Fall is a wonderful time to visit the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. In 1927, cereal maker W.K. Kellogg purchased the land surrounding Wintergreen Lake, fencing off 180 acres to create the Bird Sanctuary. The goal was to teach an appreciation of the natural beauty of native wildlife, while providing a place to breed game birds.
In 1928, Kellogg deeded this land over to the Michigan State College of Agriculture (now Michigan State University) to ensure that the Sanctuary would serve as a practical training school for animal care and land management.
In the fall, waterfowl will stop on their annual migration. It’s a little early for fall colors around the lake, but I always visit the sanctuary in late September. I’ll return to the sanctuary several more times as the fall colors reach there peak, and the waterfowl become more abundant.
I was really surprised when I spotted a flock of Wood Ducks. Wood Ducks are beautiful, with vivid colors and distinctive markings.
I’ve been going to the sanctuary for many years; this is the first time I’ve seen more than one or two.
As I was talking photographs of the Wood Ducks I spotting a large flying bird. I looked a little closer and discovered it was a Great Blue Heron. I followed it in flight as it landed on a dead tree limb along the lakes edge.
There were also a large number of swans. You can hear them coming from miles away. They appear just over the tree line in a V-shaped formation as they majestically fly in to the lake.
The sun came out and lit up the Trumeter Swans. It added a warm vibrant tone to the scene.
What would a trip to the sancuary be without a few photographs of geese soaring through the air?
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