July 31

There’s a hazy sun overhead, no wind and early morning temperatures in the upper 60’s as I begin my annual monitoring of another conservation easement, sanctioned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. Heading north on a groomed, grass trail, I pause at a tall Common Mullein stalk to watch a Bumblebee with orange pollen baskets feeding on the small yellow blossoms. Exploring the large leaves below, I spot a Japanese Beetle and a Firefly. Up ahead, I notice large patches of invasive Velvet Leaf spreading into some of the wetlands. Turning east on a dewy, overgrown trail, I’m please to see one Monarch butterfly on Bird's-foot trefoil blossoms and another on a Canadian Thistle blossom. Approaching a small pond, I come upon the sight and sound of a dozen or so breeding, male Bullfrogs displaying their yellow throats and letting other males know their territory. Also, I notice one near shore. Some people think they sound like cows mooing, which is why the frog has "bull" in its name. These large frogs are predators whose hunting style is 'sit and wait.' They can wait for a long time for some type of prey to come by, then, with a flash of the tongue, they grab it and bring it back into their mouths. Their diet includes insects, worms, salamanders and snakes. They are cannibalistic and will not hesitate to eat their own kind. Bullfrogs hibernate in winter by burying themselves in mud and constructing small cave-like structures. Overhead, I observe a perching Eastern Kingbird while at my feet, a Pale Beauty moth. After walking through a patch of Purple-top grass, I come upon a perching Widow Skimmer dragonfly. The “widow” name has to do with being sorrowful or mournful, perhaps because the wings of both male and female seem to be draped in mourning crepe. Another reference to the name is because a male will leave the female alone by herself as she lays her eggs; thus, making her a “widow” in this process. Up ahead, I first see twin fawns with their spotted bodies feeding on grasses and then watch two noisy Sandhill Cranes fly past me. Turning back toward the car, I spot a Pearl Crescent butterfly perched in the dewy grass, a few Flea beetles feeding on a Swamp Thistle blossom and another Bumblebee feeding on Catnip blossoms. Along the way, I notice a blossom of Queen Anne’s lace and one that looks similar, called Water Parsnip. Near the car, blossoms of Gray-headed Coneflower and Lance-leaf Coreopsis catch my eye. 

 

Serenade in the canopy

Red-eyed Vireo sings

From crowded nests

Fledglings test their wings

Salamanders hide under

Logs on the muddy floor

Trail in nature’s realm

Longing to explore

Favorite forest sanctuary

Shrouded by morning fog

Meandering among maples

A man and his dog

 

D. DeGraaf

July 24

The mid-morning weather includes, mostly sunny skies, temperatures in the low 70’s and a westerly breeze as I hike through a 24-acre, conservation easement in eastern Gratiot County, sanctioned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. As a volunteer monitor, I peruse the property annually to determine if the owner is complying with management guidelines. Heading east on a mowed trail, I watch three Sand-hill Cranes take off and fly north. In the lush vegetation next to the trail, I notice a Common Wood-nymph butterfly and a White Spring moth as well as a Honeybee feeding on Prairie Clover. Other blossom sightings nearby include a Ladybug on Canadian Thistle and a Sweat bee on Daisy Fleabane.  Stepping off the trail, I hike north through tall grass and glance skyward to spot a rarely seen female Orchard Oriole, perched in a Box Elder tree. As with the Baltimore Oriole, the male is more colorful (stock photo). Orchard Orioles migrate north late in the spring and head southward early, with some returning to their wintering grounds as early as mid-July. These birds are easygoing toward other bird species, nesting in close quarters with Eastern Kingbirds, American Robins and Chipping Sparrows. The aggressive Kingbirds may be useful neighbors because they ward off predators and Cowbirds (which try to lay their eggs in the nests of other birds). With several dragonflies flying around and pausing to rest, I’m able to observe a Widow Skimmer and a Swamp Darner. Up ahead, on a Milkweed leaf, I get a close up view of an orange Milkweed Beetle alongside a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. This invasive insect is a nuisance pest of homes as it is attracted to the outside of houses on warm fall days in search of protected, overwintering sites and can enter houses in large numbers. It was imported from east Asia and accidently released in North America in 1998. It has since spread throughout most of eastern and western North America. The pungent odor of this stink bug is similar to that of the cooking herb, cilantro. Others say it smells like sulfur and ammonia or rancid meat. The insect only produces the foul aroma when it feels threatened or if crushed. Looking afar, I see a Whitetail deer while close up, I gaze through a dense stand of Cattail leaves and Reed Canary Grass to see blossoms of Swamp Milkweed. Turning back toward the car, I watch a Bumblebee feeding on Blue Vervain blossoms and a Monarch butterfly perched in the tall grass. Finally, I follow turkey tracks back to the car. 

