nature

Drainspout Salamander

Posted on May 21, 2025May 21, 2025 by farlane

Drainspout Salamander by Mary Beth Lundquist

Mary Beth shared the photo above with me after last week’s post about the Misunderstood Michigan Mudpuppy. I’ve shared some great information about Michigan reptiles & amphibians from Nick Scobel, author of the Herping Michigan blog. I shared Mary Beth’s photos with him, and he said he’s fairly certain that this is an Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). His excellent article about Michigan’s amphibians says (in part):

This large and robust salamander is the largest species of terrestrial salamander which occurs in North America, with some adults reaching over a foot in length. It is rarely seen outside of the breeding season, with the exception of the 4-5 inch juveniles which emerge in late summer around breeding sites. Tigers are easily distinguished from any other Michigan salamander by their sheer size, large head and oversized jaw, and the large protruding eyes. Some individuals may exhibit brilliant blotches of golden yellow or light brown, while others are extremely dark with very little noticeable pattern. This species is sexually dimorphic, which means males can be distinguished from females by their physical appearance.

Read more at Herping Michigan & be sure to look down when you’re digging in the dirt this spring!!

Here comes the Northern Goshawk!

Posted on May 16, 2025 by farlane

Northern Goshawk by Tyler Franz

Michigan State University Extension shares that the Northern Goshawk:

…is a large forest bird with long broad wings and a long tail which is rounded on the end. Upperparts of the adult are brown-gray to slate gray. The head has a black cap with a pronounced white eyeline. Underparts are light gray with fine horizontal vermiculations and vertical streaks. Undertail coverts are white, showy, and quite fluffy, especially during the breeding season. Immature birds are heavily streaked below and the undertail coverts are spotted. The goshawk may also be identified by its call which is a sharp and repetitive “ki ki ki” or “kak kak kak”.

Click through for lots more including their distribution in the last Michigan bird count. One thing I will add as someone who has had one of these swoop at you is that they can be REALLY fat birds – almost feel like a cartoon!

Sometimes I make draft posts & promptly forget about them. I’m so glad that I remembered this one I’ve had waiting for almost a year from my friend Tyler, who I got to know through his incredible skateboard photography & portraits! For sure follow him on Facebook & Instagram, and head over to his website for many more pics including lots more critters!

The Misunderstood Michigan Mudpuppy

Posted on May 14, 2025May 14, 2025 by farlane

Mudpuppy by Michala Burke/USFWS

The Alpena Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office says that mudpuppies are Michigan’s largest fully aquatic salamander and are often referred to as “bio-indicators” since they are sensitive to pollutants and poor water quality. This mudpuppy was caught during lake sturgeon setline assessments on the Detroit River. Mary of MSU Extension put together a great guide to the misunderstood mudpuppy that includes the facts on some common fictions.

FICTION	FACT
Mudpuppies are a type of fish.	Mudpuppies are actually an amphibian and although they have lungs and can gulp air they rely on their feathery red external gills for oxygen.
Mudpuppies that are thrown on the ice by anglers will revive in the spring when the ice melts.	Unfortunately if a mudpuppy freezes it will die. When thrown on the ice mudpuppies will eventually suffocate or freeze to death.
Mudpuppies eat so many fish eggs that they decrease sport fish populations.	Their diet is mostly crayfish, insect larvae, snails and small fish (including invasive round gobies). There is no evidence that they impact fish populations, and they more likely benefit them by helping control nonnative species.
Mudpuppies are not protected in Michigan and can be collected all year round.	According to MDNR, mudpuppies are a protected species in Michigan. People sometimes accidentally catch them while fishing. If you do catch a mudpuppy, you must put them back.
Mudpuppies are blind and are not good hunters.	Mudpuppies are not blind, but their eyesight is limited. They rely on a keen sense of smell to find their prey.

Mothers are the heart of Michigan

Posted on May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 by farlane

Where’s Mom? by Julie Christiansen

“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful Michigan mommas! You have raised or are raising our future and we are so blessed to have you in our lives & hearts!

This kit’s mom was just off camera, and you can see many more pics that Julie took in her Foxes gallery on Flickr. There’s a Youtube video of the kits nursing below too!

Big questions about Giant sequoia

Posted on April 28, 2025April 28, 2025 by farlane

Sequoia Redwood Tree by Charles Bonham

My post last week about the planting of Giant sequoia trees in Detroit by Archangel Ancient Tree Archive & Arboretum Detroit got a lot of commentary. While it was generally positive, a common theme of criticism was that we shouldn’t plant things in places where they aren’t native because they don’t belong or can’t survive. On the “can’t survive” front, I give you the 116+ foot tall Lake Bluff Arboretum Giant sequoia tree in Manistee that was planted in 1949.

