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