Date: 06/26/2019

Number: 1

Sunny, 62 degrees, by 7:30 AM my dog and I had the first 2 miles of our day in—checking the trails of the habitat. The Sand Hill Crane pair made the first appearance, looking for shelled corn /their desires were accommodated :) 5 does arrived, and we saw a big, single, fawn, with sugar-colored spots, who was probably born in early May. A large snapping turtle was walking east—near the west end of the driveway. I doubt there will be a picture of this resident, as my hands were full of a big, excited, dog and her leash / harness :) The same can be said for a nocturnal resident (that we saw last night about 10 PM) Our porcupine. The porcupine was touring the east habitat—probably 34 inches long, weighing approximately 20 lbs. Porcupines are shy, solitary, creatures, said to possess 30,000 quills and are Michigan’s “biggest rodent.” Porcupines move slowly, have unusual physical characteristics: small faces, shaggy contoured bodies, with long black and brown hair mixed with quills. Porcupines are primarily vegetarians. Porcupine residents are also very, good reasons for a dog to wear a harness and a leash :) This morning, we also saw 3 turkeys, high in a stately white oak tree, leaving their roosts. Turkeys always look odd and awkward as they balance high in the air, on a tree branch :) This is where they sleep at night; their big bodies (20 lbs or more) and wings, make noisy, swooping, sounds as they launch and fly, soaring down to the ground. They’ll spend most of their day on the ground, in groups, walking, looking for bugs, occasionally fast-stepping, or, sometimes running, and quibbling with one another.

Sanford, MI

Latitude: 43.7 Longitude: -84.4

Observed by: Tilly
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