The Ring-necked Pheasant in Michigan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

98 of 365 - Strutting

98 of 365 – Strutting , photo by reddeviltj.

The Michigan DNR Landowner’s Guide has this to say about Pheasants in Michigan:

After their introduction from China in 1895, it didn’t take long for ring-necked pheasants to become one of Michigan’s most popular wildlife species. Because pheasants thrive in a mix of cropland, hayland, grassland, wetland, and brush, populations exploded in southern Michigan. Much of the farmland in the 1940’s and 1950’s provided outstanding pheasant habitat. At that time, farms had small fields from 10 to 20 acres in size surrounded by brushy fencerows and diverse crop rotations.

However, by the 1960’s farmland began to change and people weren’t seeing as many pheasants. The number of farms fell from 190,000 in 1940 to less than 60,000 by 1990. The amount of land farmed also decreased from more than 18 million acres in 1940 to less than 11 million acres in 1990. Although predation, genetics, and overuse of pesticides are among many explanations for the decline of pheasants, Michigan’s changing agricultural scene and loss of habitat are the main reasons.

Furthermore, farming practices have changed over time. Many practices are no longer wildlife friendly, and are aimed at making more money. This has been detrimental to pheasants. Such practices include early and numerous cuttings of hayfields, overgrazing by livestock, spraying of pesticides and herbicides, double-cropping, and fall plowing and disking of crop residues.

You can get information from the DNR about pheasant hunting in Michigan and also see the All About Birds entry for the Ring-necked Pheasant and Wikipedia’s Pheasant page.

Be sure to check this out bigger!

Lots more Michigan birds from Michigan in Pictures!

Exposure.Detroit May Exhibit Opening ~ May 15th

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

urban velvet

urban velvet, photo by Jon DeBoer.

Exposure.Detroit May Show - Poster by Jon DeBoer The May Exposure.Detroit exhibit opening party takes place on Saturday, Saturday, May 15th from 7-10 PM at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak and features the work of these 5 talented photographers:

You can see this photo bigger in John’s My Best slideshow and who knows, maybe up close and personal will be on the wall on Saturday!

Mom & Kit

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Mom & Kit

Mom & Kit, photo by smiles7.

Sorry about missing yesterday … sometimes life happens

Do you suppose foxes celebrate Mother’s Day too? Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there – thanks for keeping the kids learning, the world turning and the flame of love burning.

I waited 364 days to blog this great photo from Julie. Check it out bigger (along with more great shots) in her Foxes slideshow.

Learn more about Michigan’s red fox (Vulpes vulpes fulva) on Michigan in Pictures.

May in Michigan: Morels, trillium and a whole lot of events!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Last of the Trillium at Mildred Harris Sanctuary

Last of the Trillium at Mildred Harris Sanctuary, photo by bill.d.

“Spring – an experience in immortality.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

May 2010 (like most of April) has been a little strange – we have everything from daffodils to morels to cherry blossoms to lilacs here in northern Michigan. Those are usually separated by a month or more, but if we get good rain and sun through the summer, this year could be a harvest for the ages.

Our Michigan Calendar of Events for May will whet your appetite for what Michigan has to offer in May. You can still catch the Tulip Time Festival in Holland this weekend along with Jackson Storyfest and the Mushroom Festival in Mesick. If you miss that one, the Boyne City Morel Mushroom Festival is May 13 – 16.

May is a great time to get into woods or your garden to see what’s what as it blossoms and blooms and flowers. It’s also when they celebrate the Kirtland Warbler Wildlife Festival in Roscommon (May 15) and the Annual Flower Fair & Home & Garden Marketplace in Lake Orion (May 22-23).

For music lovers there’s the Downtown Hoedown in Detroit (May 14-16) and one of the world’s biggest electronic music festivals, Movement 2010 – Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival (May 29-30). You can enjoy music and the arts at the East Lansing Art Festival (May 22-23) and at Wheatland’s Traditional Arts Weekend in Remus (May 28-30) and

From the Ann Arbor Book Festival (May 14-16) to the World Expo of Beer in Frankenmuth (May 21-22) to the Alma Highland Festival and Games (May 29-30) to the Petoskey Stone Festival in Eastport (May 29), May will keep you running so much that you’ll be ready for summer and the Annual Mackinaw Memorial Bridge Race on the 29th!

According to West Michigan Tourist Association, the Mildred Harris Sanctuary is a 40-acre sanctuary northwest of Kalamazoo that has a mature Beech-Maple forest that in all likelihood has never been logged. The understory and groundcover are diverse with spring ephemerals like this trillium and shrubs.

You have to check this photo out background bigtastic and also see Bill’s Mildred Harris Sanctuary slideshow.

Here’s more spring wallpaper from Michigan in Pictures!

The Last Pitch: Farewell to Ernie Harwell

Posted on by farlane

The Last Pitch
The Last Pitch, photo by baklein62

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who showed up for the job. I consider myself a worker. I love what I do. If I had my time over again, I’d probably do it for nothing.”
~Ernie Harwell

Like thousands of other people, whenever I see a picture like this of my beloved Detroit Tigers, the voice that narrates it in my head is the voice of William Earnest “Ernie” Harwell, who passed away last night at the age of 92.

