Elk Rapids Almanac - October 2021
October 3-Blue herons are the largest wading birds in North America with a wing span of 5 feet or over. They are found on water and wetland shores. Adults have few natural predators but the young are prey of bald eagles. This one is patiently waiting for food to come her way. _Christine Petersen.
October 17-Walking in the village about 8:30 on a very dark night, we heard the eerie sound of a screech owl, and a few days earlier a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call by a barred owl. Then there was a late evening coyote chorus from somewhere by the Day Park, and rumors of a black bear back in the area. How do we feel when we think of these creatures in our neighborhood as they struggle to coexist with us? In her new book Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald eloquently writes about nature, humanity, and loss. She points out that science encourages us to reflect on our lives in relation to the universe, but literature teaches us the value of these things and what their loss means. Literature inspires us to fight to save them. _Royce Ragland. See Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald. Grove Press, 2020.
October 23- The only owls that we often see, that actually migrate to our area, would be snowy owls…during our winter months. Even though the owls are considered migratory species…our regional native owls do not truly migrate.
The owls you are probably hearing right now, in the village, are barred owls. Screech owls do not truly screech, but instead make a sweet trilling sound. Barred owls can screech. I am hearing barred owls now….even sometimes during the day times. But they are very vocal at night. They have quite a varied voice….from screeching and screams to the well known “who cooks for you, who cooks for you allllllllll” hoot. _Rebecca Lessard, Wings of Wonder.
Note: Lessard retired after 30 years of “giving back to the earth” and continues to assist the Migizi Aviary Rehabilitation Center, which will be the first tribal eagle aviary and raptor center east of the Mississippi River, and one of only eight nation-wide. We anticipate Migizi Center will participate in a Green Elk Rapids event in June 2022. To support see: wingsofwonder.org.
October 31-Halloween tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Celts believed that on the night of the 31st, the line between the living and the dead became blurred, and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In Elk Rapids we only expect the delightful returns of young goblins in clever outfits. 4:30-6 p.m.
October 3-Blue herons are the largest wading birds in North America with a wing span of 5 feet or over. They are found on water and wetland shores. Adults have few natural predators but the young are prey of bald eagles. This one is patiently waiting for food to come her way. _Christine Petersen.
October 17-Walking in the village about 8:30 on a very dark night, we heard the eerie sound of a screech owl, and a few days earlier a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call by a barred owl. Then there was a late evening coyote chorus from somewhere by the Day Park, and rumors of a black bear back in the area. How do we feel when we think of these creatures in our neighborhood as they struggle to coexist with us? In her new book Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald eloquently writes about nature, humanity, and loss. She points out that science encourages us to reflect on our lives in relation to the universe, but literature teaches us the value of these things and what their loss means. Literature inspires us to fight to save them. _Royce Ragland. See Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald. Grove Press, 2020.
October 23- The only owls that we often see, that actually migrate to our area, would be snowy owls…during our winter months. Even though the owls are considered migratory species…our regional native owls do not truly migrate.
The owls you are probably hearing right now, in the village, are barred owls. Screech owls do not truly screech, but instead make a sweet trilling sound. Barred owls can screech. I am hearing barred owls now….even sometimes during the day times. But they are very vocal at night. They have quite a varied voice….from screeching and screams to the well known “who cooks for you, who cooks for you allllllllll” hoot. _Rebecca Lessard, Wings of Wonder.
Note: Lessard retired after 30 years of “giving back to the earth” and continues to assist the Migizi Aviary Rehabilitation Center, which will be the first tribal eagle aviary and raptor center east of the Mississippi River, and one of only eight nation-wide. We anticipate Migizi Center will participate in a Green Elk Rapids event in June 2022. To support see: wingsofwonder.org.
October 31-Halloween tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Celts believed that on the night of the 31st, the line between the living and the dead became blurred, and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In Elk Rapids we only expect the delightful returns of young goblins in clever outfits. 4:30-6 p.m.