 

Nature in rhythm

July moves ahead

Summer sky of blue

Raspberries of red

Creatures are born

Consume and grow

Vultures fly high

Snakes lie low

Wetlands are full

Up to the brim

Beneath the surface

Mud minnows swim

 

D. DeGraaf

July 17

I’m hiking through a 30-ft-wide, open strip of grasses and wildflowers, in the 1-acre Lake Steven Preserve, a CWC property on the west side of Montcalm County’s Lake Steven. The mid-morning sky is sunny, temperatures are in the mid 70’s and a gentle breeze blows as I spot a colorful American Painted Lady butterfly. It is not clear whether these butterflies attempt a southward migration. Most likely, many cannot survive Michigan winters and must be repopulated by others migrating up from the south. Just ahead, I come upon a never-before-seen, White Plume Moth. At rest, the moths hold their wings tightly rolled, but when they are spread, the feathery plumes are visible (stock photo). Their caterpillars are commonly equipped with long, fine hairs or bristles (stock photo). Nearby, I pause to watch a bee and a beetle feeding on a Black-eyed Susan blossom. Approaching a stand of narrow-leaf cattails, I notice some are displaying both male and female flowers (stock photo). Next, I turn east and hike through a wooded section of the preserve where I pause to scan a dense stand of deciduous trees while enjoying the tunes of a Warbling Vireo. Moving toward the lake shore, I hear the familiar sounds of both a Green frog and Redwing Blackbird. From the water’s edge, I can barely make out a well-camouflaged Green Frog resting on a lily pad while also listening to a mother Wood duck, leading her ducklings away from me. Exploring the shoreline, I notice a tall, flowering Common Mullein plant as well as a pile of fresh Raccoon scat being consumed by a variety of flies and beetles. On a green leaf, I spot a 1/16 inch, egg of a Yellow Swallowtail butterfly. After laying up to 250 eggs individually on the leaves of woody plants, the female Swallowtail will live for less than two weeks. The larvae (stock photo) will emerge from the egg in about 4 to 10 days. Nearby, I observe a pair of spider-like Eastern Harvestman (daddy longlegs). Unlike spiders, they have a fused body form and lack silk and venom glands. These arachnids are omnivores, feeding on plant fluids, fungi and arthropods. During autumn (harvest time), they've been known to gather together to stay warm in tree holes. Near the ground, I see a cluster of unripe fruit of Jack-in-the-pulpit. In late summer the fruit will ripen to a red color (stock photo). The fruit is toxic to humans, containing calcium oxalate that can cause irritation on bare skin. Eating it raw can be dangerous, sometimes resulting in choking or blisters. 

Finally spotted you

Ended my search

In a flowery field

Stopped to perch

Wings of orange

Lined in black

Butterfly of summer

Welcome back

On a Milkweed blossom

For a while stayed

Magnificent Monarch

Your beauty displayed

 

