June 22

Under partly cloudy skies, a gusty wind off Lake Michigan and temperatures in the low 60’s, my dog Riley and I leave our rental house on the west side of Beaver Island and I begin our morning hike. Right away, I spot several large vernal pools teeming with thousands of ½ inch American Toad tadpoles. Most of these baby amphibians will be eaten by aquatic insects, fish, salamanders, birds, snakes, and mammals. Others will die from diseases or when vernal pools dry up or overheat. Ultimately, well under 1% of the original tadpoles will reach breeding age as adults (stock photo). Walking along the beach, I’m surrounded by swarms of ½ -inch Midge flies. These clouds of non-biting insects are mating swarms where males gather and dance in the air before females enter. After mating, females return to the water to lay eggs. Adult flies (stock photo) usually live only a few days. Most do not feed at all as their primary purpose is reproduction. Up ahead, I pause to watch five Eastern Swallowtail Butterflies perch on the sand close to each other while fluttering their wings or taking short flights. Called Puddling, males use their proboscises to sip moisture from wet sand, mud, animal tracks, decaying vegetation, or even areas enriched by bird droppings. The water provides sodium and other minerals that are scarce in nectar. Working my way down the beach, I can’t help but notice a variety of large boulders scattered about. Called glacial erratics, these rocks were carried south by glaciers from the ancient Canadian Shield during the last Ice Age. First, I spot a metamorphic rock called Banded Gneiss, then a sedimentary rock call Tufa Limestone and finally, out in the water, I see an igneous rock called Red Granite. Arriving at my destination, called McCauley Point, I pause to honor the life of a dear friend who passed a few years ago and whose ashes are scattered nearby. While scanning the landscape, I spot High Island, 12 miles due west. This 3466 acre land mass is uninhabited and surrounded by sandy beaches, dunes and dense forests. This island was famously home to a "Kingdom of David" Mormon colony in the 1850's and later an extensive King Strang associated settlement, followed by an Israelite House of David agricultural community in the early 1900's. Turning around to retrace my steps, I observe some yellow blossoms, including Hoary Puccoon, Silver Weed and Stonecrop. Nearby, I see both a 16-inch Garter snake barely visible in the tall grass and a Killdeer standing near the water’s edge. Back at the rental house, I pause to reflect on another nature hike. For me, I feel less like a visitor and more like a small part of a much larger story—one that has been unfolding on Beaver Island for thousands of years and will continue long after my footprints have disappeared from the sand.

 

Sandy path along a beach

Butterflies within my reach

Lake water’s cool and clear

Breaking waves I mostly hear

Cirrus clouds, a rising sun

Up ahead, Sandpipers run

Back dune, sedges & ferns

Overhead, gulls & terns

Just another quarter mile

Barefoot on Beaver Isle

 

D. DeGraaf

June 15

The early morning humidity is high under partly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60’s as I leave the car to start my hike at Stearns Preserve, a 15-acre parcel in Gratiot County’s village of Riverdale owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. Exploring the 1-acre meadow on the west boundary, I spot a 1-inch Common Ringlet Butterfly perched on a thistle leaf displaying its grayish underside wing pattern. An orange color and eye spot is revealed with the wings open (stock photo). After about 2 months as caterpillars (stock photo), adult butterflies emerge. Up ahead, I come upon a 1-inch frothy, white glob attached to a thistle stem. This substance is created by immature nymphs (stock photo) blowing air through their waste as they feed on plant sap. In mid-to-late summer, these nymphs mature into winged "froghoppers" (stock photo). Continuing to explore the meadow, I notice large patches of Field Club Moss dotted with white blossoms of Cranesbill (stock photo). Resembling miniature, evergreen conifer trees club mosses are extremely slow-growing and were historically over-harvested for holiday wreaths. Currently, all clubmoss species are legally protected in the state of Michigan. Proceeding east on the Meijer bike trail that bisects the preserve, I notice a tiny yellow blossom of Greater Celandine, a plant that I’ve never seen before. A perennial species in the poppy family, it’s known for its thick, bright yellow-to-orange milky sap- a latex-like fluid that oozes from broken stems, leaves, and roots. While historically used in folk medicine, it is highly toxic and can cause severe skin irritation, blistering, and corneal damage if it comes into contact with the eyes. Ingestion can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, nausea, and vomiting. Up ahead, I spot one of my favorite harbingers of summer-an Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly fluttering by and landing on a Honeysuckle leaf. While the adult is very attractive, the nymph is not so much (stock photo). Turning around at the boundary marker, I head back and pause at, once was a railroad bridge, to watch the water of the Pine River flow south toward Elm Hall, then Sumner before turning toward Alma. Near the car, I spot a 1-inch black Ichneumon Wasp perched on the underside of a Milkweed leaf. As parasitoids, females track down the larvae of wood wasps, beetles, and caterpillars, injecting their eggs directly into the host. When the larvae hatch, they slowly consume the pest host, eventually killing it. As I complete my walk and return to the car, I am grateful for preserves like this. Whether from an asphalt or earthen trail, nature is on display to those willing to slow down, observe and appreciate her handiwork.

