Weekly Wanderings: August 8

Monday, August 8, 2022

August 8

It’s sunny with a refreshing breeze and temperatures in the mid 60’s as I begin my morning hike in the 15-acre, Stearns Preserve, located in Gratiot County’s village of Riverdale. My first stop is the bank of the Pine River where I spot blossoms of Purple Loosestrife and Joe-Pye-Weed. Glancing downstream, I watch morning sun beams reflect off the flowing water while nearby, a ½-inch Pearl Crescent Butterfly catches my eye. Exploring the floodplain, I notice patches of Carolina Cranesbill displaying many flower buds as well as stunning Cardinal Flower blossoms. Nearby, I pass by blossoms of Fringed Loosestrife and then pause to watch a ½-inch Grove Snail feeding on a Milkweed leaf. Proceeding onto the Meijer bike trail, I come upon a ½-inch Scorpion Fly and a 1-inch Wood Satyr Butterfly with torn wings, likely caused by a bird or bat attack. Moving back to the riverbank, I first spot a pair of perching Ebony Jewel Wing Damselflies and then pause to watch a swarm of tiny Whirligigs swimming offshore. On my way back to the bike trail, I come upon a batch of fresh, edible Oyster Mushrooms. These fungi have a subtle seafood flavor and a faint, earthy taste. Cooked oyster mushrooms bring a soft, meaty texture to soups, stir-frys, and salad recipes. Back on the bike trail, I proceed under some leaning Boxelder trees before noticing an American Elm tree with dying yellow and brown leaves, symptoms of Dutch Elm disease. In the early 1900’s, Dutch scientists discovered the fungal pathogen that eventually killed millions of Elm trees in western Europe. The first North American Dutch elm disease epidemic began when the pathogen was introduced in the 1920’s by furniture makers who used imported European elm logs to make veneer for cabinets and tables. The disease spread up and down the U.S. east coast and west across the continent, reaching the west coast in 1973. Over 40 million American Elm trees have been killed by this disease that currently is still very destructive. The fungus kills an Elm tree by destroying its vascular tissue. The Elm Bark Beetle (stock photo) spreads the disease by carrying spores from one tree to the next. Turning around toward the car, I observe a 2-inch Eastern Comma Butterfly. This species is one of two look-a-like butterflies named after punctuation marks. This one has what looks like a sideways comma on the underside of the hindwings (stock photo). The other, called the Question Mark Butterfly has what looks like a question mark turned on its side on the underside of the hindwings (stock photo)