D. DeGraaf

July 10

The early morning sky is clear, with temperatures in the upper 60’s, as I begin a hike in the 13-acre, Stearns Preserve, one of 24 such properties in Mid-Michigan, owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. After a short distance, I pause in amazement to watch a ¼-inch, female Cross Orb-Weaver spider spinning her web. At the tip of her abdomen are three pairs of spinnerets, which secrete silk used to create the web. These spiders are known to eat their webs each night along with many small insects stuck to it. A new web is thus spun each morning.  “Anita” and “Arabella” were two female Cross spiders sent into space in Skylab 3 in 1973 to study the effects of zero gravity on web construction. Up ahead, I stand at the edge of the Pine River to see its water flow gently past while listening to a chorus of crickets and birds. Glancing down at the water surface, I’m surprised to see Whirligigs and Water Striders moving close to each other. Exploring a nearby meadow, I spot a ¾-inch Grove Snail feeding on a Thistle leaf and a 1-inch Dusky Slug feeding on a Milkweed leaf. These slugs have limited vision and little or no auditory perception. Their primary sense is smell. The olfactory organs are located at the tips of their tentacles. These slugs also have chemoreceptors on their lips to detect toxins. Also in the meadow, I notice a fresh blossom of Goat’s Beard as well as an older one that has seeded out, thus the name. While looking more closely at the Milkweed plants and enjoying the sweet aroma of their blossoms, I observe a ½-inch Red Milkweed Beetle, a ¼-inch instar of a Milkweed Bug and a ¼-inch Darkling beetle. In addition, a mating pair of Grove snails catch my eye. These snails have been known to use a ‘love dart’ during courtship. This is a calcareous shaft coated with pheromone rich mucus which is jabbed into a prospective mate, making the female organs of a hermaphroditic partner more receptive to the retention of sperm. Next, I proceed east into a wooded area on a section of the Meijer bike trail that is part of this CWC preserve. Along the edge of the paved path, I spot ripe, red berries of a Honeysuckle bush. These berries are not safe to eat for humans and can cause illness if consumed in large quantities. Despite having low toxicity, they can cause gastrointestinal upset with vomiting and diarrhea. The berries are a food source for birds; however they contain below average fat and protein that birds need to thrive. Finally, while crossing the bridge, I stop to watch the Pine River flow south through a lush riparian landscape. 

Deep in a stagnant pond

With the leech and scud

Are you an alien creature?

Or simply a nymph in mud

It’s time to climb the reed

Into the warming sun

Amazing cycle of nature

Metamorphosis has begun

Grow wings of cellophane

You're a marvel to see

Dragonfly of summer

Fly now. You’re finally free

 

D. DeGraaf

July 3

It’s early morning as Caroline, Riley and I begin our hike in the Gull Harbor Nature Preserve on the NE side of Lake Michigan’s Beaver Island. Under overcast skies and a temperature of 70 degrees, I spot a male Common Merganser sitting on a rock, just offshore. These diving, fish-eating ducks build their nests in tree holes (stock photo). On a rocky beach nearby, I notice several patches of Viper’s Bugloss with their clusters of purple blossoms next to a few patches of Herb Robert with their tiny pink blossoms. Scanning a wetland, I see and hear a Kildeer protecting a nest. Quietly approaching the area, I come upon a nest with 3, well-camouflaged eggs. Because their nest is on the ground and vulnerable to predators, baby killdeer hatch with their eyes open. As soon as their downy feathers dry, they are pre-wired to know what to eat and begin searching for food. They will follow the adults, pecking the ground for insects. Age of a young Kildeer at first flight is roughly 25 days after hatching. Approaching a small pond, I come across the carcass of a Common Grackle as well as a school of minnows churning up the muddy water. Nearby, I notice white blossoms of invasive Baby’s Breath as well as, never-before-seen, pink blossoms of Marsh Fleabane, unlike the often-seen white blossoms of Daisy Fleabane. Other blossoms that catch my eye include Bladder Campion and Indian Paint Brush. The name of this flower is based on the legend of an Indian who wanted to paint a sunset. Frustrated that he could not produce any of the colors that matched the beauty of a sunset, he asked the Great Spirit for help. The Great Spirit provided him with these orange blossoms to create his painting. Following a path away from the water into a woodland, I pause to observe a slow-crawling, 4-inch Leopard Slug. Eating mainly fungus, dead vegetation, and other slugs, they are not normally garden pests unless the population is large. Overhead, I see evidence of scat-like, Black Knot fungus on branches of a Choke Cherry tree. A fungal pathogen disrupts the normal growth of the twigs and a tumor-like growth forms at the infection site. Infections may take place as much as a year or more prior to the development of these characteristic "knots." Up ahead, in the middle of the earthen trail, I almost step on a 5-inch American Toad. The warts behind the toads' eyes are called parotid glands (stock photo). These glands produce toxins that that can kill a predator by interfering  with its heart function.

 

Ancient mountains

Glacial rock

Eons past

Mother Earth’s stock

Crashing waves

Rolled and pounded

Westerly gales

Reduced and rounded

Touching my toes

Sand of the beach

I’ve learned your story

More you can teach

 

D. DeGraaf