I didn’t see a Bucket in the queue, and didn’t want a dark day. So here’s a filler.
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
A spur of the moment trip yesterday afternoon to the Detroit River ended up paying off. I picked up my birding buddy on the way as we tried to sneak a peak before the weather turned. It was overcast and spitting rain, but the heavy stuff held off just long enough.
We headed to Dingell Park on the Detroit River, about half way between the headwaters at Belle Isle and the mouth at Lake Erie Metropark. There was a substantial amount of ice in the water, most of it traveling with the current.
Detroit River at Dingell Park. There were mostly Mute Swans and Canada Geese, with a variety of ducks in the lens of open water.
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A little further downriver, there was more open water. A small raft of Common Mergansers was swimming in the middle. Bigger.
A few ducks came close to the walkway, like the Redheads in the title photo. One hen came in very close and posed nicely.
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She kept an eye on us, being extremely accommodating before heading out into the river. Bigger
An American Black Duck came in close as well. Bigger
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Where there are Redheads, there usually are Canvasbacks. Here, two drakes near a Mute Swan.
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I’d mentioned the Gordie Howe International Bridge in a Bucket last week. Here’s a shot from the river of one of the towers. A tower of the Ambassador Bridge is (barely) visible in the background. Bigger
Today we have snow, freezing rain, ice — what’s called a wintry mix. The temps are above freezing, so I don’t think the ice will be dangerous enough to bring down limbs.
I’ll close with a photo of an unusual interaction I witnessed yesterday morning between a couple American Crows and a first winter Ring-billed Gull.
American Crows and Ring-billed Gull at Joseph Delia Park, Sterling Heights, MI. I’m not sure what was going on. The Crows were not being overly aggressive — just their usual mischievous selves. Bigger
What’s going in nature in your area?
