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Welcome to the Pine River Review. Our sight is dedicated to our little homestead located along the Pine River tucked inside the Chippewa Nature Center's 1400 Acres of wild in Michigan's lower penninsula. We love to share our pictures, video, comment, and our own homespun music. Step inside our world as we celebrate this beautiful nook!


Tuesday, May 3, 2011

World Bird Wednesday XXIV

                                                         Saginaw Bay Revealed

The view back inland from Tawas Point lighthouse on the North shore of Saginaw Bay.


From space the mitten shaped Lower Peninsula of Michigan, kerplunk in the middle of the Great Lakes, is perhaps the most easily recognisable geological feature of  continental North America. Saginaw Bay is the portion of Lake Huron that lies between the thumb and the rest of the mitten. Here are wetlands, forests, and shoreline dunes all in close proximity, giving shelter to the wide variety of wild life that depends on these terrains. The sky watch is equally impressive. Sunrise, sunset, and cracking thunder storms over the vast lake can easily bury the needle on one's Awemeter.  
Recently I found a terrific web site known as Saginaw Bay Birding. It is dedicated to optimising the enjoyment of birders exploring the major avian migration route that flows up and down Lake Huron's western shore. Using it's informative pages I have begun to seek out some of the hot birding spots that strand Saginaw Bay's 1,143 square miles.  I drove out to the big water early this week with a mind toward observing a much discussed hawk migration. For the best part of two days I meandered  Saginaw Bay's wetlands and shore lines, but at journeys end I wound up seeing more McDonalds restaurants than migrating hawks. Hawks schmawks! Thankfully there was no shortage of photogenic subject mater and my feelings were in no large way bruised by being stood up by Buteo. 
 
This busy Northern Flicker was caught resting in the trees below the lighthouse at Tawas Point. Usually they're spotted foraging on the ground unlike their more traditional woodpecker brethren.



What did you notice first, the Pie-billed grebe( whoops! make that an American coot) or the Painted turtle? Your answer to this question can go a long way in determining whether your inclinations run toward Ornithology or Herpetology. I am pretty solidly in the Ornithology camp but I can still like you if your a Herp!



   On the other hand, if you just cringed in sympathy with the minnows plight, ichthyology is probably your thing!

         
             Now it's time for World Bird Wednesday!


This is the home of World Bird Wednesday. A place for bird photographers from around the world to gather and share their photographs and experiences as they pursue Natures most diverse and beautiful treasurers, the birds.
World Bird Wednesday will be open for posting at 12 noon Tuesday EST North America through midnight on Wednesday.
You are invited to link your blog with other bird photographers in a weekly celebration of these most diverse and intriguing of Earth's residents, the BIRDS.



                                                   CLICK THIS PICTURE!

 #1. Simply copy the above picture onto your W.B.W. blog entry. It contains a link for your readers to share in WBW. Or you can copy this link on to your blog page to share W.B.W. http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/


#2. Come to The Pine River Review on Tuesday Noon EST North America through Wednesday midnight and submit your blog entry with Linky.

#3. Check back in during the course of the next day and explore these excellent photoblogs!


You don't have to be a Bird Watcher or expert photographer to join in--just enjoy sharing what you bring back from your explorations and adventures into nature.The idea of a meme is that you will visit each others blogs and perhaps leave a comment to encourage your compadres!

  The thumbnails below are links to our contributors blogs. Click on them and view their beautiful posts.

                      Come on it's your turn!

33 comments:

  1. Isnt' that a coot instead of a pied-bill? :) Lovely shots, though!

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  2. Great post, Springman! Looks like a fun place to explore. Great shots of each of the birds -- I always enjoy seeing egrets hunting. I really like the view from the lighthouse as well!

    The new site banner with the geese looks great too!

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  3. Great photos! I've seen flickers eating ants in the cracks in my backyard patio.

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  4. No wonder you were so excited!!!Love the Egrets hunting.

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  5. Great photos! That Northern Flicker is gorgeous!

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  6. Sounds like a great place for wildlife. Too bad the hawks weren't cooperating. Either way you got a great pic of the Egret.

    BTW if you want to claim your free print for answering my video quiz last week drop me an email. Take care. :)

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  7. Super photos. I enjoyed a peek at the link to Saginaw Bay .. a very interesting location. I guess the winds were not right for the raptors but I understand mid to end May is a great time for major passerine fallouts so I in those immortal words, no doubt "You'll be back"!

