I spend a good deal of my time looking down. I mean, that’s where the chickens usually are, right? Not to mention my feet, which need more than a little governance. But, head down, I miss a lot. I manage to stay on my feet, which is good, and not step on one of the girls, which is even better, but the wonders of the world frequently pass me by. So I’m amazed that on one of those rare occasions that I do look up, I spot something breathtaking, something beautiful.

According to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Diversity Web, yellow warblers are common in North America. Declining numbers have been noted here and there, generally because of land clearance and herbicide and pesticide use. Usually when riparian corridor (a healthy number of trees and plants along a river or stream) is allowed to recover, these beautiful summerbirds make a good comeback. Cranberry Run passes through The Quarry Farm on its way to Riley Creek, with trees, grasses, and blackraspberry brambles to feed warblers. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dendroica_petechia.html