June 26

It’s early morning when I stand beside the Coleman Rd. bridge to observe the placid water of Salt Creek while listening to bird calls from a Chickadee and a Crow. Under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 60’s, I explore the bank where I come upon a patch of Cinnamon ferns with their green fronds and reddish-brown spore stalks. The common name of this plant is in reference to the cinnamon-colored fibers found near the frond bases (stock photo). Nearby, yellow blossoms of Ragwort catch my eye. This common wildflower is also called Stinking Willie because of the rank odor of its leaves. It is not a plant favored by farmers because it has toxic effects on cattle and horses.  From here, I drive east on Salt River Rd., park at the Salt Creek Church of Christ and trek about a ¼ mile south to the edge of the creek where I pause to take in the scenic quietude. On the way back, I spot a resting, ½ -inch White Wave moth and a perching female (white spot on wing tip) Ebony Jewel Wing damselfly. My last stop is where the creek flows under Geneva Rd. From the bridge, I watch a mother Wood duck and her 4 ducklings swim across a much wider Salt Creek. This is most likely her second brood since first broods usually arrive between late January and April. Ducklings are tended to by the hen until they’re capable of flight at about 60 days. Nearly 90 percent of them die within the first two weeks, mostly due to predation. Also, from the bridge, I spot the head of a Painted Turtle above the waterline. Michigan is one of four states to name the Painted turtle their official reptile. While habitat loss and road killings have reduced the population, its ability to live in human-disturbed settings has helped it remain the most abundant turtle in North America. Making my way down to the water’s edge, I spot a 3-inch Rainbow Mussel shell. Freshwater mussels begin life as parasitic larvae known as glochidia (stock photo). When these larval mussels are expelled by their mother, they must find a suitable host fish to develop, often attaching themselves to the fish's gills. Nearby, I notice an adult Mayfly perched on a fern frond. The average adult Mayfly lifespan is only one or two days. However, in the nymph stage (stock photo), their lifespan can be two years. Mayflies are extremely sensitive to pollution and, as a result, are typically found in high-quality, low-pollution areas. Heading back to the car, I scare up a Turkey hen that flies off her nest with 10 eggs. Hens incubate the eggs by sitting on the nest night and day for about 28 days. 

 

Wandering and wondering

Walking the watercourse

Nature’s constant currier

Liquid for the living

Channel of challenges

Constricting culverts

Fertilized fields

Trees down dams

Forever flowing forward

Uncertainties upstream

Ducks and deer downstream

Savoring Salt Creek

 

D. DeGraaf

June 19

This morning, I’m on the bridge of Isabella County-line Rd., watching the water of Salt Creek flow slowly eastward into Midland County while listening to a cooing dove. Accompanied by cloudy skies, temperatures in the mid 50’s and a gentle NW breeze, I look around to notice white blossoms of Multi-flora rose and Meadow Rue. After a short drive, I’m standing on the Bradford Rd. bridge, watching the creek flow northward. On the bank nearby, I see a large patch of Canada Anemone blossoms as well as some American Elm leaves, displaying odd looking growths called, Finger galls, caused by a microscopic mite (stock photo). The female mite injects saliva into new leaves creating open pores for other mites to crawl into creating the “fingers”. Despite these unsightly leaves, the tree’s overall health is not affected. Driving about a mile due north, I begin a ¼-mile trek from the car to reach the creek, where soon I spot a partially hidden, 1-inch White Spring Moth resting on the ground. Along the way, blossoms that catch my eye include, Tufted Loosestrife and Wild Iris. Another moth that catches my attention is a ½-inch, female Longhorn, perched on a stem. Males have antennae ranging up to five times their body length (stock photo). Up ahead, on a leaf of Virginia Creeper, I spot a ¼-inch, Vegetable Weevil. Considered garden pests, both adults and larvae (stock photo) feed on buds, foliage, and roots of potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, and other vegetables. Damage by this insect is most severe on young plants. However, it is not considered as important of a pest species as it once was. Scanning the lush undergrowth, I come across a 1-inch Crane Fly and a ¼-inch Long-legged fly. These small flies are predators that feed on gnats, bark beetles and mites. They also feed on common pests, such as aphids, thrips and mosquitoes. Once prey is captured, they use their mouthparts to hold, pierce and extract internal fluids. Their larvae (stock photo) are commonly found near semi-aquatic landscapes, while others can be found under tree bark or mulch. Larvae are thought to be predaceous on small insects in the soil, as well as scavengers. Further along, I notice a patch of Tuckerman’s sedge and a decaying tree branch covered with White Jelly fungi. As they age, these fungi become yellowish, brownish, or pinkish to purplish. In dry weather they shrink, becoming hard, almost transparent and are easily overlooked. Finally, I come to the edge of Salt Creek just in time to scare up a female Wood duck and her brood of fleeing ducklings.

