbird trilling amongst the blossoms. It sure was a beautiful sight to behold.
Even when he was “at rest” you could not help but admire him.
I think they are a force to be reckoned with, no matter where they are located.
Canada Geese.
There will be at least one or two more posts chockfull of geese and gosling photos, but here’s a parting shot of a couple of Canada Geese enjoying a breakfast of spent dandelions.
I have not written about Mr. Mute Swan in a while, and his
unexpected presence on an early Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend, gives
me the perfect opportunity to do so.
First off, I have been walking at Council Point Park on most
weekends, as well as the weekdays, because this little park, unlike the larger
ones that I sometimes visit, is not saturated and soggy. The perimeter path is higher than the
grounds, and, while the Creek water level has risen substantially from our last
two months of incessant rain, it is far from flooding its banks. So, it’s been a bigger joy than ever to trek
around my favorite nature nook, plus, the fact that a passel of goslings are
always within sight is a great reason as well.
When I walk on the weekends at this venue, I have more time to
linger, so I usually feed my furry and feathered pals the first time around,
then I can concentrate more on taking pictures while walking. So, this time was no different. I came up to the pavilion area and noticed a
lot of chalk drawings. I figured I’d
take pictures later and feed my little friends first. I was fumbling around with the bag of peanuts,
with one eye on the trail to scope out any of my nutty buddies, when suddenly,
in my peripheral vision, I saw a big slash of white between the bushes. I knew right away it was a swan gliding down
the Creek. I figured I’d catch up with
it at the cement landing as it passed by.
I looked again for any furry and feathered pals, figuring I’d make a mad
dash down to the landing and have the
camera ready when this beautiful creature glided by.
But suddenly … there we were, face to face, er … beak to face.
But Mr. Swan surprised me with an close-and-personal visit. While I stood there, still clutching the bag
of peanuts, I watched it ascend the embankment, stomping the ground with those
wide, webbed feet. It stopped and looked
right at me. Meanwhile I was fumbling to
put away the peanuts, get the camera out and focused, and niggling at my mind
was whether this swan was going to charge at me, or head back into the water?
The back story (yes, there’s always a back story).
Of course you’re saying to yourself “why would Linda think the swan was going to charge at her?” Yes indeed, a male Mute Swan came after me on a cold March day because I was taking pictures of him and his Missus in the water. He swam fairly close to the Creek banks and snorted a little. I heard those snorting noises, but figured it was from immersing his head in the cold water to find food. Wrong! He climbed up the embankment lickedy-split and stomped right in my direction. Yikes! I threw down some peanuts in the snow which likely saved me from getting a bite taken out of my behind. You can read about my adventure by clicking here.
But this Mute Swan just stood there as if he was waiting for me to take his picture. I tried not to make any sudden movements that would scare him. For some reason his usually snowy white breast was marred with a dark color, but it did not diminish his regal beauty in the least.
I was in awe of this beautiful creature, just like with my second Mute Swan land encounter. That episode happened exactly two weeks later when I was strolling along the perimeter path and came upon a Mute Swan, submerged in the icy water and plunging through the ice by kicking it with it massive feet while pecking a path with its beak. I was just mesmerized at its efforts, and while standing there watching and taking some shots, the swan suddenly walked up the embankment, not far from me, and began preening, mostly pecking the ice from its feathers. It was such an extraordinary sight to see, then it went right back into the water after it rested for a few minutes. I think it was tired from its journey and I’m not so sure it was even mindful of my presence. Here is one of my favorite posts ever about “The Ice Cutter” as I called him.
Well, I digressed bigtime … so, back to THIS Mute
Swan. After fumbling for the camera, I
inched a little closer and it stood and gazed in my direction, even opened its
mouth wide as you see in the photo up top.
I’m sure it was either saying “hey there” or asking for treats, don’t
you? It likely knows I am a sucker for
the Park wildlife, but I’d already put the peanuts away to grab the camera – clearly,
I needed more hands.
The swan meandered around Brian Skinner’s memorial tree,
pecked at the mulch, then turned and went right back into the water. He could not have been on land for more than
90 seconds tops. He walked back down the
embankment and next I saw him in the water, so I ran down to the cement landing
to catch a clear view without any brush or reeds in the way.
