With the power outage that occurred last week I had an opportunity to catch up on some reading. I finished “The Complete Angler” by Izaak Walton and “The Grand Design” by Steven Hawkings. These books are polar opposites in content. The first, a poetic book of fishing and religion. The second a book of physics and science. I am a little biased towards fishing so you can probably guess which one I liked better. But I do enjoy reading about science occasionally. I was particularly interested in The Grand Design because intelligent design intrigues me. Hawkins slowly worked his way to it throughout the book. In the process he described the history of science, philosophy and religion. I’m no physicist so reading about quantum theory and other scientific concepts took a lot of concentration. Hawkins went on to discuss a possible universal law called “M Theory”. Even after reading the book I can’t say I understand it completely. But physicists are looking for a universal law to tie up their loose ends and come to a complete understanding of the universe. I may have this all wrong but apparently the laws of physics in the tiniest sub atomic particles of life do not apply to the laws of the entire universe. It’s now believed that there are infinite universes, each one having their own set of laws. M-Theory is supposed to tie them all together somehow. I wish them luck on that quest. I’m not looking for answers to creation. They say that we are here by chance and it can be mathematically proven. They say that God does not exist because the universe must remain in balance and something cannot be created from nothing. They have faith in their mathematics. They admit that life evolved due to a number of fascinating probabilities. One change in the process and life would not exist. Some call it “intelligent design”. But they still believe that it happened by chance and we are just a roll of the dice. Well I may believe them some day when they solve all the mysteries of the universe. But I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. The further we dive into the mysteries of the universe the more we encounter more mysteries. That’s the only constant I see. Not everything in life is logical. As long as there are mysteries there will always be room for Faith. Faith can coexist with science. Faith doesn’t need proof. Faith is not looking for answers but accepts life as a gift. I admire physicists who unravel the mysteries of life. It would seem to me they could either feel closer to God from their discoveries or further from God. It all depends on their Faith in my opinion. Anyway, I probably won’t read many more books on solving the answers to life. Life is too short and I’ll find out soon enough when my time comes. So I think I’ll stick to poetry and fly fishing.
Celebrating Winter
I love my little town of Tecumseh. Why sit around and sulk about the cold? I love that we have the Ice Sculpture Festival. I love that the City built a rink in Adams Park. I love that somebody sculpted this leaping fish. It’s my favorite piece. I’m a flyfisher. I spend my winters tying flies in anticipation of the first Spring hatch. But I cant tie flies all winter long. I need to get outside and enjoy the crisp cold air. Snow is not always available for skiing so I have to mix it up….ski a little, bird a little, hike a little. There’s always something to do. After a cold day walking around downtown yesterday I opened up a bottle of “Fireside”. It’s a mulled Cabernet Franc made by Pentamere Winery here in Tecumseh and it’s delicious. Wine and cold weather go together nicely in my opinion. The festival continues today with a celebration of chocolate. So I’ll be downtown again today….with long johns on, carhardts, and warm gloves.
Six Days, Six Parks
Starting on January 12, 2011 I began a “one park a day” adventure. I didnt premeditate it. It just sort of happened. It happened because of two things. I like to go birding and I love cross country skiing. Skiing has been one of my favorite things to do in Winter for almost 20 years. I’m not the kind of person who sits home and complains about boredom. When I was a kid, me and my brothers went outside to play…no matter how cold it was. I dont think Winter keeps people from going outside. Like the Pennsylvania Governor said about the cancellation of a recent NFL game, “I think were becoming a nation of wussies”. You dont have to be a tough guy to make that statement. Nah, you just have to know a thing or two about Winter. Most importantly…respect it. Dont go outside with a t-shirt and sandals and then tell me winter sucks. That’s just stupid. Here’s how I have fun in Winter…
January 12th, 2011: Got off work, got home, changed into my ski clothes, and headed out to Heritage Park. Here’s what I wear. Wool or Synthetic socks, biking tights under REI ski pants or jeans, leg gators if I’m wearing jeans (it keeps the snow out of your boots), polyproplyene undershirt (synethetic material to wick away the sweat), fleece mid layer, windbreaker, fleece hat, fleece gloves. Avoid cotton clothes in the winter because it does not stay dry and being wet in the cold is bad. I also carry a backpack which contains; bird guide, binoculars, water, fruit.
