Happy Birthday Lark trip for me! or Let's go to Michigan and photograph the Kirtlands Warbler!

June 2016

The Lark tends to stay parked June-August.  That is the time we get our real life in order from being on the road.  I sell some homes.  Ed tends the garden, we both golf and get the house work done.  We visit and see friends and family and enjoy our National Park:  Cuyahoga Valley National Park...the Park service celebrating 100 years this summer.

Not that we don't think about hitting the road.  So when an excuse comes along.....

We can only really see the Kirtlands Warbers in the Spring nesting time.  Just a few short weeks. I can also spread my birthday out for at least a week to 10 days.  "Pure Michigan" was calling our name.  Grayling Michigan is the north end of the south part of Michigan.  About 90 miles south of the Mackinaw  Bridge to the UP  (Upper Peninsula).  A fast two day drive, a leisurely 3 dayer.  It looked as if we had three choices north.  After rounding the bend and spending our first nights layover in Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio, we headed north.  Did I mention that evening we watched the CAVALIERS become WORLD CHAMPIONS! Couldn't get too far from home to get the game on in The Lark.  

OK, north bound.  I75 is the eastern route.  Wide open highway, fast and super big truck route. We had a windy day and chose the western route Rt.69, a two-lane country ride.  Discovered on the way home using Rt127 was the perfect route up and down the middle of the state. A nice divided highway with no trucks and it was obvious with the rigs coming north as we were coming south, a favorite of many campers heading to the north country.

Pure Michigan

We stayed mid state at Ionia State Park, a so so place.  Was not impressed with Michigan parks so far. 

Our destination park was Hartwick Pines State Park, just outside of Grayling. This is where you pick up a tour to the Jack Pine forests of nesting Kirtlands.  A nicer park, more forest and remote.  Had a lovely hiking trail, a lumber camp outdoor museum which was very interesting.  On the way up we had a large black bear run across the road in front of The Lark.  That was exciting. As we entered a large nature center building in the park, I wondered up to the bird feeder window and what to my wondering eye did I see?  A LIFER, in 5 minutes, all time record spot...the beautiful evening grosbeak.  I guarantee a sighting for everyone.   They hold up there all summer!  Happy Birthday to me.  

That night we  heard coyotes yipping to the Strawberry Full Moon! 

Evening Grosbeak

We immediately signed up for the FREE Kirtlands tour given by the local Audubon club. They have the permits, with guides to walk just off the back roads to see the scarce warblers.  They warned us right away the fine for parking and walking without permit is $5,000.00.  Who doesn't like a guide service anyway.  

We had a delightful young college woman, really knowledgable and personable.  Kara even offered her back seat from the lodge to the site, as we could not park The Lark safely along the back roads.

Jack Pine Forest...Home of the Kirkland Warbler

Kirtlands

Most Photographed Kirtlands Warbler

She led our group, maybe 12 birders, to two sights and we had our pictures!  She assured us, the older male we shot was perhaps the most photographed bird in the US. If you see a great picture of a Kirtlands Warbler  published, it is probably the same bird that showed his colors and singing voice to our group. Kirtlands are a very friendly bird and not bothered by the paparazzi at all.

Happy Birthday to me, again.

Our guide, Kara...Ed is not paying attention!

We stayed another night and headed homeward bound. Picked up a bird alert on EBird that a whooping crane was spotted near Adrian Michigan. The exact spot was indicated. We were camped only 20 miles away, west of the Ohio line.  Couldn't pass on another Lifer....there are only about 600 whoopers,  mostly all tagged,  and followed closely. This one was "Lilly".  We followed our "Merlin" the Garmin GPS to "x" marks the spot.  The spot   was a gravel road turned into a narrower gravel road, in the middle of very rural southern Michigan. Backing The Lark, any distance, is not a fun maneuver. But how could we not pass up such an opportunity. We voted to proceed, cautiously .  We immediately spotted the Sandhill Cranes that were reportedly with the whooper.  But, alas, no whooper.  No traffic was a blessing, as we took up about 2/3 of the roadway along open fields.  We had the scope and bins out, as a small suv rolled up in a dustball.  A lovely couple from the area asked if we had seen the whooper.  Yep, we were in the right place, should have been here yesterday.  Oh, and not to worry about the country road...this was the worst of it...

