Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Unusual sightings in Michigan's northwestern lower peninsula


Sunset on Walloon Lake



This is what you get when you put out your bird feeders. I have learned that there are more than four kinds of squirrels in Michigan: the woodchuck or groundhog its the largest in the squirrel family, but they don't bother the bird feeders. Next largest is the fox squirrel. The chipmunk and the 13-lined ground squirrel are the smallest. The grey squirrel is smaller than a fox squirrel and is sometimes black. The red squirrel is a bit larger than a chipmunk - one of these has been stuffing his cheeks with sunflower seeds and then running into the neighbors yard to store them in a hole in the ground. There is also a small flying squirrel but it is rarely seen because it is nocturnal.

Wild Turkeys: 

We have seen many wild turkeys on the Wildwood Harbor Road between Walloon Lake and Boyne City. The most impressive sighting was a flock of about twenty with four adults and sixteen juveniles. They were crossing the road to get to the other side.

Turkeys on Bicycles: 
  • The hills here are the remains of ancient sand dunes that are thrilling to bicycle down but an arduous climb up. I went for a bike ride by myself this morning, taking my driver's license and my cell phone, so that whoever finds the body can identify me and call 911. As I am coasting downhill I begin thinking it wouldn't be so bad if I added just a few more miles to my outing. On the up hill stretches, I wonder why I ever left home. 
  • Last week, we passed a foolish young man on a bicycle who was coming down as we were bicycling up. He wore no helmet and he was bicycling no-hands as he was listening to his iPod and texting. Kids these days!
Sailing on Walloon:

 Lake Michigan at Charlevoix:


Me in a Kayak:

             [No Photo]

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