January 13th, 2011: I planned to attend an Audubon lecture in Jackson at the Dahlem Environmental Center. The DEC has some nice trails so I wanted to hike a few before the meeting. I wore the same gear (washed overnight of course). In my backpack I carried an LED headlight, binoculars, bird guide, and a trail map. Also, I wear gore-tex (waterproof) hiking boots. To make snow hiking more enjoyable I purchased a set of “microspikes” for my boots. It’s like putting chains on your car tires. You can hike without them, but it feels like walking in sludge. The microspikes gives you better traction…less slipping on ice and snow. I like that.
January 14th: I headed out to Ramsdell Park to ski. Ditto on the clothes. When I got there and put my skis on something felt wrong. I had a fatal boot failure. Not a problem because I brought my hiking boots and microspikes just in case. My point is that it’s always good to have a plan B. I did some birding instead.
January 15th: I planned to go to Hidden Lake Gardens. Saturday was very cold and very windy. I had the usual gear on but the wind was wicked. The hike was short because of it. The lesson here is know your limits.
January 16th: I needed to go to REI to get new ski boots. They hooked me up quick. Since I was in Ann Arbor I did some exploring. I visited Gallup Park and Furstenberg Park. I had heard reports that Pine Siskins were in Furstenberg Park. I heard them but never saw them. After that quick birding/photo outing I headed over to Matthaei Botanical Gardens. I knew they had trails but had never hiked them before. I headed inside to grab a trail map and took off. The trails there are super slick and relatively flat…good for beginner skiers…or for people who like to go fast. MBG is a beautiful place and well worth the drive.
Today, January 17th: I wanted to do a super long, all day ski at HLG today. I found some new trails there which are very secluded. The sun was out when I started but as the day progressed it got cloudier and colder. After three hours of skiing I had enough. I explored some new territory on the southeast side, I made it through the hilly Hiker Trail without colliding with any trees and I skied the new unnamed trail on the west side. The new trail has more ups and downs than the hiker trail. There are no scary downhills through the trees. BUT there are two or three hairpin turns that are impossible to take on xcc skis. Side stepping was needed to get down the hill in those locations.
Tomorrow I’m taking a break. It’s fly tying night at a friend’s house. I had a great six days, but I’m looking forward to the rest tomorrow.
Birding in January
Snow Bunting in foreground, originally uploaded by Goyo P.
What’s the point of birding in the Winter? Well, besides the fact that I enjoy being outdoors there’s a scientific benefit to counting birds. After I count birds I record my findings at Ebird.org Ebird states, “Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales” For an even more detailed explanation go to their website and check it out.
I took a day off work yesterday to do an all day bird count. My objective was to find some Arctic variety birds. Specifically, I was looking for Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs and Horned Larks. My objective was to drive the country roads to Ramsdell Park near Devils Lake, go for a quick ski, and then take the country roads home. Well I didn’t have to drive one mile out of Tecumseh before I spotted a flock of birds circling the Dairy Farm on Russell Road. I pulled over, got out my binoculars and started counting. I counted approximately 100-150 birds. While I was counting the farmer came out on his John Deere tractor to see if I was ok. We had a brief conversation. I told him about the birds and he looked at me like I was crazy…ha! Story of my life. Anyway, he let me walk in his field to get some close-up pictures. That’s where I took the picture above. In this picture there are several Longspurs, a few Horned Larks and one Snow Bunting in the foreground.
I spotted a few other flocks of Horned Larks on my way to Ramsdell Park. But the most exciting sighting was a flock of 92 Wild Turkeys crossing the road. They were skittish when I pulled up. I got a few out of focus pics before they exploded into the sky, half running, half flying, wings crashing into the woodland trees. In an instant they were gone…disappeared…vanished like ghosts.
When I arrived at Ramsdell Park I wasnt planning on counting birds. I was planning on skiing. But when I clicked into my binding something felt wrong. I looked down and noticed my shoe has peeled away from the sole…total boot failure. I swore a little but then realized I had my hiking boots in the car and my snow cleats. So instead of skiing I hoofed it into the park with my camera and binoculars. I didn’t expect to see much. Half of the park is prairie grass, all of the water was frozen and it was snowing. But, it is a great place to see woodpeckers in the woods. When I did get to the woods I heard some very loud drumming and that perked me up a bit. It sounded like a Pileated. The trail seemed to be heading right towards the drumming sound. I walked slowly. But by the time I got to the end of the trail the drumming stopped. He must have seen me. So I turned around to head back, but as soon as I did he started to call….that loooooong kak, kak, kak which goes on for about a minute. I turned around and sat on a bench and waited. Suddenly he flushed, I raised my binoculars and saw him flying deeper into the woods which happens to be private property. I wouldn’t chase him anyway. Pileated Woodpeckers are very skitterish. They always flush and fly away before I spot them.
