August 28

Morning hazy sunlight and temperatures in the mid 60’s greet me on my final encounter with Salt Creek. Hoping to find its confluence with the Chippewa River, I follow a two-track north where I watch Bumblebees feed on Purples Loosestrife blossoms and then stop, pick and eat a few ripe Blackberries. Stepping off the path into dense underbrush, I spot blossoms of Jerusalem Artichoke and then pause to observe an Allegheny mound ant moving around its 18 inch diameter by 12-inch high mound. The mound acts as a solar collector for incubating ant eggs and larvae. This insect has many queens to lay eggs as opposed to other ants that may have only one. A mound like this contains thousands of individuals. After slogging another 100 yards through muddy, uneven terrain, I arrive at the creek’s edge where I notice several blossoms of Joe-Pye weed. Exploring a patch of Milkweed, I come upon a perching Northern Paper wasp and a two-inch lifeless, Monarch caterpillar. The dark color of the caterpillar is a symptom of “Black Death”, a term used to describe the effects of two different fatal infections, a Pseudomonas bacteria and a Nuclear polyhedrosis virus. Scanning the water, I get a quick glimpse of a 12-inch Northern Map turtle, before it submerges. This reptile gets its name from the markings on its carapace, which resemble contour lines on a map. However, the carapace markings tend to fade as the animal matures, and in older individuals are usually only visible when the shell is wet. Overhead, I notice a Witch Hazel tree displaying lots of greenish seed capsules. These capsules will turn light brown and become woody with age. Each capsule splits open in fall of the following year, ejecting their black seeds up to 30 feet. Nearby, I see a Basswood tree displaying green nutlets along with bracts- modified leaves that aid in the wind dispersal of the seeds. Most nutlets are eaten in the fall by chipmunks, mice, squirrels, porcupines and rabbits. With no trail in sight, I follow the stream toward its end (stock photo), one mile to the east. After a short, challenging trek through a wet floodplain, I realize I cannot make it, so I stop, take one last look at Salt Creek and bid a fond farewell to this wonderful watercourse. Nearing the car, I pause to hear the distinctive song of a Veery. This small thrush (stock photo) gets its name from the cascade of “veer” notes that make up its song. These rarely-seen birds hop through the forest understory as they forage for insects and fruit. They spend winters in South America.

Birds begin morning tunes 
My walk in the early day 
Meandering in a meadow 
Mother Nature shows the way 
Trail that’s mine alone 
Path before me leads on 
Over hill, past a swale 
From woods to placid pond 
Beside a tree, across a ditch 
Field where butterflies soar 
I continue to hike along 
Much more to explore 

 

D. DeGraaf

August 21

It’s early morning as I begin a hike at Camp Cutler, a 160-acre, Boy Scout camp near Riverdale. Under mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 60’s, I proceed east where I see large patches of invasive Spotted Knapweed as well as a family of Whitetail deer. Exploring the meadow, I spot dozens of mounds made by Yellow Meadow ants. Not surprisingly, most of them are inactive, except for one. These tiny ants are shy and seldom move out in the open during the day. In their nest tunnels they hunt for prey in the form of small insects, but they also keep aphids that feed on the root systems. The aphids are valuable to the ants and provide a sweet substance that the ants drink. These ants are able to form new societies with a single queen. At first, several queens fight each other to the death and normally there’s only one left standing to reign the colony. Up ahead, I pause to watch the water of the North Branch of the Pine River flow gently past while listening to a duet of a Black-capped Chickadee and a Northern Cardinal. Clinging to a tree nearby, are some very edible fungi called Chicken-of-the-Woods. Next, I turn onto an earthen path through a dense woodland where I come upon an orange Lobster mushroom. This is not a mushroom in the traditional sense. It is, rather, a combination of a parasitic fungus that has deformed a host mushroom in such a way as to alter its color, texture, shape and taste. With little to no stem, these edible mushrooms look more like a lobster claw — with a flavor and aroma to match. Passing through a dense patch of ferns, I spot a resting Autumn Meadow Hawk dragonfly and a resting ½-inch Vestal moth. Turning around and making my way to a picnic shelter, I notice a Paper wasp perching on its nest, near the roof. A female Paper wasp, who becomes the queen, starts building this nest by secreting a pulp-like papery substance. This substance is a mixture of plant fibers and saliva. The queen lays a single egg in each cell of the nest. Each egg develops into a larva that subsequently transforms into a pupa and finally an adult. There are 12 to 100 paper wasps per colony. These wasps operate in a caste system similar to ants where there is usually one queen and several non-reproductive workers that are in charge of foraging for food and tending to the queen and her progeny. Back to the riverbank, I fight off swarms of mosquitoes while taking in the breath-taking beauty of a Cardinal flower. Nearing the car, I notice a House Wren perching on a leafless tree branch.

