So three strikes and you’re out. This was a three strikes week.
Lesser black-backed gull was reported among the 450 ring-billed gulls on Lake Lansing late Sunday evening. Monday morning we were there at first light but the gulls had already left the lake. Went back at ~4:00 with no sign of the gull. Then we found out that the gulls only start coming in about an hour from sunset. Back we went, staying until dark. Lots of ring-billed gulls but no lesser black-backed. Turns out our friend Barb was at the other end of the lake, scanning the same flock, with the same results we had.
Strike two was chasing a golden-winged warbler. Wednesday morning someone reported it at Hawk Island Park. He sent the message at about 9:15 AM and I saw the message at 9:30. Lise came to get me and we headed over to Hawk Island. We got there not more than an hour after the other person left.
These are part of the detailed instructions he gave for finding the bird. “Continue a bit more, and you’ll see two yellow signs on a stand-alone wooden gate that say “Construction Area Do Not Enter.” (Beware, these signs are everywhere, so look for the little gate.) Enter anyway, and about 20-30 steps around the corner you’ll have a view of some thickets and trees, and that’s where the bird was.” So we broke the law and entered anyway. Despite the thrill of getting away with breaking the law we didn’t see the bird. All we could hear was the big machinery building the Mount Doom sledding hill.How did that song go, “I fought the law and the law won….”
Do not enter for fear of death. Not one but two do not enter signs.
Mount Doom sledding hill. The back is a sheer drop to your death.
Coming back we took a quick pass through Fenner Nature Center. Not too much in the way of birds but we did find some honking big puff ball mushrooms. These are some of the safe and easy wild edibles to find. They can’t be mistaken for death angel mushrooms or anything nasty like that. When you slice these guys and fry them in butter they taste like fried butter. What could be better than that. An order of scrapple maybe? There is some similarity. Both of them will live in your aorta for the foreseeable future.
There’s a fungus among us.
Then for strike three there’s the bird who’s name can’t be spoken. I’ll give a hint. It’s a little owl that screeches a lot. Barb and I went to her friend’s house where the owls allegedly come into the yard. It was too windy and we didn’t see or hear any owls. Strike three. At least these were local strikes. We didn’t fly across the country just to strike out.
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 