June 28

It’s early morning as I enter another privately-owned, conservation easement east of Alma. As with last week’s property, the owner also contracted with the state to maintain this land for wildlife habitat. As a volunteer, I’m hiking this 38-acre parcel to check on his level of compliance. With mostly sunny skies, temperatures in the mid 60’s and a stiff south wind, I head north on a perimeter, 2-track, where I spot my first Monarch of the season and then pause to enjoy a lovely Song Sparrow serenade. Leaving the trail, I turned east into a large grassland where I notice another resting Monarch as well as blossoms of Shepherd’s Purse and Yarrow. One of the pleasures of summer is to crush a few Yarrow leaves and take in their pleasant, spicy aroma. Most folks agree that it smells like a combination of rosemary, oregano and other cooking herbs. Also, deer tracks and a mixed patch of Mayweed with Canadian Thistle catch my eye. Approaching one of several small ponds within the easement, I watch a pair of Hooded Mergansers swimming and diving. These diving ducks have long, serrate bills, like pinking shears, for grabbing small, slippery fish, their primary food source. Also, they feed on crayfish, other crustaceans and aquatic insects. Hooded mergansers are common in the Great Lakes region. However, data on population size and status are tenuous due to their secretive nature. In addition, these ducks winter along the Mississippi Flyway as well as Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Along the muddy shore, I come upon some ¼ inch Rams-horn snail shells. These gastropods are primarily detritivores, grazing on decaying plants, dead organisms and algae. They also play a role in the aquatic food web by serving as prey for fish, turtles and birds, On the far shore of the pond, I notice a foraging Spotted Sandpiper. Nearby, yellow blossoms of Rocket Cress and Wild Mustard catch my eye as well as a 6-inch, vacant Painted Turtle shell. A shell like this one, left in average conditions will take about 50 years to fully decompose, about the same  time it takes for human bones to decompose. Making my way back toward the car, I come upon a stand of Swamp Willows displaying yellow flowers. Just ahead, I spot a ½ inch Chickweed Geometer moth basking in the morning sun. Near the car, tiny pink bellflowers of Spreading Dogbane catch my eye.

 

End of the month

Start of the day

Summer sounds

Sights along the way

Dawn’s early light

Sunrise mystique

Pausing at a pond

Green frogs speak

Edge of the meadow

Whitetails reside

Mother Nature

Stride for stride

 

D. DeGraaf

June 21

It’s early morning as I enter a privately-owned, 24-acre conservation easement just east of Alma. Years ago, the owner contracted with the state to maintain this land for wildlife habitat. As a volunteer, I monitor the property annually and report on the level of compliance. Under partly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50’s, I head east on a grassy, perimeter path while being serenaded by a Song sparrow and a House wren. On the ground along the way. I spot blossoms of Oxeye daisy and Plantain as well as a hole made by a burrowing Crayfish. Called a crayfish chimney, the animal (stock photo) tunnels down to ground water with its claws, piling mounds of dirt as it digs. These burrows create habitats not just for crayfish, but also for other organisms. For example, the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake as well as certain dragonfly larvae rely heavily on them for shelter and reproduction. Veering north off the path, I trudge through tall, wet grass where I’m greeted by a noisy, hovering, male Red-winged Blackbird who is warning me to stay away from an active nest. These birds will even “dive-bomb” intruders-man or beast. Also in flight, they have been known to drive away much larger birds who approach the nest. Moving into a wetland, I come across cattail flowers in various stages of development. The familiar brown cylinder shape are last years’ female flowers that have gone to seed. To the right, the top of a new stem displays a dark green area of tightly packed male flowers topped by a brown area where some are already releasing pollen. Below the constriction is a lighter green area of closely packed female flowers. Pausing by a pond, I listen to the piercing sound of Redwing blackbirds followed by the strumming sound of a Green Frog. Turning west, I make my way toward some dense stands of young Cottonwood trees where I spot a couple of old Goldenrod ball galls. At an earlier stage, the center of these galls contained tiny larvae of Goldenrod gall flies (stock photo) that were eaten by a Downy Woodpecker after pecking holes in the galls. Approaching the landowner’s gravel driveway, I spot a Killdeer running quickly south and a Spotted Sandpiper strutting slowly north. Hiking south on the long driveway toward the car, I notice a couple more Killdeer flying ahead. Near the end, a patch of Bird’s feet Trefoil and Yellow Sweet Clover catch my eye.

