Ohio Camping and Birding
Sheree' was finishing up at school as I took off for Ohio, and two days later I would pick her up in Detroit before continuing to Upper Michigan. It was a really beautiful drive past Pilot Mountain and into West Virginia. I stopped at Wolf Run State Park in Ohio for my first night of tent camping. Even when traveling without our new camper, Puff, I need an electrical hook up for my CPAP machine, which sometimes generates strange looks from people seeing me running an extension cord into my tent. I did a little birding around Wolf Run but being the middle of summer, it was fairly quiet, so I spent some time taking flower pictures instead. On the way to my next night's accommodations at Maumee State Park, I had to stop by the famous birding hotspot called Magee Marsh, where each spring thousands of warblers and other birds congregate by the thousands before crossing over Lake Ontario into Canada. Unfortunately for me, it was really quiet. Maybe next spring? Maumee State Park is adjacent to the city of Toledo. I liked the campground and had a nice evening walk, photographing lots of beautiful flowers. The beach was packed with gulls and terns, along with a few too many canines and homo sapiens. The next morning I picked Sheree' up at the airport and off we went to Yooper land.
Click here for the Two Talons Up post about the birds seen on the trip.
Great Lakes freighters move along the river, carrying iron ore and other commodities, about a dozen ships per day. They are usually quieter than this one; there is a seaman using a grinder on the metal decking. And those legs, those legs generate some loud ship whistles from time to time.
Michigan Family Time (and a few birds)
When we arrived in Barbeau the weather was gorgeous, and NOT HOT, thank goodness. We spent a good amount of time just lounging on the deck, picking blueberries and traveling up to Whitefish Point and Tahquamenon Falls State Park. We also went blueberries picking in the national forest, unbelievable experience. The blueberries were in huge clusters and we filled our buckets quickly. A Black-backed Woodpecker was located by Sheree', a life bird for everyone. We camped one night at Tahquamenon Falls State Park and took some nice short hikes around the park. At Whitefish Point we had some nice bird sightings and spent time talking to a researcher from the Audubon Society who was on his first day of the fall migration watch. There was lots of good food, and, of course, some delicious pasty pies, seen cooking in the oven below. Click here for the history of the pasty pie, or Cornish pie, or just plain old meat pie. "The recipe for a Cornish pasty, as defined by its protected status, includes diced or minced beef, onion, potato and swede in rough chunks along with some "light peppery" seasoning. The cut of beef used is generally skirt steak."
The lighthouse in the photo is Point Iroquois Lighthouse on Whitefish Bay. We really enjoyed the drive along the south shore, AND it took us back to the blueberry fields for one last picking. Thanks, Mom and Dad Sliter, for a great week. It went by too fast.
Click here for the Two Talons Up post about the birds seen on the trip.
Scott and Sheree' Davis, and Beppu Magee, the traveling mouse
The backroads of Hartwick State Forest
Early morning deer
The Total Eclipse of 2017
And then there was the total eclipse of the sun. I don't have any pictures of the eclipse, just a short video at the time of totality. I will say this - there is NOTHING like totality. Even if you had 98%, you had "nuttin honey. "TOTALITY is TOTALLY awesome.
Hope you enjoy the video and get a sense of how in awe everyone was. PS - you might have seen this on my Facebook page.