Watch as he spins around to look at me at the cement landing, then heads downstream. He ended up with some Canada Geese, then I eventually lost sight of him. I took a lot of pictures and sat down pondering which ones to use for this post. I concede they look similar, yet, I thought if I did a slide show, perhaps I could better illustrate his presence. (Unfortunately this time I could not do a hybrid post half in Gutenberg Editor, half in Classic Editor, so I’ll leave the photos gallery style instead.) So, imagine this swan, who was easily my height (69 inches/175 cm), and the average swan measures 50 to 60 inches (127 to 152 cm) in length, with a wingspan of about 82 to 94 inches (208 to 239 cm). Also I might add that the average Cob (male Mute Swan) weighs around 26 pounds (12 kilograms). Suffice it to say that he was huge! And those big feet! His demeanor was so calm that I believe I could have asked someone to take a photo of us together. But, just like the last two times, I was the only one who witnessed this beautiful swan up close and personal.
Thank goodness the month of May is in the rear view mirror,
though June didn’t begin all that great either.
I had some computer issues at work Wednesday and Thursday thanks to
Comcast (I was blacklisted at the work site and could not gain access to my
desktop). Compounding the problem, was
the fact that my boss was going out of town for a week, necessitating a mad scramble
on Friday to get all my work and our June invoices done before his departure. Saturday, June 1st dawned hot and
humid, and the spike in the heat made conditions perfect for a volatile
storm. Here in SE Michigan, we had two
severe storms yesterday, the first at 3:00 p.m. caused my power to go out for
almost four hours. When I finally hopped
online to try to catch up with what was going on in the outside world (and here
at WordPress), storm #2 began slowly rumbling and making its presence known. I stayed online a while watching Tweets from
the weather bureau and local meteorologists about the storm’s approach to our
area. Finally I just shut the computer
off and went to bed. I did get out to
walk today, but didn’t take any pictures.
The photos in this blog post are from Friday and Saturday.
There was some serious goose-steppin’ going on.
I like walking in the morning because it is peaceful and quiet
at the Park and there are more critters out and about. The geese and their goslings are no exception. I love seeing the goslings following after
their parents, toddling along, whether it is to the next patch of grass to
graze in, across the perimeter path or down the embankment to the Ecorse Creek.
The grass is very long at Council Point Park right now. Normally, the grass-cutting service arrives
every Monday morning, right around the time I am ready to leave for home. But, the cutters are way off schedule due to
the incessant rain and stormy weather.
They haven’t been around in awhile and meanwhile the grass has gone to
seed as have the dandelions. The
goslings, just like their parents, have been gorging themselves on the tender long
grass and a few times I saw the goslings just laying down and nibbling on the
grass rather than standing up to graze. I
was hard pressed to take a picture when the geese weren’t grazing or preening
themselves, thus I ended up with a ton of photos from the last few days. I
sifted through about 150 pictures that I took over Friday and Saturday …
admittedly I had a tough time winnowing down the photos for this post. I tried to ensure they did not all look alike
and to capture some of their antics as well.
Wait until you see how much our fuzzy babies have grown …
but wait! Now there is a fourth family
and those goslings are still at the yellow, cute-and-fuzzy-ball-of-fluff stage. I discovered the fourth family on Friday, and, in the six years that
I’ve been walking at this venue, usually the three or four families of geese spread
out around the Park, and do not necessarily congregate together. But, on the two days, when these pictures
were taken, all four families were hanging out together – it was a geese and gosling convention! I tried to get a shot of the entire group, but
it was impossible.
I took some photos of the geese and their offspring along the perimeter path and these shots will give you an idea of the stages of growth. Note in the larger goslings how their adult plumage colors and feathers have started to emerge, mostly on their backs and tail feathers. It was warm yesterday and many of the goslings, just plopped down, some in the middle of the path, some along the edge. At a glance, you may think the goslings all look alike, but they are various colors and sizes.
Of course, we walkers always have to do a detour around the goslings, or their parents will hiss or flap their wings until we humans obey and follow the proper protocol! It’s no big deal to walk around them and on the grass, but sometimes walkers don’t do that thus raising the hackles of the parents.