 

Peak of summer

Goldfinch sings

Blossoms below

Bumblebee clings

Aroma of Primrose

If only a hint

Along the trail

Grows Mountain Mint

Above the pond

Dragonflies flutter by

Above the meadow

Soars a butterfly

 

D. DeGraaf

August 14

The early morning temperatures are in the mid 60’s, under mostly sunny skies, as I spot a raccoon wade across the water of a wide and fast-moving Salt Creek. I’m in western Midland County, watching the creek flow toward its confluence with the Chippewa River, some 3 miles east of here. Near the water’s edge, I discover an extremely large Poison Ivy plant that resembles a tree. Along the bank, I notice yellow blossoms of Evening Primrose, pink blossoms of Joe Pye weed and spherical pincushion blossoms of Buttonbush. Nearby, I notice a tree trunk with a pattern of ¼-inch holes made by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (stock photo), a species of woodpecker that doesn't have a yellow belly and doesn't "suck" the sap! They do however; rely primarily on tree sap as their main food source and they get to it by drilling holes (called "wells") into the tree. As the sap oozes into the wells, the sapsucker uses its brush-like tongue to lap up it up. Hummingbirds and other birds and bats also use the sapsucker wells for feeding. Insects that are attracted to the sap also make up the sapsuckers menu. After a short drive, I pause to watch the muddy Salt Creek water flow gently through a flooded, 40-ft wide channel. Exploring the bank, I come across a patch of Bulrushes, a Daddy Longlegs and a few Cluster flies. During summer, these flies are active outdoors, where they are parasitic on earthworms. Adult females lay their eggs near the openings of earthworm burrows. Upon hatching, the young larvae move into the burrows and penetrate the earthworms’ bodies. After feeding on the worms, the fly larvae pupate in the soil. The adults emerge to repeat the cycle, with up to four generations being produced each summer. Nearby, I see a patch of Virginia Stickweed. In a few weeks, those tiny green seed balls will dry out and grab onto clothes and anything else that brushes past the plant.During my third stop, I pause on the bank to look at the creek and listen to a noisy Blue Jay. From the bank, I come upon an American Beech tree displaying Beech nuts and a Wild Rose plant displaying hips. On the ground nearby, I spot a few one-inch, never-before-seen, Common Earthballs. Because they resemble other edible species, such as puffballs, they’re often mistakenly identified and consumed and their toxicity is regularly responsible for reports of mushroom poisoning. Consumption of this fungus will result in gastrointestinal upset with symptoms like nausea and vomiting as the primary complaints. It’s not known to be deadly, but ingestion often requires medical treatment. Before taking off, I take one last look at the creek as it flows eastward toward its final destination.

Green, green, everything green 
Mother Nature’s summer scene 
Blades of grass on path below 
Leaves of trees put on a show 
Moss carpets a weathered rock 
Duckweed floats near the dock 
All around, the dominant color 
In August there is no other 
From the trail I look around 
Color green, quite profound 

 

D. DeGraaf

August 7

Three months ago, I began my quest to follow and explore the 17-mile long, Salt Creek from its source in Isabella County to its mouth in Midland County (stock photo). After a month of other pursuits, I’m back at it. The early morning temperatures are in the low 60’s, under sunny skies as I stand just off Salt River Rd. in Midland County to watch the muddy, rain-swollen creek flow slowly over a broad floodplain, while listening to a White-breasted Nuthatch. Exploring the wet ground near the creek’s edge, I spot some, two-inch Dusky slugs and a cluster of, never-before-seen, White Jelly Coral fungi. Moving back toward the car, I pause to look at and listen to a male Song Sparrow perched high in a dead, leafless Ash tree. Young males develop unique songs which they learn from older birds in their territory. This causes Song Sparrows to have regional differences—almost like accents—in their singing. There are also regional differences in their appearance. Birds in coastal areas, for instance, are larger and darker in color. Birds in southern regions are paler and those in desert regions are pale gray. Female Song Sparrows sometimes attack female Cowbirds to chase them from their nests. Despite this protective behavior, many Song Sparrows end up inadvertently raising Cowbird babies along with their own babies (stock photo). Driving a short distance east on Salt River Rd., I stop and trek south through dense underbrush, passing white blossoms of Water Parsnips and Virginia Knotweed. Nearby, I come across a patch of Hairy Wood Mint. Approaching the creek, I watch and listen to the fast-moving water as well as a noisy Catbird. On my way back to the car, I notice a tree trunk covered with vines of both Poison ivy and Virginia creeper. While the Poison ivy leaves are green as usual, the Virginia Creeper leaves have already turned red, an extremely early sign of Autumn. Along the road where the car is parked, I come upon a lovely turkey tail feather. Nearby, I notice the Bumblebees are very active, feeding on blossoms of Crown Vetch, St John’s wort and Bull Thistle. After driving east a short distance, I’m standing on the Alamando Rd bridge, watching the muddy creek water flow rapidly through a swollen, 30-ft wide channel. Gazing at the flowery left bank, I spot Purple Loosestrife, Bergamot, Queen Anne’s Lace and Water Parsnips while the flowery right bank displays Bull Thistle, Oxeye Daisy, Black-eyed Susan’s and White Sweet Clover. Gazing skyward, I watch and listen to a half dozen Barn Swallows as they dip and dive above my head.

 

Scaling the bank

You by my side

Shaping the earth

Glide, creek, glide

Natural beauty 

For me you show

Rapids and ripples

Flow, creek, flow

Glistening waters

Reflect the sun

Sustainer of life

Run, creek, run

 

D. DeGraaf