When A Bird in the Hand…

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I know I’ve kvetched about the winters here in Michigan ad nauseum. There are, however, a whole lot of fun things to do. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed doing in the winter is visiting Kensington Metropark.

 

For those of you who have never been to this part of Michigan, a ‘metropark’ is an area set aside for recreation. One can either pay a small fee on a daily basis, or purchase a yearly pass. Kensington is one of the largest parks in the Detroit metro area. There are lots of things to in the park, including bicycling, running, dog-walking, fishing (ice fishing in the winter), boating, sailing, picnicking, and, winter tobogganing/sledding.

Ice Fishermen Enjoying the Sunny Day

 

A Lady & Her Dog Out for a Walk

Here some folks enjoying the cross-country skiing trails (there are miles and miles of them).

Cross-Country Skiing – a Big Favorite at Kensington

Cross-Country Skiing at Kensington

Here are some photos of children (big and small) having a wonderful time sledding in Kensington.

A Dad & His Boys Out for a Slide

A Wolverine Fan Gets His Slide On

 

Lots of Fun!

My favorite activity in Kensington is birding. This is where Jim and I first realized that birding is a passion we can share.

A Bird (Chickadee) in The Hand

For many years, people have been feeding the wild birds at Kensington’s Nature Center. Eventually, the birds got very used to people having seed to share. Now, especially in the winter, the small birds will come right down to your hands and eat out of them.

 

A Tufted Titmouse Gets a Peanut

The first time I came to Kensington with my sister-in-law, she introduced me to the joy of hand feeding the birds. She was very interested in birding at the time and knew my love of birds. She also knew I would be charmed by the birds eating out of my hands. We were still living in Georgia at the time, so I knew this would be a place I would enjoy coming back to. Little did I know that I would one day be living within just a very few miles.

A Black-Capped Chickadee In for His Landing

Next!

 

A Downy on My Shoulder

Here are some photos of the next generation of “bird feeders” in Kensington.

Birding’s Next Generation

While most of the birds that look to be fed are tiny (chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, even woodpeckers), here are the latest trying to get into the act. One piece of advice, DON’T attempt to hand-feed the Sandhill Cranes. Those bills are really big and sharp. The birds can also be somewhat aggressive. I was completely shocked that these birds stayed through the winter. Sandhills are common here from Spring through mid-Autumn, but they always migrate to Florida and points south during the winter (not unlike a large number of humans).

Did Someone Say Food?

This Sure Isn’t Florida. It’s COLD here!

 

I hope you enjoyed our photos. If you are ever in the Detroit metropolitan area, try to make a trip out to Kensington. The birds are here year-round, and they are always happy to be fed.

Blue Heron Rookery

If you’re here in the summer, these nests will be full of Blue Herons. It’s quite a site.

 

Up Next: Isn’t Worth THESE in the Bush

 

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Looking forward to “seeing” you here on Colmel’s Blog!

There’s A BEAR in My Yard!

If you’re reading this in email or on Facebook, click on the title! It will take you directly to the blog (an easier viewing page.) If you’re already in my blog, WELCOME! (One more hint: If you click on any of the photos in the blog, they should open up in a browser window so you can get a better look!)

Got your attention, didn’t I? Actually, yes, there is a Bear in my yard. It’s my adorable 2 ½ year old German Shepherd Dog, Bear. With all the attention given to the weather and things to do in the snow, I thought it only fair to give Bear equal time.

 

Bear in my Yard

You Talkin’ About Me?

Bear loves the snow! The only thing Bear likes more than running in the snow is chasing squirrels in the snow. That’s an activity I haven’t mentioned before – squirrel chasing. There’s a certain joy in watching a dog plow through the snow after a furry-tailed rodent. Sure, it’s not a ‘personal’ activity, per se; it’s a spectator sport. Considering the fact that I always have about 14 bird feeders full at any one time, there is no shortage of targets. I tried really hard to get a photo of Bear in flight after a squirrel.

Squirrel!

In case you’re wondering about the tail…yes, he was born with one. In March of last year, he and Sydney were playing. They would play chase and he would slow down just a little to let her almost catch up to him. I used to laugh at him when he would do that. It was just as though he was saying, “Nah, nah, nah! You can’t catch me_e” in the way that all children do. He always got away unscathed.  Well…almost always. This time, though, he slowed down just at the wrong time and Sydney caught the tip of his tail. Without going into gory de-tail (oh, I made a pun), no matter how we tried to save his tail, he just wouldn’t leave it alone long enough to heal. After several surgeries (and weeks in the ‘cone of shame’) to remove just one more bone, we agreed that he would have to have it bobbed.

I am PITIFUL!

To this day, I’m still trying to get used to it, but everyone who meets him says it “fits” his personality. If there’s a benefit to it, it might be that items on my shelves and tables are now a whole lot safer.

Did He Go That Way?

When Bear isn’t chasing squirrels or annoying Sydney, he can be a downright awesome buddy. He likes to sit next to my chair when I’m here. I often wonder if he’d like to put in his ‘two-cents-worth.’

I think he may know that I’m writing about him.

 

I’d love to hear about your special buddy! Please share him or her in the “Comments” section.

Up Next:  A Bird in the Hand…

 

Would you like to subscribe to my blog? (Oh, yes, it’s free!) Hopefully, you have already clicked on the title and are now directly in my blog page. If you have not gotten to the blog page, click on the title of the Posting and it will take you to the blog. From there, click on “Follow.” I hope you will. You will be notified of each new posting. I also hope you will jump in and comment on my posts.

 

Looking forward to “seeing” you here on Colmel’s Blog!