A LIFE-LONG INTRIGUING MEMORY

A LIFE-LONG INTRIGUING MEMORY!

One of the Enduring and intriguing Mysteries of my childhood was an image in my mind of an airplane hangar about a mile from our new house in the suburbs. As well as I can reconstruct it, our new house in the suburbs of Detroit, in Livonia, was completed in 1954 and we moved in that Summer. I had just finished 1st grade and was only 6 years old. We continued attending St. Francis Catholic School for another year (at least that is the way I remember it) commuting every weekday to school with Dad as he drove into Detroit for work. Another possibility is that we moved into the new house in 1955 towards the end of the school year and only commuted to Detroit a few months. If that is the case I was age 6 when we moved in and I turned 7 that December.

(My birthday was in December, so it happened that I started school at age 4). As I recall the Nuns did not want to allow me to begin that year and - I wish they had prevailed - but I think my mother wanted some relief from having children in the house underfoot. (I was the last of 3 that she was raising). Moving into a new house and having all the kids in school gave her time to put the house together without constant interupton.

Apparently there was a small airport at the SW corner of Middlebelt and Plymouth Roads. For all these years I have had only this mental image of looking out the car side window at age 6 or 7 and seeing an airplane hangar. I had to ask what it was I'm sure since I had not seen a wide, long building with a curved roof like that. I know that I was very intrigued by the whole thing or else I would not have retained this image in my mind with so much fascination about it.

Only now, in December 2017, have I discovered information AND PHOTOGRAPHS of this airport!

During the few years after we moved to the suburbs and before the airport was closed, my friends and I (between ages 7 or 10; 1956-1959) had ventured to the site of the former airport but cattail marshes were all we found there. From what I have learned only recently (Dec 2017), the hangars might still have been there way off to the North end. If they were there we probably tried to stay out of sight. If we walked along the old dirt runways - and we might well have done so, I have only a very dim recollection that we may have done so.

By 1959, before I was turned 11, the airport was gone and replaced by an open-air 60-store SHOPPING MALL named "Wonderland Center". The 74 acre site, dual level facility was opened in August 1959, and was designed by Louis G. Redstone.

The National Airways Airport on the southwest corner of Plymouth Road & Middlebelt Road was reportedly established in 1916

A circa 1930s photo (courtesy of Mike Denja) depicted 2 unidentified pilots in front of 3 biplanes (model undetermined) & a hangar at National Airways Airport.

The earliest photo which has been located of National Air Service Airport was a 1949 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja). It depicted the field as having 2 sod runways, with 6 single-engine aircraft & 3 small hangars on the north side.

A few airplanes can be seen in this enlarged portion of the aerial photograph

The 1947 MI Airport Directory (courtesy of Mike Denja) depicted “National Airport” as having 2 sod runways, measuring 3,000' northwest/southeast & 2,900' northeast/southwest, each of which had irregularly-shaped portions “stabilized with gravel & asphalt”. Three hangars were depicted along the north side.

==================== END OF AIRPORT STUFF =====================

American Goldfinch

One view from the Millrace path ...

HILEMAN COUNTY PARK; Aug 24, 2017

There was a lot of constant activity in some low bushes next to a pond near the entrance to Hileman Park. We spent about 20 minutes there as folks tried to identify what we were seeing. Some of the birds were more conclusively identified after a round of email exchanges with the photos sent to everyone who was on that walk. It took a while before the dust settled.

Juvenile Spotted Towhee, Hileman County Park, 8-24-2017

After considerable discussion, Donna came up with female Common Yellowthroat for this bird.

This might be a Pacific Slope Flycatcher, or it might be a Willow Flycatcher. If Pac Slope, it was my first time seeing one. (I didn't see the one at the Oregon Country Fair site back on May 25)

This bird was the most challening and bewildering for our group because it was so light colored and just basically unfamiliar to us. When I looked at my pictures I saw that it resembled the juvenile Towhee it was near to. But the wing feathers looked very different. Then looking further through my photos I saw it was not only hanging out with its "sibling," but the mother Spotted Towhee came by to feed it. Once I saw that, I realized it was likely a juvenile Cowbird. Donna and others confirmed my guess.
Photo by Chris Kilpatrick

Momma came by and fed the Cowbird baby.

I was surprised to find THREE of the birds all in one photo.

I think this is a juvenile Robin losing its spots and molting into the robin-red-breast plumage.

ELIJAH BRISTOW PARK; Aug 10, 2017
This is a favorite destination among many of the Summer BOGS birders. Steve came with us this year and enjoyed the walk with us.

We came across a Willow Flycatcher SINGING. We could see it singing. The bird was not close to us and it was backlit brightly so photos did not come out well. None-the-less, this was the first Willow Flycatcher which I have identified in the field conclusively. (width 1050 )

Red-breasted Sapsucker adult. A juvenile was nearby.