Yesterday morning, since it was a weekend, I could take my time watching the families and taking pictures, whereas on Friday, I had one eye on the goslings and the other eye on my watch, since it was a work day. I was a respectable distance away, so as not to anger the gander who stands like a sentry guarding his family (except for when he is bending that slender neck to the ground to grab up grass with that long beak). So I was immersed in the beauty of the geese gathering, when all of a sudden, a person walking a big black dog came along and the families all scattered down to the Creek and into the water post haste. This was one family and some stragglers headed for safety.
Actually, dogs are not permitted in this Park, but that law
is not enforced. The appearance of the
pooch on the perimeter path caused the
gaggle to head to a part of the Creek where the brush and high reeds make it
difficult to get a clear view of the water, but I did my best to take pictures
anyway.
Down at the ol’ swimmin’ hole.
Once again, capturing the images of a contingent of four geese families was a challenge, so I had to limit myself to just a few parents and/or offspring at a time. And, I want to mention, that often geese are very loud – they honk as they descend from the sky to the grassy areas, or when they splash down on the water … even when they are conversing with one another in the Park. But these last two days, they were very quiet, whether grazing (yup, I guess their mouths are full) or swimming along in the water. The peace and tranquility of them swimming was amazing to me – no one made a peep, as they followed the leaders.
Here are some pictures of the geese and goslings in the
water.
I suspect there will be a few more geese family posts, but I
have taken a lot of other Park critter pictures recently and will be sharing
them in the coming week.
Here it is, the last day of May, 2019 and a mere seven more months to reach my goal. So, I’m just like this girl featured above, trying to get my steps in and keep a smile on my face at the same time. I’m up to 362 miles (583 km) as of this morning’s walk. After it got lighter in the morning, I was able to add an extra mile, even a mile and a half to my daily tally. If it was a storm in the morning, and it cleared up at day’s end, I walked after work. Just this week, I had computer issues at work and two mornings were spent dealing with our tech, so I walked in the evenings to not lose any steps. In the evening, it’s not the same ambiance and experience at the Park, and I knew that would be so, but I went anyway. So onward and upward to meet my goal – fingers crossed I make it, but I must admit my confidence is sagging a wee bit. Sure, there are seven months left in the year, but December cannot be counted on for regular walks due to potential snow/ice, sometimes even November for the same reason, and, when the sun rises later in the morning in late September/October, my steps get cut down. And there is always the weather to factor in. I understand we will have a cool and rainy June, a dry July and a very hot August. I still have 880 miles (1,416 km) left to meet my goal – there will be a whole lotta walkin’ goin’ on for this gal!
I saw a story on Michael Posner, the walker I told you about that is trekking across the U.S. on a 3,000-mile (4,828 km) journey. Mike took a few days off this week to visit his home state of Michigan for a wedding and a benefit concert, then he was back on the road again. This side trek means he is not walking through Michigan near me now. That’s a bummer, as I thought I might like to join him for a few miles if he was close by. This was purely a social visit in his hometown and no walking was done. You can click here to see a recent article The Detroit News did on Mike’s walk across America.
My favorite meteorologist says this is not the wettest Spring on record, though it sure feels like it – we had rain 25 of 31 days this month. I hope that June will be drier, but I’m not going to complain as the weather across the U.S. is not just abysmal like ours – it is also deadly. It takes my breath away to read about the damage from the worst tornado outbreak in a few weeks’ time in history. Some tornadoes were in Ohio and Indiana, essentially states that are Michigan’s neighbors
Another casualty of so much rain, often on the weekends, is there
has been no chalk art on sidewalks and driveways to photograph and share in my
posts. Perhaps the kids don’t want to waste an afternoon creating chalk artwork
that the rain will just wash away. I
can’t say that I blame them, do you?
I made a grand find last Sunday at Council Point Park. Some
enterprising young artist (or maybe more than one) had taken their chalk and
created a slew of flowers and abstract images, including this girl featured at
the top and bottom of this post. They were smart to draw under the
pavilion roof where their artwork is protected from the raindrops. The
drawings were vivid and the artist(s) left some of their chalk behind, and I
was tempted to be like my friend Ann Marie who often leaves a message in chalk
when she sees chalk drawings.
