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Black Swallowtail: # 12 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber March 22, 2023 Black Swallowtail is one butterfly that I can usually count on seeing frequently in Eliza Howell Park from mid-May to mid-September. Over the last 10 years, the average date of my first sighting of the year here has been May 18. It is a large butterfly, with a wingspan of…
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Cornelian Cherry Dogwood: An Early Flowering Tree
Leonard Weber March 18, 2023 March has been very cold this year so far here in Detroit, but I have begun anticipating flowers that will be blooming soon. The earliest flowering tree or shrub in Eliza Howell Park is, I think, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood. The buds are now starting to show yellow. There is only…
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Common Buckeye: # 11 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
The Common Buckeye is not “common” in Michigan in the sense of numerous, but I usually see one or more each year in Eliza Howell Park in Detroit And it is definitely not “common” in the sense of uninteresting or ordinary. Seeing one is always a special occasion. The Common Buckeye is called “common” as…
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Mourning Cloak: # 10 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber March 8, 2023 The Mourning Cloak is one of the earliest butterflies of the year, often the very first. And it probably has the longest adult lifespan of all North American butterflies. I usually see the first Mournibg Cloak in Eliza Howell Park in April, but have seen one as early as March…
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The Changing Seasons on the Rouge River
Leonard Weber March 2, 2023 March is here. A few bird species that migrated south for the winter are already returning to Eliza Howell Park, and some perennial plants are showing signs of new growth These early signs of seasonal change call to mind the full annual cycle. Below are photos taken from the same…
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Red Admiral: # 9 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
The Red Admiral is another butterfly present every year in Eliza Howell Park that is attractive and easy to spot. When it visits flowers, it often lets watchers and photographers get quite close. It will nectar with the wings open as well as with wings closed. The wingspan is about 2 inches. Their season in…
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Common Checkered-Skipper: # 8 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
It is called “common” and frequent visitors to Eliza Howell Park can expect to see it several time from late May into September, but the Common Checkered-Skipper is not as numerous as many of the others in this series. It is a small butterfly, with a wingspan of about 1 1/2 inches. As the only…
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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail: # 7 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
One of the largest, one of the most recognizable, one of most common butterflies in Eliza Howell Park is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. This is a species with a small color difference between females and males. Females have blue on the hindwings. About the name: a) “Swallowtail” comes from the two little “tails” on the…
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Little Wood-Satyr: # 6 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber February 13, 2023 It is not a brightly colored butterfly; it is not large; it is not usually attracted to flowers. The Little Wood-Satyr is, however, reliably present during most nature walks in Eliza Howell Park in late May and early June. It is common before many of the better-known species begin to…
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Birch Trees in Eliza Howell Park
Kathleen Garrett February 9, 2023 A stand of birch trees greets visitors to EHP near the entrance close to the stick sculpture. A couple of other small stands (two or three trees) are nearby along the east edge of the loop with a larger grouping further into the park right next to the road. More…
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Eliza Howell Nature Walk 