October 3-Blue herons are the largest wading birds in North America with a wing span of 5 feet or over. They are found on water and wetland shores. Adults have few natural predators but the young are prey of bald eagles. This one is patiently waiting for food to come her way. _Christine Petersen.
October 17-Walking in the village about 8:30 on a very dark night, we heard the eerie sound of a screech owl, and a few days earlier a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call by a barred owl. Then there was a late evening coyote chorus from somewhere by the Day Park, and rumors of a black bear back in the area. How do we feel when we think of these creatures in our neighborhood as they struggle to coexist with us? In her new book Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald eloquently writes about nature, humanity, and loss. She points out that science encourages us to reflect on our lives in relation to the universe, but literature teaches us the value of these things and what their loss means. Literature inspires us to fight to save them. _Royce Ragland. See Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald. Grove Press, 2020.
October 23- The only owls that we often see, that actually migrate to our area, would be snowy owls…during our winter months. Even though the owls are considered migratory species…our regional native owls do not truly migrate.
The owls you are probably hearing right now, in the village, are barred owls. Screech owls do not truly screech, but instead make a sweet trilling sound. Barred owls can screech. I am hearing barred owls now….even sometimes during the day times. But they are very vocal at night. They have quite a varied voice….from screeching and screams to the well known “who cooks for you, who cooks for you allllllllll” hoot. _Rebecca Lessard, Wings of Wonder.
Note: Lessard retired after 30 years of “giving back to the earth” and continues to assist the Migizi Aviary Rehabilitation Center, which will be the first tribal eagle aviary and raptor center east of the Mississippi River, and one of only eight nation-wide. We anticipate Migizi Center will participate in a Green Elk Rapids event in June 2022. To support see: wingsofwonder.org.
October 31-Halloween tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Celts believed that on the night of the 31st, the line between the living and the dead became blurred, and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In Elk Rapids we only expect the delightful returns of young goblins in clever outfits. 4:30-6 p.m.
October 3-Blue herons are the largest wading birds in North America with a wing span of 5 feet or over. They are found on water and wetland shores. Adults have few natural predators but the young are prey of bald eagles. This one is patiently waiting for food to come her way. _Christine Petersen.
October 17-Walking in the village about 8:30 on a very dark night, we heard the eerie sound of a screech owl, and a few days earlier a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call by a barred owl. Then there was a late evening coyote chorus from somewhere by the Day Park, and rumors of a black bear back in the area. How do we feel when we think of these creatures in our neighborhood as they struggle to coexist with us? In her new book Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald eloquently writes about nature, humanity, and loss. She points out that science encourages us to reflect on our lives in relation to the universe, but literature teaches us the value of these things and what their loss means. Literature inspires us to fight to save them. _Royce Ragland. See Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald. Grove Press, 2020.
October 23- The only owls that we often see, that actually migrate to our area, would be snowy owls…during our winter months. Even though the owls are considered migratory species…our regional native owls do not truly migrate.
The owls you are probably hearing right now, in the village, are barred owls. Screech owls do not truly screech, but instead make a sweet trilling sound. Barred owls can screech. I am hearing barred owls now….even sometimes during the day times. But they are very vocal at night. They have quite a varied voice….from screeching and screams to the well known “who cooks for you, who cooks for you allllllllll” hoot. _Rebecca Lessard, Wings of Wonder.
Note: Lessard retired after 30 years of “giving back to the earth” and continues to assist the Migizi Aviary Rehabilitation Center, which will be the first tribal eagle aviary and raptor center east of the Mississippi River, and one of only eight nation-wide. We anticipate Migizi Center will participate in a Green Elk Rapids event in June 2022. To support see: wingsofwonder.org.
October 31-Halloween tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Celts believed that on the night of the 31st, the line between the living and the dead became blurred, and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In Elk Rapids we only expect the delightful returns of young goblins in clever outfits. 4:30-6 p.m.
