April 24

It’s midday as I begin my hike at nearby Forest Hill Nature Area. Thirty years ago, I was fortunate to lead a team of educators in converting this property from a farm into an outdoor learning center.  Under overcast skies and temperatures in the upper 40’s, I follow a trail northwest from Brady Cemetery where my ears perk up to a chorus of Eastern Chorus Frogs. Because of their small size and color, these amphibians are very hard to spot in the vegetation (stock photo). Their breeding call resembles the sound made by running a fingernail along the teeth of a comb. Some confuse them with Spring Peepers, but unlike the peepers, which are most often heard at night, chorus frogs call night and day. Continuing eastward, I spot a few perching Song Sparrows as well as a perching male and female Redwing Blackbird. While pausing at Sora Swale, I listen to the familiar calls of Canada Geese. Passing through South Woods, I glance high above to spot a perching Pileated Woodpecker and then hear the call of a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Heading toward North Woods, I first hear a Northern Cardinal and then I stop to listen to a Gray Catbird singing multiple tunes. Like Mockingbirds, Catbirds copy sounds of other species and join them together in order to make their own song. Their vocal range is vast, and one can often hear the males using their loud songs to maintain a hold over their territories, a long song that can sometimes last for up to 10 minutes. Nearby, I notice a fresh, 8-inch, Pheasant back mushroom. Also known as Dryad’s saddle, this fungus is extremely common, fairly easy to identify and gives off a sweet, almost fruit-like scent. These mushrooms are edible and a large one like this can be, cutup, breaded and fried. Entering North Woods, I come upon a patch of Mayapples and then spot blossoms of an ephemeral wildflower called Purple Cress. As their name suggests, this wildflower blooms for a short time each spring. As understory forest dwellers, they only have a short window of suitable conditions for aboveground growth between frozen ground in winter and full shade of the summer canopy. Leaving North Woods, I hear and see a noisy Sandhill Crane circling high overhead. Most likely, this large colorful bird has migrated from its winter grounds in Florida and is looking for breeding grounds around here or will continue searching up north into Canada. Up ahead, I pass Willow Wallow where I spot a male Black Willow shrub displaying its catkin flowers. This species is dioecious with female flowers (stock photo) found on separate shrubs. After looking down at Grebe Pond from the top of Reflection Hill, I make my way down toward the car where I notice a pair of perching Common Grackles. 

 

Loved ways of the wild

Since I was a little child

Loved to wander and roam

In a woods near my home

Loved to explore a creek

Fished it every week

Loved every field and farm

I felt safe from harm

Loved each tree and creature

Nature, my only teacher

 

D. DeGraaf

April 17

The morning temperatures are in the upper 50’s with a gentle north wind while the sun shines through a hazy sky as I begin hiking on a nature trail in Lumberjack Park. Heading north over the boardwalk, I spot a few Skunk Cabbage sprouts, a sure sign of spring. Crossing the bridge over Mud Creek, I pause to watch its water flow gently west toward a confluence with the Pine River. Off in the distance, a small group of foraging Wild Turkey catch my eye. Continuing through a pine forest, I come upon a tree trunk with a woodpecker hole occupied by the web of a Funnel Weaver spider (stock photo). Arriving at the edge of the Pine River, I watch its water flow by while being serenaded by a Northern Cardinal. After passing the Keeler overlook, my ears perk up to a duet of a Black-capped Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse. While crossing the Lumberjack Rd. bridge, I spot a highly decomposed deer carcass. Looking more closely, I spot a ½ -inch American Carrion Beetle that gets its name from the prominent role that flesh of dead animals plays in its existence. These beetles and other decomposers are important because they get rid of dead matter by consuming it. They can fly to carrion up to 1.5 miles away by using olfactory organs located on their antennae. They usually arrive during the early to middle stages of carcass decomposition and lay eggs on or near the carcass. Their young then feed on the fly larvae that are present on the carcass. Carrion beetles also have chemical defenses. They secrete a strong, smelly odor that irritates other bugs and small animals. They can even spray the odor at predators to keep them away. Also, I notice several ¼-inch green Ham Beetles on the carcass. Possibly native to northern Africa, having been found in Egyptian mummies, they are now found throughout the world. Ham beetles also feed on animal products in processes such as taxidermy, where they may be a nuisance as they feed within antlers or other residual meat materials. Their life cycle can be completed in as little as 30 days – 17 days as a larva and 13 days in pupation. Adults are rather long-lived, surviving up to one year or longer, and several generations can be produced each year. Turning east to hike along the riverbank, I notice, up ahead, how the morning sunlight reflects off the rippling water. Heading back to the car past the campground, I pause one final time to hear the song of a White-breasted Nuthatch. 

