wallpaper

Kirtland’s Warbler and the Kirtland’s Warbler Festival

Posted on May 10, 2008May 10, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Kirtlands Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii), photo by birdman06.

The photographer notes that Kirtland’s Warbler is the rarest warbler in the US. It’s part of his cool set of photos of Songbirds and birds like Songbirds (slideshow).

The Michigan DNR’s page on Kirtlands Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) begins:

The endangered Kirtland’s warbler is one of the rarest members of the wood warbler (Parulidae) family. It is a bird of unusual interest for many reasons. It nests in just a few counties in Michigan’s northern Lower and Upper peninsulas, in Wisconsin and the province of Ontario and, currently, nowhere else on Earth. Its nests generally are concealed in mixed vegetation of grasses and shrubs below the living branches of five to 20 year old jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forests.

Click through to read about how the bird was named in honor of Ohio physician, teacher, horticulturist and naturalist Dr. Jared P. Kirtland, that it wasn’t until 1903 that Norman A. Wood discovered the first nest in Oscoda County in northern lower Michigan and much more about this truly rare bird. You can read more and see some pictures at Dendroica kirtlandii (Kirtland’s warbler) from the Animal Diversity Web at U-M and Wikipedia’s Kirtlands warbler entry. There’s even a Kirtland’s Warbler Audubon Society in Comins, Michigan that is a chapter of the Michigan Audubon Society and keeps track of all things warbly.

It’s maybe unsurprising then that there is an annual Kirtland’s Warbler Festival held every May on the campus of Kirtland Community College in Roscommon. The festival is billed as a celebration of nature and takes place next weekend (May 17, 2008). It features field trips to see Kirtland’s warblers, presentations about these and other rare or endangered Michigan species (piping plovers, osprey, eagles, turtles) and birding in general, plenty of activities for kids and a concert by the Great Lakes Myth Society

In addition to a ton more information about the festival and the feathered feature, the festival site features a Kirtland’s warbler video where you can hear the bird’s song.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Must. Reach. Water., photo by J.E.T.

This photo is part of Jesse’s Northern Expedition II set (slideshow) and – for me at least – does the best job of all the 400+ Sleeping Bear photos that I’ve looked through today in capturing the wonder and wide-open fun of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

I’ve been doing that because today on Absolute Michigan I just finished Dig Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes. It’s a map, link and photo filled exploration of the national park in my backyard … I hope you like it.

Chromatic: Gilmore Car Museum

Posted on May 5, 2008May 5, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Chromatic, photo by pairadocs.

Vince made his first visit to the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners. He says that he spent so much time drooling over the pretty cars, that didn’t stop to take note of what all of them were.

It looks like that would be easy to do:

The Gilmore Car Museum began in 1963 as the hobby of Donald S. Gilmore when his wife, Genevieve, gave him an antique car for his birthday – a 1920 Pierce-Arrow “project car”. With the help of some friends, the auto was placed under a tent and a full restoration followed. The hobby soon grew into a collection of over 30 automobiles. Mr. Gilmore purchased 90 acres of farm property and had several historic barns dismantled piece by piece and moved to the site. It was Mr. Gilmore’s wife who suggested the idea of turning the collection into a museum where future generations could enjoy the restored cars for years to come…

Today, the site includes eight historic barns, a re-created 1930s service station, a small town train station, and nearly three miles of paved roads. It isn’t uncommon for guest to catch a glimpse of one of the vintage cars or the authentic London double-decker bus in motion. And if you visit on a weekend or special show, don’t be surprised if the driver asks you to hop in for a nostalgic road trip!

Today the Gilmore Car Museum houses almost 200 cars, from a 1899 Locomobile to the classic Duesenberg and Tucker ’48 and all the way up to the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s. museum is located between Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo & Battle Creek and is open daily from 9 AM – 5 PM (6 on weekends), May through October and hosts a number of great events throughout the summer and fall.

Be sure to view the above photo larger and here’s a bunch more photos from the Gilmore Car Museum on Flickr (slideshow).

MayDay!

Posted on May 1, 2008May 1, 2008 by farlane

Straight Out Of The House, photo by SNWEB.ORG Photography

This photo is part of SNWEB’s Detroit Fire Department set (slideshow). He says that you can buy a print of this photo with one click but that if you are a DFD member and would like a print, please contact him directly!

I’m featuring this photo because I was tipped off (from a fan of the Michigan archives) that the Society of American Archivists recognize May 1st as MayDay. They say:

Protecting our collections is one of our fundamental responsibilities as archivists. The Heritage Health Index, released in 2005 soon after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma struck the Gulf Coast, reported that few institutions have disaster plans and for those that do, often the plan is out of date. It’s easy to put off emergency response planning as we devote our attentions to tasks with more immediate “payback”

But on May 1 – this year and every year – you can do something that will make a difference when and if an emergency occurs. That’s the purpose of MayDay – a grassroots effort whose goal is to save our archives.

MayDay is a time when archivists and other cultural heritage professionals take personal and professional responsibility for doing something simple – something that can be accomplished in a day but that can have a significant impact on an individual’s or a repository’s ability to respond.

Reading through their recommended activities made me think that all of us could take a few minutes today to think about a preservation plan for our photos and other historical records.

Why Stop To Think Of Weather

Posted on April 30, 2008September 7, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

Why Stop To Think Of Weather, photo by jbnuthatch.

jbnuthatch offers an excerpt from I’m In The Mood For Love that I everyone in Michigan probably needs to hum one day or another.

Why stop to think of whether
This little dream might fade
We’ve put our hearts together
Now we are one, I’m not afraid

If there’s a cloud above
If it should rain, we’ll let it
But, for tonight, forget it
I’m in the mood for love

I think it’s also pretty obvious that I have some sort of thing for ducks

quincy karma on US 12

Posted on April 26, 2008April 26, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

quincy karma, photo by buckshot.jones.

This colorful capture is part of Scott’s A trip down historic US 12 set (slideshow). He writes:

I turned off the Interstate and took US 12 on my way back to Dearborn. Lots of small towns and rural scenes.

You can follow US 12 all the way to the Pacific ocean. In Detroit and Chicago, US 12 is known as Michigan Avenue. From the Water Tower to old Tiger Stadium, this route has lots of history.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_12 (and also see the US 12 in Michigan entry!)

Here’s Quincy, Michigan and US-12 on the Absolute Michigan Map of Michigan.

Nothing more I can say except “Thanks Scott for posting these in big, beautiful, background-sized glory!”

…and have a great weekend everyone!

Spring at Pere Marquette

Posted on April 25, 2008April 25, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Spring at Pere Marquette, photo by cabriden.

It’s dredging season in Michigan’s harbors … fishing season too!

NOAA’s nautical chart of the Muskegon Harbor says that the Muskegon South Breakwater light is 70′ tall while the North light is half that and that they’re probably dredging to a depth of 26 feet.

Be sure to check it out bigger.