Just like the first picture below that features the sun, we are also enjoying a sunny day today.
Hope you like the flowers and flourishes in the images below. I’ll leave you with this quote:
“Look at life with the eyes of a child.” ~ Henri Matisse
Today was the Island Road Runners’ Memorial Day 5K/8K Run/Walk on Grosse Ile, Michigan. (That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?) I saw it advertised in the online version of the local paper a few weeks ago and thought this might be a chance to check out another venue for walking, so I signed up. The Island Runners are a group of Downriver area residents that formed a group of runners back in 1981 and this Memorial Day Race has been in existence for just as long. I understand there were between 500 to 600 participants in today’s event.
Grosse Ile is the
biggest island in the Detroit River and accessible via a main bridge or toll
bridge and also by boat. The whole
island is only 9.6 miles (24.9 km).
We
assembled at Grosse Ile High School on probably the most gorgeous day that we’ve
seen in 2019. We enjoyed a flawless blue
sky, brilliant sun and cool temps, about 60 degrees at race start time and no
humidity or wind. With the exception of
a few stragglers, we were all ready to go by 8:50 a.m.
After hearing the national anthem (including a few yowls from a white poodle at the high notes), then some comments from the race coordinator …
… the 5K Race/Walk began promptly at 9:00 a.m. and the 8K run followed five minutes later. The flag bearers marked the solemn remembrance of Memorial Day with huge flags, Old Glory and one representing the servicemen who are POWs/MIAs.
We
headed down Grays Drive toward the Detroit River.
It
was a conglomeration of runners and walkers, women pushing baby strollers, kids
holding on to mom or dad’s hand … or holding their own by racing with the
adults, and finally, a few dogs tagging along with their owners.
Along
East River Road, which runs parallel to the River, there was plenty of police
presence, including vehicles that blocked off all the streets where we walked. Officers and volunteers on bicycles rode alongside
the shoreline, keeping pace with all of us. They were carrying boom boxes blaring
music to get runners and walkers pumped up along this scenic trek.
The water at the river was sparkling and the occasional pleasure boat drifted by and its occupants gave us a wave. Some boats and docks were dormant awaiting more activity later perhaps.
The
houses to our left were exquisite, with perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful
landscaping. A few homeowners waved and
shouted out words of encouragement as we passed their homes.
Next,
we turned into a neighborhood, and it was very shady, which was already welcome
as it had gotten warmish on the short walk along East River Road in the full
sun. It seemed at every twist and turn
along the way were well wishes shouting out “good job” or “doin’ great or “just
a little bit further and you’ll have even more shade” … that was great news as
the runners were already red-faced and looking a little exhausted, especially
the ones who had donned the long-sleeved race shirts made for this event.
This
guy and gal were wearing patriotic-looking duds.
These
sweet young ladies were our “water girls” and eager to pass out tall cups of
water.
And
this young man had a bird’s eye view of the activities from a tree in the front
yard.
At
Meridian and Lowrie Roads, with barely a mile left in the race, a classic car
caught my eye. It was parked alongside a
few more well wishers, one of them waving an American flag. Now I wouldn’t necessarily recognize a
Plymouth Road Runner at first glance, but a few things gave me a clue here as
you see below:
You
might remember the Road Runner cartoon character from Wile E. Coyote and the
Road Runner? Perhaps this car was
the mascot for the Island Road Runners who have a Road Runner logo too. I stopped to visit with Paul, who has owned
this car since 1976 when he graduated from high school.
I
didn’t want to linger as we were smack in the middle of the sun and it was
getting warmer by the minute, so I rounded the corner onto Grays Drive for the
last leg of the journey.
As we neared the end, people lined up to either clap or say “good going” or something similar and to tell us “the end is near” which made me wonder if we all looked that weary? The 8K runners were coming in the same time as me, but I had meandered along, taking it all in and taking photos for this post. As with prior 5Ks I am more interested in the ambiance than getting a good race result (good thing because I came in at 1 hour and 10 minutes for my official time – yikes!)
