September 26

Tuesday, I drove 11 miles west of Alma where I resumed my exploration of nature along the Meijer Heartland Trail. The midday weather was sunny with a temperature of 86 degrees and a gusty breeze from the southwest. Leaving the car parked alongside Douglas Rd., I began hiking east where I noticed the path was strewn with dried up leaves, lacking the usual fall pigments. Due to a sustained dry spell, many trees have prematurely gone dormant and were dropping their leaves to protect themselves. In addition, I noticed some Sugar Maple leaves were displaying muted colors. A lack of water affects the amount of carbohydrates, or sugar, a tree can produce, which in turn affects leaf pigment, especially anthocyanin which is responsible for vivid red color. However, just ahead, I noticed “staghorns” of the Sumac were as red as ever. Continuing east, I crossed New Hope Rd. and hiked through a dense grove of Black Walnut trees where a few husks were still hanging on branches or lying on the ground. Opening up one of the husks, I spotted an active nest of Walnut Husk Fly larvae. Soon, these larvae will bore out of the husk and burrow into the soil to pupate. They will overwinter as pupae and emerge as adult flies next summer. Still moving eastward, I paused to admire the wispy cirrus clouds in the sky above me and a tiny, 1cm, Candy-Striped Leafhopper sitting on a raspberry leaf. Just before turning around, I paused to observe some newly emerged Milkweed seeds as the wind buffeted the silky white floss. Reaching County Line Rd., I turned around and headed west where I paused to listen to the clucking call of an Eastern Chipmunk. This is a warning call to other chipmunks of an aerial threat such as a hawk or owl. Finally, I made it back to the car, turned on the air and headed home.

Autumn Inauguration

Mother Nature greets

New pigments emerge

Chlorophyll retreats

Seasonal celebration

Days are coming soon

Maples begin to rust

Some turn maroon

Tapestry of colors

Among forest fronds

Some orange and yellow

Some brunettes and blondes

D. DeGraaf

September 20

Wednesday, I continued where I left off last week, hiking the Meijer Heartland Trail between Edmore and Alma. The early morning weather was hazy with a temperature of 66 degrees and no wind. Leaving the car parked alongside Vestaburg Rd., east of Vestaburg, I walked around the edge of a cornfield to the trail and began hiking east where I noticed the asphalt surface allowed me to clearly distinguish between varieties of leaves that had fallen from nearby trees, including: Big-tooth Aspen, Basswood, Sassafras, Bur Oak and Chinquapin Oak. Continuing east, I walked through a tunnel of leaning Boxelder trees while listening to nature’s late summer sounds. Nearby, I spotted blossoms of Small-flower Aster and New York Aster as well as Bluestem Goldenrod. Also, I recognized the orange fruit of American Bittersweet vine. After about 1½ miles, as the sun made a brief appearance, I reached Douglas Rd. and turned around where I came upon some Clematis that was beginning to seed out. As these seeds multiply and the white floss turns gray, they’re called “Old Man’s Beard.” Continuing west, I gazed up at the tree canopy to see that is was still dense but showing some color changes. Suddenly, a familiar pecking sound drew my eyes to a Downy Woodpecker perched in a nearby cherry tree. Continuing west, I spotted an unfamiliar vine with globular clusters of blue berries. Later, I found out the plant is called Smooth Carrion-flower and the fruit is edible for both humans and wildlife. The name refers to the flower that precedes the fruit and smells like decaying flesh. Further ahead, the seed heads of Bottlebrush caught my eye as well as a noisy Red Squirrel perched in a nearby tree. Near the end of the hike, I came upon a few acorn caps on the path with their unique bur-like edges and remembered why the tree’s name from which they fell is Bur Oak. Finally, I made it to the car and headed home.

Welcomed your warmth

After the spring

You lit up the morning

So the robin could sing

You shaded the woods

With a dome of green

You flowered the field

So Monarchs were seen

I’ll miss your days

When wildlife were near

Farewell summer

See you next year

D. DeGraaf

September 11

Monday, I resumed my quest to hike the entire length of the Meijer Heartland Trail between Edmore and Alma. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 45 degrees and no wind. From the eastern most point reached last time which was the parking lot off 2nd street in Vestaburg, I left my car and continued east on the paved trail through a semi-residential area where I spotted some skeletonized remains of Wild Grape leaves consumed earlier by Japanese Beetles. Nearby, I noticed both a Spiny Oak Gall and a Banded Tussocks Moth Caterpillar on a White Oak leaf. After crossing Crystal Rd., I discovered a mixture of lush vines including Bittersweet Nightshade with its red fruit climbing up a patch of cattails. While these berries are toxic to humans, they are a good food source for birds, especially Cedar Waxwings. Further ahead, Wild Cucumber vines with their green spiny fruit and white blossoms caught my eye. Even though the fruit smells and tastes like cucumber, it is not edible. Also, I came upon a type of grape vine rarely seen called Fox Grape. Growing among the vines, I noticed Pokeweed with its colorful stems, blossoms and fruit. Unlike most plants, this one can have pink blossoms, immature green fruit and ripe black fruit all showing up at once. Similar to Nightshade, the fruit is toxic to human but edible to birds. Continuing east, I followed the sound of one of several chirping Eastern Chipmunks to its source as it perched in the underbrush. Just ahead, I came upon a bristly Milkweed Tussocks Moth Caterpillar devouring a Milkweed leaf. More early foliage color changes included leaves of Wild Raspberry and a patch of Poison Ivy. After hiking nearly a mile, I turned around and headed back where I spotted a Hoverfly resting on a Milkweed leaf and a few blossoms of Butter-and-Eggs. Finally, I returned to the car and headed home.

September days unfold

Way it’s always been

Mother Nature artist

Dips her brush again

On the forest canvas

Dabs of orange and red

Among leaves of maple

Some yellow is spread

In the open meadow

Prairie grasses seen

Late summer palette

Few strokes of green

D. DeGraaf

September 5

Tuesday, I returned to a favorite hiking venue, the 60-acre, Mission Creek Park in Mt. Pleasant. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 57 degrees and no wind. Leaving the parking lot, I hiked east on the Creek Trail where I spotted the bright red fruit of False Solomon Seals. These pea size berries are edible with a bittersweet flavor suggesting bitter molasses. Turning south, I entered the Overlook Trail where the trail took me through a dense forest whose canopy was dominated by leaves of mature Beech and Maple trees. Along the way, I noticed one of several Beech Drops which are chlorophyll-lacking parasitic plants that feed on the roots of the surrounding Beech trees. Also, I came upon fruiting White Baneberry. Also known as “doll’s eyes”, these berries are poisonous. Leaving the trail, I turned east and descended a steep bluff into a wet, muddy area covered with cattails and a few smaller trees including this Witch Hazel whose leaves were beginning to change colors as autumn approaches. Other examples of foliage color change nearby included: Sugar Maples, Sensitive ferns and Maidenhair ferns. Continuing to wander through these mudflats, I spotted a clump of Small flower Asters and circular blob of white  slime mold growing on a downed tree trunk. A few inch-long, immature cones of Canadian Hemlock also caught my eye. Turning north and trudging through a dense patch of cattails, I came upon some blossoms of Bottle Gentain. Since these blossoms never open, only a few insects are adapted to open the flower and tap into the copious amount of sugar-laden nectar that awaits them. Next, I came to the sledding hill, turned west and climbed the stairs. Finally, I returned to the car and headed home.

… sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook,
From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.
 By all these lovely tokens
 September days are here,
 With summer's best of weather,
 And autumn's best of cheer…

Helen Hunt Jackson