April 26

It’s mostly cloudy with temperatures in the mid 30’s as I face a stiff northwest wind near the small village of Blanchard and gaze over a 13-acre mill pond, considered the source water for the south branch of the Pine River. Soon my presence is noticed by a noisy, mating pair of Canada Geese as they stake their claim to this site for nesting. Working my way along the east side of the pond, I spot white blossoms on a Serviceberry tree. According to legend, the tree was given that name in 19th century New England because it bloomed in April, when the spring thaw allowed roads to become passable and rural residents could once again attend religious services. The tree is also called “Juneberry” because June is when the fruit ripens (stock photo). Near shore, I see a few floating masses of green algae. Commonly called blanket weed, string algae or woolly algae this plant floats freely, occasionally attaching itself to rocks and other aquatic plants. The south branch begins as an outflow of water under a road, then rushes under an old building, first built 130 years ago by the DeWitt family as a lumber mill and later converted to a feed and flour mill. Mark and his son Homer DeWitt got their start here in Blanchard around 1884 by clearing timber and moving earth to build the mill pond, which was not complete until around 1890. Also, during that time they built the mill on the river to harness its power. In 1895, they opened Dewitt Lumber Co., just down the road, that still operates today (stock photo) as one of Michigan’s oldest surviving businesses. Moving a short distance downstream, I spot a cluster of colorful blossoms of Marsh Marigold. While parts of the plant are used medicinally, handling it can cause skin irritation while uncooked parts are toxic to humans due to irritant yellow oil called protoanemonin. Cattle and horses can also be poisoned by consuming it, although it is safe once dried in hay. Further downstream, I pass by a stand of large Cedar trunks including one with several woodpecker holes. Nearby, I notice some open mussel shells as well as the skull of a deer lying in leaf litter of oak and beech. Finally, I pause one last time to bid farewell to this scenic watercourse as it flows gently toward its confluence with the main branch, some 4 miles to the southeast.

 

Waning days of April

Searching for spring

Nature’s reluctant

Her treasures to bring

Looking for blossoms

Yellow or blue

Waiting for butterflies

In the meadow view

Hoping for warmth

From the vernal sun

Longing for green

Where there was none

 

D. DeGraaf

April 19

I’m a little southeast of the village of Blanchard off Ward Rd. preparing to hike about ¼ mile through dense woods to encounter another section of the south branch of the Pine River. The mid-day weather is mostly sunny with temperatures in the upper 50’s as I head north over undulating terrain to the edge of a small pond as a westerly breeze stirs up the young willow leaves. Continuing downgrade to a broad floodplain, I arrive at the meandering, 10-ft wide, south branch channel where a few minnows are visible in the clear, slow-flowing water. After pausing to take in the serenity of the landscape, I proceed to explore the surrounding flats where I come upon the skeletal remains of a Whitetail deer. Climbing up into a wooded area, I spot several emerging Trout Lily leaves among the leaf litter. The name "Trout Lily" refers to the similarity between the leaf markings and those of the brown or brook trout. Soon, lovely, but short-lived yellow blossoms will appear (stock photo). Trout lilies have a symbiotic relationship with ants known as myrmecochory. This means that they exchange a lipid-rich appendage on their seeds in return for an ant seed dispersal that spreads the colony and protects the seeds from predation. Trout Lilies are edible as well. The leaves have a very mild flavor and the flowers have a slight sweetness due to their nectar. These plants are an emetic (makes you throw up), therefore it is recommended not to eat mass quantities of these in one day. You can add them to a salad or eat them as a trail snack. You can also make a tea with the flowers and leaves. Also, scattered in the leaf litter are the tiny, showy flowers of Pennsylvania Sedge. One of the most common sedges in Michigan, they are also one of the earliest blooming woodland plants of spring. Proceeding back toward the car, I come across a pine tree trunk leaking sap as a result of an insect, called the Mass Pitch Borer. The adult is a wasp-like, clearwing moth (stock photo) whose larvae bore into the outer and inner bark of pine trees. Their feeding stimulates the tree to produce copious sap that forms large, drippy masses on the trunk. The larvae (stock photo) will also feed within the mass of pitch. Near the car, another attractive sign of spring catches my eye, pink wild apple blossoms.

