Category: Uncategorized
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Mink by the River
Leonard Weber January 14, 2025 Last week, while on a morning nature walk, Kathleen Garrett and I saw a Mink traveling along the river in Eliza Howell Park. It trotted downstream on the ice along the river’s edge. Over the years, I have occasionally seen a Mink in the park. Each time, it was quite…
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Merlin and Beaver: Winter Nature Walk Agenda
Leonard Weber January 4, 2025 In Eliza Howell Park, January and February are quiet months, months with no major seasonal changes in what nature walkers observe: no migratory bird species arriving or departing, no trees leafing out or dropping leaves, no flowers opening or going to seed, no butterflies to watch and photograph. Despite…
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The Seven Woodpeckers of Eliza Howell Park
Leonard Weber December 24, 2024 There are eight different members of the woodpecker family normally found in Michigan. All but the Black-backed Woodpecker, an uncommon species of the northern forests, have been observed in Eliza Howell Park in Detroit. In 2024, for the first time in 20 years of nature walks, I have seen all…
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An Admired Beech Tree: Its 3rd Century
Leonard Weber December 19, 2024 An area within the road loop of Eliza Howell Park contains scattered mature trees. The trees are primarily Oak, Cottonwood, and Black Cherry. Among them is one, only one, large American Beech. The other large beech trees in the park are in the woodland where, as is usually the case…
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Birds of December: The Regulars and the Occasionals
Leonard Weber December 9, 2024 In December 2024, I am completing 20 years of bird walks in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park. With observation records from 240 consecutive months, I have a pretty good understanding of what to expect to see at any given time of the year. The average number of observed bird species in…
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The Progress of Fall 2024: Photos from the Footbridge
Leonard Weber December 2, 2024 It takes about two months, essentially the months of October and November, for the leaves on the various deciduous trees along the Rouge River in Eliza Howell Park to complete color change and to fall. Here, in 10 photos, is the way Fall progressed along the Rouge in 2024. The…
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Eastern Screech Owl: A Good Day’s Sleep
Leonard Weber November 19, 2024 The Eastern Screech Owl is an Eliza Howell Park bird species that doesn’t usually make the record of birds observed during nature walks. It is nocturnal — and this nature walker tends to be diurnal. Daytime observation of Screech Owls in non-breeding season depends upon spotting one that is roosting.…
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Beaver Fever: Exciting Signs of the Famous Rodent
Leonard Weber November 10, 2024 Fall color season is over in Eliza Howell Park. As often happens in the park, however, when one feature attraction fades, something else appears. The new excitement is the presence of American Beaver. Beaver is mostly nocturnal, so I have no photos of the actual animal. “Observing” beaver consists of…
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Deer Tree Rubs: Mating Season Begins
Leonard Weber November 4, 2024 Whitetail Deer are common in Eliza Howell Park, so common that I rarely give much attention to them on nature walks. This year, however, I have seen four bucks together a couple times, something that is not common here. The beginning of November is approximately the start of the deer…
Eliza Howell Nature Walk 