Day 120, Tuesday July 31st, Germask MI to Surgeon Falls Ontario. Fog, Sun, Smoke

It was the longest driving day we had had on the trip.  Not because it was so long, because it was WAS LONG. but because there were many road constructions, and in Canada that is a "Black and Orange" barrel that is used. We also stopped to shop for an hour.

The morning loomed very foggy and our new friends Dave and his family left for their home in Chicago at the same time  that we did, They headed south and west and we headed north and east.  The fog did some interesting things as when I was getting water out of the faucet at the next site (empty) I noticed a very fine mist from the fog that I could actually see as I walked through it. Little droplets floating in the air.  I had not experienced that before, That led to some great photo ops. a few minutes latter when we headed east (the sun is ahead of us) and noticed the millions of spider webs on the trees. It was all over the woods and swamps. Ruth spotted them and of course that is what she does best . Good eye, good moment, and good photos. So I pulled over two or three times with the trailer and here is a sample of what she took. Just a sample.

The fog had enough moisture to not only coat the spider web, but all the trees in the forest as well.

A second sample. I'll not post the best but save that for Ruth to frame, I am  sure.

A third samplke of yet another web. On M 28.

That brought us to I-75 south of the Soo,where again there was some road work one lane type). For you non locals, "The Soo"is an endearng term for the cities of Sault Ste.Marie (US and Canada).  A stop at the new Meijer One Stop store just off the I-75 exit was fortuitous and Ruth was on her glory. Our second Meijer store on the trip.

We did not get photos of the St Mary's River, but this shot of the large Esser Steel plant that is on the Canadian side. Things are booming in Sault Ste.Marie.

The Esser Steel plant in Canadian Soo. At one time it employed 20,000 people.

 Then came the many miles on Q 17 in Ontario.  Towns like Algoma Mills, Blind River. Wasser and Elliott Lake (near the road) came and went and the only bypass is the one around Sudbury. We made a stop at the park dedicated to WW1 at Elliott Lake . The models of the deer were quite beautiful.

The rest area at Elliott Lake

Dedicated to a battle in WW1

The statues of the deer in front.

 

One of the four statues in the Park

The road did have many stoppages for repair, and was beautiful ranging form heavy forest .many lakes, some hay farms (little cattle) as perhaps it is a "hay selling "area. But the Canadian Shield begins to show here with the very large rocks in the road "cuts"

An exposure of the rock from the Canadian Shield increases to the east.

Even where the road is definitely one way the rock is seen clearly.

 

 Finally as we were about 25 miles away from the campground  we began to see smoke. It got thicker as we arrived .There are two large fires. One south and one north of this area. It has lingered for 30 days  and shifts with the wind. Tonight was quite heavy.(How do you measure smoke thickness?)

Smoke fills the air and has here for 30 days .Forest Fires north and south of Sturgeon Fall,Ont.

Tomorrow we will show you photos of the gasoline stations,  the bank (exchange money) , and of course the ubiquitous laundromat, wherever it might be as I have not found it yet.  Bon jour! (Lots of French speaking going on!) Sounds exciting, but you never now what the day will bring.

Day 119 Monday July 31 2018, We start for Canada on August 1. Today Seney NWR again.

Seney National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The wild land that today is the refuge has not always appeared so wild. This is a land that was once heavily logged, burned, ditched, drained and cultivated. Despite repeated attempts, the soils and harsh conditions of this country would not provide a hospitable environment for sustained settlement and agriculture. So, nature claimed it once again. What was viewed as a loss by early 20th century entrepreneurs became a huge gain for the wildlife, natural resources and the people of Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula.
Seney National Wildlife Refuge is located in the east-central portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, halfway between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The 95,238 acre refuge encompasses the 25,150 acre Seney Wilderness Area, which contains the Strangmoor Bog National Natural Landmark.
The Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge is located nearly 80 miles away from the headquarters. This 53-acre tract is renowned for its concentrations of birds during migration. Each year thousands of raptors, passerines and waterbirds funnel through the point, stopping here to replenish energy reserves before or after venturing across Lake Superior. The area is recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area for birds migrating between the US and Canada.

We visited it again today and found  a few birds that we had not seen previously. We took the "Marshland Loop" again.

Among them were the: RED THROATED GREBE, EASTERN PHOEBE and the YELLOW BELLIED SAPSUCKER. On one pond there were 42 TRUMPETER SWAN, some with young cygnets. In all we identified 30 birds on that turn around the Loop.

Good view of one of the ponds at6Seney

African Clouded Butterfly

More views of Seney in the mornng on a calm day

A musk turtle on a log

Eagle's nest  with the Eagle nearby

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

There were many muskrat. This one is gathering food.

Buckeye Sp. on Joe Pye Weed

They are still working on the new electric poles , with drilling, platforms, cassions and moving the timbers for the platform like "leap frog", from one platform to another set up.

Tomorrow we head for Canada and the Maritime Provinces especially Nova Scotia which we dearly love.

Thanks so much for following along and we will continue the blogs as we move through Canada.