A speeding car

Or Killdeer afar

Coo of a dove

Or airplane above

Buzz of bees

Or blower of leaves

Passing cloud

Or yelling loud

Babbling stream

Or sirens scream

Nature’s path of peace

Human noises cease

 

D. DeGraaf

June 8

Under sunny skies and morning temperatures in the low 60’s, I’m at Forest Hill Nature Area walking out on a dock to observe Grebe Pond. Kneeling down, I notice a 1/2 inch, Six-spotted Fishing Spider standing on the water surface, supported by surface tension. These spiders are impressive hunters. They can: Run across the water surface. Detect vibrations from struggling insects and tadpoles. Dive underwater when threatened. Also in this photo there’s a small insect on the water just below the spider, the sort of prey a fishing spider would be watching for. Continuing to examine the weedy pond surface, I notice a mix of Duckweed, Watermeal and Common Bladderwort. While being familiar with Duckweed and Watermeal, I’m not so familiar with Bladderwort which is a native, free-floating, carnivorous aquatic plant. It is completely rootless and features finely divided, submerged leaves lined with tiny, vacuum-sealed bladders that snap open to trap and digest microscopic aquatic insects. Its namesake "bladders" are tiny, modified leaves (stock photo) that act as vacuum traps. When a tiny organism brushes against the hair triggers, the trap springs open—faster than a camera flash—sucking the prey inside to be digested. Back on land, I’m pleased to begin a hike alongside Erika Kemler, the current director and very successful leader of this 90-acre outdoor education center. Walking north on a groomed trail, we take in the sounds of a variety of birds as well as sights of yellow and orange blossoms of Hawkweed. Scanning the meadow nearby, we spot a Tree Swallow perched on a Bluebird box. Swallows arrive in spring about the same time Blue birds do. Unfortunately, they often claim an empty nest box before bluebirds do or chase them away from a chosen box. Entering North Woods we follow an earthen trail through dense stands of Beech, Maple and Oak. Exiting the woods and making our way along the west boundary, we notice a Cottontail Rabbit as well as some yellow blossoms of Barren Strawberry, a plant I’ve never seen before. Continuing through lush South Woods, our ears perk up to a variety of birdsongs, especially the trilly and rattly song of a House Wren. Making our way back to the parking area, Erika and I reflect on the variety of wildlife we found on our hike. The Nature Area offered no dramatic spectacles today, yet the birds, blossoms, pond plants, a spider and rabbit combined to create something equally rewarding—a quiet reminder that nature's greatest gifts are often found in ordinary moments.

Morning in June

Edge of spring

Sun shines bright

Yellow Throats sing

In the meadow

New green shows

Cooling breeze

Comes and goes

Beyond the marsh

An earthen trail

Rarely heard

A Sora Rail

 

