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The Daily Bucket [1]

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Date: 2022-07-25

I must briefly digress. For anyone not familiar with the Rouge River of southeast Michigan, it has an infamous reputation for having caught on fire in 1969. It was basically used as an industrial waste and municipal sewage dump for decades, as was the Detroit River. Cleanup has taken years, with much hard work at the federal, state and local levels, along with non-profits like Friends of the Rouge River.

View in the winter across the wetlands to the Fermi 2 power plant.

So there’s the first contrast of Pointe Moo, as it’s affectionately known locally — contaminated materials were used to create the new barrier island to protect the wetlands. Oh, did I mention there’s a landfill nearby? And a huge gravel mine? How about the Fermi II power plant? Yep, the one of the “We Almost Lost Detroit” fame. Living in a major Midwest metropolitan area, I’ve learned to take my nature areas as they come. This bird checklist from the University of Michigan convinces me that Pointe Moo is well worth my efforts to explore. In addition, it’s not unusual for rare species to be reported, like the recent Common Redshank sighting on July 4th. Dang if I didn’t miss that one!

The second contrast is one of seasons. My first introduction to Pointe Moo was early January this year in the dead of winter. I’d read about the park in the fall as I was expanding my birding and nature walk areas in retirement, but hunting season had already started. As a state game area, Pointe Moo is open only for hunting from September through December. Post-hunting season, the Detroit Audubon Society had a field trip, where a limited number of vehicles caravanned across the gravel roads atop the dikes. The big draw was a Snowy Owl (nowhere to be seen that day) and thousands of wintering ducks and other waterfowl.

Pointe Mouillee in February, 2022. Zoom to see the winter birds on the water and Bald Eagles in the trees to the center left.

Hoping the second time was the charm on that elusive Snowy Owl, I signed up for another Audubon field trip in late February. My birding pal and I didn’t know until we got there that the guides had been unable to get permission for a vehicle caravan. So we hiked. It was even colder and windier than in January, with nothing to block the wind blowing across the frozen marsh except stands of phragmites. It was a long hike with no Snowy Owl, but lots of waterfowl, Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, Eagles, Northern Harriers and a lifer Rough-legged Hawk.

I waited for warmer weather to visit again. In April, an Eared Grebe (another lifer) surprised me by staying close to shore instead of doing what every other Grebe I’ve encountered has done — immediately diving and reappearing far in the distance out of camera range.

Eared Grebe at Pointe Mouillee headquarters. It was well aware of my presence as it swam and dove about 10 feet from the breakwater where I was standing.

I’ve made multiple visits in May, June and July, with warmer weather turning the marshes from brown to green.

Pointe Moo wetlands in late June.

Even if there’s no wildlife at the moment, one can always admire fossils in limestone boulders along the outer dikes. Zoom.

Spring migration and nesting season brought lots of birds.

Glossy Ibis in late May, yet another lifer for me. Zoomed.

A constant feature of the landscape is muskrat lodges, which are prime bird nesting sites.

Muskrat in early spring carrying materials for its lodge. Zoomed. They are very shy and cautious. This one was executing a 180 as it had spotted me. I’ve also seen minks at Pte. Moo, but they were way too fast to get a photo.

Gallinule on a muskrat lodge. I still can’t quite get my head around the size of its feet, which are perfect for the lily pads that cover much of the water surface now. Zoomed. I also saw Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Cormorants and Great Blue Herons using the lodges for nesting and perching. In addition, a Northern Harrier checked them out in the winter, maybe for small rodents?

Spring saw enough rain that there was some flooding in the wider area, but the Michigan DNR controls the water levels at the park. Summer so far has been warm with enough, but not too much, rain. Insect life is abundant.

I think this is an Eastern Pondhawk male. Zoomed. Corrections are always welcome!

Eastern Pondhawk female zoomed.

As summer progresses, my birding pals and I are watching the progression of flowers and shorebirds.

Chicory in the early morning sun. I was surprised to learn chicory is an introduced species. I remember it from my childhood as a weed to be pulled and my grandparents using it in their coffee. Phragmites have unsurprisingly invaded, as has purple loosestrife and crown vetch.

A windy and rainy day in July unfortunately limited photo opps as there were lots of shorebirds.

I need help with this one. Zoomed. I’m confident in the Semi-palmated Plover middle left and Black-necked Stilt in the left foreground. I think those are Yellowlegs on the right. I’m afraid the blob between the Plover and Stilt is too blurry to be identified. Sorry about the poor quality. My camera and lens are not waterproof, so I took quick photos and then tucked the camera back under my rain poncho.

That same day in the same area I saw another lifer — a Wilson’s Snipe.

More recently, we unsuccessfully looked for a vagrant Arctic Tern, but did see Caspian, Common, Forster’s and Black Terns. Along with the resident Osprey family, I could sit all day and watch them hunt.

Terns and Swallows in flight.

Osprey family with two barely visible chicks in the nest to the right.

Now it’s your turn. What’s going on in nature in your neck of the woods?

THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.

WE INVITE YOU TO NOTE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AROUND YOU IN YOUR OWN PART OF THE WORLD, AND TO SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF THE DAILY BUCKET FEATURE, CHECK OUT THIS RECENT DIARY: DAILY BUCKET PHENOLOGY: 11 YEARS OF RECORDING EARTH'S VITAL SIGNS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

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