Searching for Winter Birds

October is the month during which winter avian residents generally arrive on our Littleton farm.  So, under the watchful eyes of our resident fox, I looped through the property, searching primarily for dark-eyed juncos and, our regular seasonal boarder, a lone Townsend's solitaire.  Alas, none were seen.

Nevertheless, it was a rewarding effort.  I encountered a large flock of bushtits and the woodpecker-nuthatch crowd were well represented.  Among the twelve species observed, house finches, as always, were most abundant, followed by American robins that were feasting on juniper berries.  Of note, a red-breasted nuthatch, once classified as a winter resident in this region, was seen; this entertaining species has become a permanent resident here over the past decade or so.

I certainly hope that some of the winter birds will turn up before I return to Missouri and I suspect they will.  Then again,  the expectations of birders are often not met. 

Toward the Hunter's Moon

Continuing my journey across the Great Plains this morning, I was heading toward the Hunter's Moon; our large, bright satellite was gleaming from the clear, western sky.  Its title, of course, reflects the season in which it appears, highlighting the vital importance of hunting in our evolutionary past, in preparation for the lean, harsh months of winter.  By contrast, hunting is now more of a leisure activity than a necessary one across most regions of our planet.

A half hour after my initial sighting, the moon disappeared behind a cloud bank that stretched across the western horizon.  Within another hour, I was beneath that gray, rumpled overcast, enveloped in chilly air.  It seemed as if the transition from bright sunshine to relative gloom reinforced the message of the Hunter's Moon.

While many of us enjoy winter, we evolved in the Tropics and our collective memory has instilled some trepidation as we face the coming cold and darkness.  We also "know" that it is the culling season, when the old, the infirm and the very young have long been potential victims; we acknowledge that fact in our observation of nature but prefer to think we humans are immune.  

A Cloud of Gulls

On my regular journeys across the Great Plains, I am always hopeful to experience an unusual sighting or, better yet, a true wildlife spectacle (usually avian in nature).  Today's reward came in Abilene, Kansas.

Unfazed by a chilly drizzle and a steady north wind,  a massive flock of Franklin's gulls swirled above the Interstate.  Having summered across the Northern Plains, these prairie gulls are on their way to the western coast of South America where they will spend the winter.

Since they feed primarily on insects, often following tractors as they plow fields or harvest crops, today's weather likely forced them to feed directly on the muddy fields.  In contrast to our persistent drought in Missouri, Kansas has clearly received plenty of rain, as evidenced by swollen lakes and soggy farmlands.  

Recovery at Eagle Bluffs

Just in time for the coming influx of migrant waterfowl (and those who hunt them), it appears that the water coverage at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area is gradually increasing.  Nevertheless, a friend and I did not encounter a single goose or duck on our visit to the floodplain refuge this morning.

In fact, over an hour and a half, we saw only 10 avian species, dominated by red-winged blackbirds.  Highlights included a sharp-shinned hawk and a great horned owl (photo).  Waders were limited to a few great egrets and great blue herons; no shorebirds were observed.

                                                        Photo by Ken Ogawa

But a recovery is apparently underway and the expanding pools were a welcome sight, especially since a prolonged drought continues to grip Central Missouri.  Following a return to Colorado, I'll report on the validity of my assumptions in a couple of weeks. 

Friendships & Politics

During this time of social division and political violence in America, there is a great deal of talk about "healing the country."  Mutual respect and compromise are among the proposed solutions.

Unfortunately, the dual sources of "news" in this country, one via professional journalists and the other from entertainment programming loyal to the President and keen on promoting conspiracy theories, hampers any attempt to reconcile differences.

And when it comes to personal friendships, one must share a philosophy of life and a commitment to truth in order for the relationship to develop and survive.  Conservatism and liberalism are often blamed for the widening gulf in America but the willingness to accept lies in order to benefit oneself or one's business seems to be the determining factor.  I, for one, cannot be a friend with anyone who truly supports (or even condones) the behavior, lies and policies of Donald Trump. 

