December 12

A noticeable south wind and temperatures in the upper 20’s greet me on this partly sunny morning as I begin my hike at Forest Hill Nature Area, a few miles north of Alma.  After ascending Reflection Hill, first I notice a field of Wild Carrot plants with their seed heads swaying with the wind and then I turn eastward to look down on Grebe Pond. Nearby, I come upon a tree filled with ripe, 1-inch crabapples. So, I pick one to eat and enjoy its tart flavor. After passing by a few fluffy seed heads of Phragmites waving in the breeze, I come to the edge of Grebe Pond where I spot 2 juvenile Muskrats on the end of the dock eating corn, put there by a caring human. Following the trail west toward North Woods, I spot a pair of male House Finches perched high overhead. Native to the Southwest, these birds are now well established throughout the US. In 1940, New York pet shop owners, who had been selling the finches illegally, released them into the wild to avoid prosecution. Over the next 50 years they spread eastward across the continent, meeting their western kin on the Great Plains. During the winter, groups of these non-migratory birds can be seen on feeders, foraging on the ground or perching in tall trees. Making my way through North Woods, I’m surprised to see the large vernal pond is empty with only the base of nearby tree trunks marking where the water was when full. Up ahead, I come face-to-face with a dead Ash tree displaying the meandering channels where Ash Borer larvae girdled and killed the tree. While walking through White Birch row on my way to South Woods, I notice the leaf litter consists mostly of birch mixed with a few oak, maple and beech. Moving quickly through South Woods, I see a Witch Hazel tree displaying flower buds. This plant is exceptional by flowering in the dead of winter. Soon these buds will open to reveal a fragrant yellow flower (stock photo). Leaving South Woods, I pass by Sora Swale where a Muskrat lodge is easily seen. Turning east and making my way toward the car, I notice the recently-melted snow reveals a 1-inch-wide tunnel excavated by a tiny mouse-like Meadow Vole (stock photo). These tunnels provide voles protection from the wind and cold and keep them hidden from predators. Nearing the car, I pass a clump of pinkish Switchgrass and a clump of Indian Grass, swaying in the breeze. 

Outer edge of autumn

Now and then snow

Creatures hunker down

No tall grasses show

Warm sun moves south

Cold winds from the north

Sweep the icy pond

Reeds sway back and forth

Gone, flowers of May

Gone, birds of June

Nature takes a break

Winter’s coming soon

 

D. DeGraaf