RECENT OBSERVATIONS

• Paul's Woods was ablaze in golden splendor today, from the carpet of leaves on the ground to those still clinging on the branches. Beautiful! (10/22/24)
• The moonlight shining through the clouds this morning were amazing! (10/22/24)
• The aurora borealis put on quite a show at Seven Ponds Thursday night! One of our naturalists captured the image to the right. Amazing! (10/11/24)
• We've got color! The warm days and cool nights are helping the nature center's maple trees to display their vibrant fall colors. Seemingly overnight we've got orange, gold, and yellow around the nature center! (9/19/24)
• The Butterfly Garden is in prime condition this time of year, with many flowers in bloom attracting myriad insects, including this beautiful monarch we saw today. (9/12/24)
• Many birds are quiet this time of year - nesting season is over for almost all the birds, so there is no need to attract a mate or defend a territory. But we are regularly hearing the loud call of the Pileated Woodpecker - from near our building, in Paul's Woods, and in the North-80. Listen for their raucous call next time you're at Seven Ponds. (8/30/24)
• The Butterfly Garden is in full bloom, with bees and butterflies ever-present and beautiful flowers in bloom. Today we found at least seven monarch caterpillars munching on the milkweed in the garden. Stop by and check it out! (8/22/24)
• Animals abound! Mammal sightings around the nature center building during the last week include the following: Eastern Cottontail, Raccoon, Woodchuck, Opossum, White-tailed Deer, Gray Squirrel, Red Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk. (7/30/24)
• We heard a Black-billed Cuckoo this morning - the call coming from the North-80. Listen for this secretive bird's distinctive, rapid, "coo-coo-coo-coo" song repeated several times. Always a treat to hear or see. (7/11/24)
• A Red-headed Woodpecker has been seen around the nature center recently! Sightings have occurred in Paul's Woods and (once) at the nature center's feeders. This is a striking woodpecker - with its deep red head and contrasting black and white wing/back pattern. Let's hope it makes a home here and becomes a regular at our feeders! (5/8/24)
• House Wrens and Chipping Sparrows have returned! We also saw our first warblers of the spring: Pine Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler. It won't be long before we see our first Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Spring has sprung! (4/25/24)
• This morning we were privileged to see a male Wood Duck - certainly regarded as one of the most beautiful birds - perched on the rooftop of our boathouse. From inside the building, we put the spotting scope on this stunning duck and everybody enjoyed great looks, and we were able to take a photo using a smartphone through the scope. We maintain about 30 large nest boxes throughout our property, which are intended for Wood Ducks but are sometimes utilized by Eastern Screech-Owls, squirrels, and other creatures. (4/4/24)
• Today we spotted our first Eastern Phoebe of the spring. These small birds are flycatchers - the first species of flycatcher to arrive in Michigan each spring. Let's hope they find enough insects over the next couple weeks! (3/28/24)
• Tree Swallows have arrived! Today we spotted one on a utility wire in the North-80, and then saw four individuals flying high overhead, hopefully finding a supply of insects way up there to eat. (3/25/24)
• Today we spied a groundhog (a.k.a. woodchuck, among many other colloquial names) visiting our birdfeeder area. Groundhogs are rodents in the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Groundhogs play an important role maintaining healthy soil in woodlands and plains. The groundhog is considered a crucial habitat engineer. (3/14/24)
• This morning, while still dark, the distinctive call of a Barred Owl could be heard coming from the North-80. The Barred Owl seems to ask, "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you alllll?" (3/14/24)
• One of our naturalists spotted a Muskrat busy at work in Waterfowl Pond in the North-80. Muskrats are an important member of the freshwater marsh ecosystem. They help manage cattails and other aquatic vegetation, and their lodges create resting and nesting spots for waterfowl. (3/13/24)
• We found a colorful mylar balloon tangled out of reach in a tree at Seven Ponds. Please don't release balloons - they come down somewhere, resulting in unsightly trash (at best) and hazards to wildlife (at worst). (3/13/24)
• One of the first butterflies of the spring is the Mourning Cloak, which overwinters in leaf debris and emerges on warm spring (and late winter!) days. (3/13/24)