Slow birding this week but we did get a new species. There have been reports of flocks of swallows along the Grand River, including bank swallow which we do not have. So we tried a couple places. At MacNamara’s Landing we found a blue-headed vireo, number 299 for me and number 284 for Lise. No bank swallow though. My Peterson’s Field Guide is so old it still lists the blue-headed vireo as solitary vireo.
We tried looking for swallows at the Behnke Fish Ladder in Old Town, Lansing. Old Town was one of the early villages in the Lansing area. It was settled in the mid-1800s, went on to become a manufacturing area, then fell on hard times. It is coming back with little shops and art places. And a great little Mexican restaurant called Pablo’s Restaurant. What they lack in size and decor they make up in good food. No beer but great limeade.
The fish ladder is interesting. It is on the left side of a dam across the Grand River. Somehow salmon and trout are supposed to know they need to go into a small entrance on the left side of the dam. Then they have to jump over a series of small steps eventually getting to the other side of the dam. Apparently it works. I have seen salmon migrating upstream in the Red Cedar, a tributary of the Grand. They couldn’t have gotten into the Red Cedar without getting over the dam.
For some reason this is the place to do portrait photography in Lansing. I saw three different photographers doing portrait work there. One was wedding shots. I’m not getting the attraction unless maybe they were both fishing enthusiasts. Maybe she hooked him on the river in her waders.
Dam in Old Town.
Fish ladder entrance.
Fish ladder steps.
We tried out a new place down on the Lake Erie coastline called Pointe Mouillee State Game Area. That’s pronounced Moo-Yay for us non-French speakers. According to reports the place is a major birding hotspot. Recent listserve posts had about five species we need down there. So we made the two hour run down there hoping to add to the list.
Didn’t happen quite like planned. First we had to find the place. Then we had to figure out how to get into the area where the good things are being seen. That turned out to be a couple mile hike along some berms. About the time we got to the right pool it was time to head back. I had a doctor’s appointment and Lise had to go to Molly’s swim meet in Battle Creek. No new species but now we know where it is and how long it will take us to get there. Real potential though and we will be going back.
Pointe Mouillee is right by a nuclear power plant. I kept looking for weird disgustingly mutated creatures like giant spiders, FOX Newscasters, or flying monkeys. Scary things that probably eat their own young. I think we were safe though. All the FOX people are headed down to Tampa to throw rose petals in front of Mitt Romney. Or explain how it was the fault of the liberal press that Rep Todd Akin doesn’t understand basic biology. Never occurred to them that the guy is just a jackass. And people in Missouri’s Second Congressional District don’t mind that their Congressman apparently didn’t pass high school biology. But he’s a good Republican by god! Even if his IQ isn’t higher than room temperature. I’m really not opposed to Republicans as a class. I have even voted for some. I’m opposed to narrow-minded hypocritical idiots and it just seems that lately the Republican Party is going out of their way to recruit them.
Egrets and cooling towers. Or maybe gulls that have grown abnormally long beaks and legs.
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 