The other day Don drove us along the beach at New Smyrna Beach. As always it was a fun time. One of the many Royal Terns that we saw. A Sandwich Tern with Royal Terns. One of the many Ruddy Turnstones that we saw. One of the many Snowy Egrets at the Ponce Inlet. Breakwall.Continue reading “A day at the beach”
Author Archives: makielb
Canaveral National Seashore
Yesterday we spent the morning at Turtle Mound and Eldora two delightful places in the Canaveral National Seashore that are great for seeing plants and butterflies. The first thing that we saw was a Common Ground Dove, neither botanical nor a butterfly, but nice none-the-less. This Phaeon Crescent was basking in the morning sun. Abbot’sContinue reading “Canaveral National Seashore”
Merritt Island, Florida – 2026
Yesterday we spent the day with our friend Don visiting Merritt Island. Black Point Wildlife Drive never is a let down for birds and even insects. All of the expects wading birds were present. There were a lot of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons and Tricolored Herons. There were tons of White Ibises.Continue reading “Merritt Island, Florida – 2026”
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
We spent yesterday at the wildlife drive of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina. It’s always a wonderful place to visit. The small parking area at the start is always a nice place to begin our adventure here. This huge live oak is truly an introduction to the south. Our first large sulphurContinue reading “Savannah National Wildlife Refuge”
Traveling in the south
Several days ago we started south to visit friends and see some different plants and animals. This morning I am sitting chatting with my long time friend Mark in Weaverville, North Carolina. It’s 46F outside and foggy. All of the women (Susan, Adrienne and Bev) have yet to join us, so we are having. greatContinue reading “Traveling in the south”
Latest book reviews
I’m always looking for something fanciful to read. Recently we were at a local bookstore and I saw these two books. I read the first few pages and decided to give them a try. Well – for me these really worked. The basic storyline is about Hanna, who is hired as the assistant to theContinue reading “Latest book reviews”
Thinking about the garden and more
I had a nice conversation yesterday with somebody about having an Italian mother, the garden and cooking. That got me to thinking about growing up with an Italian mother, grandmother and all of the pasta that I ate over the years. It seemed that we had pasta at least 2-3 times a week, and alwaysContinue reading “Thinking about the garden and more”
Lunch and more
The other day we wanted to go to Staples to get some stuff and decided to walk, it’s about 2 – 2.5 miles and by the time we got there and were done it was lunch time and decided to eat at Star’s Cafe. Star’s is a Middle East restaurant that serves wonderful food. WeContinue reading “Lunch and more”
Valentine’s Day – 2026
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, and we were traveling from Whitefish Point back to Ann Arbor. This covers the day perfectly for many people. Susan showed me snow fleas and I considered that my present. Our day started with a Common Grackle which is extremely rare in the Upper Peninsula in winter. The I suggested thatContinue reading “Valentine’s Day – 2026”
An interesting start to the year
Every year I keep track of what I seen. This includes plants, animals and fungi. Typically, by this time of year I’ve seen 2-300 total species. This includes starting the year in Oregon. This year I have vowed to be more observant and pay attention to the “little” things such as lichens and fungi. InContinue reading “An interesting start to the year”
Michael's Place 