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BIRDS NESTING: A Spring Field Course
Leonard Weber March 20, 2024 One of the highlights of nature observation in Eliza Howell Park each year is bird nesting season. There are some 30 species that regularly nest in the park, and in any one year, patient and frequent observation, guided by knowledge of species-specific nesting practices, can result in the opportunity to study…
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First Garter Snake of the Year
Leonard Weber March 16, 2024 It is always sunny when I encounter the first Eastern Garter Snake of the year in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park. We have reached the time this cold-blooded species is starting to seek the warmth of the sun after months of “brumation.” This year’s first sighting was on March 15, as…
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The 11 Birds of March: Migrants Start to Return
Leonard Weber March 8, 2024 When March arrives in Eliza Howell Park, it is time to expect the return of the first of the bird species that migrated south for the winter. Over the years it has become clear: the earliest returning migrants, 11 of them, very likely to show up in March. Here are the…
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Catkins on Quaking Aspens: Observation-based Learning
Leonard Weber March 4, 2024 The Aspen flower buds in Eliza Howell Park are fuzzy in early March. Over the next weeks, the flowers will develop into hanging clusters of seeds (catkins). During the winter of 2022 – 2023, one tree in the small grove of Quaking Aspen in the park was blown almost entirely…
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The Elusive Pileated Woodpecker: Signs of Its Presence
Leonard Weber February 23, 2024 A little over 15 months ago (November 14, 2022), I reported my first sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker in Eliza Howell Park in Detroit. Since then, I have seen one in the park three other times, but just once in the last 12 months (on January 10, 2024). Since the…
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Birds Are Singing, Winter Is Waning
Leonard Weber February 11, 2024 We have now reached the point in winter when there are clear signs that bird behavior is beginning to change from non-breeding to breeding season. Three Eliza Howell Park species signal the approaching breeding season by singing songs that haven’t been heard regularly here for months: Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal,…
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Amber Jelly: A Winter Mushroom
Leonard Weber February 1, 2024 I should know better after all these years, but every winter I am a little surprised to find mushrooms thriving in January and February here in Detroit. Recently, my attention has been on a species known as Amber Jelly (also known as Jelly Roll, Amber Jelly Fungus, and Brown Witch’s…
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Box Elder: Samaras in Winter
Leonard Weber January 30, 2024 One of the trees that is easy to recognize during winter walks in Eliza Howell is the Box Elder. To be more precise, the female Box Elder tree with low branches is easy to recognize. The winged fruit/seeds (samaras) hang on till late winter. Box Elder is a type of…
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Watching the River Freeze
Leonard Weber January 20, 2024 The Rouge River flows through Eliza Howell Park, and one of my annual winter questions is when (or whether) it will freeze over. There is always a current and it takes a sustained period of very cold weather to freeze the whole surface. I always observe at the same location,…
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Eliza Howell Nature Walk 