Probably the best thing that I’ve seen about Harwell is this video. The Detroit Tigers tribute page to Ernie Harwell lists his accomplishments:

He also called the pitch from Todd Jones in the photo above that ended the last game ever at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium on September 27, 1999.

Struck him out.

I’m thinking Ernie would have liked this photo from Barney even more, but I already blogged it. More in his terrific Baseball as Art set (slideshow) and more about Ernie Harwell and the Detroit Tigers on Michigan in Pictures.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 … in Traverse City?

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Schooner Morning

Schooner Morning, photo by ETCphoto.

Under the “Is that Johnny Depp behind that moonbeam” heading comes the rumor making the rounds that Pirates Of The Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides will film part of the movie in Traverse City, Michigan. Before the Trailer says that they have heard from several sources that the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie will be filming parts in the Traverse City area:

Before dismissing it, for those that have been to Lake Michigan shores in Traverse City, the water and the beaches are as beautiful and crystal clear as any you will find in the Caribbean. It could easily double for any tropical paradise. With Michigan having the best incentives in the country for filming, it would also make sense that producers and filming scouts would consider Traverse City as an ideal location to film parts of Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

While /Film notes that word on the street is that Jerry Bruckheimer is scaling back Pirates 4 to accommodate a smaller budget, /Film’s own Russ Fischer says:

They’ve pretty loudly talked up the deal that has them shooting in Hawaii, where they’ll take advantage of big tax breaks. I know Michigan has its own advantage systems in effect, and the lake there is amazing, but I’d guess it’s a hopeful rumor.

Whatever ends up happening, you have to wonder how long the beautiful Great Lakes of Michigan will go without a starring role in a major Hollywood film.

Terry took this photo of a marina full of schooners at the inaugural Michigan Schooner Festival last September. See it bigger or in his Michigan Schooner Festival slideshow. For many more photos showcasing the beauty of wild Lake Michigan, check out the Sailing Lake Michigan pool.

President Obama delivers the commencement address at University of Michigan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

sjw.NEW.ObamaGrad.05-01-101391

sjw.NEW.ObamaGrad.05-01-101391, photo by Michigan Daily.

On Saturday, Absolute Michigan sent writer Jacob Wheeler to the University of Michigan for the commencement address to the class of 2010 at the University of Michigan. Be sure to read his engaging account at Obama brings full house to the Big House (includes full video of the graduation speech).

When looking for a photo to blog, I came across this great series of photos by Sam Wolson of the Michigan Daily. Check out President Barack Obama Speaks at Commencement and definitely view the slideshow – it’s great!

Congratulations, UM graduates and to all of the State of Michigan’s Class of 2010!

Step back in time at Greenfield Village

Posted on by farlane

Greenfield Village
Greenfield Village, photo by Michael Lavander

“I am collecting the history of our people as written into things their hands made and used…. When we are through, we shall have reproduced American life as lived, and that, I think, is the best way of preserving at least a part of our history and tradition.”
~Henry Ford on his museum

Greenfield Village in Dearborn (satellite map) is part of The Henry Ford, dubbed America’s Greatest History Attraction. If you’ve ever been to either, you know that’s not just a marketing slogan. Greenfield Village has seven historic districts that are jam packed with historical buildings & artifacts from all over:

Entering Greenfield Village is like stepping into an 80-acre time machine. It takes you back to the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. There are 83 authentic, historic structures, from Noah Webster’s home, where he wrote the first American dictionary, to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, to the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. The buildings and the things to see are only the beginning. There’s the fun stuff, too. In Greenfield Village, you can ride in a genuine Model T or “pull” glass with world-class artisans; you can watch 1867 baseball or ride a train with a 19th-century steam engine. It’s a place where you can choose your lunch from an 1850s menu or spend a quiet moment pondering the home and workshop where the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Greenfield Village is a celebration of people — people whose unbridled optimism came to define modern-day America.

Michael took this photo at the museum’s opening day and you can see it bigger in his Greenfield Village 041510 slideshow.

Need more? Check out the Greenfield Village slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool and more posts about Greenfield Village on Michigan in Pictures.

Enjoy your weekend and remember that Michigan’s museums need your patronage more than ever!

some dudes, up to no good

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

some dudes, up to no good

some dudes, up to no good, photo by jenny murray.

Have a great weekend and do your best to be up to some good.

Check this triple (?) exposure shot out bigger and in Jenny’s slideshow.

Speaking of up to some good, Michigan’s Smoke Free Air Law takes effect tomorrow night and bans smoking in all Michigan restaurants, bars and businesses (including hotels and motels).

More photos from jenny murray on Michigan in Pictures.

Windmill Island is ready for Tulip Time

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Windmill Island

Windmill Island , photo by Kiran Bhat..

It’s Tulip Time in Holland! The annual Tulip Time Festival takes place May 1-8, 2010. The festival is a celebration of Dutch heritage and culture that has something for everyone including 3 parades, Dutch Dance performances, concerts, theatre, Dutch attractions, Dutch food, children’s events, trolley tours and more.

You can follow along with what they’re up to on the Tulip Time Facebook. The Michigan Archives have more about the history of Tulip Time. There’s a bunch (bouquet?) more Tulip Time on Michigan in Pictures.

Check it out bigger in Kiran’s Tulips again slideshow.