Category: Uncategorized
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Eliza Howell Park: A Grateful Farewell
Leonard Weber June 24, 2025 After over 20 years of frequent visits to Eliza Howell Park (some 2700 separate times), my regular nature walks here are at an end. Our new home is too far away for anything more than a very occasional visit. I leave with many powerful memories and a deep sense of…
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Red Clover and June Butterflies
Leonard Weber June 4, 2025 Many of the biggest and brightest butterflies have not yet put in an appearance this year in Eliza Howell Park, though several smaller ones can now be found regularly. Today, I pulled myself away from watching nesting-related bird activity to check for butterflies on and around the Red Clover that has…
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Wood Duck Incubation: The Big Sit
Leonard Weber May 29, 2025 Bird watchers sometimes set out to see how many species they can see / hear in 24 hours. This is usually referred to as “the big day” count. In recent years, I have become aware of a variation of this: “the big sit.” Watchers stay within a 17-foot diameter circle…
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Golden Alexander — and Black Swallowtail
Leonard Weber May 21, 2025 The season for enjoying the field / prairie wildflowers in Eliza Howell Park is just beginning in the second half of May. Recently, for example, I saw the first Wild Lupine in bloom in 2025. This year, the early field wildflower that has been catching much of my attention is Golden…
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Bluebirds Take Over Chickadee Nest
Leonard Weber May 15, 2025 Some birds build nests in trees or shrubs; some birds nest on the ground; some birds nest in cavities (holes) in trees. Especially among cavity nesting birds, there can be competition, with two different species wanting the same site. I have recently been watching an example. Cavity nesting birds will…
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Mayapple in Bloom: Toxic with Medicinal Qualities
Leonard Weber May 7, 2025 Mayapple is a very common plant found in parts of the Eliza Howell Park forest. The plants resemble a group of umbrellas; the Cherokee name for it has been translated as “it wears a hat.” To see the flower and, later, the fruit, one needs to look under the umbrella.…
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Dryad’s Saddle and Baltimore Oriole: Right on Time
Leonard Weber April 30, 2025 It happens at approximately the same time every year. One appears on the surface of dead trees and logs, and one flies in from Central America. As April turns into May, there are many species making their first annual appearance in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park. Two of these are Dryad’s Saddle…
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Watching Warblers: Neotropical Migrant Season Begins
Leonard Weber April 21, 2025 Birds that breed in North America and winter in the “new world” tropics (Central / South Anerica and Mexico) are often called neotropical migrants. They migrate long distances and will be arriving soon in our area on their way to their 2025 breeding grounds. Among the many species of neotropicals…
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April Highlights: Flowers, Toads, Butterflies, Mushrooms, and more
Leonard Weber April 13, 2025 Repeated visits to the same natural area over the years, season after season, allows one to know what to expect when. Based on past experience, here is a list of several spring events that nature walkers in Eliza Howell Park will have an opportunity to observe in the remainder of…
Eliza Howell Nature Walk 