These pretty flowers--the small variety of Lady Slippers--were growing plentifully along the northern shore of the Upper Peninsula. Michigan, June, 2019
Northern Michigan is full of wonderful forests, with lots of trees unfamiliar to California-me. I'm not sure where this path was, but it was typical of so many, with great ferns, sometimes 3 to 4 feet high, and a mix of trees. I found birding in thick forests difficult, as I'm not good with birding by ear, and most of the birds stayed up in the tops of tall trees, or were well hidden in the foliage. I loved hiking is spots like this, with wildflowers, ferns, dragonflies, butterflies, and birdsong. Michigan June, 2019
Driving along a rural road near Rudyard, Michigan, I was surprised to see several Sandhill Cranes feeding out in a field of flowers. Over time we saw several pairs of cranes out in fields like this in various areas, but these were the first of the trip. Michigan, June 2019