 

Sun of the earth

Star of the sky

Tis the season

Your place on high

Your light is life

Your heat is too

Heavenly orb

I welcome you

Today is the day

Glowing sphere

Summer solstice

Another year

 

D. DeGraaf 

June 12

The mid-day sky is sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s and a northeast breeze as I watch the clear water of Salt Creek flow slowly north under the Walton Rd. bridge while listening to a chirping male Redwing Blackbird perched overhead. On the roadside, I notice a patch of native Switch grass with its reddish seedheads. Driving a short distance around the corner, I see the creek pass quietly under the Chippewa Rd. bridge. Moving down to the water’s edge, I spot a small school of darting, ½-inch minnows. In all, there are more than 50 species of minnows found across our Great Lakes waterways. A variety of shiners, daces and chubs offer examples of sub-families of small silvery fish that we commonly think of as ‘minnow.’ Nearby, I catch a quick glimpse of a couple of ½-inch Water Scavenger Beetles. These aquatic insects are predators and eat mosquito larvae, reducing the size of summertime populations. They breathe air and trap it under their wings before diving below the water's surface, using it to respire while underwater (stock photo). On the muddy shore, I spot a swarm of recently hatched flying ants. These winged ants are called swarmers or reproductives. They are both males and females that leave the colony to mate and find a location to begin a new colony. Usually, the males die after mating and the females disperse, shed their wings and start a new nest. In the shallow water, I spot several invasive, golf ball-size Chinese mystery snails. They’re called “mystery” snails because females give birth to young, fully developed snails that suddenly and “mysteriously” appear. Native to Asia, these snails were commonly imported and sold by the aquarium trade, leading to their accidental release into the wild. Like most snails, Chinese mystery snails are hosts to many parasites. In Asia, one such parasite is an intestinal flatworm that infects humans. Back to the car, I drive east on Millbrook Rd. and park near the creek bank where I spot a few spiny seedheads of Star Sedge and a lovely white blossom of Canada anemone or Meadow anemone. “Anemone” means “windflower” and refers to the fluffy seeds of some species that are dispersed by wind. After walking along the bank, I spot one of many perching Ebony Jewelwing damselflies. A good feeding perch will be used by one of them for hours or days and a territory of six to ten feet along the creek will be defended from other damselflies. The Jewelwing nymph (stock photo) is predacious. Usually it lies in wait for other aquatic bugs to get within range and then grabs them with its modified lower jaw. On my way back to the car, I pause to hear a hungry, fledged European Starling calling for its mother.

 

From a grassy meadow

To the forest ground

Around the verdant pond

Nature’s gifts are found

Some are bright yellow

Others white and blue

Some slightly pink

Others, a purple hue

Their beauty revealed

To earth they cling

Flowers of color

Blossoms of spring

 

D. DeGraaf

June 5

It’s a sunny and warm morning as I cautiously drive south from Walton Rd., on a private 2-track through cropland, for my 14th encounter with Salt Creek where I’m greeted by its flowing water and the song of a Yellowthroat. Along the bank, I spot a patch of invasive Dame’s Rocket with both white and pink blossoms as well as a 1-inch Bluet damselfly perched on Orchard grass flowers. In the lush vegetation, I spot a ¼-inch Onion maggot fly resting on a Nettle leaf. The maggots (larvae)are a common and often serious insect pest of plants in the onion family including onion, leeks, shallots, garlic, and chives. Onion maggots feed below ground on host bulbs, producing tunnels and damaging bulb tissue. Nearby, on a dewy leaf, I observe a 1/8-inch baby land snail with its soft shell and semi-transparent body. These tiny gastropods grow remarkably fast, but very few reach one year of age. In general, snails are victims of numerous predators and young individuals are even more vulnerable because of their incomplete development. Next, I drive south and stop at the Vroman Rd. bridge to watch the creek water flow by while hearing a chorus of birds, including a Redwing Blackbird. Up ahead on the muddy shore, I see lots of tracks where deer gathered for a drink. Nearby, I spot a never-before-seen, ¾-inch White-striped Black moth. Active during the day, this moth can be attracted by jingling keys. The striped wing produces a flickering effect in flight, possibly helping the moth escape predators. After pausing to hear a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, I come upon some fresh scat of a Raccoon that feasted on corn a short time ago. Crossing to the other side of the creek, I first notice the white blossoms of Maple-leaf Viburnum and then a honeybee feeding on wild Raspberry blossoms. For my final stop, I’m on the Wise Rd bridge watching the creek flow through a channel littered with dead branches while listening to a chorus of songbirds. On a downed tree spanning the creek, I get a brief glimpse of a never-before-seen 1-inch Megarhyssa wasp. This particular specimen is a male wasp. The long tail is not a stinger pointing out of its body, but the wasp’s extra-long abdomen. Female wasps have an extremely long, slender ovipositor or egg-laying tube (stock photo). Making my way toward the car through a sun-lit meadow, I spot two resting butterflies, a Cabbage white and a Pearl Crescent. Finally, near the car, I see at patch of Shepherd’s Purse as well as a lovely blossom of Goat’s Beard.

Out of a willow thicket
Comes a pair of deer
Out of a resting rock
Centipedes appear
Out of cattail cover
Heron takes to flight
Out of a rotting log
Beetle comes in sight
Out of a leafless tree
Comes a noisy Jay
Everywhere I look
Nature on display

 

D. DeGraaf