FAMILY TIME IN FRANKFORT

 My grandniece Kaylah and her family were in Frankfort for the holiday weekend and I headed there Saturday afternoon.  On the way, I stopped at Peterson Road to see the nesting piping plovers.  I was surprised to see a park ranger tending the site.  The birds were too far away to photograph so I continued to the Platte, where canoes were already on the river.  I loved seeing the plush greenery along the way.  Arriving at the Frankfort beach, I quickly found Kaylah holding my one-year old great-grandniece, Margo.  Three-year old great-grandnephew Felix enjoyed running barefoot in the sand.  Kaylah’s husband was celebrating his 30th birthday.  He proudly wore his Wisconsin sweatshirt, after recently receiving his master’s degree there.  I also had time to catch up with Gwen, Kaylah’s youngest sister, who is just finishing her junior year in high school.  Spending the afternoon in the sunshine with family was wonderful and Frankfort has one of nicest beaches with plenty of benches, paved accessible walkways, and playground equipment for the youngsters to enjoy.

 

 

A DAY OF REMEMBERING

 

 

SPRING PHEASANT BEHAVIORS

 SPRING PHEASANT BEHAVIORS:  In my recent wanderings, I’ve observed several ring-necked pheasant roosters exhibiting courtship behaviors.  In one instance, I saw two roosters establishing courtship territories.  In another, a rooster was forming a harem of eligible breeding hens.  They’re stunning birds and I love watching them.

 

 

 

EPHEMERAL

 With two days in the 80s, followed by two nights of intense thunderstorms, the window for seeing cherry blossoms was narrower than usual.  By the time I got out on the weekend, most of the blossoms were spent.  While disappointed, I found solace in the beautiful greens that had popped up.

 

 

 

FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS

And the really big show is just beginning.  More to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWO NEW FINDS

I was traveling the boonies when I came across two new birds for my life list.  The first had a long bill and I immediately thought sandpiper.  Turns out, this American Woodcock is part of the sandpiper family.  I watched it rock its stocky body back and forth as it probed the ground for earthworms.  The other new find was a raptor, a Northern Harrier.  It was mantling prey and watching me with its bright yellow eyes so I didn’t stick around long.  I guess I don’t have to travel to exotic places to see new birds.

 

 

 

 

 

DAFFIES GIVE WAY TO TULIPS

So many colors and varieties!  As a good friend would say:  Oooooooeeeeeeee!!

OLD MISSION SUNSET

When the sun came out Saturday afternoon, my first thought was SUNSET.  So at 8:10 Gracie and I headed to the scenic turnout on Old Mission Peninsula.  Right away, I saw the site was perfect for a spring sunset.  I arrived a half hour early and got the last front row parking spot.  In my side-view mirror, I watched others jockeying for the next-best place.  Even though it was 44 degrees, people were out of their cars watching the sun set across West Bay and the Leelanau Peninsula.  It did not disappoint.