Pole in Galien

Pole in GalienWe left Gaylord this morning and decided to visit Michigan’s Dunes area, which is off the lake and close to Chicago. Driving south on Route 196, Pole spotted a MUTE SWAN on her side of the car. No luck for me. It was a four-lane highway, and I was going about 80, so pulling over wasn’t an option. Our first regular stop was Warren Dunes State Park where we walked the Yellow Birch Trail. Beautiful and lush, but no new birds. Next it was Warren Woods State Park. Beautiful and lush, but no new birds. Last stop was the Galien River Floodplain, which isn’t an actual park, but merely a place to park your car and walk around. Beautiful and lush, and two new birds: a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD and an AMERICAN REDSTART. Only Pole saw the hummer; all I saw was a small smudge that shot into the woods. Thus ended our Michigan trip, and to our surprise, we were back in Chicago in about an hour. These sites were new to us, and it’s good to know there are such fine places — beautiful and lush — so close to home.