birds | Change Is Hard

April 16, 2009
by dawnkinster 6 Comments

Went for a walk

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Yesterday it was finally warm enough not to freeze off vital body parts, so I took myself off for a walk. I used to have a favorite four mile run, and since I haven’t been able to run for a very long time, I walked the route, just to see what had changed during this last long winter. I thought about taking the dog, but decided I wanted to walk further than she was able to go.

It was a beautiful day, blue sky, bright sunshine. I walked along a packed dirt road, realizing that it was a perfect day for a run. But I’m in no shape to begin running yet, still nursing the stress fracture in my foot. So I settled for a walk. Turns out it wasn’t such a bad thing.

At the two mile mark there is a small park with nature trails that I have never explored. Usually I am running as I go by this spot, and have never taken the time to stop and find out what was there. I saw this past winter a map that said there was a heron rookery at the end of these trails. So yesterday, armed with my trusty camera I headed down the trail to see what I could see.

My first decision was which way to go at the fork in the trail

trees-877 Hmm…should I go into the woodlands or the meadow? I decided maybe a heron rookery would be in the woods, but I wasn’t at all sure. The woodland path headed downhill, and I reminded myself that I’d have to come back up anything downhills I traversed. Funny. In the old days when I was in better shape I never would have thought about that. Sad.

I stopped to take a few pictures of the path ..

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and some fungus on a tree.

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Right about then I heard such a shrieking, grating, loud noise coming from up ahead. It was the sound of blue herons! Disturbed blue herons! I couldn’t see anything, so I hurried down the trail toward the noise. Not too far ahead this is what I saw, up in the sky:

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Can you see them? There were thirty or forty (hard to count them all!) blue herons flying in big circles above the rookery. I counted eighteen nests, but it was hard to see, there are probably many more. The herons kept flying in higher and higher circles, their squawking decreased, and it became more quiet in the woods. The path continued downhill, but was becoming waterlogged and muddy, so I eventually turned around and climbed the hill back to the road. It was an amazing experience. Once the leaves are on the trees I won’t be able to watch the nests, so I hope to go back and watch again soon. I don’t think I was the one that disturbed them, as I was quite far away, taking quiet pictures. But we’ll see if they all go up in flight next time I’m there.

On the way back home I walked through the wetlands down below the rookery, enjoying the sun and blue skies.

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It took me forever to do this four miles, especially with the side trip into the woods. I doubt you could call it a workout, but at least I was out on a walk!

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Later in the evening Katie and I went to the park so that she could walk and sniff around as well. I think we both need to do this more often, especially since the weather seems to have broken.

Shoes are broken in too. Fun times.

April 5, 2009
by dawnkinster 5 Comments

One last time?

So my grass is getting sort of green. My daffodils are up about 4 or 5 inches, some even have tiny little blossom buds on them. The birds are running around making nests, I’m starting to think about getting out the gardening stuff, planning the garden, looking for weeds. You know, getting into the spring thing.

But they are predicting a big storm starting tonight. We’re supposed to get 4-6 inches of…dare I say it? SNOW!!! So it goes, springtime in Michigan. Doesn’t let a person get to complacent. Ever.

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This picture was taken April 13, 2008. Hope what we have coming isn’t more than this, but I’m afraid it might be.

March 28, 2009
by dawnkinster 5 Comments

Not predicting spring.

I know I said weeks ago that I was done predicting spring. After all, it keeps getting cold and wet around here after a few days of teaser warmth. I’ve lived in Michigan all my life; you’d think I know this. But each year I find myself pulled into the excitement, think that winter is over, get all happy and such. And then it snows. Or freezing cold drizzle descends. Disappointed again.

So this year I declare myself free from the whole spring anticipation frenzy. Free to enjoy each day for what it is, whatever it is. Not going to look forward or become disappointed if things don’t go exactly right. Not going to be sucked in again. Not this year. No siree. Not me.

Hey! Did you see that the goldfinches are turning gold? In little bits and splotches the male feathers are turning from drab green to bright yellow. Must be it’s finally spring! WAIT! I didn’t say that!