 The bird has been making this stop for the last three years, in the same field.  We are aware that many birding spots are kept a secret..too many birders are not always a good thing.  I dropped a pin, to return another day.

I saw on Ohio Birding Facebook the following week, more pictures of the whooper.....someone also complained their post was removed ... too much information. 

Had a wonderful Birthday trip...

Next trip is to the "near North" in Ontario Canada in September.  Our good friends David and Linda and Mike and Claire are making arrangements for us to caravan to see the lake country  and if lucky, the Northern Lights. They live in London, Ontario.

A bucket list item for me.  Oh, we will have our passports with us. If it looks at that time like Trump might become president. I think we will just stay in Canada. :)

A quick stop of Magee Marsh on the way home.
Ed "captures" a yellow-billed cuckoo!

The Lark rolls out for the Greatest Week In American Birding Festival May 2016

                          Claire                Ed                  Mike             Linda         Dave



harvesthosts.com  We are members....Learn about HarvestHosts.com if you RV!

UTube about Harvest Hosts



Our traditional week at the Bird Festival was special this year.  Not because the birds were different (although there was a Lifer Whip-poor-will ), but because we met up  with Dave and Linda and Mike and Claire. We camped at Maumee State Park with  our two favorite Canadian friends from London, Ontario, Canada that we met on Dauphin Island, Alabama. Small world.

We had not seen Dave and Linda since winter on Dauphin, 2014-2015 and spent time with Mike and Claire this past winter season on Dauphin Island.  They both tow  beautiful Airstream trailers (made in Ohio)......









Linda and Claire have become birders and both purchased their first serious binoculars at the show.  Mike and Ed got 18 holes in at Maumee GC.  We shared dinner prep and hosting, so ate very well, all of us being foodies! Some wine, beers  and margaritas too! What fun!

The weather was not perfect, but never is in early May on Lake Erie.  We got plenty of birding in and added the Whip-poor-will to our Life list.  Ed got some great pictures of warblers and added the Pine Siskin and the Night Hawk to our 1000 greatest bird pictures.

Night Hawk

Pine Siskin

My friend Sandy joined us on the Boardwalk at Magee, having come up with a group from Cleveland.  All had amazing views of warblers and various other sightings.  Sandy was lucky enough to see the Curlew Sandpiper at another sight.  A rarity in any part of the US, this bird is found in the tundra of Canada.  We knew we couldn't park The Lark to see this bird out in a farmers field. :(
It was a Lifer we just hated to miss seeing!  We  hope another opportunity will come along. You never know.

Claire shows promise as a "birder"

I think it is safe to say, all had an amazing time at the Bird Festival.  Mike and Claire  headed home, Dave and Linda rolled out for Eastern Pa to visit friends.  We left the boardwalk on Saturday morning with a traditional stop at Jolly Roger in Port Clinton  for fresh Lake Erie Perch for brunch.  Eze as always,  birded with us.

Dave "not so much" birder

There was talk of a trip to Northern  Ontario in early fall to see the Northern Lights!  Our Canadians say they know a good high elevation spot to camp and see the Aurora.  On my bucket list..hope we can pull it off.

 What a truly delightful week with the birds and our friends!




If your are reading this, Raven and Chickadee... plan on joining us next Spring... love to show you a great time at Magee Marsh and the Warbler migration.