 

Past fertilized farms

Water tainted, water knows

Past septic drains

River foes, river woes

Past flooded fields

Water lowered, water rose

Past muskrat kits

River pose, river shows

Past greening banks

Water speeds, water slows

Past hens and drakes

River goes, river flows

 

D. DeGraaf 

April 12

A mile upstream of my last encounter with the Pine River’s south branch, I’m standing on Isabella County’s Rolland Rd. bridge as its water flows east toward the rising sun. The morning weather is partly sunny with calm winds and temperatures in the mid 50’s as I look overhead where a perching male Red-winged blackbird announces his presence. The more colorful and vocal male blackbirds are the first to return from their wintering grounds to establish nesting territories before courting and breeding with drabber females (stock photo) who have yet to arrive. The mating system of Redwings is territorial polygyny, a type of polygyny in which the prolonged association between one male and several females occurs on the male’s territory. As is typical in territorial polygyny, males establish their territories first, and females settle on territories later. Next, canoeing partner, Dave Shepherd and I embark from the riverbank and paddle toward our goal of exploring, for the first time, the 3-acre Riverbank preserve, about a ¼ mile upstream. This property is the least accessible of the 22 owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.  Soon, I come upon a pile of Canada Goose feathers near shore-most likely the result of a nocturnal, predator-prey encounter that illustrates nature’s cycle of life and death.  Further upstream, I spot lots of evidence of recent beaver activity including a gnawed stump, a felled tree and a partially constructed dam. This time of year, beavers are also busy marking their territories with a musk-like substance called castoreum. Being meticulous scent markers, they create mounds at the water’s edge, composed of material dredged up from the pond(stock photo) which they mark frequently to stake claim and avoid conflict. Continuing to paddle west through this remote riparian landscape, we are entertained by a chorus of birds including robins, song sparrows and chipping sparrows. After barely making it past our first major tree obstruction, we are soon stopped by an even larger one. Disappointed that our goal is out of reach, we turn around and head downstream toward the car as the chorus of birds continue. Back at the car, Dave saves the day by activating his small drone and sending it flying west high over the river channel to capture a clear aerial photograph of the scenic Riverbank preserve.

 

No matter the season, no matter the week

It’s wonders of nature that I seek

Maybe the song of a goose in flight

Or Whitetail deer that’s in my sight

Maybe a fresh blanket of snow

Or marsh reeds starting to grow

Maybe colorful leaves in the fall

Or chorus frogs that call

Always plenty to see and hear

No matter the month, no matter the year

 

D. DeGraaf

 

April 5

The early morning weather is sunny with temperatures in the mid 40’s and a gentle breeze out of the south as I gaze east from the Briton Rd bridge at the gently flowing water of the south branch of the Pine River as a noisy Wood Duck flies overhead. Today, I begin my quest to explore this tributary of the main branch of the river. It begins as an outflow of the millpond in Isabella County’s village of Blanchard, meandering southeast for about 4 miles, passing under Roland Rd. and Briton Rd. before spilling into the main branch about ¼ mile east of here. Wandering through the muddy floodplain near the river’s edge, I notice several purplish sprouts of Skunk cabbage including one emerging from a bed of Carpet moss, while nearby I notice a mound of spongy Sphagnum moss. Just ahead, I come upon new blades of Reed Canary Grass erupting from the leaf litter. This plant is a cool-season perennial that typically invades wetlands and floodplains. It is a sod-forming grass that spreads through rhizomes and runners. Once it has invaded an area it can eliminate other vegetation because of its dense growth. It can even inhibit tree growth in floodplain woodlands like this. Moving to the river’s edge, I spot the vertebrae bone of a deer and the caterpillar-like Tag Alder catkins in the leaf litter as well as duck tracks along the muddy shore. Nearby, subtle signs of spring include a Honeysuckle shrub starting to leaf out and a Pussy willow tree starting to flower. Just before blooming, willow flowers are coated with soft hairs to insulate them from cold temperatures. These soft silver tufts that resemble tiny cats’ paws, give the plant its name. Turning back toward the car, I notice a pair of open Mussel shells on the bank. These bivalve mollusks are an important component of aquatic ecosystems like this one. They basically are like liver organs, removing chemicals and bacteria, like E- coli, keeping the water clean. Also, I spot several thistle rosettes. For most thistle plants, this rosette phase occurs during the first year of growth followed by the bolt stage during the second year when stems and flowers appear. Near the end of my hike, another sign of spring catches my attention, a chirping Robin.

 

My wait is over, riverflow

For winter to release its icy grip

So nature’s pageant can begin.

So herons can fish the shallows

Kingfishers can fish the deep

Muskrats can float tender reeds

Redwings can voice their alarms

Marigolds can color the muddy shore

Your mirrored surface can portray 

Budding maples and a vernal sun

Riverflow, welcoming spring

 

D. DeGraaf