July 30

Last Thursday, I returned to Lumberjack Park near Riverdale to hike once again at their recently opened nature trail. The early morning weather was partly sunny with a temperature of 66 degrees and a gusty breeze from the west. Leaving the car parked at the west trailhead, I followed the White Pine Trail east a short distance, veered right onto the Riverview Trail and followed it along a high bank above the Pine River where I paused at a bench to observe the gently flowing water. Continuing east, I left the trail and walked down to the river’s edge where I spotted a few darting Water Striders on the water surface and blossoms of Cardinal Flower on the bank. Turning north, I followed the trail through a stand of Red and White Pine and then merged with the Mud Creek Trail as it ascended a small hill and turned east. Approaching Mud Creek, I spotted blossoms of Evening Primrose, Swamp Milkweed and Black-eyed Susan. Also, a curious Chipmunk caught my eye. On a nearby blossom of Queen Anne’s Lace, I was excited to observe a tiny female Goldenrod Crab Spider standing next to its recent kills, a bee and fly. This amazing little predator changes color to blend in with the bloom its on, waits for an insect to land before grabbing it with its strong front legs and injecting it with venom. Crossing the bridge over Mud Creek, I paused to listen to the “fee-bee” call of a Black-capped Chickadee. On the far bank, I noticed a patch of Fringed Loosestrife and Heal-All. Turning west and then south across the boardwalk, I spotted some blossoms of Water Hemlock. This Queen Anne’s Lace look-a-like is extremely toxic and even lethal if ingested. After hiking south and circling the Sugar Maple Trail, I then retraced my steps on the Mud Creek Trail and turned west on the White Pine Trail where I was puzzled by the sight of several dead and dying White Pine trees with their brown needles. Most of them were located north of the trail. Continuing west, I came upon blooming plants of White Forget-me-nots. Finally, I made it back to the car and headed home.

On the river bottom

With the leech and scud

Are you an alien creature

Or just a nymph in mud

Time to climb the reed

Into the warming sun

Amazing cycle of nature

Metamorphosis begun

Wings of cellophane

Amazing sight to see

Dragonfly of summer

Fly now and be free

D. DeGraaf

July 23

Last Wednesday, while vacationing on Beaver Island, Caroline & I, along with our good friends, Buzz & Linda Wynbeek hiked once again at the 230-acre, Miller’s Marsh Nature Preserve, operated by Central Michigan University. The late afternoon weather was sunny with a temperature of 68 degrees and a gentle breeze from the north. From the trailhead parking lot, I started hiking counter clockwise on a narrow earthen trail around the marsh and noticed that the water surface was nearly covered with a lush blanket of lily pads and duckweed. As the trail passed through a dense stand of American Beech and White Cedar, I spotted dozens of Northern Pearly-eye Butterflies including this perching one with its forewing and hindwing marked with dark eyespots. Nearby, I could barely see a Skipper Butterfly resting on some raccoon scat. Continuing around the marsh, I noticed a blossoming Marsh Thistle, considered a serious invasive species here on Beaver Island. Just ahead, I was surprised to see an American Beech tree with an unusually contorted trunk. Still further, the trail went along the edge of some small ponds where I observed the seed heads of Fringed Sedge and some kind of Rush. Also, a basking male Green Frog caught my eye. The circular feature below its eye is called the tympanic membrane. It functions much like our eardrum–transmitting sound waves to the inner ear, allowing the frog to hear both in the air and below water. In the case of Green Frogs, their gender can be determined by the size of the membrane: the male’s is larger than its eye, the female’s is equal to or smaller than its eye. As the trail continued to circle the marsh, it passed through a grove of White Birch where I spotted several patches of Royal Ferns including some with spore-producing, golden inflorescences. At the halfway point, I paused once again to scan the marsh surface while also viewing a Black-tailed Skimmer Dragonfly well camouflaged on the ground. Completing the trail around the marsh, I spotted lots of St John’s Wort blossoms mixed in with the Milkweed next to the parking area as well as a pair of Canada Geese. Finally, we got in the car and headed back to our beach rental.

In the depths of summer

Sensations at their peak

Taste of a wild carrot

Sound of a flowing creek

From the forest glade

Smell of a Yarrow leaf

Touch of a thistle thorn

Glimpse of a Monarch brief

Nature in her prime

Stimulations surround

From the sunny sky

To the verdant ground

D. DeGraaf

July 16

Last Thursday, while vacationing on Beaver Island, I did an early morning beach stroll from our rental house on the coast of Lake Michigan. The weather was cloudy with a temperature of 70 degrees and a gentle breeze off the lake. Before starting out, I stood facing the lake and noticed, as I did a year ago, that the water level remained high, flooded the old shoreline and drowned several young cedar trees. Heading south on the soft sand, I spotted a variety of small white crustacean shells scattered about including: snail, clam and the ubiquitous Zebra Mussel. Also, nearby I came upon part of the Synsacrum bone of a gull. Walking away from the water onto the fore dune, some colorful blossoms caught my eye including: Hoary Puccoon, Swamp Milkweed, Oxeye daisy and the aromatic Lake Huron Tansy, listed as a threatened Michigan species. Nearby, I saw a patch of Bearberry with some unripen fruit. Pausing to observe how the breeze moved through Cottonwood leaves, I was serenaded by a Song Sparrow. Continuing south along the beach, I came upon the fresh carcass of a Herring Gull, noting its size, plumage and lack of any sign of predation. Just ahead, I noticed blossoms of Common Dogbane and was surprised by their pleasant aroma. After observing a Monarch Butterfly fluttering up ahead, I was pleased that it landed on a Milkweed blossom long enough for me to zoom in and photograph it. After my hike, while reviewing my photos, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had inadvertently captured the partial image of a Monarch caterpillar on an adjacent plant. Still heading south, I spotted some foraging Canada Geese and a floating Ring-billed Gull. Near my feet, I watched the gentle waves wash over a bowling-ball size boulder of Granite Gneiss. Turning around and retracing my steps, I spotted a predaceous Robber Fly walking on the sand searching for food. Nearby, I noticed a Silverweed plant with its small yellow blossoms and burgundy runners. Finally, I made it back to the house just before rain started to fall.

