May 31

It’s early morning as I make my way through a remote, woodland while being serenaded by the familiar song of a Robin. With partly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 60’s, I’m once again in the Edmore State Game Area proceeding west toward another encounter with the North Branch of the Pine River. Passing through muddy lowlands with pooling water, I spot a few Cinnamon ferns displaying their spore stalks as well as patches of Sensitive ferns and Skunk Cabbage, some with huge, 18-inch leaves. Beside the trail, I see my first Daisy Fleabane blossoms of the year as well as blossoms of Wild Columbine. Getting closer to the river channel, I come upon an unfamiliar ¾-inch moth resting on a leaf. The best I can tell, it’s a Powdered Big Wing moth. The name “powdered” refers to tiny scales on their wings that look and act like dust. These scales, which are actually tiny hairs, help create the intricate patterns you see on its wings. These patterns appear in dull colors such as brown and black. Most moths fly at night, so they don't need the bright colors of butterflies. The dull colors help a moth camouflage itself as it perches during the day. Because a moth is active at night, scales provide an insulating layer to help the moth stay warm. Overhead, a flock of noisy geese fly in formation with 2 stragglers trying to catch up. Reaching the river’s edge, I take in the lush surroundings of late spring. Exploring the flood plain, yellow blossoms of Buttercup and Butterweed catch my eye. Butterweed is toxic to both cattle and horses. Even deer avoid it. The plant contains an alkaloid called pyrrolizidine which causes liver damage. Cattle and horses who dine on this plant don’t just drop dead but decline in health and eventually die. Back to the river’s edge, I pause to watch the water flow gently past. Turning back toward the car, I come upon my first Ebony Jewel wing damselfly of the season as well as a colorful, 1-inch Pearl Crescent Butterfly. As the rays of a rising sun begin to penetrate the forest, I spot blossoms from a nearby Hawthorn tree as well as a Jack-in-the-pulpit. Nearing the car, I see a pile of sawdust on a fallen log, evidence of Carpenter ants at work.

 

Running fast, running slow

Carries leaves, broken twigs

Around a bend, on you flow

Water striders, Whirligigs

 

Swollen channel, banks erode

Cattail seeds, floating logs

Water treasure, precious load

Mallard ducks, leopard frogs

 

Summer rapids, winter ice

Earth’s resource, life giver

Too important to sacrifice

North branch, Pine River

 

D. DeGraaf

May 24

I welcome the early morning sun and temperatures in the upper 40’s as I make my way north through a section of the Edmore State Game Area toward the north branch of the Pine River, as I continue to explore the length of this watercourse. Along the way, I pause to scan a field dotted with hundreds of dewy irregular cobwebs as well as a few circular webs such as this one managed by a Spotted Orb Weaver. During the day, these spiders will either sit motionless in the web or move off. If prey becomes ensnared, a trap line will vibrate and the spider will investigate; if it is “meal worthy”, it will bite it to immobilize it and wrap it with silk to eat later. If not meal worthy, it will be ignored or ejected from the web. At night, the orb weaver is more active, working to repair damage to the web and sitting in the middle. For some species, once morning comes, the spider will tear down the web, eat most of the silk and rebuild a new one. Next, some cherry tree blossoms catch my eye including Pin cherry and Chokecherry. Following a muddy,  2-track into a wooded area, I notice a few cottony Aspen seeds on the ground as well as deer and raccoon tracks. Bird songs that catch my attention include a House Wren and Yellow Throat. Further ahead, I stop to look and listen to a perching Cat bird singing its mimicking songs. At my feet, I spot colorful blossoms of Wild Geranium and Ground Ivy. About a ½ mile from the car, I reach the river’s edge and pause to watch it flow gently southeasterly while listening to the piercing call of a Pileated Woodpecker. High above the riverbank, I spot a perching male Cowbird while nestled in the underbrush are a few blades of, never-before-seen, blood grass. Native to Japan, a green variety of this species is an extremely invasive weed and thus has been banned or quarantined in some southern US states. Fortunately, it is less aggressive in this climate. Turning around and heading back, I come upon a Scotch Pine displaying clusters of upright buds called candles. Clusters include a dominant candle surrounded by secondary ones. Left in place, the dominant candle becomes a long straight branch and the secondary ones grow into the side branches. Nearing the car, I pick up the song of a Chipping Sparrow coming from a leafed-out Maple.

