August 29

Tuesday, in memory of Remi, I continued my quest to hike the entire length of the Heartland Trail between Edmore and Alma, one section at a time. The early morning weather was very foggy with a temperature of 57 degrees and a gentle west wind. Parking the car along Derry Rd., west of Vestaburg, I began hiking east through a shroud of fog where the heavy dew exposed many webs of funnel weaver spiders. Further ahead, I noticed webs of orb and mesh weavers. Continuing east, I spotted some green foliage that was changing colors with the season, including: bracken fern fronds, elm leaves and cherry leaves. Examining the vegetation more closely, I saw some Sassafras leaves that had been eaten by Japanese Beetles and White Oak leaves covered with Jumping Oak galls. Just ahead, I came upon some berries of Virginia creeper. Easily confused with edible Wild Grapes, these berries are highly toxic to humans and maybe fatal if eaten. Further east, as the trail moved out of woods into a meadow type landscape, I spotted a large patch of Common Mullein. Nearby, I spotted a green blob on a yellowing Milkweed leaf that turned out to be a tiny Gray Tree Frog. Also, a Field Grasshopper, hidden in the grass, caught my eye. After walking for about a mile, I came to a parking area off 2nd Ave. in the village of Vestaburg and turned around where I recognized the thick, waxy leaves of Black Oak. Continuing west, I glanced high up in a tall White Pine tree to see the orange fruit of American Bittersweet. This deciduous twining woody vine is best known for its showy, scarlet, berry-like seeds that will soon burst out of the orange casings and brighten up fall and winter landscapes. The fruit is poisonous if ingested, but considered to be quite tasty by many birds. Finally, I got back to the car and headed home.

Foliage floods my senses

Summer starts to wane

Other colors appear

Nature’s green domain

Virginia creeper climbs

Boldly showing red

Yellowing of the ferns

Slowly starts to spread

Orange invades sumac

Maple trees as well

Seasonal cycle turning

August bids farewell

D. DeGraaf

August 22

Tuesday, Remi, weakened by cancer, stayed home while I hiked another section of the Heartland Trail between Edmore and Alma. The midday weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 73 degrees and a stiff westerly wind. Parking alongside Derry Rd., west of Vestaburg, I hiked west on the asphalt path where I immediately noticed a Whitetail deer far ahead and a Northern Green Striped Grasshopper near my feet. Continuing west into a cooling breeze, the blossoming Flat -Topped Asters lining the trail attracted a Bubble Bee and a Potter Wasp. Looking to the south, I spotted a healthy patch of Joe-Pye Weed and the tall, invasive reed, Phragmites. Further ahead, I paused to look at a Goldenrod Soldier Beetle on Canadian Goldenrod blossoms and a Red Meadowhawk Dragonfly on a branch. Nearby, colorful blossoms of Jewelweed and Blue Lobelia caught my eye. Next, I stopped on a footbridge to observe a small stream gently flowing to the southeast though the Vestaburg State Game Area. Still hiking west, I came to a water-filled ditch covered with a mixture of invasive Purple Loosestrife and native Cattails. This observation illustrated the problem with Purple Loosestrife as it will continue to multiply and push out the cattails. After a mile or so, I turned around and headed east where I paused to look at a Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly resting on a blade of grass and a beautiful Indigo Bunting perched on a branch nearby. Continuing east, I picked and ate the ripe fruit of a May apple that somehow the deer hadn’t eaten. Also, I picked and ate a few ripe berries of Autumn Olive that somehow the birds hadn’t eaten. Just ahead, I spotted a Wild Yam vine growing up a Tag Alder tree. Near the end of my hike, I caught a glimpse of some Maple foliage that had changed color and reminded me of the season to come. Finally, as the sun broke through, I returned to the car and headed home.

Pair of fawns

Mother deer

Rhythm of life

Beating clear

Meadow thistle

Showing seed

Finches of gold

Ready to feed

Cycle of nature

Continues to flow

Days of summer

Come and go

D. DeGraaf

August 16

Wednesday, Remi stayed home while I drove 6 miles northwest of Alma to hike again at the 90-acre Forest Hill Nature Area. The early morning weather was partly cloudy with a temperature of 61 degrees and a slight easterly breeze. From the parking lot, I proceeded west down Energy Hill along the edge of Mallard Marsh where I noticed a patch of Canadian Thistle had gone to seed. Passing through Bobolink Meadow, I spotted some Common Teasel and ripened fruit of Autumn Olive. Near the entrance to North Woods, I stopped to observe the tiny flowers of Virginia Knotweed. Entering the woods, I continued west where I saw a small Wood Frog on the earthen trail and gazed skyward through a hole in the forest canopy created by a dead and leafless Ash tree. Exiting the woods, I circled west around Succession Field where the bright red fruit of Prickly Ash caught my eye. I entered South Woods and was amazed but not surprised to see that the huge, 200-year old White Oak had finally fallen down. Continuing through the woods, I paused at Swanson Swamp to observe the blossoms of the extremely poisonous, Water Hemlock. Leaving the woods, I moved south past Sora Swale where I could barely see a Small Meadow Katydid hidden in the grass. Turning to the east, I approached Brady Cemetery where I first paused to observe a ½ inch Carrot seed moth caterpillar inside the folded up flower of Queen Anne’s lace and then paused again to sample a few ripened wild grapes. Turning north at the cemetery, I passed through Native Grassland where many prairie wild flowers continued to blossom including: Yellow & Purple Coneflower, Bergamot, Mountain Mint and False Sunflower. After looking at Grebe Pond, I continued north where I spotted a perching Song Sparrow fledging. Proceeding toward the barn, I enjoyed the sound of the Orthopteran chorus. Finally, I returned to the car and headed home.

