Lynn WiezyckiNot far from the house we rented near Harbor Springs is a very interesting nature preserve. The 30 acre Thorne Swift Nature Preserve is
owned by the Little Traverse Conservancy. This preserve sits along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.
Along with the Elizabeth Kennedy Nature Center there are over 1 1/2 miles of trails and boardwalks.
There is a bit of variety in the habitat as there are woodlands, swamps, dunes and shoreline.
In the swampy areas we found colorful mushrooms.
We also saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings that had stopped to feed over one of the small ponds.
We went out to the beach on Lake Michigan and once again there were beautiful rocks catching my eye. Just for pictures this time!
Back near the Nature Center there is a side trail with a pavilion. As I was looking out into the woods I spotted a chipmunk!
I spent several minutes shooting the beautiful flowers in the gardens surrounding the house that is still on the property.
As we were about to leave a whole flock of wild turkeys came into the yard. The caretaker was very protective of the turkeys as they scare easily. We carefully and quietly moved to a position to get some images.
If you are in the Harbor Springs area, I highly recommend the Thorne Swift Nature Preserve for an easy cool walk through the woods and then take a break at the water’s edge of Lake Michigan. The Elizabeth Kennedy Nature Center has some great educational content.
Click on an image to see a larger version or go to my Gallery to see these and additional images.
That is all for now. Part 3 will be a boat ride to see the Pictured Rocks in Lake Superior!
Lynn
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