Photo of the Week: Turkey Sculpture at Environmental Interpretive Center

A shiny silver metal sculpture of a turkey with wings made of layered silver spoons and legs made from rebar. The turkey bends its neck toward the ground as it forages for food. A nearby hollow log made from metal files lies on the ground, with several shelf mushrooms growing horizontally from the log. The sculpture is surrounded by brown wood mulch. In the background are green-leaved native plants and shrubs.

A shiny metallic sculpture of a turkey marks the entrance walkway past the rain garden, a different type of bird for those of us gathered for an early morning bird hike.

Created by local artist Laura Steiner, the sculpture was installed at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) in mid-August 2025.

Continue reading Photo of the Week: Turkey Sculpture at Environmental Interpretive Center

Photo of the Week: Red Admiral Butterfly

Sitting on a fallen curled up brown leaf on the green grass sits a black and red butterfly with white spots with its wings open completely.

The fluttering dark and red colors about four feet off the ground caught my attention as I walked away from the Detroit River Hawk Watch at Lake Erie Metropark.

I watched as it landed on a fallen brown leaf on the green grass, walked up slowly and discovered it was a beautiful Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) butterfly.

Continue reading Photo of the Week: Red Admiral Butterfly

Photo of the Week: Share Your Reflections

Wooden framed sign with blue words on a white background. Background of blurred green leaves.

At our first group walk for 2025 fall bird migration, I discovered new signage at the far east end of the Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

A wooden plaque on a post next to an enclosed protective glass box asked visitors to share their reflections and experiences at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA).

Continue reading Photo of the Week: Share Your Reflections