 

High in azure blue 

Or low without snow

Honk of a Canada goose

Caw of a Common Crow

Noisy Jay of blue

Chipping Cardinal of red

White breast of a Chickadee

Black cap on its head

Some perch in stillness

Other ones in flight

Nature’s winged wonders

April’s morning light

 

D. DeGraaf

April 10

Back in Michigan, I begin my morning hike in Alma’s Conservation Park where the sky is sunny, the air is a chilly, 32 degrees along with a gusty north wind. After passing a singing Song Sparrow, I proceed west along a green-less bank of the Pine River. Up ahead, I spot a male and female Wood Duck perched high on a tree branch. These ducks are unique among most waterfowl in that they need bodies of water that are near woodlands so they can nest in tree cavities. The male is one of the most stunningly attractive of all waterfowl with plumage of iridescent chestnut and green as well as ornate patterns on nearly every feather (stock photo). Unlike most waterfowl, this mating pair is at home high in the trees. Their webbed feet are tipped with sharp claws that allow for easy perching, and their broad wings and tail allow them to easily navigate as they fly through dense woods. The Wood Duck is the only North American duck that regularly produces two broods in one year. Suddenly, they fly off as the female makes its familiar high-pitched squealing call. Proceeding south away from the river, I approach the Girl Scout Cabin where my ears perk up to the sound of a Robin and my eyes are drawn to a Northern Flicker foraging on the lawn. On the rain-saturated ground nearby, I see a few puddles covered with ice which reminds me this is springtime in Michigan, not southern California. Working my way along the south boundary of the park, I hear one variation of a Cardinal song, followed by another. Turning east, I follow an earthen trail through a dense, coniferous woodland where I pause to listen to a drumming Downy Woodpecker, followed by a faint response from another one in the distance. Many birds sing to advertise their presence and attract a mate. Woodpeckers drum, rapidly pecking their bills against resonant objects to announce their availability to prospective mates. In the forest they seek out dead trees and hollow logs to produce this percussive hammering sound. A sound quite different than the irregular pecking made when they are feeding. Next, I proceed toward the Eyer Learning Circle where I have a stare-down with a Whitetail deer. After checking out the kiosk displays at the circle, I wander over to the bird feeders in time to see several Dark-eyed Juncos, foraging on the ground. Like many other birds, Juncos migrate “South” for the winter months; however, lower Michigan is their “South.” Soon, they will begin a northerly migration to their summer breeding grounds in Canada. 

 

Perching squirrels

Chitter, Chatter

Chipmunks run

Pitter, patter

Wood duck pair

Fly and squeak

Rushing river

Babbling creek

Frogs and toads

Start to sing

Nature’s choir

Hymns of spring

 

D. DeGraaf

April 3

Under sunny skies, temperatures in the low 60’s and a slight sea breeze, Caroline and I are hiking along Rat Beach, a short, sandy stretch of shoreline in Torrance, CA. Up ahead, I spot two common shorebirds foraging in the surf zone-a fast-moving Willet with its straight beak and a slow-moving Dowitcher with its curved beak. Nearby, I come upon a pile of Kelp weed lying on the beach. Upon closer look, I notice one of many swarming, 1/4 -inch Kelp flies. The larvae of these flies play a major role in decomposing kelp. Also, both larvae and adult flies are preyed on by beetles and shore birds, serving as an important resource in the sandy beach food web. Looking toward the water, a never-before-seen Heerman’s Gull catches my eye. Named after Adolphus Lewis Heermann, the 19th century explorer and naturalist, this medium-sized gull is unlike any other North American gull in both appearance and migration pattern. It has an unusual "backwards" migration as it breeds mostly south of the United States and then moves north for the nonbreeding season. Every summer, flocks of these shore-birds move north along the Pacific coast from their nesting grounds in western Mexico. This movement is timed with the northward flight of Brown Pelicans; when a pelican comes to the surface after plunging into the water for fish, a Heermann's Gull is often waiting to try to snatch the fish from the pelican's pouch. At my feet, I observe a 3-inch abdomen/tail section of a Spiny Lobster, most likely from a juvenile since a full-grown adult can reach 18 inches in length. This crustacean goes through several larval stages (stock photo) as it grows. It grows by molting the exoskeleton; the soft body hardens into new exoskeleton about a day after leaving the old one. Further ahead, I see the 5-inch carcass of a Sea Cucumber. When alive, the skin of these creatures can change to different colors, due to a rich supply of pigments. After death, these pigments break down, leaving the skin colorless. Nearby, I spot a juvenile California Gull perched on a pile of seaweed. Arriving at a rocky part of the beach, I spot a perching Yellow-rumped Warbler and a perching Black Phoebe. Looking more closely, I come upon a rock, covered with fossilized, carbonate structures that were once the homes of tiny tube worms. Turning around and heading back toward the car, I pass orange blossoms of Nasturtium and then pause to watch a couple of Ravens scavenging for food. Glancing up at the cliff-face, I noticed evidence of a recent rockslide and a nearby home on the precipice. 

Vast waters

Mighty blue

East bound

Bid adieu

Setting sun

Scenic shore

Gulls hover

Breakers roar

Images stored

Thoughts adhere

California 

Back next year

 

D. DeGraaf