TRAIL REPORT & RECENT OBSERVATIONS

Seven Ponds Nature Center encompasses nearly 500 acres of woodlands, wetlands, lakes, ponds, prairies, and fields. There are over six miles of trails for you to explore and enjoy. Please check-in at the nature center prior to venturing out on the trails. Our trails are open to guests Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and open to Seven Ponds members dawn to dusk, every day of the year.

Click here for a Seven Ponds trail map

CURRENT TRAIL CONDITIONS

March 26, 2024 - Our final week of March before we head into April! Overall, trails are in good condition. This time of year trail conditions can vary throughout the day - from hard and frozen in the morning to soft and muddy in the afternoon. Wear appropriate footwear and enjoy the final weeks of winter on the trails.

Note: bridges and boardwalks may be slippery due to wet, frosty, or icy conditions. Please use caution. 

RECENT OBSERVATIONS

  • 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)
  • March is when waterfowl migrate in large numbers through Michigan. This morning we saw several Common Mergansers on Treetop Pond. These diving ducks are just passing through, and will be gone in a few weeks. The males are mostly white with dark green heads, while the females are gray overall with a dark reddish head. (3/7/24)
  • An American Woodcock - a small, plumpy shorebird that spends its time in wet woods and performs its aerial courtship display over open fields - was seen and heard over the fields of the North-80 this past weekend. Males give a buzzy "peent" call before taking flight over open fields and forest openings to perform their dazzling sky dance, flying up in a wide spiral. As he gets higher, his wings produce a twittering sound, and after reaching a height of 200-350 feet, he begins to descend, chirping all the way down before landing in nearly the same spot as his take-off. He repeats this display several times until there is no light left in the sky, hoping a female will be impressed. (3/5/24)
  • The last of the ice melted off Treetop Pond today, with all lakes and channels now open. This winter saw perhaps the least amount of ice coverage on the ponds in recent memory. (2/28/24)
  • Skunk Cabbage is the first wildflower we see each year. Look for this plant in the low, wetland areas at Seven Ponds, especially in the cedar swamp leading to the A-Frame Bridge and along the Miller Pond Boardwalk in Paul's Woods. We saw our first of the season today. (2/22/24)
  • Warm winter days often see the emergence of Eastern Chipmunks. These small mammals are not true hibernators (such as woodchucks), but rather sleep through much of the winter. They wake regularly to eat, relying on food cached through the warmer months. On warm, sunny winter days they might emerge to forage and replenesh some of their larder. We've been seeing them around the nature center for the past couple weeks. (2/14/24)
  • Early Red-winged Blackbirds were heard singing in the North-80. Canada Geese and Trumpeter Swans were seen on Big Pond. Be on the lookout for early spring arrivals. (2/13/24)
  • Additional owls heard here at the nature center over the past couple nights: Great Horned Owl and Eastern Screech-Owl. (2/9/24)
  • Last night we heard the "toot-toot-toot" of a Northern Saw-whet Owl from somewhere between the Naturescape and Earl's Prairie. These tiny owls - about the size of a 12-ounce pop can - like to roost in dense conifers. Despite their petite size, they are fierce predators, hunting small mammals at night. (2/8/24)
Tree Swallow in the North-80
Tree Swallow in the North-80
Groundhog at home at Seven Ponds
Groundhog at home at Seven Ponds
Muskrat in Waterfowl Pond
Muskrat in Waterfowl Pond
Mourning Cloak resting on a utility pole at Seven Ponds
Mourning Cloak resting on a utility pole at Seven Ponds
Female Common Merganser laying low and hoping to go unnoticed
Female Common Merganser laying low and hoping to go unnoticed
Trumpeter Swans on Treetop Pond
Trumpeter Swans on Treetop Pond
Mylar balloon tangled in vegetation at Seven Ponds
Mylar balloon tangled in vegetation at Seven Ponds
Nature provided another stunning sunset at the ponds
Nature provided another stunning sunset at the ponds
First of the spring Eastern Chipmunk at Seven Ponds
First of the spring Eastern Chipmunk at Seven Ponds
The first skunk cabbage we saw this year
The first skunk cabbage we saw this year
Sunset over Seven Ponds
Sunset over Seven Ponds

