July 26

Tuesday, while Remi remained at home recovering from a broken leg, I drove 35 miles northwest of Alma to hike in the 100-acre Bundy Hill preserve, a new acquisition of the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. The early morning weather was mostly sunny with a temperature of 63 degrees and no wind. Leaving the car, I followed a two-track south through rolling terrain of hardwoods to a small meadow colored with patches of Knapweed, Trefoil and Alyssum. Wandering through the meadow, I spotted several large, bee-like insects pollenating the flowers. Upon closer look, I saw they were Cicada Killer Wasps. A female wasp will capture a much larger Cicada by paralyzing it with her stinger, dragging it into her sandy burrow and depositing eggs on it. After the eggs hatch into larvae, they feed on the Cicada carcass. Leaving the meadow, I followed the ridge trail as it began to ascend Bundy Hill. Along the way, reflection from the morning sun allowed me to clearly see a well-formed, 1-foot diameter spider web stretched between trees. On the ground nearby, I came upon a yellowish slime mold on a decayed stump. Because of its color and texture, it is also called dog vomit slime mold. Not only is this stuff harmless to people and pets, it is edible. Native people in parts of Mexico scramble it like eggs. Continuing to climb the ridge trail, I saw several large boulders, called glacial erratics including this one that is estimated to weigh 20 tons. Also, I found a few stalks of Indian Pipe poking up through the leaf litter. Finally, I reached the 1270 ft. summit and gazed at the hazy landscape far to the south. Assisted by gravity, I retraced the half-mile trail down the hill to the car and headed east to Mt. Pleasant to do some shopping.

Bouquet of Milkweed flowers

Inhaled in the summer hours

Or aroma of needles of pine

Scent that’s pleasing to find

Smell of a Bergamot bloom

Native prairie’s perfume

Or nectar of wild rose

Wafting to my nose

Fragrances of some worth

Only from Mother Earth

D. DeGraaf

July 19

Tuesday, reunited with Remi, I returned to Forest Hill Nature Area for our weekly wildlife walk. The early evening weather was sunny with a temperature of 82 degrees and a cooling breeze out of the west. We left the car and headed west down Energy Hill to Mallard Marsh where I spotted a Monarch butterfly fluttering among a large patch of aromatic, blossoming Milkweeds. Also, when probing the leaves of these plants for Monarch caterpillars, I noticed many were beginning to produce their seedpods. Since they are quite tender and tasty when small, I picked and ate one. While enjoying my snack, I glanced over to see the lovely blossoms of Blue Vervain. Continuing west, I caught a glimpse of a pair of young Cowbirds, both male and female, perched far out in Bobolink Meadow that was unusually choked with White Sweet Clover. Passing through the cooling shade of North Woods, I caught a fleeting glimpse of a rarely seen, Red Fox running south into the open. Exiting the woods, I circled Succession Field where I noticed several blossoms of Queen Anne’s Lace including this one being visited by the ubiquitous Japanese Beetle. Also, I noticed the field contained an unusually large number Goldenrod plants infected by galls including some with both a ball and a bunch gall on the same stem. Passing through South Woods, I spotted a pin cushion-like flower of Button Bush along the edge of Swanson Swamp and a colorful American Copper Butterfly resting on an oak tree trunk nearby. Exiting the woods, I moved quickly around Sora Swale, turned east and hiked past Frog Fen and Brady Cemetery into Native Grassland where the prairie flowers were in full bloom including the fragrant Bergamot and Mountain Mint. After pausing at Grebe Pond, I continued north where I spotted three more Lepidopterans: a fast moving Swallowtail butterfly, a perching Monarch-mimic Viceroy butterfly and a resting White Wave moth. Finally, we passed the barn, found the car and headed for home.

Fluttering and flying

O’er field and meadow

Monarchs of orange

Swallowtails of yellow

Seeking sweet nectar

Invited by flowers

Banking on the breeze

In the sunshine hours

Spreading your wings

Displaying your color

Butterflies of summer

You’re like no other

D. DeGraaf

July 11

Monday, while still vacationing on Beaver Island without Remi, I hiked in the 285-acre Barney’s Lake Nature Preserve, located on the northeast side of the island. The early morning weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 64 degrees and a light breeze. Exiting the car, I began hiking on a little-used, muddy trail along the north shore of Barney’s Lake where I heard the distant wail of a Common Loon. Soon after, I spotted the aquatic bird (not a true duck) floating far off in the lake. I continued west along the lush shoreline where I spotted blossoms of Canadian Thistle, St. Johns wort and Swamp Candle flower. Just ahead, I noticed a mother Mallard and her chicks swimming out from the shore. Also, beyond the reeds, the loon I saw earlier was swimming with her two chicks. Hugging the trail were Juniper shrubs displaying bluish seed cones and a perching, inch-long, Short-horned grasshopper while on a white cedar branch was a resting, Beaverpond Baskettail Dragonfly. Down on the water’s edge, I stooped to see a small, Two-ridge Rams-horn snail shell. Suddenly, from the opposite shore, I heard the piercing yodel of the father Loon calling his mate as she swam toward him with her chicks. Next. I left the shore and climbed a steep bank into a wooded area where I saw thick foliose lichens growing on some dead cedar branches. Turning east toward my starting point, I came upon a patch of Large Hop Clover. Approaching the car, I paused to observe a Wood Nymph Butterfly perched in an apple tree. Finally, I found the car and headed back to our rental at Lookout Point.

Wisdom from nature’s tales

Hiking one of the island trails

Far beyond, bird so small

To my ears, a haunting call

Swimming among cattail reeds

Chicks follow, mother leads

Middle of a distant cove

Seeking fish, the father dove

Placid lake, among the dunes

Observing a family of loons

D. DeGraaf

July 5

Tuesday, Remi remained in Alma while I vacationed on Beaver Island and hiked in the Gull Harbor Natural Area, a 25-acre preserve on the northeast end of the island. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 64 degrees and a steady lake breeze from the southwest. Leaving the car, I immediately spotted a Herring Gull perched on a rock 30 yards off shore in Lake Michigan. I then headed north on a path through a wooded corridor of mostly White Cedar, White Spruce and Tamarack. On the ground, I noticed patches of Northern Bedstraw and Indian Paint brush. As the trail curved east, I paused to observe an area now flooded by Lake Michigan water that has risen dramatically in the past year. Exploring the shoreline, I came across a snake shed. Based on its size and habitat location, it most likely came from a Northern Water Snake. Further ahead, I spotted a few flowery stalks of Bugloss and yellow blossoms of Ragwort. While turning around and retracing my steps, I noticed several blossoms of Bladder Campion with their bulbous calyx. A layer of air inside the calyx insulates the flower’s more delicate inner parts from heat. The flower’s petals can lose their water content during the day and wilt, but in the evening they return to normal and start to secrete a pleasant, clove-like fragrance that attracts moths and night butterflies. Finally, I got back to the car and headed to our rental house nearby.

Gulls in my view

Sand in my track

Lake Michigan

Welcomes me back

Milkweed blossoms

Monarch Butterfly

Water snake

Slithers by

Yellow Primrose

Purple Beach Pea

Nature’s wonders

My eyes to see

D. DeGraaf