D. DeGraaf

June 1

The early morning temperatures are in the upper 50’s under partly sunny skies and a refreshing easterly breeze as I find myself hiking on private property on the southeast bank of the Pine River, between Alma and St. Louis. Up ahead, I look up to see some Silver Maple leaves displaying pencil-lead thin growths called spindle galls. These protrusions are caused my microscopic mites (stock photo) These mites spend the winter under tree bark before emerging in the spring, to feed on new leaves causing them to form the protective gall. These galls are purely cosmetic. Well-established trees are not harmed by them. Along the bank, I spot a lovely stand of Dame’s Rocket blossoms. While this plant produces fragrant, showy pink and white flowers it is highly invasive displacing native flora. Since a single plant can release up to 20,000 seeds, it can rapidly spread. Following an earthen trail, I pause to scan the river's floodplain marsh where I first hear a Song Sparrow and then the distant sound of a solitary Green Frog. Up ahead, I notice the eggshell of a new hatched Mallard chick on the ground while out on the water I see a mother Mallard swimming with three of her chicks. Also, on the water I spot some yellow Waterlilies beginning to bloom. While the steep bank displays a patch of Ostrich Ferns, out on the water, I notice three Canada Geese confronting a Mallard Drake. High overhead, I notice two perching Common Grackles. Breeding male and female Grackles frequently perch together. During the spring courtship and pair-formation phase, established pairs separate from the initial flock to fly, sing, and forage together. Turning around and heading back to the car, my eyes are drawn to a flower cluster from as Horse Chestnut tree. While they’re popular landscape trees, they produce toxic, inedible nuts. Nearby, I observe the leaves and seeds of a highly invasive Norway Maple tree. Widely planted as ornamental trees, they aggressively spread into natural areas, outcompeting native trees like the Sugar Maple by producing dense shade and inhibiting native seed germination. They create a thick canopy that blocks out the sun for understory wildflowers and plants. Their leaves are also largely unpalatable to native insects. Back to the car, I pause and realize spring is pushing forward — blossoms opening, seeds appearing, ferns unfolding and young wildlife beginning their lives along the river. I have the feeling that this stretch of the Pine is not simply a place to walk through, but a living landscape constantly renewing itself with breezes, blooms and birdsongs.

Signs of spring abound

Mother Nature thrives

Frog sits and watches

Duck swims and dives

Nests fill with chicks

Trees fill with green

Warbler on a branch

Heard, seldom seen

Seasons are changing 

Summer comes soon

Farewell to May

Greetings to June

 

D. DeGraaf

May 25

The early morning temperatures are in the mid 60’s under sunny skies and a refreshing south breeze as I find myself standing in St Louis Michigan’s Penny Park watching parent Canada Geese tending to their goslings on the grassy shore of the Pine River Millpond. Hiking west along the riverbank, I spot a patch of Field Peppergrass and a nearby patch of Swamp Buttercup swaying in the breeze along with ever present call of a male Redwing Blackbird. Further along, I notice some Wild Iris ready to bloom and a single plant of the highly invasive Garlic Mustard. Unless removed, this plant will spread very quickly forming dense colonies and outcompeting native plants for sunlight and moisture. Up ahead, I come upon a perching Eastern Kingbird. In the summer they feed on insects caught in mid-air ("flycatching"). Exploring the mowed path, my eyes are drawn to the tiny yellow blossoms of Wood Sorrel and the tiny pink blossoms of Herb-Robert. Looking back at the riverbank, I see a dried up stalk of an Adam’s Needle Yucca plant. This cultivated plant (stock photo) most likely escaped from a residential lawn. Walking close to patches of cattails along the shore, I’m not surprised to see and hear several male Redwing Blackbirds defending their nesting grounds. Likewise, I’m not surprised to see a few female Redwings perching above their nests, often located in the cattails close to the water (stock photo). Standing here, I look out at this millpond to the place where the infamous Michigan Chemical company (Velsicol) once stood and where since 1998 massive efforts have been made to remove toxins from the surrounding land and water. While water quality has improved, it remains polluted and has negative effects on wildlife populations, like Redwing Blackbirds. Redwings that live here feed at several levels of the food web — insects, aquatic larvae, seeds and small snails — so contaminants can move upward and accumulate. Effects on reproduction include thinner eggshells, reduced hatching, fewer fledglings and lower chick survival. Contaminated habitats may lose reproductive success yet display plenty of birds like this place because they move in from other wetlands. Turning around and heading back to the car on this beautiful spring morning, it is impossible not to think about the harrowing history of this part of the Pine River. Hiking beside the moving water, hearing blackbirds calling in the wind while blossoms open all around me, I’m reminded again of nature’s persistence. Spring does not erase the past but quietly insists on renewal anyway.

Duck on the pond

Bird on the wing

Green on the ground

Season of spring

Flowers that bloom

Nettles that sting

Crows that caw

Season of spring

Sun to welcome

Rain to bring

Seeds to grow

Season of spring

 