Darn. Sucked in again. 🙂

March 9, 2009
by dawnkinster 6 Comments

A dog gone good walk into spring

Today it finally stopped raining, and though we had fresh snow on the ground early this morning, it was gone by early afternoon. By late afternoon it was just above 40 degrees, the sun was out and it felt like the perfect time to get a good walk in. So Katie and I drove to a metro park where I used to train for marathons. There’s a 8.5 mile paved bike path around a beautiful lake there, but I didn’t think we’d walk the whole thing. After all Katie has short legs and hasn’t ever walked that far. And I’d probably hurt myself if we tried.

Of course I forgot the camera, but we had a great time, maybe even a better time because I wasn’t asking Katie to pose. We walked 3/4 of a mile out and back, so a total of 1.5 miles. She moved almost the whole way with her fast little sheltie prance so I got a workout too. Of course she did take quite a few sudden detours to sniff trees and leaves and mud.

We worked on her understanding that we needed to stay on our side of the middle line. She’s a girl just like her Mom, focused on the lake and not always paying attention to other people on the path. She saw swans and sandhill cranes and mallard ducks and Canadian geese. She loved watching the swans running after each other, their huge feet slapping the water. And she loved getting up close to a mallard duck pair that swam near the shore. She did fine with the few bikes and other dogs that went by. At first I was nervous and tried to get her to “HEEL!” and focus on me, but she wasn’t at all interested in the treats I had, too much out there to watch instead. She did notice a few cars and I could tell she was thinking about barking and chasing, but she looked at me and I said “NO!” and that was that.

So all in all this was a good experience; our first longer walk ever, the first field trip since the long winter, a wonderful late afternoon activity. If it’s nice on Wednesday maybe we’ll go back. By the last quarter mile back she wasn’t prancing out at the end of her leash anymore, she was walking more slowly next to me. I thought I wore her out, but tonight I’m the one falling asleep on the sofa. She’s keeping watch out the backdoor for marauding possums or raccoons!

February 7, 2009
by dawnkinster 3 Comments

Bluebirds…and other things

This week I had multiple sightings of bluebirds as I drove through the countryside near my home. At first I wasn’t sure I had actually glimpsed a male bluebird, but when I saw it and what I thought might be his female partner near the same location the next day I started paying more attention. Turns out I saw bluebirds nearly every day and in several locations. Yesterday I got a really good look at a pair on the road just up from my house. So I think they are here for good! For more information about the Eastern bluebird go to: http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/ which is the North American Blue Bird Society page. Yesterday afternoon I went to my library and checked out a book about bird behavior and read more about bluebirds. I’m hoping the fact that they are around means we are almost to spring! I’ve known to be wrong about the spring thing before though, so don’t count on me…I’m about as reliable as the Ground Hog. But more optimistic!

As for the other things: Katie and I went to agility today. But turns out there isn’t another class starting! I was so confused, came home and looked at their webpage and it says there’s agility today. Will have to find out what the story is. Anyway, all that worry and decision making about whether or not to go…big waste of time. Which in general is what I find worrying often is…really. So Katie and I are going to go out and romp around in the wet snow. It’s much warmer today and the predicted rain hasn’t started. She can’t wait.

January 30, 2009
by dawnkinster 3 Comments

Contemplative Friday

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I have today off. From work, not from thoughts. It’s good to have some quiet time, though Katie girl is making it difficult; she’s all rambunctious wanting to play, or eat or something. It’s snowing again. No surprise there, but I’m so tired of snow. When I get like this I appease myself by looking online at real estate in the southwest. Where it’s warmer and dryer.

But I’m also sitting in my reading chair in the corner of my living room watching the birds at the feeder and the snow coming down as if I lived inside a snow globe, reading a book entitled “Fresh Water; Women Writing on the Great Lakes.” It reminds me how much I love the Great Lakes and I wonder if I could be happy living further away from the water than I already do.

So I put the book down and contemplate. The lakes are alive and make me feel the same way. The desert is alive in another small, hard to see way. In all the little crevices there is life in the desert…but the desert truly comes alive when it rains. Water makes it bloom. Water makes my soul bloom too.

