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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 10, 2011

World Bird Wednesday XXV

                                           The Other Side of the Sign


"Sign, sign everywhere a sign!" Even with this old battle cry in my head I knew this time I would obey the rules gladly. After all, who could argue with giving Mother Nature a few square miles of wetlands without humans trouncing through it. Just look what's happened here on the Southern shore of Saginaw Bay because of it. By a strange confluence of natural and man made influences and stirred by the law of unintended consequences a Wildlife Refuge has emerged. I was there eyeing an egret at the very edge of this little paradise when a green truck with a Ducks Unlimited sticker pulled up along side me near an observation platform. And so I met Jack, resident of the swamp and local historian whose first hand knowledge of the area goes back through the 1940's. Back then, he told me, the farmers that owned these lands straightened out the river that flows through here and dikes were built around a patchwork of square mile fields. Later the Michigan Department of Natural Resources purchased the area and set it aside for duck hunting and habitat preservation. I asked Jack if he had a magic wand would he restore the area to his childhood remembrances or leave it as it is? He emphatically said,"As it is now! When these changes were made it supercharged the wild life in this area. Back then if one of us kids had shot a goose we would have been a legend today you could shoot a hundred."
Sandhill cranes. A rare sight in Michigan.

Today the wildlife is vast and diverse here. Countings are conducted weekly and my new buddy let on that he was about to make a bird count in the restricted non-hunting area and had the keys to the forbidden kingdom to prove it. "Let's go," I said. "Let's go!" he replied. So much for the sign. The gate blocking the two track that runs along the top of the levee wall and into the refuge was opened. I jumped in his truck and we were off.


A Long-tailed Duck or Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis) still in winter plumage was added to my life list!
                                                          Below a Yellow-Rumped warbler also climbed aboard as a lifer.


What ensued was a bumpy roll through the preserve and a whole lot of bird talk. We really didn't do much counting or photography as we went on our five mile tour but the quantity and variety of species left my head spinning. That my benefactor is a game bird hunter of some note and also a person with a lifelong devotion to habitat development and conservation kept our exchanges lively. I tried to draw a rough comparison between the gunslinger aspect of wildlife photography (see-aim-focus-shoot) and the potent thrill he got from dropping ducks with his shot gun. It was a tortured analogy at best but I was doing my best to get along. Still, and I admit this as your tree-hugging variety nature lover, our interests met harmoniously more often than not. I appreciated what the hunters lobby in concert with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources had wrought for our mutual enjoyment and benefit. How do the ducks fare with this arrangement?
Come hunting season that will depend on which side of the sign they land on.
Another lifer, White pelicans high above our heads!

            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!

41 comments:

  1. What fun to be in the right place at the right time Dave and get a very personal tour. I think I can imagine the questions that spun around the truck cabin. I have been watching wildlife on one side of a fence with hunters bagging ducks and geese on the other side.
    There's a balance to pay for conservation and there is no doubt that in many locations the species have benefitted .. but still difficult to come to terms with the 'shooting for fun' aspect. FAB.

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  2. so neat that you got the 'behind the curtain' tour from an expert. but i too would have been walking a fine line with hunting and birding enthusiasms meeting up. :)

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  3. p.s. your header shot is fabulous! or as frank would say, FABulous...

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  4. Great post, Springman! It's funny how just being at the right place at the right time can give you such an unexpected opportunity. Great finds with the sandhill crane and oldsquaw -- very cool sightings! While I am not a hunter myself, there is a lot of common ground between hunters and conservationists (as you noted from your conversation), and I think it's critical for the two groups to continue to work together on their mutual interests.

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  5. I have to agree it would have been a priviledge to be on the other side of the gate for awhile.
    You got some terrific shots. However, I'm not sure I could have put my camera down as much as you did. :)

    Carletta@Round The Bend

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  6. What an opportunity you had! You got some great shots, too. I'm just glad they were the kind out of the camera. :)

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  7. Let's hope somebody will teach the ducks to read:-)
    That egret in the header is truly worth of the word: breathtaking. Gobsmacking also springs to mind.
    I apologize for the very tenuous link with bird posts ( there is a rook in it somewhere), but thought you might enjoy reading about what the firefighters in Britain get up to. Literally.

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  9. I must say that the Oldsquaw is very beutiful! I never seen one before...and how nice to be able to see pelicans :)

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  10. Springman, great post! Love all your shots, especially the header!
    What an opportunity that was! Would have loved to be along for that ride through the swamp!

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  11. Wonderful post! Love the Long-tailed Duck.

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  12. Beautiful shots! I love the one of the long tailed. I've never seen one of those before. I'm sure it was fun to go behind the "forbidden gates". By the way, you didn't happen to ask him if he used lead bullets did you?