D. DeGraaf

May 18

The early morning temperatures are in the low 40’s under mostly cloudy skies, as I begin my weekly nature hike on private land in Gratiot County, between Riverdale and Elm Hall.Right away, I spot several 1-inch Eastern Tent Caterpillars crawling over their silky nest in the crotch of a small Cherry tree. Soon they will begin feeding on the new leaves. Heavy feeding can defoliate trees, but healthy trees usually recover by mid-summer. These caterpillars are a food source for many birds, including Robins, Cardinals, Red-winged blackbirds and Baltimore orioles. Stink bugs and ground beetles also prey on theses larvae. In about 6 weeks mature caterpillars will leave the tree to pupate. After 2-3 weeks of pupation, moths (stock photo) emerge from the cocoons. They live only a few days to mate and lay eggs for the next year. After passing a Honeysuckle shrub beginning to blossom, I come upon a large patch of Mayapples as some plants are displaying tiny oval flower buds. While the name implies they will produce “apples” in May, it will be June before fruit appears. Looking around, I spot another Mayapple plant with orange stain on its leaves. Called Mayapple rust, this is a common fungal disease affecting this plant. While disfiguring its leaves , it rarely damages the plant significantly. High in the crotch of a tall Oak tree, I spot the head of a young curious Raccoon. Probably a kit or juvenile, it most likely was born earlier this year. When 20 weeks old it becomes independent but often stays with the mother until next spring. The glowing eyes are just light reflection from the camera, common with raccoons because of the reflective layer behind their retinas. Up ahead, I notice a patch of Downy Yellow Violets and a 3-leaf Trillium plant yet to flower. On the ground, I spot a single Morel mushroom with its unique honeycomb design. This highly prized, edible fungi is known for its earthy flavor, and rarity, typically foraged in North America and Europe this time of year. Nearing the car, my ears perk up to the loud distinct song call of a Wood Thrush (stock photo).  This medium-size songbird feeds on the forest floor consuming insects, snails and fruits. Wood Thrushes migrate to Michigan in spring, arriving from Central America between the third week of April and the third week of May to breed. The species is listed as a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” in Michigan, with populations declining due to forest fragmentation and brood parasitism by Cowbirds. Arriving at the car, I feel fortunate to witness another Michigan spring slowly coming alive.

Lifeblood of earth

Is what you bring

Your current calls

Your waters sing

Spring treasures

A garter snake

A school of fish

A Mallard drake

Vistas of beauty

Your banks bestow

Moving mirror

Pine River, flow

 

D. DeGraaf

May 11

The midday temperatures are in the upper 50’s under partly sunny skies and a stiff west wind, while I pause on the high bank of the Bad River as its water flows gently below me. Up ahead, I spot a 10-inch Northern Map turtle basking on a log before it quickly slides into the water. This reptile is named for the intricate, map-like yellow lines on its grayish-brown shell that resemble contour lines on a topographic map (stock photo). On the far shore I spot another one of these turtles, resting on the muddy bank. Since it does not move quickly into the water, I’m thinking it’s a female laying her eggs. A single nest typically contains 6 to 20 oval, flexible-shelled eggs. While It takes 50 to 70 days for the eggs to hatch, most hatchlings dig themselves out and head instinctively toward the water. However, those that hatch late in the season may overwinter inside the nest and wait until the following spring to emerge. Exploring the floodplain, I come upon the shell of a type of freshwater mussel called a Giant Floater. While most of the flesh was likely consumed by a raccoon, some is still being decomposed by small flies. These mollusks act as nature’s water purifiers by filtering up to 10 gallons of river water per day as they feed on plankton and organic debris. Further along, I first hear the piercing call of a Baltimore Oriole and then follow a Mourning Cloak butterfly as it lands on the ground extending its upper wing surface. As attractive as the butterfly is when its wings are open, when they’re closed, they look like a dead leaf (stock photo). The gray and brown patterning on the underwing also lets the butterfly easily camouflage itself against a lot of tree bark where it overwinters having glycerol-based antifreeze in its blood to survive freezing temperatures. The name “mourning cloak” is a  translation of the German word referring to the butterfly's dark, velvety wings that resemble a traditional cloak once worn by people in mourning. Turning around, I notice blossoms of Woodland Violets on the ground and those of Common Hawthorn overhead. Near the car, I spot a Shagbark Hickory tree with one of its branches displaying new green leaves above unfolding reddish leaf bud scales. At the car, I pause and realize that spring is not simply about beauty returning to the landscape. It is also about resilience. New blossoms still emerge. New leaves still unfold. Birds still return and sing from unseen perches high in the trees. Maybe that is why spring always feels quietly hopeful to me. The season does not promise perfection. Instead, it offers another chance to begin again.

Creature lives

Creature dies

On the earth

There it lies

Decaying carcass

Joins the ground

Decomposers

Are always found

Flies and maggots

Beetles crawl

Flesh eaters

Plenty for all

 

D. DeGraaf