Michigan Birds

Amber stepped into the golden sunset at Dwight Lydell Park wrapped in Scarlet and Raven Black — a living echo of the Scarlet Tanager. Bold, radiant, and full of movement, she felt like a flash of color you can’t look away from.

ZamZam stepped into the golden light at sunset, wrapped in radiant yellow — a living reflection of the American Goldfinch. Bright, joyful, and full of movement, she felt like spring itself arriving.

Jenn took flight at sunset, wrapped in black and golden yellow — a living echo of the Red-winged Blackbird. Bold, bright, and unmistakable, she carried the energy of spring’s return — a voice rising from the reeds, impossible to ignore.

Angela holds space with quiet strength and effortless grace. Like the Blue Jay, she stands out — not by force, but by presence — learning to shine on her own, clear, bold, and unmistakably herself.

Hannah took flight at Aberdeen Park at dusk, playing in the construction zone, finding her joy perched wherever she pleased. Wrapped in scarlet, she rose into the evening sky — bold, bright, and fully alive.

Emmy took flight in the colors of the European Starling along the shores of Riverside Park on a bright but chilly winter day. Wrapped in Raven Black, Imperial Purple, and Olive Drab, she came alive in deep shades that mirrored her presence — rich, dynamic, and full of quiet brilliance.

At the edge of the Grand River, Selah Swaney stepped into the colors of the Cedar Waxwing — Marigold, Amber Waves, Golden Brown, and Hot Black. As she climbed trees and balanced on river logs, her quiet elegance took flight, revealing a bird that gathers sweetness and shares it with others.

At the edge of the frozen water, Nickole didn’t need to move to take flight. She stood — quiet, watchful — and the whole landscape seemed to rise to meet her. There is a strength that shouts…
and then there is the kind that steadies the air around it. Nickole carries the second kind. Her rising looks peaceful and calm.

Rena as an Indigo Bunting felt instantly right — birdlike, light, and completely free. Wrapped in layered blues with soft dark accents, she moved with that quick, lifted energy the bunting carries from branch to sky. Rena embodying the bright, migratory spirit that makes the Indigo Bunting such a quiet jewel of Michigan summers.

Robyn was a natural fit for the Ruddy Duck — compact, curious, and quietly bold. Wrapped in Rust Brown, Raven Black, and that flash of Sky Blue, she carried the same buoyant confidence the bird brings to the water. Watching her move in layered plumage, it was clear: this wasn’t costume. Robyn didn’t just wear the Ruddy Duck — she met it.