                      " JEWELS OF THE MAGEE MARSH AT SPRING MIGRATION"






We came home to give a helping hand to a migrating female Tennessee Warbler in our Courtyard!



























https://harvesthosts.com/oss8/aff_go.php?u=5815&b=1"

April 13, 2016 Last Evening of Winter Trip in The Lark

Here we sit at Rocky Fork State Park in Hillsboro, Ohio.  Or Ohia…as the locals would say.

Our last stop over before the last leg of the trip home.  Four months and 5 days.  I’ll figure the mileage tomorrow, bet close  to 3800.  We have been to lakes and oceans and rivers, beaches  and even a “meander”.  We hiked countless nature boardwalks. We have observed and photographed 100’s of birds.  We have seen nature at it’s scariest (storms) and sunsets at their most spectacular.

We have made many new friends, and enjoyed countless encounters with friendly strangers.

Often our only company was Eze and each other.  We shared a whole week with Jason, Michaela, Savana and Rylan at a beach house. 

We suffered no-see-ums and mosquitoes. We enjoyed good health and rode miles on our bikes.  I prepared over 300 meals aboard the Lark.  I hand washed a lot of dishes….. If there was just  a place for a dishwasher……I left with a full fridge and it never emptied. I added a few condiments: Pure Sorghum Molasses, Maldon sea salt flakes and “Slap Your Momma’s Seasoning.  Always room for a condiment.

We watched little TV, listened to music and dragged along Ed’s “Laptop”,  an Apple Desk Mac with 27” monitor!  I think there is an Apple commercial in there somewhere.

We made new friends: Eric and Laurel  alias: RavenandChicadee.com 

Yummy "Chickadee's Crab Cakes!

We ate shrimp and oysters and crawfish (some of us) and fried catfish.  I found a weakness for sweet tea and grits.  We had beignets at Cafe DeMonde and I missed the turtle soup at the Jazz festival in New Orleans.  Good excuse to go back.

We read enough historical markers along the Natchez Trace to cover American History 101-102.

The old Natchez Trail

I “shot” enough early southern architecture to fill a coffee table book. We did the entire D-Day experience at the WWII Museum in New Orleans…there were other sections of the museum, but we ran out of time.  An amazing history lesson. We lived through the revolution, the War of 1812 and the Civil War.  We walked on the Trace where ancient American people walked, where the Choctaw and Natchez Indians walked and where the “Kaintucks” walked back to the Ohio land from selling their goods in Natchez and New Orleans.

We also walked the “Trail of Tears”…. Remember the Chickasaws, the Choctaws, the Seminoles and the Cherokees….so sad.  Only one Cherokee woman managed to live to come home to Alabama before her death.

So tonight will be our last dinner on the road. We crossed the mighty Ohio River in Maysville and on into camp.  A beautiful lake view, and chilly enough to cuddle.  Just in time to be home in Cle without winterizing.  No snow boots for me, bad enough I had to switch to real shoes and socks!

Last evening at Camp...on to Cle and home.
4 months 5 days on the road in The Lark
4256 miles
:)

Two Bewitching Southern Cities

New Orleans and Natchez, Mississippi

Two beautiful Southern cities and so different from each other.  When we got an invitation to follow RavenandChickadee into New Orleans, we could not refuse.  I had been to New Orleans with my sister, Pat, once before.  I always wanted to take Ed.  The "birder" was grumpy, but agreeable.
That was until until he tried out Beignets and Chicory coffee at Cafe DeMonde.

We road on the oldest running street car in the US. And we rode it often to get around the city.  The second week of April is the "French Quarter Jazz Festival"...amazing food and music.  All free and we got our 10,000 steps in.  14,000 one day!  We drove to a ferry and crossed the River to the French Quarter.  Very cool.












We said good by and safe travels to Eric and Laurel and headed a North compass towards home.  Natchez, Mississippi.  So many of our road companions had recommended Natchez and the Natchez Trace.

We spent an evening at Riverside RV Park, literally below the river bridge into Natchez, on the La. side of the Great Mississippi River. It was a splurge for us, however, we were right on the river bank with the 3 mile bike trail to ride.