 

Out of rain clouds you come

Droplets for the dirt

Liquid for the living

Let it be so, River-flow

Over landscapes you come

Draining and descending

Converging and connecting

Let it be so, River-flow

Past bushy banks you come

Moving and meandering

Eroding and extending

Let it be so, River-flow

 

D. DeGraaf 

May 17

The early morning wind is calm, sky is blue and the air is cold (upper 30’s) as I hike among rolling sand dunes on an isthmus separating Muskegon Lake to the east and Lake Michigan to the west (stock photo). After passing by a couple of deer, I can barely see a Wood duck drake wading in one of the marshy depressions. Continuing to explore the sandy ground, I come upon a few tiny white blossoms of Rock Cress and spikelets of Green Bulrush scattered among a sea of American Beach grass, some of which display seed heads. Nearby, another marshy depression displays a perching Green Heron. This bird forages mostly by standing still or stalking very slowly at the edge of shallow water, waiting for prey to approach. Sometimes uses "bait," dropping feather or small twig on surface of water to lure fish within striking distance. In the same area, two generations of Cattails are revealed including: young green sprouts as well as old fluffy seed heads. Approaching the western shore of Muskegon Lake, I pause to imagine a massive 200 ft sand dune that once stood here, called Pigeon Hill (stock photo). It was nesting ground for thousands of Passenger pigeons, thus earning its name. At the start of the 19th century, these pigeons were the most common bird in North America and possibly the entire world, with a population estimated at five billion. Due to rampant hunting, deforestation and disease, the bird was extinct by 1914. Walking along the beach, I notice sand ripples under the clear still lake water as well as a Ring-billed gull just offshore. Ahead, I stop to examine an old concrete block that represents a more recent part of this dune’s history. Between the 1930’s and 1960’s, Pigeon Hill was leveled as tons of sand were mined and shipped for making glass (stock photo). Down the beach, I spot a Tree Swallow perching on a white birch tree and a Spotted Sandpiper perching off-shore on a boulder. Turning around, I head back over the dunes where I observe a young Red Oak tree with its male flowers that look like drooping clusters of green peas. After watching the morning sun peak through a stand of pine trees, I notice some of the trees have apple-size growths, called Western Gall Rush. The growth is due to a fungal infection spread from pine tree to pine tree that may cause stunting and dieback of branches leading to death of the tree. Finally, I make it back to our week-end rental in time for a coffee break.

 

Out of the furnace you came

Earth’s depths

Molten melange

Over eons you came

Magma to mountains

Mountains to boulders

Wind and water

Weathered and worn

Rounded and rolled

Onto the dune you came

Wind-swept grains

Sand at my feet

 