There
was a medals ceremony and refreshments, and an announcement of where our
registration fees were donated (various Grosse Ile schools and Special
Olympics), then the event was over. To
garner some additional steps, I left the car at the High School and went up to
the River and strolled along East River Road to get a few more miles in. I enjoyed this beautiful weather day,
especially as we have storms rolling in tonight around 9:00 p.m. and the
rainy/stormy days will continue through Thursday.
I’ll
leave you with this quote:
[Island Road Runners Logo from their Facebook Page]
The weather outside’s been a bit frightful, as is often the case
on a holiday weekend. But, rather than whine about the weather, as I am
often wont to do, I just skipped Saturday’s saturated walk, even though I am
sorely lagging behind in steps for 2019 thanks to the weather. I still aim to get on board with walking in
the rain, especially now that I’ve got all my various soggy weather gear in
place, but I must embrace that idea slowly – it appeals to me more now that the
weather is a little warmer.
Saying the weather is a little warmer is an understatement. Yesterday it was downright sultry – in the
80s. Today was not as warm, but it was
very humid. I had just returned from my
walk, got in the house and it began to rain.
It’s drizzling now and a storm is on the horizon. We have stormy weather every day through
Thursday. But, though the rain is a
pain, it is not severe and devastating like other parts of the U.S.
It is finally ice-cream eatin’ weather and the truck has been
making its rounds in the neighborhood … there must be lots of kids on nearby
streets because the song is already an earworm.
I was thinking of these “Nutty Buddy” treats in conjunction with hearing
that ice-cream truck’s song.
Do you remember them and did you like them back in the day, or
are they still a favorite?
In my recent posts, we all oohed and aahed over all the sweet
babies … goslings, Robin hatchlings and even the Great Blue Heron. I am
way overdue in showcasing some of Council Point Park’s peanut-eating pals I
encounter on the perimeter path daily. A bag of peanuts gives a lot of
pleasure to a cast of characters that you know as Parker, Stubby, Midnight as
well as the Northern Cardinals and Red-Winged Blackbirds, who choose to swipe a
peanut or two from under the squirrels’ noses. Feeding these furry and
feathered critters gives me a lot of pleasure too.
So, please enjoy this parade of my Nutty Buddies, whose images
I’ve been collecting the past few weeks during my Park treks.
Parker.
No one is more appreciative of peanuts than Parker. Take a look at the smile on his face.
Stubby.
I’ve been following the antics of Stubby since last year when I saw he was missing half his tail, hence the moniker of “Stubby”. I can’t tell the Fox Squirrels apart … Parker usually will run to see me, and the rest of them all look alike, except for Stubby. His tail is not so raggedy looking now with the white fur tip.
Midnight.
Midnight is awfully timid and I’m still working on gaining his confidence. You’ll see how he is always mindful of my presence, a little bit of fear in his eyes. I daren’t make a move as he’ll bolt.
Northern Cardinal.
This beautiful male Cardinal practices “swoop and swipe” … from his perch he watches for an opportunity then swoops down. I laughed at these pictures when I downloaded them and was previewing them. There’s plenty of peanuts more his size, i.e. a pipsqueak next to the squirrels. That peanut is almost as big as he is, reminding me of the expression “go big or go home!”
Red-Winged Blackbird.
The male Red-Winged Blackbird watches the peanuts, the squirrels and the Cardinal and decides when to make his move. Sometimes he just lands on the perimeter path in front of me – hint, hint … I’m here and ready for peanuts. The female Red-Winged Blackbird doesn’t resort to these tactics … I assume she waits for her better half to bring home the bacon, er … peanuts.
It’s the first long holiday weekend of 2019, and, while we are all mindful about the real reason for the Memorial Day holiday, we are also anticipating a little R&R as well. What are your plans? Are you sneaking out of work early today and heading to a cottage, have a mini-getaway planned, or just staying home and doing yard work and planting some flowers? Maybe you’re just relaxing? If you’re headed out, I’ll wish you safe travels.