And while I agree that planting non-native trees is generally a bad idea, the second paragraph of the Bridge Detroit article I linked to explains that it is the environmentally responsible thing to do to allow these forest titans to survive into the future: “The project on four lots will not only replace long-standing blight with majestic trees, but could also improve air quality and help preserve the trees that are native to California’s Sierra Nevada, where they are threatened by ever-hotter wildfires.“

And even if clicking a link is two hard, the 2nd of the two paragraphs I chose for the excerpt reads Giant sequoias are resilient against disease and insects, and are usually well-adapted to fire. Thick bark protects their trunks and their canopies tend to be too high for flames to reach. But climate change is making the big trees more vulnerable to wildfires out West, Kemp said. “The fires are getting so hot that its even threatening them,” he said.

You simply gotta read folks. At least if you want to make intelligent critiques.

I had shared a photo of the Giant sequoia in Manistee that Charles took in ~~2002~~ 2022, but I decided to go back to see what else he had. Lots!! Check them out below and see lots more in his Trees gallery on Flickr.

Planting the Forests of the Future in Detroit

Posted on April 24, 2025April 28, 2025 by farlane

Giant Sequoia in Detroit’s Circle Forest by Andrew McFarlane

“Here’s a tree that is bigger than your house when it’s mature, taller than your buildings, and lives longer than you can comprehend.”

-Andrew “Birch” Kemp, Executive Director, Arboretum Detroit

The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive & Arboretum Detroit have partnered on a truly incredible effort that is planting giant sequoia in Detroit! Bridge Detroit shares that these colossal conifers can live for more than 3,000 years and reach heights in excess of 300′ tall with a circumference greater than 30′ at the base.

The sequoias will eventually provide a full canopy that protects everything beneath, he said. “It may be sad to call these .5- and 1-acre treescapes forests,” Kemp said. “We are expanding on this and shading our neighborhood in the only way possible, planting lots of trees.”

Giant sequoias are resilient against disease and insects, and are usually well-adapted to fire. Thick bark protects their trunks and their canopies tend to be too high for flames to reach. But climate change is making the big trees more vulnerable to wildfires out West, Kemp said. “The fires are getting so hot that its even threatening them,” he said.

You can read lots more in Bridge and at the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, which I encourage you to support with your donations & by spreading the word about their amazing work!

Here are some pics I took yesterday afternoon along with some pics from the Archangel Facebook page. The big tree is the Stagg giant sequoia tree in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains – fifth largest tree in the world – and the shot of the guys in the tree shows Archangel’s Jake Milarch & Aaron Johns actually inside the 3000+ year old tree! The one of the burned tree shows the 3,000 year old “Waterfall Tree” Giant Sequoia before and after the 2020 Castle Fire.

Continued (apparently) in Big Questions about Giant Sequoia on Michigan in Pictures!

Happy 55th Earth Day, Michigan!

Posted on April 22, 2025April 22, 2025 by farlane

Happy Earth Day by Paul Bruce

Today is the 55th Earth Day, and this holiday that is celebrated across the planet was born right here in Michigan! I hope that you are able to take a little time today or this week to think about how you and your family, friends & neighbors can help create a future where humans live in harmony with the world around us because it really is the only one we’ve got. 🌏✌️💙

Paul took these at the Reid Lake Foot Travel Area near Harrison in the Huron-Manistee National Forest in the northeast Lower Peninsula. The US Forest Service says the 3000-acre area includes 13 miles of gently rolling trail around Reid and Little Trout Lakes, the shoreline of Big Marsh, and views of Fanny’s Marsh and Mossy Bog. There are also 9 designated first-come first-serve campsites available. Check out his photos from last Earth Day & many more in his Reid Lake gallery and for sure follow him on Flickr for more!

Many more Earth Day photos on Michigan in Pictures!

There are only two seasons

Posted on March 7, 2025 by farlane

Amur Tiger I by tweetybird42766

There are only two seasons – winter and Baseball.
Bill Veeck

The Detroit Tigers home opener on Friday, April 4 against the Chicago White Sox is less than a month away, and I have to agree with one of baseball’s greatest showmen on this perfectly rational method of dividing the year.

Tweety Bird shared this astonishing shot way back in 2014 at Potter Park Zoo. See more in their Nature gallery.

Apparently, there are only 500 Amur tiger (formerly Siberian tiger) in the world, so zoos are an important method of conservation. They’re totally chill in the cold & you can learn more about Amur tiger from BBC Earth.

Red Fox at Howell Nature Center by tweetybird42766

Cold Morning, Warm Pigs

Posted on February 18, 2025February 18, 2025 by farlane

Pile o Pigs by pkHyperfocal

In honor of this brutally cold morning with single digit temperatures covering the state, so I couldn’t resist re-sharing probably the toastiest photo ever to grace Michigan in Pictures. Take a stroll through pics from pkHyperfocal’s Metro Parks gallery & for sure check out all their galleries on Flickr.

Stay warm!!!

Fly Eagles Fly

Posted on February 10, 2025 by farlane

Liftoff by Kevin Povenz

In recognition of the Philadelphia Eagles historic beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs, here are a few shots from a series showing a bald eagle successfully hunting along the Grand River that Kevin shared to the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr way back in February of 2015.

You can see more in his massive Birds of Prey gallery on Flickr & for sure follow him for his latest!