I looked back and we looked so cozy.

Camp on the River

Barge Traffic on the Mississippi River

Good Night   Sweet Dreams

Morning brought us to the Information Center for Natchez. As usual we were looking for a good place to park The Lark.  We were invited to drive right into town (really not a city) and park on the Riverfront bluff, safe and right in the center of town.

Eze gets a waterfront seat and view all day.

The Lark gets to park with the "big boys"

We had a lengthly breakfast...turned into a brunch.  Southern time again! Then we spent the day following the sidewalk tour which included kiosks to read about all of the history you were surrounded by.





Over 300 beautiful homes from prior the civil war.  They are called Anti-bellum homes. (sp?)  So southern, it was like walking through a movie set!  Natchez was Spanish and French before American, who knew.  We saw many homes and a tavern from the 1770's.. that's old. The trees, oh, the trees. Amazing oaks  everywhere.  The flowers were blooming, purple wisteria and azaelas.

Camp Bayou Signette State Park

Bayou Segnette State Park  Louisiana

Such a lovely name. So romantic and French.  I have been to New Orleans one time at a convention. This is a first for Ed.  We blew through Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisiana  Put some states on The Lark for sure. 

We have been in the Mississippi Sound and the coastal bayou for two months.  We have heard cajun music, boiled shrimp and decided catching blue crabs was more fun than all the work to cook and eat them.  Only a few times could I not understand what a native was saying to me.

And we have acclimated to island time.

Considering the number of mosquito  bites, I surely have zika virus. Ed has crossed paths with a water moccasin and I’ve grown weary of alligators.  Alligators are like old forts. Seen one, seen them all.  We have had the joy of seeing spring burst forth and the birds have not disappointed. 

Cle is calling and we did have a plan to start heading north, well at least Northwest to Natchez, Miss.  That changed when we met a delightful couple known as RavenandChickadee.com.  How could you not love an Eric and Laurel who have such an alias. They are from Oregon and have been full-timers for three years. Yes, that means they rented their house, packed their belongings and have been living in a RV trailer, a very nice one, for much of the past 36 months.

We shared the same camp on Dauphin Island, as they had visited her folks in Apalachacola, Fl and were heading back west. 

They are also birders, which also makes them very good people. 

 Their plan was revisiting New Orleans for 5 days and a Jazz Festival.  It was over wine and dinner we decided to follow them to New Orleans and attend the festival and other good things.

I am really hoping we did not invite ourselves…too much wine, perhaps.  Anyway we set out to meet in Bayou Segnette State Park. They had some errands to do and we just rewrote our trip back north.  

Raven and Chickdee's Rig   A beautiful Arctic Fox  

We put in an hour on Rt10 West  with the semi-trucks and traffic and cut off onto the beach road near Biloxi, Miss.  So glad we did.  A beautiful coast with a haunting past. We noted so much RE for sale on empty lots facing the Gulf.  Then began to realize this was Katrina territory just over 10 years ago.  So much land with all signs of history and habitation gone.  Some beat up old Live Oak trees and RE for sale signs.  All facing a beautiful white sand coast line, beach going on forever.

When I saw the sign for “Pass Christian” I remembered the stories of Katrina on the news.

So sad, but rebuilding hotels and some marinas has happened.  As we got closer to New Orleans we drove through a Wildlife Refuge and a very strange cement bulwark. What in the world? Ed nailed it as a new gate in a dike, made to close and seal up the road if necessary.  Very scary thought.

We approached the camp ground to go through what appeared to be a prison entrance, which gave way to thoughts of local wild people.  The camp road ran along a dike with each expansion numbered.  Thinking you always hear about such and such number dike being watched. Ed wanted to know if we were on the good side or bad side.  If water is coming over…neither side would be a good side.

So, presume we are below sea level….the adventure continues.

Time to join our friends with a glass of wine.