Finally spotted you

Ended my search

Fluttering near

Paused to perch

Wings of orange

Border of black

Symbol of summer

Welcome back

On Milkweed flower

For a while stay

Magnificent Monarch

Beauty display

D. DeGraaf

July 9

Last Wednesday, I drove 17 miles north of Alma to hike in the 25-acre Williams- Blackburn Preserve, another property owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. The early morning weather was sunny, hazy with a temperature of 75 degrees and no wind. Leaving the car parked in the Bentgrass Ct. cul-de-sac, I headed south and then east on an easement next to fenced-in private land where lots of wildflowers were in bloom including: Oxeye Daisies, Field Yellow Clover and Black eyed Susan’s. Next, I turned south again and entered the wooded preserve where I looked east down a steep bank at the Chippewa River. After passing an old Red Pine plantation, I continued south down a steep bank onto a flat oxbow peninsula formed by the meandering river where a Robin greeted me from the dense canopy.On the ground, I noticed lots of wild Ginger and a few clumps of Gray’s Sedge. Reaching the river’s edge, I paused to observe the gentle current while listening to a duet sung by a Tufted Titmouse and Wood Pewee. Back on the trail, I continued to explore the peninsula where I spotted a tiny Single-dotted Wave Moth resting on a Cinnamon Fern leaf as well as a Crane fly perched on a blade of grass. Barely visible in the blanket of green vegetation that covered the ground was a striking dime-size mushroom called a Scarlet Elf Cup. Approaching the west side of the peninsula, I noticed a massive oak tree had fallen over the river channel. Working my way north, I climbed up the steep bank and followed the trail west where I spotted a Little Wood Satyr Butterfly perched on a leaf as well as an immature Nursery Web Spider resting on another leaf nearby. Continuing west, I came upon a spot of froth on a cattail leaf created by a Spittlebug. Turning around, I retraced my steps east and then north toward the trailhead where I spotted an Elephant Ear plant whose leaves were approximately 18 inches long. Nearby, I observed a significant accumulation of fresh sawdust at the base of an oak trunk created by a colony of Carpenter Ants. Finally, I returned to the car, turned on the AC and headed to Home Depot for some shopping.

Welcomed sight

Pleasant sound

Forging the earth

Carving the ground

Channel is full 

Current is swift

Burgeoning banks

Nature’s gift

Flowing water

Worthy of praise

Chippewa River

Admire her ways

D. DeGraaf

July 2

Last Friday, my wife, Caroline & I drove 23 miles south of Alma to hike in a section of the 10,000 acre Maple River State Game Area. The early morning weather was sunny, hazy with a temperature of 68 degrees and no wind. Parking in a small lot on the east side of US 127, we followed a wide grassy trail east where we immediately paused to smell the aromatic blossoms of an Elderberry bush. Continuing east on the trail covered with Mayweed, I spotted several Crab Apple trees whose leaves were infected by Cedar-Apple rust. Near my feet, I noticed a few blossoms of Black Nightshade. The white flowers are followed by edible berries that ripen to black, thus the name. Just ahead, more blossoms that caught my eye included: Swamp Milkweed, Hedge Bindweed and Moth Mullein. Still further, I came upon the carcass of a Muskrat. Upon closer inspection, I witnessed another one of nature’s cycles as hundreds of newly born maggots were feeding on the dead animal. Next, we turned south and followed a boardwalk to a duck hunting deck nestled in the cattails. Returning to the main tail, the fragrant scent of blossoming Milkweed plants caught our attention. We continued east where I spotted a Milkweed Beetle on a Milkweed leaf as well as hundreds of tiny Differential Grasshoppers hopping and basking in the sun, including instars in various stages. On the ground nearby, I noticed some blossoms of Birdsfoot Trefoil. After reaching a wide drainage ditch, we turned south where I saw some prickly flower stalks of Teasel as well as Canadian Thistle blossoms. On a nearby cattail leaf, I spotted an Orange Meadowhawk Dragonfly while overhead a Great Blue Heron flew past. After climbing to the top of the observation deck, we paused to scan the expansive cattail marsh to the west. Leaving the deck, we began retracing our steps to the north where I observed a Song Sparrow perched on a cattail seed head. Turning back to the west, I spotted some flower buds of Buttonbush and blossoms of Indian hemp. Continuing west toward the parking lot, we were glad to find some cooling shade as the temperature and humidity rose rapidly. Finally, we found the car, turned on the AC and headed for home.

Landscape of summer

Nature at her best

Monarch on Milkweed

Goldfinch on the nest

Mother goose in front

Goslings close behind

Queen Anne’s lace

In a meadow you’ll find

Above the placid pond

Swallows dip and glide

Between cattail reeds

Frogs and toads reside

D. DeGraaf