Today the plan was to head to Hidden Lake Gardens to see if I could spot the Purple Finches. I just recently spotted my first Purple Finch there about two weeks ago. Others have also seen them. So I headed down the old Munger road on the east side of the property. There’s a cold front moving through. It’s windier today than it was yesterday. It’s harder to find birds on windy days…harder to see movement…harder to hear the birds…and I’m not as patient. I get cold standing around too much. I have to keep moving to stay warm. I didn’t see any Purple Finches and I wasnt seeing too many birds in general so I decided to do some bushwhacking. I took a deer path into the woods and came upon a hidden little grassy knoll. It was beautiful even in the winter. I made a mental note to return there in the Spring. Eventually I made it back to an “official” trail. I wasnt having much luck so i just decided to head back to the car. But then I heard some Barred Owls calling in the distance. That was pretty exciting. I was half temped to see if I could go find them, but I was getting chilled. I was pretty much done for the day but that’s usually when you see good birds…when you least expect it. When I entered the north parking lot I saw a solitary bird fly in front of me. It looked like a Junco but it was too big. I wandered over to the bush it went into and spotted an Eastern Towhee….figures I didn’t have my good camera. I could have gotten some nice pics since he let me stand 20′ away to watch him. Oh well, that’s usually the way it goes.
All in all I’ve seen some good birds the last two days. Highlights being the Arctic varieties, the large flock of Turkeys, the Pileated, the Barred Owls and then the Eastern Towhee. I got some good exercise and lots of fresh air. Now it’s time to relax. I picked up some Ann Arbor Brewing Co Stout on my way home. Time to chill and get back to my kindle.
Wandering
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Bird Count, Hidden Lake Gardens
Results from Birding at Hidden Lake Gardens for three hours (1-4 pm) on January 9th, 2011.
Chickadee, 17; Crow, 5; Blue Jay, 11; Titmouse, 11; Cardinal, 10; Yellow-rumped Warbler, 5; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Downey Woodpecker, 8; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Mourning Dove, 6; Starling, 29; Flicker, 1; White-Throated Sparrow, 8; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Junco, 4; Goldfinch, 2; Golden Crowned Kinglet, 4; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1; Northern Mockingbird, 1; Bluebird, 6.
We get our fair share of dreary overcast days here in Michigan. So when the sun comes out I need to get out. It was a nice leisurely day. I took my time getting ready, dressed warm, put on my snow gators, charged my camera battery, and donned my snow cleats. I headed over to HLG. The gardens were beautifully covered in snow. A few cross-country skiers were out. I turned on the “my tracks” app on my phone and put it away. I found some new trails the last time I was there. They aren’t on any map. I prefer the trails less travelled. But first I stood atop Phlox Hill and admired the view. I didn’t like the fact that the gardens mowed down the Big Blue-stem for the winter. I’m sure they had a good reason. I hope they had a good reason. I prefer the nature to look natural. Anyway, I had a lot of trail ahead of me. I listened for the Pileated. I heard some loud drumming and headed in that general direction. But, the drumming stopped. It didn’t matter. I found myself in a quiet hidden place off the beaten path. I took my time and recorded birds. They were all over; mostly White-throats, Chickadees and Cardinals. Then I heard something different. I heard a whistle. Whistles are mostly for spring so I tuned in. I saw the bird. It looked like a female Purple Finch. But it sounded like a vireo. I never did get a really good look and it didn’t stick around long. I didn’t record it. I’m leaning towards a Purple Finch. My friend Darrin spotted one near there a few weeks ago. I could have used his expert eyes and ears today. I also spotted that Yellow-rumped warbler in the same location. I was 95% sure it was a YRW but it was far away. Luckily I ran into a small flock further up the trail. I phished for them and they came closer…coincidence? I don’t know. I’m not a good phisher. I think it was just my lucky day. They were clearly YRW’s. It was slower going as I headed out of the thickets and into the open fields. A small flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets crossed my path and landed 10′ away. They were feeding in the tall grass. As I walked closer they flew closer. I thought I had the perfect photo op. But they were too close for my lens to focus on them. They reminded me of that movie “Red October” where Sean Connery turned his submarine into the path of oncoming torpedos to cut the distance so the torpedo’s safety mechanism wouldn’t allow them to explode. I didn’t know Kinglets were so knowledgeable in zoom lens technology? Sean Connery would be proud of them. My last good bird of the day was next to the parking lot. A Northern Mockingbird was hanging around the gazebo. It was a good birding day at HLG. I got some sun, exercise and fresh air. What more could you ask for?
Birds to the rescue!