Seven Ponds Nature Photo Gallery

ANOTHER spectacular sunrise over Earl's Prairie
ANOTHER spectacular sunrise over Earl's Prairie
Good morning, Woodchuck! Nice to see you again.
Good morning, Woodchuck! Nice to see you again.
Sunset at Big Pond
Sunset at Big Pond
Misty morning fog over Treetop Pond
Misty morning fog over Treetop Pond
Northern Shrike, aka The Butcher Bird, hunting over Big Pond
Northern Shrike, aka The Butcher Bird, hunting over Big Pond
Water droplets on a fallen leaf - science in nature!
Water droplets on a fallen leaf - science in nature!
Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) in Paul's Woods
Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) in Paul's Woods
Great Egret spotted at the Crawford Rd/Lake George Rd swamp at Seven Ponds
Great Egret spotted at the Crawford Rd/Lake George Rd swamp at Seven Ponds
Arctic Skipper at Seven Ponds - first record for Lapeer County
Arctic Skipper at Seven Ponds - first record for Lapeer County
Monarch caterpillar on milkweed in the North-80
Monarch caterpillar on milkweed in the North-80
Sandhill Crane pair - and baby makes three!
Sandhill Crane pair - and baby makes three!
Eastern Screech-Owl roosting in Wood Duck nest box
Eastern Screech-Owl roosting in Wood Duck nest box
Baltimore Checkerspot in the North-80 fields
Baltimore Checkerspot in the North-80 fields
Virginia Opossum at our feeders
Virginia Opossum at our feeders
Red Squirrel overcoming our "squirrel proof" feeder
Red Squirrel overcoming our "squirrel proof" feeder
Woodchuck chilling out on the rock bath
Woodchuck chilling out on the rock bath
"Our" Sandhill Cranes, pictured on November 8 watching over our welcome sign.
"Our" Sandhill Cranes, pictured on November 8 watching over our welcome sign.
Evening Grosbeaks on a feeder at Seven Ponds
Evening Grosbeaks on a feeder at Seven Ponds
Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)
Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)
Violet Dancer (Argia fumipennis violacea) at the A-frame Bridge
Violet Dancer (Argia fumipennis violacea) at the A-frame Bridge
Fall fungi abounds!
Fall fungi abounds!
Red-spotted Purple on our sidewalk
Red-spotted Purple on our sidewalk
Red-headed Woodpecker at Seven Ponds
Red-headed Woodpecker at Seven Ponds
Snow Bunting in the Seven Ponds parking lot!
Snow Bunting in the Seven Ponds parking lot!
Mayapple in Paul's Woods
Mayapple in Paul's Woods
Our healthy Raccoon visitor
Our healthy Raccoon visitor
Young turkeys on the move
Young turkeys on the move
Slugging along on a window
Slugging along on a window
Northern Waterthrush at Jonathan Woods
Northern Waterthrush at Jonathan Woods
Louisiana Waterthrush at Jonathan Woods
Louisiana Waterthrush at Jonathan Woods
Fox Squirrel in front with Gray Squirrels (gray and black form)
Fox Squirrel in front with Gray Squirrels (gray and black form)
Bowl and doily web near the A-Frame Bridge
Bowl and doily web near the A-Frame Bridge
Closed Bottle Gentian in Earl's Prairie
Closed Bottle Gentian in Earl's Prairie
Snowberry Clearwing moth, with wings so fast they are just a blur!
Snowberry Clearwing moth, with wings so fast they are just a blur!
Blanding's Turtle at Seven Ponds
Blanding's Turtle at Seven Ponds
Dryad's Saddle in the North-80
Dryad's Saddle in the North-80
Pixie Cup Lichen
Pixie Cup Lichen
Smooth Blue Aster in Earl's Prairie
Smooth Blue Aster in Earl's Prairie

206 bird species have been observed at Seven Ponds! The most recent addition to our property list was Common Goldeneye, seen on March 12, 2023. For more recent sightings posted to eBird, click the eBird logo to the right.

 

Our satellite properties are visited less frequently, but offer different habitat for birds. Check out the eBird reports for these two areas below:

 

Jonathan Woods Nature Preserve eBird reports

97 bird species observed

 

Richie Pond Nature Preserve eBird reports

69 bird species observed