Day 16.233: ...and back again

I know I joked on Tuesday about the "coast" I was visiting, but this view as I took off from Detroit on the second leg of my return journey could easily be the ocean rather than Lake Michigan.

Even more baffling - was this view of a "bridge". It looks like something glitched in the Matrix.

The real ocean this time - this was my view of "our" beach as we looped around into Portland:

Day 16.232: Drama

… not here in Wisconsin and certainly not in this photo from a pleasant 1 mile walk to dinner this evening.

The drama was back in Maine where Exile #2 lost her phone and wallet and suspected them stolen but eventually recovered them safe and sound. Quite a relief at the end of the day. 

Day 16.231: Coast to coast

My morning started very early. Before dawn I was flying out over the coast:

This was the coastline as I arrived at my destination later in the day:

And this was the full moon as the day ended. 

As for the “coastline” I am near it is just a lakeshore - a long way from any real coast in Madison Wisconsin. 

Day 16.230: Birds on our walk

Our first pass along the beach from Bayview to Ferry Beach we saw little other than holiday-makers. This was the only photo I took:

We ended up leaving the beach to head to Camp Ellis along the roads and later did better as we returned along the beach. This is what we saw:

Cormorant, mallard, gull, pigeon

Ring-billed gull

We nearly missed this wader as we walked. I'm glad I stopped and got some decent pictures because it turned out to be a new species - Baird's sandpiper - only a few are seen each year along this part of the coast during the fall migration.

Then we got a rather good view of an osprey as we neared the Bayview exit from the beach

Classic bent-elbow look

And it flew right overhead resulting in this

Day 16.229: Exile #2's Sunday Column #448

Exile #2 writes...

Although school starts next week, there are still plenty of vacationers around. We popped down to the beach to find the parking lots still pretty full, even by mid afternoon. We spotted a space, though, and were about to swing into it when we noticed the passenger door was open. We decided to wait as the family seemed to be packing up. Only then did we notice that someone was standing behind the door, trying to change discreetly out of their bathing suit. Realizing we were waiting, he reached out to close the door, but thankfully, for all of our sakes, thought better of it! We were happy to wait.

We walked all the way down the beach and off into the little harbor community at the mouth of the river, where we chatted with a local gentleman who, we suspect, was sitting in a favorite spot watching the boats come and go. He told us how he used to go out fishing without worrying about what he was allowed to bring back. It’s not the case anymore, apparently. There are complicated rules about the number, type and size of fish allowed, and those who enforce the rules are known to make regular spot checks. I’m glad that someone is making sure fishing is sustainably done but I can see how the changes might make someone a little wistful.

One of the boats that came in at Camp Ellis while we were talking

Day 16.228: Why would they, when they've got street water?

As far as we know, no bird has yet bathed in our bird bath. Today we witnessed not one, not two, but three puddles being used for a veritable pool party of sparrows.

"Hey guys, we've provided a special bathing spot for you out the back - don't you want to try that?"

"Why would they, when they've got street water?"

We even saw a goldfinch trying to get a look-in.

Day 16.227: Battle of the beans

Something has been eating our beans - and seems equally keen on the bean plants. One suspect is this fellow:

Woodchuck cutely eating dandelions in our lawn

But to be fair, the beans have presumably been eaten at night, and during the day we've seen this guy eating weeds from the lawn rather than approaching the vegetable beds, so he may be getting a bad rap.

In  any case, when a few flowers survive long enough, they have been popular with another - more welcome - visitor:

A female ruby-throated hummingbird at the bean flowers

Day 16.226: Some classic rock

We went back to Old Orchard Beach Ballpark for the second time this season. Once again friend-of-a-friend Susie Pepper was performing - this time with the Classic Rock Orchestra. It was quite the night of classic rock, modulations, tempo changes, singalongs and all.

Day 16.225: Scarborough Marsh

Our final vacation outing was on Sunday morning to Scarborough Marsh. This is some of what we saw.\

A bald eagle flew over as we arrived

Wasn't sure what this raptor was, but likely a red-tailed hawk

This mourning dove sat very still on the bridge rail as people walked very close, but it seemed fine

A pair of double-crested cormorants made some nice shapes

An orange sulphur or alfalfa butterfly

No doubt that this one was a red-tailed hawk

A common wood nymph

We thought we might go the whole walk without seeing any egrets, but this one proved they are around

A least sandpiper

As we returned, the cormorants were doing their thing

Day 16.224: Surprisingly interesting birds at the beach

We started our weekend with a morning low-tide walk on the beach. I would have said we didn't see very much of interest, but checking the photos was more exciting than I expected.

Exile #2 pointed out these tiny waders (semipalmated sandpipers probably) and I managed to get one shot...

...before they were gone

A Bonaparte's gull. It was floating in the shallows on its own

A passing osprey

A ring-billed gull

And a better-than-I-thought photo of this hawk in the trees behind he beach. I'm fairly sure it's a young Cooper's hawk

Day 16.223: #4 starts 2 of 4

We dropped Exile #4 back at college this afternoon. Their new accommodation seems very nice indeed. 

They have a couple of days to sort things out before classes start and meanwhile we’ll be getting used to the house being a little emptier.