A trip along the lakeshore. We had planned to go up to Grand Haven, but (once again) the weather wasn't great, so we decided to 'the loop'. Kalamazoo to St. Joseph (with a stop at the Wesco in Watervliet for donuts) then to South Haven and then back to Kalamazoo. Not a great weather day, but the sun came out briefly in St. Joe. By the time we got to South Haven it was snowing like crazy.
It's a hot week in Southwest Michigan. Lots of posts for this time period. I've taken an overload of photos as at the end of this time (little over a week), I'm off to England to visit my family for a couple of weeks so there will be no walks at Asylum Lake.
I'm starting the week off with walks along the edge of the lake. It's my favourite place to start on a normal morning. There is something peaceful about beginning the day at the lake, watching the birds swimming, catching food and just generally enjoying the sounds. There aren't a lot of people around so it's usually just me and the early morning sounds.
Look at how very green everything looks!
I stand out on the point and can see a deer making its way through the reeds and out in the water. It must be quite shallow there!
There are still a family of Wood Ducks around.
The babies are growing bigger, and Mum is quite happy to let them swim a little further away, watching carefully from her spot on a log near to the shore.
The male Wood Duck isn't around. Wood Ducks don't mate for life and abandon the female either once incubation begins or not long after the babies are born.
Not too far away are a Mallard family.
Male Mallards don't stay around after the babies are born either!
Early morning the view from the beach is lovely.
Some lovely clouds reflected in the lake.
And a lovely water lily. They are beginning to flower now.
It's the perfect segue into the next post - flowers, bugs and butterflies.
Walking through the woods I see a few birds. The lovely Grosbeaks seem to like the cover of the trees. I catch a flash of red and black and focus in on him.
It looks like he's catching bugs. I wonder if that means there are babies around somewhere!
I was glad to see a couple of Eastern Towhees this week. They are a summer favourite of mine. I like hearing their song and I'm always glad to be able to catch a glimpse of them.
This is a male. Look at his lovely eyes - they are a deep, dark brown, appearing almost red. A couple of interesting facts about them. They are considered part of the Sparrow Family. A group of Towhees (though they aren't often found in groups) is called a Teapot of Towhees or a Tangle of Towhees.
On the edge of the woods as I walk to the open fields I hear the Meow-y call of a Grey Catbird. Their call always makes me smile.
I don't often walk in the back field during the winter. There aren't many trees there and the grasses all flatten with the winds and the rain, but late springtime, when things start to grow, and the grasses get taller, the field starts to fill with wildflowers, birds and bees.
It's cooler in the woods. Lots of birds and animals and seeking shade from the hot sun and taking refuge in the woods. People walk through, but it's not as busy as the more popular paths. I like the woods. There is something magical about them. I almost feel as though I'm far away from civilisation, when there is a main road not too far away. In the woods it is harder to hear the traffic. Especially this year as the nearby road has been closed one-way.
There have been so many deer around these last few days of June. They seem to love the shelter of the woods and can often be seen laying down or just wandering. At this time of year they don't seem too afraid of people. I walk softly and quietly, trying not to scare them. Most of them don't seem to notice me, once in a while there will be a curious one who tilts their head at me and try to make sense of this strange woman watching them.
Some of their antlers are getting quite big now!
Sharing the woods with the deer are some chipmunks and squirrels. Lots of them!
Up in the trees maybe a sign of someone making this tree its home
Someone or several things are definitely making their home here!
Paper Wast nest. They can be quite nasty, but their nests are really quite a work of art!
And leading into the next post of birds, I was so excited to catch a glimpse of an owl again this week deep in the woods.