Greenbelts

As our cities and suburbs continue to sprawl, consuming natural habitat, greenbelts have become especially important.  Even though these ribbons of life, almost always along rivers and creeks, often host a hike-bike trail, they offer a vital network of riparian woodlands, meadows and wetlands that attract a surprising variety of wildlife.

Unfortunately, these branched ecosystems tend to be rather narrow, lined with homes and businesses.  This limits their value as open space but also poses a threat to those human dwellings, especially in this era of flash flooding that we have recently entered.

While moving those structures will not likely occur until they are destroyed by a flood, planning commissions would be wise to widen these greenbelts before any new "development" is approved.  If not, nature will do it for us. 

Puffball Mushrooms

Walking out front yesterday, I saw that someone had left a golf ball in the yard.  Scanning further, I also saw a ping-pong ball and a softball.  Of course, these were all puffball mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of fungi; in our case, they are likely marking the location of decaying roots from a tree that had to be removed several years ago.

Not an expert on fungi, I am not inclined to snack on these mushrooms though most true puffballs are edible.  False puffballs, which generally have a short stem, are too tough to eat and some members of both groups are poisonous.

Unlike mushrooms that bear their spores on the gills of "umbrella-like" structures, the spores of puffballs are within the globular fruit and are released when it is disturbed by animals (including curious humans) or simply as the outer skin decays.  I'll just leave them alone. 

Careers & Relationships

We all hope to have a rewarding and successful career, regardless of what we choose to do.  Of course, that goal will depend on a variety of factors, not the least of which is our relationship with our family members.

Movies and streaming series are replete with this effort to balance a character's job responsibilities with the needs of their spouse and children.  Certain careers, especially in fields such as medicine and law enforcement, are often associated with prolonged and unpredictable time commitments and thus can exacerbate this ongoing tension.  Indeed, this fact may be anticipated or evident early in a relationship, ending it before it has a chance to mature.

As with all human relationships, cooperation, communication and compromise are the keys to dealing with this common challenge.  Too often, such a commitment is one-sided and divorce ensues. 

Resist!

Following the political attacks on Jimmy Kimmel and James Comey, there is no need to negotiate over the pending Government shutdown.  The entire Republican Party, with very few exceptions, are Trump lapdogs, rubber stamping any policy or demand that he throws their way.  Our King now owns the Department of Justice.

All of his Cabinet members are incompetent, corrupt or both and the Republican members of Congress are unwilling to criticize Trump even though his approval rating sinks daily.  Backed by a Supreme Court that disrespects our Constitution, this criminal regime is dismantling our Democracy.  Talk of a third term for the King is already surfacing.

Democrats must not bail out the Republicans.  Too much is at stake.  The Big Ugly Bill benefits only the wealthy and quality healthcare is being denied to a significant percentage of Americans.  We must oppose Trump at every turn or the Elections of 2026 and 2028 will not occur.  Resist the King and his cronies for your children and grandchildren! 

Zigzagging across Indiana

Driving back to Missouri today, we decided to avoid the congested Interstates of northern Indiana and Illinois and opted to take Blue Highways southwestward across Indiana.  Entering the State near South Bend, we used a series of limited-access highways and country roads, eventually entering Illinois near Interstate 74.

In the end, that route may have taken just as long but it was far more enjoyable.  It certainly gave us a better feel for the farmlands of the Hoosier State than a high-speed Interstate would and the journey introduced us to several rivers that we had not encountered in the past.

Of course, the luxury of free time at our age makes such a decision easier.  Nevertheless, we can all benefit from a slower pace to our lives whenever possible.  

Rosy Mound Natural Area

As it turns out, we saved the best for last.  On this final morning along the southeast shore of Lake Michigan, we visited Rosy Mound Natural Area, a few miles south of Grand Haven.

