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Mourning Cloak: An Unusual Butterfly
The last week in March was warmer in Detroit in 2021 than it is this year. On March 27 a year ago, I saw the first butterfly of the year in Eliza Howell Park, a Mourning Cloak, definitely one of my favorites. Because it is one of the few butterfly species that spend the winter…
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Redbud in March, Redbud in April
Three weeks into March, the Eastern Redbuds in Eliza Howell Park in Detroit still look like they did when the leaves fell last Fall. But three weeks into April, the Redbuds will represent the brightness and beauty of Spring. What a difference one month makes! (The April photos are from April 20, 2021.) The flowers…
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Praying Mantis Egg Cases: How Many Species?
Watching Praying Mantises is an annual nature walk activity in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park in late Summer and very early Fall. When Winter comes, long after the Mantis adults have died and the leaves have fallen, the egg cases (“oothecae”) are much easier to spot. Based on the many oothecae visible this year, the Praying…
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Mourning Doves Are Cooing Again: Paying Attention to a Common Bird
Now that March is here, there are new signs of emerging Spring almost daily in Eliza Howell Park. One is the cooing sound of the Mourning Dove, a sound not heard for several months. The small-headed, long-tailed Mourning Dove is one of the most common birds in the United States. Mourning Doves have been present…
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American Sycamore: A Distinctive Tree
In Winter, when almost all the trees in Eliza Howell Park are leafless, American Sycamore trees stand out, with their attractive multi-colored bark. While some of the Sycamores appear to have been planted for parkland purposes, more have grown naturally, especially along the river. American Sycamore is native to eastern North America and is often…
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BIRDS NESTING: A Field Course
One of the annual highlights of Eliza Howell Park nature walking is spring nesting season. From April through June, I typically see some 20 differemt species building nests, incubating eggs, and/or feeding young. Baltimore Oriole is one species that nest here regularly, carefully weaving hanging nests. Eastern Bluebirds nest in cavities. I am able to provide…
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Tree Watching in February
When February is cold and snowy, as it had been so far this year in Detroit, it can seem to be a very long month. Even winter lovers might start to look forward to nature’s new year, which begins here in March. As I crunch my way over the frozen snow in Eliza Howell Park these…
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The Coyotes of Eliza Howell Park: There Is More to Learn
While I have not previously posted a report on the Coyotes present in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park, I have long been aware of that presence. Because they are largely (though not exclusively) nocturnal in urban areas and because they are wary of humans, my direct visual observations have been relatively infrequent. And I have been…
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When Cardinals Start to Sing: An Early Announcement of Spring
With the arrival of February, many of us are looking forward to Spring. While Groundhog Day exemplifies an eagerness for winter to wane, it is not itself one of nature’s signs of the change coming. One sign that does announce that Spring is definitely on its way here in Michigan is provided by a common…
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Golden-crowned Kinglet: Insectivore in January
It is not easy being an insectivore in winter in Michigan. This month I have four different times seen a Golden-crowned Kinglet in Eliza Howell Park in Detroit — perhaps the same one each time, perhaps not. It is always exciting to see one of these fascinating “little kings,” but I am conscious of the…
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Eliza Howell Nature Walk 