Day 118, Sunday July 29, 2018— Exploring the U.P. Manistique and Little Manistique Lakes

There was an eary morning fog that disappaited by 9:00 am.The day was mostly sunny with high cirrus clouds, and little breeze.  Morning was cool at 50F  but the temp  got up to 73F.

The day that was planned was a “round trip” including the two above mentioned Lakes and the Tacquamenon River upstream a ways near McMillan. We never made it to Mcmillan.  Seney NWR still had an auto route  that we had not driven yet, so we went for that. The “Fisherman’s loop”.

The two Manistique Lakes are adjacent to one another and only about 12 miles from the campground. On the way we stopped ,as we often do,  to ‘scope’ a side road that led to a smaller lake. At the entry to the road there was a ‘sick’ apple tree that the warblers were having a field day with.  Many worms I believe.

We stayed quite a while and came up with a BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE, NASHVILLE WARBLER, and YELLOW WARBLER. Then proceeding to the two lakes we acquired the COMMON LOON, COMMON TERN, COMMON YELLOW THROAT, HAIRY WOODPECKER, RED BREASTED NUTHATCH and a  TENNESSEE WARBLER. That was a good start for the morning.  Why are they called "Common"? Because they are also fund in the "Old World" and so are 'common' to both 'world's'.

Always alert for animals we did see this fawn and female.

The female looks back to make sure we are no threat.

The pubic dock and boat launch includes this entry

This dock was donated piece hy piece by many.

 A look at the north shore of Little Manistique Lake

Walking the plank, they all jumped in at Mom's command!

Mom leading the group through the reeds.

 The young ducks were a hit with the camera and we watched them for almost an hour.

Cedar Waxwings have been common .

The fire tower in Seney is seen for miles.

One of the many ponds in Seney NWR. (Swan, Loon, Ducks, Grebes)

The 7.5  mile Road around the Refuge.

 First this 'anvilhead' then later in the day we saw heavy lightning south of us.

That was when we decided to go back to the NWR and drive the “fisherman’s loop”.

It was a good decision and although we did not see any Bald Eagles nor Osprey, we did  identify the KINGFISHER, TRUMPETER SWAN, and a very special treat was a BLACK BILLED CUCKOO among the Alders. Added to them were the  SWAMP SPARROW, BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLER, SANDHILL CRANE, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and a few other ‘regulars’.

Can you name this common Michigan Berry?

Turtles love the summer.

One of my favorites is the Joe Pye Weed. (Butterflies like them too.)

This is the bird we could not identify. Go for it!

 There were two of the females with young in the water that we could not identify. There is little to separate them from other ducks at this time of the year , We are not that expert to be able to make that determination. I thought they were Grebes, Ruth thought otherwise, so “no decision”.

By 3:30 we were finished and headed back to the trailer. It was a fine day, mostly sunny, and little breeze. Although a very large thunderstorm seemed to be headed toward Lake Michigan as we drove in the drive to the trailer.

Ruth had made a Spinach quiche, and together wth a cherry cobbler the supper meal was a hit!

Tomorrow we will return to Seney NWR and work on more warblers and woodland birds.

Day 117, July 28, 2018 Whitefish Point, Tacquamenon River and Camp 33 for dinner.

From Germfask where we are staying , to Whitefish Point is about 75 miles, but the trip is well worth it. Lake Superior at its best.

First, a visit  to the Whitefish Point Mooring and Launching Facility (Whitefish Point Harbor) . which gives tribal people the right to use.

The small harbor at Whitefish Point

Historic start for the harbor

South end of the harbor

A schema for the harbor.

Then Whitefish Point with a new boardwalk almost to the Point avoiding all the polished stones to walk on all the way.

This used to be an all stone walk

Ruth made it all the way to the Point which is now mostly sand bars

 Next was the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory store and HQ.  We ate lunch in the sun on the bench there. Jim walked up to the bird counting platform which is used from April until the end of June.

There is a new memorial at the Point

The US Coast Guard Station is still there

The Whitefish Point Lighhouse

View of Lake Superior from the Counting Platform

The bird counters shack on the platform.

Migration at the Point explained

A drive down Vermilion Road where we found that the high water levels had eliminated all nesting there.

South to the Mouth of the Tacquamenon River looking for birds. It too was high water level and only a few Canadian Geese were there.




A short drive down the Tacquamenon Trail found no birds again.

 










Lastly we drove to Camp 33 at Tacquamenon Falls and ate a dinner of what else. Whitefish that is the best of ll we have ever had. As Ruth says. “Outstanding”. The parking lot there (200 car lot) was full.

 



















On the way through Germfask we found another ‘family name’ this time for ‘Therese’.

This is the sixth family name found on the trip.This is in Germfask.

 On M 77 a huge line project is in process. New poles that have to be sunk in a marsh next to Seney NWR. Platforms for the trucks have to be built first, holes drilled, cassions put in and when done the wood platform is moved down the road to another one. So far is is 6 miles long. It will extend from M 28 to US 2.

The new poles dwarf the former ones.

One of the trucks on the platform getting ready to work.

The pulleys which willl hold the wires  until in place.  (6" X 6" timbers)

The stacks of timbers that hold the vehicles and after use are moved to the next pole.