In the meantime, I want to share some more pictures I took on Tuesday morning. The goslings are growing up quickly! One family has a trio of goslings that are still in the cute-and-fuzzy stage and the other two families have goslings that are teenagers. Tuesday was a gray and gloomy morning as I watched one family of geese marching across the perimeter path, through the spent dandelions, enroute to the Ecorse Creek. The Creek is not that wide and the family made the trip to the other side in about 15 minutes. As I stood there (forsaking any walking steps) to capture some photos of their little trip, they reminded me a bit of the children’s book about the Country Mouse and City Mouse. I decided that these geese were the Country Cousins who were going to visit their City Cousins yonder across the Creek. I watched the meet-and-greet at the other side, then suddenly the homeowner started up his lawn mower and the loud noise made the City Cousins and their goslings scatter and the Country Cousins never got out of the car, er … water, but instead just continued on their way.
I’ve captured their road trip in the photos with captions below.
[Header image by “National Day Calendar”]
Sneaking out of work early to beat the traffic.
The Country Cousins scramble to get ready to leave.
They stop for some fast food before taking off.
Sigh – it seems they forgot the map. Mama Goose hopes there are no detours, or this gaggle won’t be giggling. The goslings look to Papa Goose for direction.
Papa Goose says “I know the way – I don’t need no stinkin’ map!” (Hmm – don’t all dads driving on road trips say this? Just askin’.)
Papa concedes “okay, maybe I was a little off – now we are on the right track. Tell the rest of the kids to catch up!“
Meanwhile Family #2 contemplates taking a road trip. Mama says the kids are too young … maybe wait a few days ’til they’re older?
Yup, the Country Cousins are rubberneckin’ as they watch the slowdown ahead.
Traffic congestion; now the Country Cousins wish they’d just stayed home.
Aah – no traffic jams here, just smooth sailing for our friends.
The goslings ask: “are we there yet Pops?”
Patiently Papa Goose says: “no kids – just a little while longer.”
Almost there – where’s the welcoming party?
The City Cousins are happy to see their Country Cousins … “c’mon over here and give me a kiss!”
But where are are the rest of the Country Cousins – did they stay behind?
A big lawn mower wreaks havoc and the reunion is over as soon as it begins. The Country Cousins say “we’re outta here!”
You
know, I could have come up with at least a half-dozen headlines for this Sunday
stroll, but that song popped into my head first (and it just dated me as well).
These
pictures are from my walk at Elizabeth Park this past Sunday. I was still looking for the elusive
ducklings, and, just like Heritage Park, the Pekin Ducks, Hybrid Mallards and
regular Mallards that usually stroll around this park were scarce. Unfortunately, they had no ducklings in tow,
thus I have suspended the duckling search for 2019. Those sweet-and-fuzzy babies have likely
hatched and moved on to other parks, although the water was certainly conducive
for them staying here at this venue.
God willing and the creek don’t rise.
People
use this expression all the time, and, before this year, I cannot say I’ve ever
encountered water levels, the likes of what we have these days in Southeast Michigan. My heart goes out to those folks that are
suffering with floods and water levels twice, if not three times, the norm. The weather is just too erratic for my liking
and I worry everyday about this “new norm” weather-wise. We had torrential rain on Sunday. Don’t get me wrong … we’ve endured pounding
rains many a time, but this was a torrential rain that lasted 45 minutes. I watched the water rise to the top of the
curb in the street and this has happened over and over this Spring. We had severe weather with winds in the 60
mph range predicted for later in the day, and that is when soggy lawns cause trees
to topple over taking their massive roots with them.
Having rain every day isn’t just a thorn in my side for hampering my walking regimen, but the condition of the parks is also less than ideal for walking. I even bought waterproof shoes, plus vinyl rain boots, for navigating around the saturated grounds and trails on the weekend. But that said, I decided to go to Elizabeth Park as there should not be any water worries because I knew they have the paved perimeter path that encircles the entire park and is used by vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians and even our fine-feathered friends …
… not to mention the paved walkway down to the canal, three bridges to cross, plus the boardwalk. I figured walking shoes would suffice, but boy was I wrong! The canal had flooded its banks up and onto the grass and even the sidewalks – what a mess!
I tried cutting through the grounds to access the picturesque bridge …
…
and the grass was like walking on a sponge.