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  8. Wonderful photos! And the header is beutiful to! I must say I noticed the turtles at first...
    Have a nice day :)

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  9. Fantastic photos! I loved the crisp details in the images, especially the egret. And great header too. :)

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  10. Excellent captures! Love the view from the lighthouse. I was at the Tawas Point lighthouse several years ago while participating in the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival.

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  11. Wow! Another beautiful header! I love the view from the lighthouse. It looks like a great place for birding. The other shots are wonderful - I especially like the Flicker!

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  12. Lovely images of your beautiful wildlife the Flicker is a stunning bird..
    Nice read about the Bay also.

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  13. Very nice photos, I really like the egret, perfect timing! And I have to say I first saw the bird, but before I really looked at it I noticed something more interesting in the background... don't know what that makes of me? I'm not that used to see turtles in my bird shots :)

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  14. Great photos and it sounds like an interesting place to visit even if you didn't see the hawks you wanted.

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  15. I would like to see that Flicker. And, well, I did see the grebe before the turtle. :)
    And the Egret, gorgeous as always.

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  16. Hallo again! Since you asked a question I thought I should answer :) The dog is not a springer spaniel, its a pointing dog, for birds...the rase is called Kleiner Munsterländer :)

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  17. Beautiful shot from the lighthouse. I noticed the turtles first. I tend to block out coots and moorhens. I know, my husband says I'm a bird snob.

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  18. That northern flicker shot is one of the best I've seen... Woow cool, and this bird is so beautiful! Fantastic...

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  19. Never knew the baby geese were yellow. Never saw them that little. Wonderful header again.
    In your puzzle image all I saw was the terrific pattern in the water. I'm a fabric person. Obviously totally out of the ornithology side of life. Birds knew that all along and stayed out of my way :-)

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  20. Great photos, Springman! The first thing I noticed was the white bill on the Coot. The Flicker and Egret shots are awesome and the header shot of the Geese and gooslings. Great captures.

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  21. another top post Spingman... Crystal clear images, however the Flicker is a superb shot, and a stunning bird too.

    Coot or Turtle??? Its nice to capture both I guess, although the coot looks non - plussed by them...

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  22. I Love your header...I was checking out the little puff balls myself last week...SO CUTE..
    What a Hoot I see a Coot-and a turtle. Amazing shot of the Egret with that shiner in his mouth...Sorry you didnt see the hawks...but no matter there is always PLENTY to see in Nature right? LIKE that fantastic shot of the FLICKER--Great shot!!

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  23. Hello everyone! Thank you sharing your comments I love them as much as taking pictures of birds.
    About the Goose family...saw them crossing the road and heading for the cover of a humongous swamp that is part of a reserve. No humans allowed. I had that good high hazy sun at my back. An old timer who had taken me under his wing told me these chicks are one day old! And I believe him.
    I'm a little surprised no Ichthyologists have raised their hands! ;-)WBW

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  24. Springman, What a wonderful "make you smile" post. The photo of the Flicker in the tree is awesome!

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  25. I love this post :D
    Hawk-schmawk indeed. I always try to have no hard feelings towards people that tell me what kind of awesome birds they saw in regions I have been to and never fail to tell me about the hundreds of BOPs they've seen..... Pah!
    Hawk-Schmawk indeed ;)
    Love the photo of the flickr. What an impressive birdie!

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  26. What a great post, and lovely photos. Our little Norwegian birds are nothing compared to this :-) Think I have to find me an eagle :-)

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  27. As allways - astonihing pictures from you. I couldn't follow you tighter, just for enjoyment of your beautiful photos and for learning about birds. And I must admit - it's very nice to get your comments, too!

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  28. Those photos are flat out stunning! It's always such pleasure visiting here- you never disappoint in words or photos!

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  29. Oh I wish, how I wish, that I had a beautiful bird to share this week. But since I do not -- your site and this meme are definitely the next best thing. I'm glad you are accepting of other 'ologists' -- it is always good to have an open mind '>)

    I love both meal-time photos. Thanks.

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  30. Totally glorious, can understand that the awe meter needle got buried off the end of the scale.

    ("It took me three days to hitch hike from Saginaw, I've come to look for....")

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  31. Another great edition of World Bird Wednesday Dave! That Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker is fabulous and the Great Egret with the minnow is great!

    Excellent shot fro the lighthouse too!

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  32. Hi there - I really like the geese in the header - you seem to have caught them in a really alert pose - like they just noticed someting, maybe you! Makes then seem more alive than if they were just floating there.

    Cheers - Stewart M

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