Creatures of earth

Bask in the sun

Those that crawl

Those that run

Those that soar 

Those that fly

Warms their air

Lights their sky

Season’s crescendo

Nature’s encore

Solstice of summer

Arrives once more

 

D. DeGraaf

June 14

For my final encounter with the north branch of the Pine River, I’m standing on the edge of Jefferson Rd., west of Lumberjack Rd., looking north as water flows gently underneath. The early morning weather is sunny and humid with temperatures in the upper 60’s as I look around, noticing blooming Viburnum and Meadow-rue. Reed Canary grass and Brome grass are also in bloom. Along the far bank, barely visible at the water’s edge, are blossoms of Bittersweet Nightshade. Descending the roadbed into a densely-wooded, pathless flood plain, I spot a Common Grackle and a Baltimore Oriole perched close to the top of a dead ash tree. Nearby, I hear a Catbird and Redwing calling from the thick underbrush. At the river’s edge, I spend a few minutes observing a spider web, containing a 1-inch, Long-jawed Orb Weaver spider. Upon a closer look, I can see the long, jaw-like projections. called chelicerae,between its long front legs. This spider subdues its prey by holding it with its legs and injecting poison/digestive juices through fangs located at the tips of the chelicerae. Looking at the web itself, I see it doesn’t have as many radii, or "spokes," as those of true orb weavers like the Garden spider (stock photo). Just ahead, I notice an inch-long Dusky Slug crawling slowly on a Skunk Cabbage leaf as the morning sun reflects off the river surface. Trudging back to the road to explore the ditches, I come upon Wood Anemone mixed with Club Moss as well as Wild Asparagus.  On the other side, I find Curly Dock, Wild Carrot and Milkweed. Also, a ¼ inch Green Bottle fly, basking in the sun, catches my attention. This fly is important in forensic science. Since it’s one of the first dipteran to feed on a human corpse, the developmental stage of its larva is used to estimate the time of death or the minimum portion of the post-mortem interval (PMI). Also, this fly is important in wound treatment when conventional treatments fail to heal. Called maggot therapy, larvae are placed on a wound where they feed on the necrotic (dead) tissue and bacteria. This activity restores healthy tissue not only by larvae eating the dead tissue but also secreting antimicrobial enzymes. Finally, I bid farewell to this watercourse as it flows peacefully southward toward the main branch of the Pine, about a ¼ mile downstream. 

 

Spring bids farewell

Fledglings learn to fly

Posing in the sun

Garter snakes lie

Along the lush banks

More and more green

On floating logs

Turtles can be seen

Trees shade the sun

Above the river deep

Nature hits her stride

Promises to keep

 

D, DeGraaf

June 7

The early afternoon weather is pleasantly sunny as my wife, Caroline along with our new puppy, Riley join me for a hike at the 160-acre, Camp Cutler where I seek another encounter with the north branch of the Pine River. Heading east through an open field, I watch breeze-blown leaves high in a tall Aspen tree while listening to a chorus of crickets. Scattered among the meadow grasses are patches of Red Sorrel, a few Oxeye daisies and green stems with white globs of froth that hide tiny insects called Spittle Bugs (stock photo). Arriving at the scenic riverbank, I pause on a footbridge to see the water flow gently south and listen to lovely bird songs. Moving into a broadleaf forest, I notice the canopy above is nearly covered as well as the bird-like sound of an Eastern Chipmunk. Turning north, I follow a trail where I spot a yellow blossom of Cinquefoil at my feet as well an oak apple wasp gall. This walnut-size, spongy sphere represents a part of one of nature’s fascinating life cycles. After mating in the fall, a ¼ inch sexual female wasp (stock photo) drops to the ground, burrows into the soil and injects her eggs into the roots of an oak tree. When the eggs hatch in spring, the larvae feed on the roots before entering the pupa stage (stock photo). After pupation, a wingless, adult female emerges from the soil, crawls up the tree trunk, finds a leaf, and injects a single egg into the midrib. The egg hatches and the larva feeds on the leaf causing a chemical reaction that results in the formation of the gall.  Fibers extend from the center to the walls of the gall to keep the larvae safe and secure (stock photo). In summer, the larva pupates, and finally, an adult wasp exits the gall by making a hole. Mating occurs and females burrow into the ground to lay eggs and begin the cycle again. Just ahead, I come upon tiny fiddle heads of bracken ferns and a 1-inch White Slant-line Moth resting on fern frons. Turning around, I once again crossover the river and stop to observe a Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly feeding on blossoms of Trailing Blackberry. Nearby, I notice a Wild Geranium blossom surrounded by Poison Ivy as well as a Blue Beech tree displaying hanging fruiting bodies. While retracing my steps back through the meadow, I spot a resting Fritillary butterfly. Finally, we get back to the car, drink some water and head for home.

 

Pine River 

Freely you flow

Around the bend

Miles to go

Waste not the water

Beautify the banks

For this watercourse

Gratitude and thanks

More than a stream

More than a creek

Preserve the Pine

River unique

 

D. DeGraaf