June 22

The sky is sunny with temperatures in the mid 60’s as our canoe shoves off from Luneack County Park, west of Alma and heads upstream on the Pine River. With fellow naturalist and experienced canoeist, Dave Shepherd at the helm, we traverse the west end of the mill pond where I spot a Mallard hen and chick making their way through a large mat of floating weeds. Further ahead, an Eastern Kingbird, perching high along the south bank, catches our attention. Paddling southwest over smooth water, we pass an exposed sandbar occupied by Mallards and Killdeer. Just ahead, we spot our first of many Muskrats swimming across our path. Whiling tracking it toward a large stand of cattails, we hear the familiar calls of Redwing Blackbirds. Continuing upstream in still water, we marvel at the scenery around us, both real and reflected. Around the next bend, we notice a number of leafless ash trees, dead as they stand along the bank as well as a couple of Painted Turtles basking on a downed tree trunk. Slowing down and steering closer to the bank, I lean over to examine a floating pondweed soup including some with tiny white blossoms. Also, I notice some lily pads with flower buds. As the channel narrows and becomes more cluttered with branches, we finally reach an impasse, so we turn around and begin paddling downstream. Heading back, we enjoy the fragrance of multiflora rose blossoms along the bank. Further along, we quietly approach the bank where we see the rear end of a foraging whitetail deer. Once, we are noticed, it scampers off into the brush. Continuing downstream, we paddle through a dense patch of lily pads on our way back to the main channel. Back across the wide mill pond, we notice large floating mats of the highly invasive pond weed called Eurasian Milfoil. Upon reaching the shore, I spot several plum-size Chinese Mystery snails in the shallow water. This invasive mollusk found its way to North America in the late 1800’s as part the Asian food market. Once introduced, it spread to other waterbodies in bait bucket water and on plants attached to boat propellers. Its unique operculum or “trap door” feature covers the shell opening and allows it to avoid predation and survive out of water. Infesting lakes and rivers, it out competes native populations for food and space. After loading the canoe on the roof of Dave’s car, we bid farewell and head for home.

 

Ah! commencement of summer.

Morning sunbeams awaken the earthen bank,

where the stealth of a hungry heron

is barely seen among the cattail reeds.

Where the Mallard hen leads her line of chicks

along the verdant shore, past a floating log

topped by turtles basking to warm cold blood.

Snapshot of a remote river realm, 

where survival instincts display.

 

D. DeGraaf