Joel Dinda's photos with the keyword: augusta

One last photo from my visit to the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary.

This is what the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary looks like, generally speaking. But it's a bit misleading. A few notes seem in order: * This is a static photo. The birds are not static; there's always movement. * The Bird Sanctuary is, essentially, this lake and the surrounding grounds. It's part of MSU's Kellogg Biological Research Station , which is much larger and mostly nearby. * As you can see, the Sanctuary's birds consist mainly of Swans, Geese, and Ducks. This is by design; it was originally intended as a stopover place for migrating water birds. There are, of course, less-evident small birds on the surrounding land. * While I'm reasonably certain the birds can fend for themselves, the Sanctuary has always encouraged children to feed the birds (you can purchase healthy bird food on the grounds). I've mixed feelings about that now, but loved it when I was young. * The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary's one of my favorite places. There's a nice history of the Sanctuary on the Bio Station's website, and other information if you follow the links.

At the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. As photographic outings go, this one was pretty darned good.

As long as I remember the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary's hosted an ever-changing handful of injured raptors. Most have some sort of wing damage and all are unable to live in the wild. At Kellogg they live in large cages which have been set up around one of the ponds. The current set includes several owls, a bald eagle, and two Red-Tailed Hawks. The birds are cared for by the staff, and are definitely on display. Evidently some are used as teaching aids in presentations, though I don't recall ever seeing such use. The injured birds arrive by a variety of methods. Evidently everyone half-way local who cares for injured wildlife is aware that the Sanctuary can and does have facilities to care for injured birds. Each bird's cage features a prominent sign explaining how it came to be a guest at the sanctuary, an estimate of its age, and other information. When I was a kid these broken birds fascinated me. Nowadays I'm just glad they're being cared for, and sad that they have to live in cages.

Canada Geese on Wintergreen Lake, WK Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Near Gull Lake, Michigan.

One of several taking off from Wintergreen Lake, WK Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, near Gull Lake, Michigan.

As I said: The water's green . The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary calls this "The Lagoon." It's a little pond beside Wintergreen Lake (which is in the background of the photo), and it serves as both a display area and a sanctuary-within-the-sanctuary for the sorts of birds who nest beside little ponds. Of course, these particular nesting birds are pretty tolerant of humanity. It's also the first thing I see when I visit. There are several routes a person might take through the Sanctuary, but I've always begun by taking the stairway down to the lake, and the lagoon, right inside the Sanctuary's entrance. Because I like this view, basically. You don't see it unless you walk down those steps.

A Mallard, methinks, at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary . The water's green because, well, the water's actually green . Blame algae. The sanctuary's near Battle Creek, of course, though it claims an Augusta address (I'm a bit surprised--I was expecting Richland, or Hickory Corners). I've been visiting the Kellogg Sanctuary pretty much all my life, though these days the visits are relatively rare. When I was young it was an exotic place, with Peacocks and Sandhill Cranes and other large unusual birds; with injured raptors--always including a Bald Eagle--in large cages; with colorful pheasants in a set of cages away from Wintergreen Lake. And Swans. It's the first place I remember seeing swans, though it seems likely I'd seen 'em in Kalamazoo before. No Peacocks today, and no Sandhills (though these days I see Sandhills pretty regularly elsewhere--saw a pair in flight on Monday, around Cloverdale). Mostly there was the usual array of Canada Geese and Trumpeter Swans on or near the lake, with a relatively small population of ducks. A good visit, all in all. I got pictures! Technically the sanctuary's a remote campus of Michigan State University, part of their Kellogg Biological Research Station .

Augusta, Michigan. A closer view than the photo I posted last night.

Augusta, Michigan.