We heard some California Quail calling very close to us in the brush on the side of the trail. This one popped out onto the trail ahead of us and I took a short video of it. This is one frame from that video. It is either a female or juvenile

Don photographed this adult California Quail somehow

There is a state-funded project to monitor and assist the Northwestern Pond Turtles at Elijah Bristow Park. They lay their eggs along the banks of the spring-fed stream the trail follows. I did not see any of the invasive Red-eared Pond Sliders so common in town at places like Delta Ponds. (I also have not seen the Pond Sliders at the newly opened Millrace trail in Springfield)

Lots of Evening Grosbeaks were seen on our walk at Bristow Park. Most were high up and flying hither and thither, but we came across them feeding on Cascara berries. Every year we find a variety of birds feeding on these in late July and August both here at Bristow Park and also at Zumwalt Park.

APPROACH TO and END of TOTALITY: SOLAR ECLIPSE; AUG 21, 2017

VIDEO (normal speed) Approach to Totality.

VIDEO (normal speed) The Sun's CORONA: End of Totality.

FERN RIDGE, SOUTH FROM ROYAL AVE PARKING LOT; July 27, 2017
(The path we took south from the parking lot, through the tall grass, is only accessible during the driest months - late July and August. We found an amazing number of species and birds in the scrubby brush / trees in that area as we walked south to get to the dike trails.

There were many juvenile birds of various species and we were all going through all kinds of mental gymnastics trying to identify them. One species we are fairly sure about was the Common Yellowthroat, mostly because I saw an adult of that species very near to this one and they flew to another bush together.

American Robin Juvenile still a little clumsy! Fern-Ridge 7-27-2017

View of the Fall appearance of the dike we came to after walking south from Royal. These dikes extend south to the Red-head and Barn Ponds; as well as also extending West towards the observation platform.

As we walked across the dried up ponds, Jennifer's mother Dale thought the patterns in the cracks in the mud resembled Batik patterns. I photographed them and sent her the files.

Black-necked-Stilt Fern Ridge 7-27-2017

Black-necked-Stilt Fern Ridge 7-27-2017

Greater Yellowlegs; Fern Ridge, 7-27-2017

CLEARWATER LANDING; July 13, 2017

We only had brief glimpses of Yellow-breasted Chats on the Clearwater Landing trail. I saw one but didn't get any photos. Don managed to get this photo.

It's not all birds. General Science too! Mossy bark in a very 3-D structure

Red-tailed Hawk; Clearwater Landing 7-13-2017

WOODPECKER LOOP TRAIL, FINLEY REFUGE; JUN 22, 2017

Wilson Warbler; Finley Woodpecker Loop 6-22-2017

Betsy came up with the best photos of a Yellow-breasted Chat, including one of it singing.

BOGS member surveys a small pond at the topmost section of the trail

The Meadow at the top of the trail

A Rabbit was on the trail ahead of us.

Lazuli Buntings greeted us right near the start of the trail

ZUMWALT COUNTY PARK; June 8; 2017

Western Grebe

Pileated Woodpecker

Don's VIDEO in slow motion of a Pileated Woodpecker.

VIDEO (normal speed) - Pileated Woodpecker - by Don Laufer.

It was a gloomy day with spells of wind and rain.

OREGON COUNTRY FAIR SITE; MAY 25, 2017

Don got this prize of a photo of a Pacific Slope Flycatcher. Oregon County Fair site.

PERKINS PENINSULA; APRIL 27, 2017

Orange-crowned Warbler; photo by Sat Nam Singh

Our group scanning the reservoir. Pelicans had been seen flying in the distance

Western Tanagers were migrating through the area that morning

Golden-crowned Sparrow; photo by Sat Nam Singh

ALTON BAKER; APRIL 13, 2017

American Wigeon

American Kestrel

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown Creeper

SKINNER BUTTE; MARCH 30; 2017

Northern Flicker

FINLEY WILDLIFE REFUGE; March 23, 2017

Immature Bald Eagle

Rufous Hummingbirds

Western Meadowlark; photo by Gail Sandgathe

STEWART POND; March 2, 2017

Red-tailed Hawk

Green-winged Teal

These birds were far off and we struggled at trying to identify them. Sat Nam Singh sneaked up closer to them and got this photo, while the group did other things;
Dunlin; photo by Sat Nam Singh

Northwestern Garter Snake.
These were out and about at this time of year. I found another one a day or two later at EWEB Wetlands

EASTGATE (Heron Park); Feb 23, 2017

Generally if you want to know what is happening next at BOGS, or want to see the latest photos/reports,
you can find these on the HOME page:
http://priscillanhk.com/index.html
Enjoy!
Priscilla