Another pic from my hike on the Ledges Trail.

The Ledges

The Ledges in Grand Ledge is a great place to spend an afternoon. There are so many interesting things to see, so many nooks and crannies to take pictures of. Take an afternoon off and see what you might discover. Here is a photo of the trail that follows the Grand River from Island Park to the Fitzgerald Park.

The Ledges

Flowers are looking ragged and butterflies appear worn around the edges. Kids are heading back to school and summer is winding down. Time to get out and enjoy the rainbow of summer colors before they fade away. Here is a photograph of a Silver Spotted Skipper feeding on a cone flower in Williamston Township Community Park.

Silver Spotted Skipper

It's absolutely stunning to see birds so close when you are used to seeing them for only seconds through a pair of binoculars. 

Canada Warbler
Canada Warbler 

Blue-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

​Yesterday I visited Burke Lake Banding Station (BULA) in Rose Lake SGA. BULA is open to the public and I highly recommend a family visit for a great educational experience. 

American Goldfinch in mist net
The birds are captured in mist nets and tenderly removed.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ready for release
​The bander then identifies and takes several measurements of each bird.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird on the scale
They jump up on the scale to be weighed. Note that all of the birds are not as cooperative as this Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

American Redstart ready for release.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ready for release
When all of the data has been collected BULA assistants will place the bird on a volunteers hand to release it back into the wild. Sometimes they fly off immediately but often they stick around for a minute and you have to blow on the tail to get them to fly away, like the American Redstart and Ruby-throated Hummingbird in these photos.

 You won't find a better way to spend the morning with your family. Here is a link to the BULA Facebook site.

I was watching a bunch of shorebirds through the binoculars when they all scattered. Hmm, wonder why they all flew away? Maybe it had something to do with this juvenile Peregrine Falcon flying overhead.

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

The hot weather has dried up the ponds making it easier to see birds that are normally hidden in the cattails. As the water recedes they are forced to dart out of hiding in a search for food. Here is a photo of a Sora, a rail that is normally content to feed "undercover" and is rarely seen. But the pond at Hartrick Park is almost dry and tonight I caught it darting in and out of the cattails in search of food. Take some time to visit a neighborhood park pond in the early morning or late evening and see if you can catch a glimpse of wildlife that isn't usually so easy to see. 

Sora (rail)

Here is another view of the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse taken on the same day as the previous photo.

Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

Here is one of my favorite birds, maybe because I tend to see so many of them. This is the first Barred Owl that I have had a good look at in Presque Isle County. This is a young one that gave itself away with its screechy begging for food call.

Barred Owl

On the last day of vacation I went kayaking on my favorite Michigan lake. It was very windy and the water was rough so I had to work hard to find a small protected bay where I could get a photo of a water lily and it's reflection. It just wouldn't be summer without a water lily photo.

Water Lily

When you vacation on the sunrise side of the state it can be challenging to get a good sunset photo. Every once in a while the sunset colors spill over into the north east sky. Here is what you get when that happens.

Hammond Bay Sunset

Earlier this year I was up north on vacation and posted a blog about a Bald Eagle that would perch in the top of a pine tree just outside my bedroom window and wake me up with it's lovely voice. Well I'm up north again and the Eagle was there in the top of that pine tree at sunrise to welcome me back . As long as I was awake I stepped outside to watch the sunrise and try for a photograph of my friend. I wish I had an alarm clock like this at home.

Bald Eagle

Lake Huron Sunrise

Here is a photo of a frozen Mackinac Bridge taken the same day I photographed the lighthouse.

Mackinac Bridge