D. DeGraaf

May 10

Having completed my exploration of the Pine River’s south branch a few weeks ago, I now begin my exploration of the north branch. This morning, I’m near the south boundary of Isabella County, standing on the Coe Rd bridge about a ¼ mile south of where the river begins its journey on private property as a confluence of the Cedar Drain and Thatcher Creek. Weather is partly cloudy with temperatures in the low 40’s and a stiff north wind as I walk along the bank and spot lots of blossoming Wild Mustard plants. This plant grows prolifically around here, a fact that irritates many cattle farmers who tend to think of it as a plague, since cows get very sick when consuming it. For humans on the other hand, the young leaves are edible and can be cooked down to a nutritious mess of greens. Flowers can be tossed into salads as a peppery spice. Seeds (stock photo) can be dried, ground and mixed with vinegar and salt for a homemade condiment. Historically, wild mustard was used medicinally. Crushed seed was mixed with water to make a paste that was spread on a cloth and placed on a person’s chest, sore joints or other areas of swelling. Mustard paste opens up blood vessels to draw out toxins and increase blood flow, reducing pain. Observing the unusually straight channel and berms along the banks, makes me think that this part of the river has been engineered by the property owners of the surrounding 200-acre, deer hunting preserve. Just ahead, I watch a gust of wind sway spiny Teasel seed pods and a foraging Solitary Sandpiper. Most sandpipers migrate in flocks and nest on the ground, but this one breaks both rules. In migration, as its name implies, it is usually encountered alone. At its breeding grounds in Canada, it will lay its eggs in old songbird nests high in trees rather than nesting on wet ground. Nearby, having heard a few Chipping Sparrow calls, I finally spot one of the sources. Also, having seen lots of deer tracks in the mud, I finally spot one of the sources.  Still heading southeast, I pause to listen to Mallards and Redwings. While crossing a footbridge to head back, I remember that from here, the river continues to flow southeasterly about 3 miles where it joins Pine River’s main branch near Gratiot County’s Lumberjack Park. Having heard and seen several Canada Geese, I’m not surprised as I approach the car to see their down feathers in the water and their scat on the path.

 

I stand on the shore

Look out once more

Awake from a dream

To a view downstream

For the verdant banks

I give nature thanks

For sound and sight

I find joy and delight

This riparian place

My senses embrace

Springtime show, river-flow

May 3

It’s partly sunny with temperatures in the low 50’s as begin my morning hike at the nature trail in Lumberjack Park, one of the best places in the county to see attractive ephemeral blossoms. These plants flower early to take advantage of the sunlight that penetrates the open canopy of the deciduous woodland. Almost immediately, I notice such a plant, with white flowers that look like a pair of pantaloons hanging upside down, called Dutchman Breeches. After crossing the boardwalk, I spot a patch of Oyster fungi on a decaying log and more ephemeral blossoms, Common Buttercup. Buttercup plants are poisonous and have an acrid taste, so even animals cannot eat them fresh. Humans that touch the flowers often get a skin allergic reaction. Halfway across the footbridge over Mud Creek, I pause to watch the water flow gently west and listen to the familiar call of a Black-capped Chickadee. On the far bank, I come upon a blossom of Wild Strawberry. Although not ephemeral, it’s a sure sign of spring. Moving through a corridor of tall pines, my attention is drawn to a large patch of Skunk Cabbage as well as small 1-inch, Chorus frog nearly hidden in the leaf litter. Along the way, I also pass by the scapula bone of a Whitetail deer and a few ephemeral Wood violets. Reaching the edge of the Pine River, I pause to observe a slow moving current while listening to a chorus of birds. Nearby, in the crotch of a small Cherry tree, I see a small nest of newly hatched, 1-inch Eastern Tent caterpillars. In another month, following pupation, they will turn into adult moths (stock photo). After pausing on a high bank at one of my favorite overlooks, I spot a pine tree leaking sap after being punctured by foraging woodpeckers. Continuing west past a patch of Mayapples yet to blossom, I crossover the Lumberjack Rd bridge and proceed along the south riverbank as sunlight reflects off the rippling current ahead and a Chipping Sparrow afar sings its song. Hiking south through the campground, I’m amazed by the variety of colorful ephemerals on display including: Spring Beauty, Trout Lily, Trillium and Blue Phlox. Veering over the water’s edge, I watch Mud Creek flow quietly into the river as a Northern Cardinal serenades. Nearing the end of the hike, my attention is drawn to the lovely blossoms of a Wild Rosebush growing near shore. 

 

Nature comes alive

May month to greet

Pulse of the season

Slowly starts to beat

Dormant earth awakes 

Rising rhythm of spring

Ephemerals open up

Returning songbirds sing

Swallows swoop the pond

Raindrops tap the leaves

Drumming of the Downy

Buzzing of the bees 

 

D. DeGraaf