In the midst of August

Living things abound

Fledglings from the trees

Blossoms from the ground

Nature fills the senses

Pungent smell of decay

Taste of ripening fruit

Sound of a noisy jay

Grasses of the prairie

Grow dense and tall

A few crimson leaves

A harbinger of fall

D. DeGraaf

August 8

Tuesday, back from vacation, Remi and I resumed our nature hiking along the Meijer Heartland Trail between Edmore and Alma. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 59 degrees and a gentle west wind. Leaving the car parked alongside Academy Rd. in the Village of Cedar Lake, we headed east where I immediately noticed an unusually large number of invasive Purple Loosestrife. Also, I paused to observe a Bubble Bee feeding on some of the flowers. Nearby, another Bubble Bee was feeding on a flower of the invasive, Spotted Knapweed. Continuing eastward, I spotted the fresh carcass of a tiny mouse-like mammal called a shrew, lying on the asphalt path. Further ahead, I couldn’t help but notice several flowers of Wild Carrot or Queen Anne’s lace. Each flower is composed of several tiny white blossoms arranged on a circular umbel. Also, I noticed some umbels were producing spiny fruiting bodies and folding into cup-like forms. Later, these “sticky” fruiting bodies that contain seeds will adhere to animal fur and be dispersed. Still walking east, some early signs of autumn caught my eye including: Virginia creeper leaves changing colors and Flat-topped Asters starting to bloom. Watching a Japanese beetle resting on a recent Canadian Goldenrod bloom also reminded me of seasonal changes. Moving along, I began to spot the yellow flowers of Jerusalem artichoke and marveled that some of the stems were 8 feet tall. Gazing far to the east, I caught a glimpse of a Whitetail buck walking slowly across the trail. After about a half mile, I turned around and headed back where I spotted a few more blossoms including: Northern Bedstraw, and Wild Clematis, also called the Devil’s darning needles. Also, I observed the abandoned nest of Webworms. The caterpillars that were born there have crawled into crevasses on the ground where they will overwinter as pupa and emerge as moths next spring and summer. Finally, we returned to the car and headed home.

August days unfold

Meadow trail, I trod

White & yellow blossoms

Aster and goldenrod

Atop a milkweed flower

Monarch butterfly

Gentle north breeze

Party cloudy sky

High in the heavens

Turkey vultures glide

Wildlife of summer

Nature hits her stride

D. DeGraaf

August 1

Tuesday, still on Beaver Island, I hiked in the 20-acre, Conn’s Cove Nature Preserve, property of the Little Traverse Conservancy adjoining the northeast shore of the island. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 66 degrees and a gentle southerly breeze off Lake Michigan. Leaving the car parked at the end of a sandy cul de sac, I walked northeast along a scenic beach toward the rising sun where I spotted yellow blossoms of Evening Primrose and Bushy Cinquefoil. Just ahead, near the edge of one of several temporary ponds created by high lake levels, I spotted the tiny lavender blossoms of a Calamint plant and crushed a leaf to enjoy the “minty” aroma. Nearby, I noticed a patch of bulrushes in full bloom. Continuing along the lakeshore, suddenly the beach surface changed from soft sand to mounds of crunchy Zebra mussel shells. This massive accumulation of shells is a reminder of the devastating effect these invasive mollusks have had on the Great Lakes ecosystem. Since their arrival 30 years ago, they have crowded out native clam species and have disrupted the base of the aquatic food chain-voraciously consuming the tiniest plants and animals upon which aquatic insects and small fish feed. In addition, they have cost industries and communities billions of dollars by clogging water intake pipes. Among these shells, I spotted a brown morph of a Northern Leopard Frog and a Giant Floater Mussel shell. Next, I turned inland and followed a trail through a dense coniferous forest of cedar, pine and spruce where I noticed a lush patch of Cinnamon Ferns. Along the way, I spotted a Grass Wave Moth resting on a fern and a curious Whitetail Deer with its velvet antlers. Finally, I made it to the car and headed back to the cottage.

What’s it about

This island place

Displays of nature

I gladly embrace

A mother eagle

Leaps from a perch

Food for her eaglets

She must search

Scanning waves

Along the coast

Maybe a duckling

Whitefish at most

D. DeGraaf