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Photo of the Week: Fairy Doors at Belle Isle State Park

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Brown fairy door labeled Jurassic Park is surrounded by colorful miniature dinosaurs on the wood mulch ground.
The fairies at the Jurassic Park fairy door have sharp teeth, powerful jaws, and pointed claws.

The fairies landed at Belle Isle State Park in Detroit this month.

Created by the Belle Isle Conservancy, the self-guided fairy doors scavenger hunt is a welcome outdoor exhibit at one of my favorite state parks.

I visit Belle Isle several times a month for birding—it’s one of the best birding sites in the state.

But this weekend I spent time exploring the grounds of Belle Isle Aquarium and the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory in search of the 17 fairy doors hidden on the grounds. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Fairy Doors at Belle Isle State Park

Photo of the Week: Greater Yellowlegs in Late Autumn

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Medium-sized white-breasted grayish-brown speckled shorebird with bright yellow legs slowly walks through the grass near the shoreline.

On one of the last warm days of November in southeast Michigan, the Greater Yellowlegs feeding in the shallow waters of Washago Pond at Willow Metropark was a pleasant surprise for me this weekend.

And when I reported my sighting of the bird on eBird, it was flagged as a rare find for this time of the year.

I visited the pond because another birder reported finding a Cackling Goose, which I found as well.

Along with about 300 Canada Geese, almost two dozen Mallards, a couple Hooded Mergansers, and another surprise this late in the season: Yellow-rumped Warblers.

But I wasn’t expecting to find any shorebirds. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Greater Yellowlegs in Late Autumn

Photo of the Week: Pink Begonias Blooming in Mid-November

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Nestled among the fallen maple and oak leaves, pink begonia flowers stand out against its deep green waxy leaves.

If someone had asked me earlier this season what flowers would be blooming in my garden in mid-November—after several deep freezes and snow/rain showers this month in southeast Michigan—I would have confidently replied with mums and Calendula.

And they are indeed blooming today in my garden.

Bright orange Calendula flowers and deep red mum blooms add a touch of color on this gray, overcast day.

But I never would have guessed what other flowers would be blooming. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Pink Begonias Blooming in Mid-November

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