While the ecology of that preserve is identical to the other coastal refuges that we have visited and, in fact, its size is somewhat smaller, I was very impressed with the efforts to educate the public and to protect the fragile ecosystem.  Graveled trails and sturdy, wooden stairs, decks and boardwalks limit the impact of human visitors by offering convenient access while discouraging off-trail activity.  Educational plaques, spaced along the routes, introduce hikers to the natural history, flora and fauna of the refuge.

A one-mile trail (2 miles roundtrip and longer if desired) leads visitors across the forested "back dunes" and out to the open landscape of the "fore dunes" and beach.  I strongly recommend a visit to Rosy Mound Natural Area but must report that numerous stairways, some quite long, will need to be negotiated. 

Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Having heard that Grand Rapids has a nice botanical gardens, we headed inland this morning.  That decision was well rewarded.

The Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park covers 158 acres in the northeast quadrant of Metro Grand Rapids.  Offering a pleasant mix of gardens, water features and natural habitat,  it is accessed by a network of paved trails and boardwalks.  A wide variety of sculptures are spaced throughout the property and greenhouses protect tropical, desert and carnivorous plants.  A fine outdoor amphitheater also graces the Park.

While it is a beautiful and well landscaped display of flora and sculptures, this botanical gardens, like some others I have encountered, makes little effort to label the plants, thereby reducing its value as an educational experience.  In that regard, it does not connect with those (myself included) who want to learn about the many species that adorn its confines.

William Erey Smith Waukena Preserves

A few miles south of our cabin are the William E. Smith Waukena Preserves (North and South Units).  They are managed by the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.  Access is via Lakeshore Drive, between the Fennville and Glenn Exits from 196.

The North Unit is primarily covered by coastal forest (photo) and its trail provides access to the Lake Michigan beach.  On our walk through the woodland, we were serenaded by the varied melodies of blue jays and the drumming of red-bellied woodpeckers; melanistic gray squirrels chimed in as well.  Of interest, signage informed us that Douglas fir trees, planted there long ago but not native to the region, have been dying from a fungal infection and are being removed.

The South Unit is characterized by a more open landscape of meadows, wetlands and parcels of forest; several ponds are also spaced throughout the preserve.  This morning's highlight proved to be the wildflowers, dominated by large swaths of goldenrod and white aster. 

The Kalamazoo River

Four primary rivers drain the western half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and empty into Lake Michigan; from north to south, they are the Manistee, the Muskegon, the Grand and the Kalamazoo Rivers.  The latter rises near North Adams in southern Michigan, flows westward through Battle Creek and Kalamazoo and then angles northwestward before entering Lake Michigan at Saugatuck.

This morning, we took a 3-mile loop hike through Tallmadge Woods Nature Preserve, which is tucked within the final bend of the Kalamazoo River before it enters the Lake.  Winding across the forested dunes, the trail leads to the Crow Nest Overlook (photo), which affords a broad view of the River's blind channel and of the Saugatuck Harbor Nature Preserve beyond.

While the Kalamazoo's passage through Saugatuck and Douglas is lined with homes, docks and marinas, this final stretch reflects the natural landscape that characterized its path long before the trappings of modern human culture invaded its floodplain.  

Saugatuck Dunes State Park

Stretching along 2.5 miles of secluded, Lake Michigan shoreline, this 1000 acre State Park is north of the city of Saugatuck.  Trail loops take visitors from the parking lot across forested, freshwater dunes (some of which rise 200 feet above the lake level) and out to the wide beach.

The southern portion of the refuge, accessed by a 5.5 mile trail loop, is protected as a Natural Area and harbors several endangered plant species.

Visiting the Park, one is struck by the large trees that now rise above the dunes, knowing that they took root well after the last Pleistocene glaciers retreated into Canada (some 12,000 years ago) and have managed to survive the massive waves that lash the shoreline (and that produced the the dunes themselves).