Photo of the Week: Brants in Marine City

small geese with black heads and subtle white necklace gathered on the grass

Are you interested in a detour along the St. Clair River, I asked my husband as we drove south from the Upper Peninsula last week.

We had spent an extended weekend in the Upper Peninsula, birding and catching the beautiful fall colors along Lake Superior as well as some of our favorite back roads.

The St. Clair River is a good two hours out of our way to where we live in the western suburbs of Detroit, which meant we’d get home after dark, rather than late afternoon.

Why? he asked.

You won’t believe this, but there are half-dozen sea birds hanging out in a park in downtown Marine City. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Brants in Marine City

Photo of the Week: Wet Day of Birding for First October Big Day

small brown bird with white breast and black banded neck and collar.

Yesterday, I was on one of over 13,000 participants in October Big Day, an international event for birdwatchers to watch and report all the birds they see in a single day.

I had high hopes of reporting 50 or more bird species for my October Big Day.

Sadly, rain and thunderstorms were predicted throughout the day in southeast Michigan, northwest Ohio, and southwest Ontario.

The rainy weather didn’t matter much to this Killdeer, which I found standing near a puddle of water at Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township, Michigan. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Wet Day of Birding for First October Big Day

Photo of the Week: Trumpeter Swans

two white swans raise their heads after feeding in the still waters of the marsh

Wait, slow down a minute, I asked my husband yesterday as we drove down the paved road past Erie State Game Area near the Ohio/Michigan border.

I had seen two large splotches of white in the back of the pond and wanted a second look.

Could they be a pair of Trumpeter Swans? Continue reading Photo of the Week: Trumpeter Swans