Author Archives: makielb

Burdock (only the old seed head) and catnip were already growing new leaves. Cut-leafed toothwort was putting up flowers. The leaves of great waterleaf are up. The flowers will follow in late May or June. Motherwort leaves were out, but I find the old seed heads more interesting, especially at this time of year. SouthernContinue reading “Dexter-Huron Metropark and spring wildflowers”

But first – three years ago today our feeder in Ann Arbor was covered with ice. So, no complaining about how late spring is this year. As a kid Al Kaline was my idol. The stats on this card are from the previous year when he won the American League batting title. I have aContinue reading “Spring means baseball!”

The number of weekly cases of Covid-19 was up to 10% in the U.S. and Canada as of yesterday. But as of today, the numbers are rapidly rising in the U.S., less so in Canada. Regardless, I am glad that I got my second booster today. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing more insectsContinue reading “The pandemic and waiting for spring”

The weekly pandemic numbers show that S. Korea, Germany and France are still the hot-spots for the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant. But the U.S. numbers are trending up. Numbers in the North-east are on the rise and Philadelphia has reinstated an indoor mask mandate. Be vigilant! Other depressing news in the world involves the Russian invasionContinue reading “Petosky preserves and an ever changing world”

That’s me sometimes, not the bull, but rather a walking bag of irony. For everybody complaining about spring. This photo was from 2011. The springs of 2011 and 2012 make this look like an early spring. Now, get back to your gardens. While I always think of Whitefish Point as being mostly pines, this patchContinue reading “Heading south from Whitefish Point”

Our feeders at Whitefish Point have been quite active with the majority of visitors being Common Redpolls. Trying to take “good” photos through the glass is always a challenge. The above made redpoll was such a challenge as the bird was almost too close and I was shooting at an angle through the glass door.Continue reading “A day full of redpolls”

The weekly report on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is showing an increase in cases in the U.S. and Canada. This was expected, as the new Omicron variant is spreading. Data from Friday shows that the number of cases is increasing in both the U.S. and Canada. Stay tuned for more reporting in the future, and getContinue reading “A war, a virus, birds and more”

Just about that time of year when the Little Brown Jobs (LBJs) start appearing. But here in the far north it’s snowing and rather gloomy. So, what to do? It’s time to drive down a nearby road looking for grouse. While you probably can’t see it, there is a Spruce Grouse about 150 meters downContinue reading “No grousing about the weather”

Bears will be coming out of hibernation any day. It’s time to keep a close eye on the bird feeders. The highest observation deck is what I have named “The Raptor Roost.” That is where I normally watch migration from. This season has been quite slow so far with Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Golden EagleContinue reading “Whitefish Point, with or without hawks”

The trees here are a source of never-ending interest. This is a birch polypore which is a common fungus that grows on the white birch. Our feeders many visitors beyond the common Blue Jays and Common Redpolls. Red squirrels seem to prefer the feeder on the deck, where they can feed while not standing inContinue reading “Whitefish Point – Day-3”