Squish, squish, squish went my heavy walking shoes as I sank down into
the waterlogged grass. I had to turn
around and head back, but found a few ducks enjoying a morning swim.
These
ducks looked like they were catching up on neighborhood gossip, as if they were
laughing about something don’t they?
I
retraced my steps back up to where I parked and decided to go down these
rickety cement stairs to get to the boardwalk, where surely it would not have
water lapping up and over the seawall?
Whew – it did not.
Two
geese strolled along the boardwalk and stepped right into the water.
A couple of furry friends happened along, first this Fox Squirrel, on the prowl for treats, who came running over to see me. I guess I have “Peanut Lady” written all over my forehead.
And this Gray Squirrel with the eloquent pose which seemed to say “will you be so kind as to favor me with some peanuts?”
All of a sudden the sun slipped behind the clouds … well, as long as it didn’t rain – sigh. I saw this Red-Winged Blackbird which appeared in silhouette in that newly darkened sky.
Gone fishin’.
I
must mention how warm it was last Sunday.
Our weather has been so erratic.
We’ll have a slew of chilly days, then suddenly the temps jump as high
as 25-30 degrees in a single day.
Tuesday morning I awoke to 45 degrees F (7 C). Last Sunday I was way overdressed. I didn’t factor in the humidity when I got ready
to go because I put on a sweat suit to thwart any mosquitoes from making a meal
of me.
On this hazy morning, the fishermen were out in full force, lined up all along the Detroit River boardwalk.
I
think today’s fishermen (and women) lining this boardwalk are not pondering
life and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the moment while dropping a line
into the water. They are
multi-taskers. They have multiple
fishing rods propped in between the railing that runs parallel to the
boardwalk. They are not watching that
line for any action, like wiggling or tugging at the lure or night crawlers,
because their respective heads are often bent down while peering at their
smartphones. There are boom boxes
blaring in the background. It is a
bustling crowd on the boardwalk.
Some,
like this guy stand there, rod in hand, patiently waiting on a bite and far from
the maddening crowd.
And
then there was this fisherman who was waiting in the weeds, er …reeds for a
nibble on his line.
I first encountered him when I walked by on the boardwalk. I saw his head bobbing behind the straw-like reeds and took the image above, then this one …
…
but I wanted to see exactly where he was standing, away from the
boardwalk. I couldn’t believe that he
was balancing precariously on these rocks, right in the Detroit River (52 feet
deep). I took a few shots of him fishing from his stony perch, and next time he
cast out, he spotted me and he called out “twenty bucks for my picture!” So I countered with “how’ ’bout I make
you famous in my blog instead?” He laughed and as I walked away, I thought
to myself “did I really say that?”
I
kept strolling along the boardwalk, and soon another fisherman piqued my
interest. This fellow had his fishing
rod in hand and two very tiny fish were on the line. I remarked “well at least you caught two fish,
huh?” He smiled and said “nope,
they’re just bait minnows, but look what I caught already!” He pointed to the water where several fish
were strung on a bright blue line which was tied to the railing. I shared his enthusiasm by saying “wow
those are big fish – guess I know what you’re having for dinner tonight and these
would be silver bass?” See what I did
there – I hoped to erase my faux pas about characterizing the minnows as dinner,
by identifying his catch of the day, thus making me seem a little more
intelligent. “Yes” he said, so I
continued “yup, I understand the silver bass are running; the fisherman on
Bishop Park’s pier last week told me that.”
He added “and the walleye are here too.” Now I wouldn’t know a silver bass from a
walleye so I just nodded sagely, then asked if he would mind if I took a couple
of pictures of his fish. I had to lean
way over the rail to get these shots.
I
thanked him and said “enjoy your fish fry tonight” and he smiled, then pointed
and said “see the fellow in red over there – he just caught a fish.”
So,
here’s my last fisherman with his catch of the day. I decided to ask if I could take his picture,
not just sneak in a shot and he was happy to oblige.
I
omitted my line about making him famous in my blog because (wait for it) I didn’t want him to think I was fishing for
compliments.
There are a few things you can count on every Spring … the appearance of allergies, dandelions and those pesky elm and maple seeds that land in your mulch and sprout into a gazillion tiny weeds in a day or two.