Any of my friends will tell you I get a little goofy about birds. My dad introduced me and my brothers to birds. I don’t recall a moment in my childhood when we did not have a bird feeder in our yard. For a few years we even raised chickens. Today I have my own feeders. I like to photograph birds. My artwork is about birds. I enjoy identifying them by their song. I own a good pair of binoculars for watching them. I get updates via email on birding in Southeast Michigan. I participate in bird counts. On the 19th of December I helped count birds for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Every year I learn something new about birds that fuel my passion for them. One of my favorite birds is the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). There are several books out there about the American Crow which describe their intelligence and social behavior. I’m also impressed by the world travelling migratory warblers who travel thousands of miles without a gps. The more you learn about birds the more you realize they don’t get the respect they deserve. I personally think we humans would be a better species if we deflated our egos a bit and allowed ourselves to learn something from the birds. They are perfectly adapted for survival on this planet. We seem to be struggling in that regard.
I’ve given this a little thought. Given our current problems with our economy and climate why not look to nature for answers to sustainability? Organic farming practices are bird friendly and earth friendly. Planting native plants and trees are bird friendly and earth friendly. Keeping our watershed clean is bird friendly and earth friendly. The things we can do to help the birds also help our planet. That’s why I’m promoting the recreational birding industry in my hometown. It’s good for the birds and it’s good for the planet. This isn’t a new concept. I’m also a member of Trout Unlimited (TU). TU fights for the protection of trout habitat for the sport fishing industry. Trout are the saviors of the great rivers of northern Michigan. Unfortunately trout can’t save us here in Lenawee. Geographically the River Raisin Watershed is too warm to sustain them. So what else is there? Birds! Birds! Birds! The River Raisin Watershed is located in the path of two major bird migratory flyways. Let your imagination run wild here. Lenawee County is also a major agriculture community. We could be leading a transition from industrial farming to organic farming. Instead of constructing more manufacturing plants why not reestablish the wetlands that once existing before they were drained for farming? Could birds be the answer to a failing economy and a deteriorating climate? I realize it’s not that simple. One might argue that capitalism will prevent this from ever happening without Government intervention. If you read the history of our great National Park Service you will find this to be true. The human spirit is hell-bent on destruction and devours everything in its path. But there are also equal amounts of faith in the human spirit. If trout can protect the great rivers of northern Michigan can the birds save us here? The answer lies in how much Faith we have and whether we live according to it.
Put down the Wii and get out and ski!
There’s a place in the half-light of a winter morning that defines the meaning of happiness…at least for me anyway. Oh how I love to wake up to snow. I love to see the birds feeding in the back yard. The squirrels are nice and fat. The garden is sleeping. The trees are bowing under the weight of the snow. Occasionally a deer wanders in to rest and wait out the storm. It’s a time when I can take a break from yard work and concentrate on art. My studio window has a nice view of our back yard. A Chickadee will occasionally alight on a branch in the bush next to the house and say hi. “Chick-a-dee dee dee!” he says. I say hello and get back to work. Today I’m working on a new wood block of a Pheasant Tail Nymph. It’s nothing fancy, just an illustration of one of my favorite flies to fish with and tie. It’s one of my favorites because it’s about simplicity. All that’s needed is a feather, hook and some thread. Winter is also about fly tying for most fly fishermen. Sure China makes an inexpensive fly in a distant land in some factory where a kid probably isn’t allowed to use the toilet until he or she has made a 100 flies. Ok maybe that’s an exaggeration but what’s the harm in learning a new skill? It’s a good feeling to find a Pheasant tail in the woods, tie a fly with it and hold a beautiful Brook Trout in your hands the following Spring. Winter is also a time to study our birds here in Michigan. Sure it’s fun to bird in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Warblers are a blast to find and photograph. But, I have a little more respect for the birds who stick around and bear the cold Michigan winter with me. And, lets not forget two of my favorite winter time activities….cross country skiing, and recently snow shoeing! If you can find a place to ski I recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure. Dress lightly. One of the biggest mistakes is to overdress and get overheated. Dont worry about getting cold. You’ll be warm in less than 2 minutes. My favorite place to ski is Hidden Lake Gardens. Beginners should stick to the designated trails. Advanced skiers can take the hiking trails which are more of a challenge. It’s not too late to add skis to your Christmas list. I recommend either touring skis or backcountry skies as groomed trails are nonexistent in Lenawee County. Anyway, all this writing is keeping me from my woodcutting. I hope you find some time this winter to learn a new skill that doesnt require any fancy technology. Put down your wii and get out and ski! Enjoy the snow while it lasts.
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The Heron 