Weekly Wanderings: September 13

Monday, September 13, 2021

September 13

The mid-morning weather is nice as our dog Riley along with Caroline and our daughter, Allison join me for a hike in Mt. Pleasant’s Chip-A-Waters Park. After pausing to watch the morning sun illuminate the gently flowing Chippewa River, I notice the ripe fruit of Wild Grape, a fruitless Elderberry Bush and the wispy seed heads of Clematis. The riverbank of late summer shows off lots of yellow blossoms including: Coneflower, Goldenrod and Wild Mustard. Continuing west on a paved path, other late summer displays include: red hips of Multiflora Rose and sticky seed heads of Burdock. Pausing again at the river’s edge, I observe a large clump of Elodea sway with the current. Also called waterweed, this is one of the few aquatic plants that remains green all winter long providing excellent cover for aquatic insects and fish. It’s often used in home aquariums where its fast growth and high oxygen production contribute to a healthy freshwater habitat. Up ahead, I am not surprised that blossoms of Queen Anne’s lace have folded into their cup-like shape. However, looking groundward, I am surprised that a few tiny Wild Strawberries are growing this late in the season. Following the path northward, I come to the edge of a large pond that is a remnant of a large oxbow lake. This lake started out as a curve, or meander in the Chippewa River that formed as the river found a different, shorter, course (stock photo). Next, I stop on the bridge to Veit’s Woods to watch the river flow slowly and quietly under me. According to the USGS measuring station nearby, the water depth is only 3.3 ft. and the flow rate is only 180 cubic feet/second. On my way back to the car, I explore a sandy flood plain where tracks of Racoon and Blue Heron are sighted as well as 2 Cabbage White butterflies perching on Cocklebur leaves. Blossoms that catch my eye include: Purple Loosestrife, Smartweed and Morning Glory. Hopping and flying along the sandy beach are dozens of ½-inch Big Sand Tiger Beetles. These beetles are predators in both the adult and larval stages. Adults are active during the day hunting small arthropods. Larvae (stock photo) reside in a vertical tunnel with a small pit-like opening at its mouth. They are active during the day and night and ambush ants and other small arthropods that fall into their tunnel. While the Big Sand tiger beetle is a fierce predator, it is far from being at the top of the food chain. Robber flies, amphibians and birds all prey on them.