Eliza Howell Nature Walk

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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 […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    February 17, 2022
    Uncategorized
    bird nesting practices, field course on nesting birds
  • 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 […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    February 14, 2022
    Uncategorized
    Sycamore trees, winter in Detroit
  • 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 […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    February 6, 2022
    Uncategorized
    coming Detroit, Coyotes in an urban park
  • 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 […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    January 30, 2022
    Uncategorized
    Northern Cardinal in winter, when Cardinals start singing
  • 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 […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    January 19, 2022
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    Golden-crowned Kinglet, insectivore in winter
  • Red Squirrel in January: A Black Walnut Diet

    This winter is far from being the coldest in memory in Southern Michigan, but it is cold enough that I encounter very few other humans during my two to three hour walks in Eliza Howell Park. The Rouge River is always flowing, but even moving water gradually  freezes over at temperatures under 20 degrees F. On […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    January 11, 2022
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  • Spring after Winter: The Repeated Refrain of Nature

    Sixty years ago, in 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book that awakened many Americans to the often harmful effects of the use of pesticides. Carson’s writings reveal a respect for and love of nature that continue to inspire me. One quotation from Silent Spring seems particularly relevant at this time of the year: […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    January 4, 2022
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  • Woodlouse / Roly-poly: A Recent Nature Walk

    In the woods of Eliza Howell Park in late December, the leaves are on the ground, the insects are mostly inactive, the number of bird species is lower than it has been in months. The quiet season has begun. This is a good time to learn more about a quietly active member of the park […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    December 29, 2021
    Uncategorized
  • Winter Solstice: Frost Crystals Everywhere

    The sun was shining this morning, December 21, when I started my walk in Eliza Howell Park. The temperature was near 30 degrees F and the conditions were perfect for the formation of frost crystals. As usual at this time of the year, I first looked for seed-eating birds among the plants in the wildflower […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    December 21, 2021
    Uncategorized
  • Goldenrod Gall Fly: A Solitary Life Inside

    This week I have been focusing on Goldenrod Ball Galls, the home of the insect known as the Goldenrod Gall Fly. When I walk among the goldenrods in Eliza Howell Park in December, it is not to admire the flowers or to observe pollinators and preying insects, as it was in September. Now it is […]

    Eliza Howell nature walks

    December 15, 2021
    Uncategorized
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