As I sit and wonder what the future will bring Katie calms down, then jumps up in the chair with me. This is unprecedented. As she tucks herself down between me and the arm of the chair I realize this moment won’t last long, she’s an impatient dog, so I stroke her lovely back and study the beautiful colors of her fur and enjoy the heat from her doggie body. She turns and begins to lick my face and neck and I have to laugh out loud. “Sure Mom,” she says “Sure, think about the warm southwest. You know you can’t leave your lakes! And it’s too hot out there for a Sheltie!”

My contemplation is over; she jumps to the floor and tells me it’s time to go outside to play ‘grab the glove off Mom’s hand.’ Life is so simple when you’re a Sheltie.

November 7, 2008
by dawnkinster 7 Comments

Waiting at the gate

This morning as Katie and I ventured outside for our morning stroll, we noted that the trees were full of birds. And the birds were all making noise; chirping, squawking, screeching, and flying around chasing each other. The noise was quite overwhelming. We stood still in the driveway, listening and watching. I finally figured out the trees were full of robins, all talking excitedly, some chasing each other through the limbs of trees, others hopping from limb to limb. All of them were making noise. I kept thinking it reminded me of something…what? Then it came to me. The robins were acting like excited passengers on the way to a great vacation destination, all excited, ready to go. And the more I watched and listened the more they resembled a high school class at the airport, on their way to Cancun for spring break. Chatting excitedly, chasing each other around, the noise level escalating as the departure time moves closer. I guess the robins are getting ready for their trip south. It sounds like they can’t wait to get there!

I got the library job. I can’t wait to get there either. (Just checking to see if you’re paying attention.)

October 30, 2008
by dawnkinster 2 Comments

Falling gold

Early this morning I noticed all the bird feeders were empty and little birds were hopping arround and around the big feeder, checking each opening in the hopes of finding breakfast. So Katie and I headed out to refill three feeders. The sun was just up, tipping the trees in rosy light. The one remaining maple tree that still holds it’s leaves shone like a brilliant golden beacon against the other drab and leafless leaves behind it. As I poured seed into the largest feeder a few reamining birch leaves spun slowly down like drops of gold all around me. Katie sat patiently as I finished up, even though we could hear the finches in the branches above chriping restlessly. As I walked back into the house I glanced back and saw the feeder swarming with birds, each eager to find their place amid the falling gold that is the last vestiges of fall.

October 22, 2008
by dawnkinster 1 Comment

I've been junco'd!

This morning I noticed what looked like a dark-eyed junco sitting on my brand new deck railing. Upon closer observation I realized there was a whole flock of juncos around the deck and under the bird feeder. OH NO! Juncos are only around during winter, and their arrival confirms that the summer is truly over. Even if I ignore the 40 degree morning I can’t ignore this flock of dark little birds. Guess it’s time to take down the humming bird feeder – ey? For a look at what a junco looks like check out this link. Bet if you live around here you’ll find out you’ve been junco’d too!

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Dark-eyed_Junco.html

October 5, 2008
by dawnkinster 5 Comments

Like I promised

I know you don’t need three posts from me in one day, but I’m so excited that I can’t wait to show you! Remember in a previous post when I described running (almost literally) into a pair of sandhill cranes while training and how I wished I had my camera? I vowed to go back to the park someday and walk around until I found them again. Well, today being such a sad day, missing the opportunity to run the half marathon, I went to a place that always makes me smile: Kensington Metro Park. I wasn’t really expecting to find the cranes as I had seen a flock of over twenty of them this week in a field near my home and I figured they were getting ready to fly away for the winter. I thought that the ones at the park would probably be gone. But I went out there anyway, to find some solace. After a couple of hours I had given up finding them, and was headed for home when I caught a glimpse of these two by the road. If I had been walking I wouldn’t have seen them; they were in a section of the park where the bike path had been taken up and moved. I had to park about a mile away and walk back and I was glad they were still there when I finally arrived. This picture shows their size; the split rail fence is about two and a half feet tall, maybe three feet at most.

But I also know I promised to get you an up close and personal picture of these beautiful birds. So, though they were more skittish today than the time I ran by them a couple of weeks ago, they did let me get pretty close, and you can see their rust feathers in a couple of these pictures.