Welcome to the lake front you never knew!

Lake Michigan. One of the largest fresh water lakes in the world and an engine that has driven, and in some cases still does, the growth of its many surrounding communities. Lake Michigan is also home to a tremendous diversity of wildlife both within its waters and on its coasts. For most of us in the Chicago region a free and public lake front has more or less always been there and we tend to take it for granted. On top of this the dominant habitat type, dunes, are popularly percieved as just big heaps of sand. This blog is about that slice of Chicago Wilderness which is Lake Michigan and the wonderful gifts of nature it contains both just beyond the waterfront and beneath the surf.

If you've been to any of these locations or would like to recommend/request a location for me to go and check out, please do speak up and comment on any post!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Lost Adventure (Part 2 of 3)

10/23/11

      Early on I came to some curious clearings. For no clear reason, there was a sudden open sandy area with a single tree growing in the center with the outer rim host to a variety of ferns. What’s more, there were multiple! Even with my skill for making really good guesses at interpreting natural phenomena, I was stumped here. There is no readily apparent reason for these erratics within the forest. Certain areas throughout the trail were denser than others and as a result the trails and surrounding soil had a different character.
In one of the darker areas but with a healthy undergrowth I got a treat. I spotted two wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) skulking along. By the time I had spotted them, they spotted me and were already high tailing it away. I wasn’t able to act fast enough to pull out my camera. It may seem silly to get excited about seeing Turkeys but actual wild Turkeys are very different from domesticated ones. Most of the time you see them in flocks or on pastures. The true turkey though is solitary or with a partner roaming the forest floor. When you see them in this natural state of being, it truly is magical.
      Gradually the going got tougher as several sections of trail were either water logged and muddy or covered by running water forcing reroutes and log hopping. There were also some of the more spectacular areas with the interplay of dimmed light, mosaic canopies, and damp undergrowth of the last spring hold overs. Before long I reached areas where trails, being the low area, had become drainage canals for the hyper saturated soil which literally bled water. You can see that in action in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i9eln9YrdA

To Be Continued

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