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