Life is WILD in the Les Cheneaux Islands

Many of the Les Cheneaux islands have land set aside for nature. Some entire islands are national forest or designated nature preserves.

Wildlife abounds here:

Bald Eagle on top of tree

Pink forget-me-nots

White forget-me-nots

Sandhill crane in flight

Shed exoskeleton...a dragonfly emerged 

Sandhill Crane

Plenty of deer on these islands

Shoreline Birds

Sanderlings scurry along...

...then take flight

Many winged creatures make their home at the edge of the lake.

Here are some photos I took along the way.

Turkey vulture on the shoreline

Merganser ducks take to the water...

...then discuss which way to go

A hairy woodpecker works away at a fallen branch

Solitary sandpiper, a master of rocks and waves

Same solitary sandpiper, still quite alone

Canadian geese along Lake Michigan

Two bald eagles meet in mid-air...

...and engage

A cormorant tucks in

Critters in the Upper Peninsula

The Upper Peninsula is a wild place and many creatures make their home in this 

often harsh wilderness.

Here are a few I captured with my camera.

Large toad freezes, thinking: "You can't see me when I hold still."

The setting sun lit up this bunny's ears

These stable flies were a nuisance, biting any exposed flesh 

A great blue heron flies along the lakeshore

Bald eagle takes flight

Very large beetle

This beetle had special grippers on its front legs and it emitted a strong-smelling secretion in protest of being held

Common mergansers take flight

Track of a small cat...bobcat?

Slugs were plentiful and often raced down the trees

Up close slug

Chipmunks ruled the lakeshore, scurrying everywhere

I also saw scat from larger predators (coyote and bear) and heard deer crashing around at night.

Wings on the Great Lakes

Swans and Egret

Many a winged creature lives near or on the Great Lakes.  


Enjoy these photos of the diverse birds along our vast, inland seas.

Swans with their young

Female swans are called "Pens," the males are "Cobs."  Their young are called "cygnets."

Common Merganser

Like mother, like daughter

Oriole enjoying oranges at Tawas Point

Bald eagle at Thompsons Harbor State Park

Yellow Warbler

Cedar Waxwing