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