TRAIL REPORT & RECENT OBSERVATIONS

RECENT OBSERVATIONS

• Early signs of the approaching fall are coming into view here at the nature center. One of our resident groundhogs (Marmota monax) was spotted this morning loading up on fallen sunflower seeds around our bird feeders in preparation for its winter hibernation. Groundhogs are one of the few species that enter into true hibernation, and often build a separate "winter burrow" for this purpose. This burrow is usually in a wooded or brushy area and is dug below the frost line and remains at a stable temperature well above freezing during the winter months (Source: wikipedia.com). (09/06/2026)
• Late spring is the time of year when the wildlife that call Seven Ponds home are busy having babies and laying eggs. Newborn white-tailed deer fawns have been spotted around the center, and turtles are making their way to shore and inland to lay their clutch of eggs. When out on the trails, please be respectful of the wildlife as they go about their lives; if you come across a fawn either on the trails or in tall grasses, understand that it has not been abandoned/orphaned, and that the mother is nearby feeding. Please do not approach, touch, pick up, or feed the newborns! We ask you do the same with turtles; give them a wide berth, and please do not approach, but enjoy them from a respectable distance. (06/06/2026)
• Our Woodland Wildflower Garden is in full bloom! Now is the time to come and see some of the more unusual spring ephemeral wildflower species, such as Prairie trillium and Dutchman's breeches. (04/23/2026)
• Signs of returning bird migration continue here at the nature center! Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds have arrived and begun to occupy our many nest boxes, and individual Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Phoebes, and Eastern Towhees have been spotted around the Demonstration Garden along the front of the Schemm-Naish Interpretive Center. (04/11/2026) 
• One of our naturalists spotted an American mink at the large bridge at the eastern end of the North 80 this past Tuesday. Keep an eye open for these and other small mammals the next time you hike the N-80. (04/04/2026)
• A sharp-eyed birder spotted an unusual visitor to the nature center today: a Cackling Goose! The Cackling Goose looks like a miniature version of the widespread Canada Goose, with which it was once combined as a single species. The two are almost identical in plumage, but Cackling Geese are more delicate, with stubbier bills, steeper foreheads, shorter necks (strikingly apparent in flying birds), and usually more rounded heads (Source: All About Birds/Cornell University). This one was spotted on Big Pond off Paul's Woods. (03/22/2026)
• The rising temperatures this weekend have heralded many sounds of spring bird activity. Trumpeter Swans and Sandhill Cranes have been spotted on Big Pond, and Redwing Blackbirds are already staking out their territories. Listen and watch for other migratory birds, including Killdeer, Woodcock, and Turkey Vultures! (03/07/2026)
• Early signs of spring migration are evident here at the nature center with the arrival of Redwing Blackbirds at our feeders. Also reports of hearing (but no confirmed sighting) Sandhill Cranes in the vicinity of Miller Pond, as well as small pairs of Canada Geese. (02/21/2026)
• The first robins of the new year have been spotted near our feeders. While it is not uncommon to see robins in February here in Michigan, their presence is often determined by food availability rather than temperature, relying on fruit-bearing trees and shrubs for sustenance. Here at the nature center, the first robins tend to appear in March, with spring arriving not much further behind. (02/14/2026)
• We have had two separate confirmed sightings of a red morph Eastern Screech-Owl in a bird box near the viewing tower in Paul's Woods! This may be the same red morph that has been sighted at the bird box by the feeders next to the interpretive building, so keep an eye open the next time you trek the Paul's Woods trail! (01/11/2026)
• The Evening Grosbeaks are proving to be popular for birders and casual visitors alike! We have noticed that they are most active at our feeders and in the trees surrounding the interpretive building during the mornings when we put out fresh black oil sunflower seeds on our flat platform feeders. If you come early, you may catch a sighting! (01/11/2026)

Seven Ponds Nature Photo Gallery