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  13. What an awesome opportunity to tour behind the gated area! Your shots are wonderful, I LOVE the header! Beautiful!!

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  14. I had to fly from to NE and KS to see a Sandhill...and you see one in Michigan!?

    I have gratitude for what the sportsmen have done in WV for habitat conservation. I don't agree with all aspects of hunting (ie, trophy hunting), but I can't argue we have more protected wilds because of hunters.

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  15. What a beautiful duck species. I'm amazed at your new banner, it's a gorgeous capture!

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  16. Fabulous story, wonderful that you were there at just the right time to be able to get past the signs, and with an expert guide at that.

    Reminds me very much of the Brigantine Wildlife Preserve in New Jersey, near Atlantic City. My grandfather was very active with the preserve, loved to take us in there and show us all the birds. I was just a kid back then, and sadly had no camera at the time. But the preserve is still there, just harder for me to get to it from France. Maybe someday... Memories of snow geese turning the marshes white...

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  17. You had a great opportunity to see and photograph all those birds and it must have been an interesting conversation.

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  18. Dave, I forgot to say ... awesome new header and the L-t Duck is one of my all time favourites.

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  19. Your images are stunning.
    Another great header for this post.

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  20. As always, the images are excellent!

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  21. Beautiful photos this week. I had the pleasure of seeing American White Pelicans while in Wisconsin. They are awesome birds.

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  22. I'm glad you made it thru the gate with a little help. Congrats on your lifers. I love the white Pelicans. They are all great birds. Thanks for hosting another week of World Bird Wednesday.

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  23. great story. Always good when it turn to beter wildlife. And congrats to that beautiful lifer. The longtailed is a beauty.

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  24. Excellent new header, and an interesting encounter.

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  25. Hi Springman...WOW what a trip eh? Im sure it was hard for you to NOT say "HOW CAN YOU KILL WHAT YOU LOVE?" I'm sure he would have made me walk back--lol
    I wouldnt be able to keep my mouth shut on that front!!But at least he gave you a "get in free card" and you got some awesome birds that will live to inspire yet another one of us who want to be inspired and bring back the bird in more ways than one-IM really loving that oldsquaw shot--and congrats on your new lifers!!

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  26. What an awesome header!
    Love that little duck too.
    I am going out tomorrow looking for warblers. Wish me luck!
    B.

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  27. I love your egret in flight photo for the header this week. It's beautiful.

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  28. Ducks Unlimited does much to protect native birds and their habitat in Georgia. All bird lovers need to support them by purchasing "Duck Stamps". Respectable hunters (my son is one) are helping our native birds thrive. Super message, Springman!

    BTW...I grasped when your header loaded. Very nice capture!!!

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  29. Hi there - interesting story - I dont think we can always just say "no" on principal to activities like hunting - not in a controlled fashion anyway.

    Keep an eye on my blog for some Australian Pelican soon!

    Cheers - Stewart M.

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  30. That header is beautiful! You got some great shots on your tour. I do love the Oldsquaw photo - such a lovely duck!

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  31. Springman,
    I just wanted to leave a "Thank You" comment for hosting World Bird Wednesday. I've just finished visiting all the blogs and have enjoyed them so much! Thanks again!

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  32. looks like a wonderful place to visit for birdwatching, there's always a fine balance between shooting and conservation, seems to be right in that location!

    Mr Linky isn't working for me, here's my link for World Bird Wednesday - http://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2011/05/nesting-coot.html

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  33. Yikes!!!! Linky seems to be drunk today! Arn't computers fun? Let me try to sober it up or even better, maybe It'll fix its self!

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  34. Sandhill Cranes, Pelicans and that Duck,... totally awesome!
    Are you (aside from the hunting part) a lucky camper, or what?! :-D
    Congrats on the Lifers!

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  35. Linky ain't working for me either. Well, you know where to find the post ;)

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  36. As usually fascinating post!

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  37. First I must say,your header is just breathtaking!
    Thanks for showing us a peak inside the refuge,hope those beautiful birds know enough to stay on the right side of the fence.phyllis in Pa

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  38. Thank you for the thoughtful post; we have friends on the "other" side of the hunting issue (like your new friend)...and I think it is good to listen. It's great you got to go inside and I too hope that the birds stay on the right side of the fence during the season.

    Wonderful post and as always thank you for this forum and all the great links.

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  39. Congrats on the lifers Dave and on making the day work with a bird hunter. I still don't understand how folks so enamored with wildlife can shoot the same birds they love?

    Your photos are great, of course I love the Sandhill Crane but that Oldsquaw is gorgeous! I'm sorry I wasn't able to get a post in this week, it's been busy with all the nesting activities of late.

    Thanks for hosting such a super meme with World Bird Wednesday!

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  40. Thanks for the beautiful photos !!!

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