Spring is also the time for babies at all the parks and woodsy areas and Council Point Park is no exception. I’ve never seen baby squirrels, but I am not alone in that regard, because, unlike the waterfowl who hatch, then head to the water within 24 hours of birth, baby squirrels stay in the nest, totally dependent on Mom for the first ten weeks of life. After they have been weaned, squirrels are off to explore the world, forage and plead for peanuts, which I wonder if that is an innate trait, or something their folks taught them to do.
So, you’ll not see any squirrel photos in this post, but no worries, I’ve got a few cute pictures tucked away for later.
The Robin nursery is busy.
Since I wrote about Mama Robin sitting on the nest and incubating those pretty turquoise eggs, a trio of baby robins has hatched.
The hatchlings are growing big and I am amused that their mouths seem to be large in proportion to their bodies. They have an almost sinister grin, though they remind me a little of Daffy Duck with that oversized beak. Most of the time, those beaks are open and pointed toward the sky as they await Mama to drop some grubs or worms in that gaping mouth.
Mama Robin continues to sit on top of the chicks when she is not feeding them and sometimes her mate watches them nearby while she is off looking for toddler tidbits.
Harry the Heron has offspring too.
My favorite nature nook has
been gifted with the presence of a baby Great Blue Heron. Fellow walker Mike told me a few weeks ago
that he saw a heron family on the cement landing. I was sorry I missed that sight. I had not seen Harry the Heron in ages, not
that it does me any good, since he sees me and makes a horrible screeching
noise and takes flight before I can take his picture. Harry is either camera-shy, or just has incredibly
bad manners to bolt like that, but I do not take it personally.
So, whether or not this was
Harry’s kin, I don’t know, but this small heron was standing on the cement
landing and I was able to get quite close to him. He was not uncomfortable, didn’t mind my
intrusion and just continued his ramrod stance, peering into the water,
studying it for movement of any fish for his breakfast, just like his folks
taught him to do.
Then he bent down closer,
studying the water, ignoring the rumbles in his stomach, while hoping for a little
fish.
He began to hunker down, ready to aim for the kill …
… but no luck so far. He did strike a beautiful pose while fishing though.
I was hoping he’d get that elusive fish, so I could get a picture of that shad that he’d gulp down whole, then it would wiggle all the way down that slender neck enroute to his stomache. I kept the camera clapped up tight against my face. But, either the fish weren’t around, or this heron must hone his hunting skills … there were no fish for his breakfast and ten minutes later I glanced at my watch and decided since it was a work day, I’d better hustle, so I said “see ya soon okay?”
There were lots of loosey-goosies.
There are now three Canada Geese
families at Council Point Park and that is the same as in recent years. Two families have rather large goslings, already
shedding their downy yellow fuzz for a mottled, gray-and-yellow sleeker
look. Along with their advanced age,
comes a whole lot of attitude as you’ll see below. In one family, those goslings are still fairly
small.
I was dividing my time between the three families, trying to get some pictures where they weren’t in the shadows, or preening, or munching grass that was almost as tall as they were, especially when they laid down.
I got some random photos of each family as you will see below.
Then, I was bending down to
feed a squirrel and almost missed the kerfuffle between a few Canada
Geese. As you see below, one of them had
his knickers in a twist about something and he started honking and hissing at Mama
and Papa Goose who had their goslings gathered around them. The pictures
are a little fuzzy as I was in the shadow of a tree when all the action began
and I didn’t want to step away from my place in the “cheap seats” to get a
better view.
Well, Papa Goose was defending his family and thus he countered with a little hissing of his own, so the bully goose flapped his wings, then went airborne just a little and Papa Goose took off after him. I had the camera handy and captured the fracas. I was back a respectable distance and they were not mindful of my presence. Look at the goslings scatter while flipping their tiny wings.
The funniest thing was that once there were no more wing-flapping shenanigans, the bully goose continued hissing and the goslings, quick learners, began hissing back at this interloper. It’s kind of like when a Chihuahua barks at a Great Dane!
And just like that (snapping fingers) the fracas was over and the family gathered together and moved on.
In the coming weeks I hope to
capture more images of the babies as they grow by leaps and bounds!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 