September 25

It’s late morning as I watch the glistening water of 10 ft.-wide, Corbin Creek flow east through a culvert under Douglas Rd, in northeastern Montcalm County. Under partly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 60’s, I continue my exploration of this watercourse, upstream to its source. While observing the lush creek bank, I’m surprised to hear the sound of a Spring Peeper. Usually, a chorus of these tiny amphibians (stock photo) emanate from the wetlands in early spring. However, if similar conditions occur in the fall, like short days, cool temperatures and moderate rainfall, a sporadic peep can be heard. Leaving the road, I follow the creek bank where I spot the yellow blossoms of Beggar’s-ticks and the orange blossoms of Jewelweed. Jewelweed contains chemical compounds that counteract the itchy, blistered rash that often occurs from contact with Poison Ivy. Applying sap from this plant immediately after contact can help stop the rash. Up ahead, I pause to look for and listen to a few Sandhill Cranes flying overhead. In mid/late October to late November these large, colorful birds will migrate to Texas, New Mexico, Mexico and Arizona. Trudging through the pathless, floodplain, I come upon a ½ inch, perching Crane Fly.  During their two-week life span they don’t eat. Adults mate on plants or in the air near the water. Afterwards, the female deposits her eggs. When mating and egg distribution is complete, both the male and female die. The larval stage (stock photo) can last anywhere from a few weeks to one year. During this time, larvae are important for recycling and decomposition – they eat leaves, plants and small bits of organic material in the soil or water bodies. Next, I walk a short distance south to another section of the creek where the bright red leaves of Virginia Creeper are on display. Likewise, I notice the bright red fruit of Winterberry and Highbush cranberry. Highbush cranberry is actually not a cranberry at all, though its fruit strongly resembles true lowbush cranberries (stock photo) in both appearance and taste. They also mature in the fall, as cranberries do. The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, and like cranberries, they are rich in vitamin C and so have a tart, acid taste. They are an excellent substitute for cranberries and are likewise used in preserves, jams, jellies and sauces. Making my way, along the road back to the car, I spot a single blossom of Sow Thistle and several blossoms of Sky-blue Aster. Near the car, I pause at the clearing to enjoy the music of an Orthopteran chorus of grasshoppers, crickets and katydids.

I welcome these days

When the Egret flies thru

Creeper leaves glow red

Their berries shine blue

I welcome the sun

On its annual descent

Geese are gathering

The meadow is spent

I welcome the morning

Cool and clear

Greetings autumn!

Glad you’re here

 

D. DeGraaf

September 18

From its source, one mile due east of Montcalm County’s village of Vestaburg, Corbin Creek meanders southeast about four miles where it spills into the Pine River, just southwest of Gratiot County’s village of Elm Hall. For the next month or so, I plan to track this watercourse, upstream from its mouth to its source, observing wildlife along the way.This morning, with temperatures in the mid 50’s under mostly cloudy skies, I join landowner, Jerry Baker for a hike along the creek, downstream toward the mouth. Right away, I notice the creek bed and banks contain abundant sand, gravel and huge boulders. These geological features can be traced back to Michigan’s last ice age, some 10,000 years ago. As massive glaciers moved, they leveled off hills, filled in valleys, gouged out lakes and changed the existing surface by grinding, eroding and depositing. On the far bank, I spot an invasive European Marsh Thistle. These tall thistles were first recorded in Michigan in 1934 and by 1956 were considered common in the Upper Peninsula. By 1959, this thistle species spread to the Lower Peninsula.  Nearby, I spot a bunch of ripening fruit on a Nannyberry shrub. Nanny goats apparently feed on the ripe berries, hence the common name. The ripe fruit is edible and may be eaten off the bush or used in tea, jams and jellies. Sometimes called sweet viburnum, the taste is somewhere between a prune and a banana. Continuing downstream, I first spot a small Musclewood tree trunk with its sinewy texture and then a pile of Wild Turkey feathers, likely left behind by a predator, such as a Great Horned owl. Following the flowing water, I pause to notice blossoms of White Snakeroot and Common Beggar-ticks. Fungi that catch my eye, include Toothed Crust on a decayed log in the flood plain and Milk- Cap mushrooms on a decayed log, out in the water. This mushroom’s name is in reference to the milky latex that is exuded from the gills when they are cut or torn. Milk-cap mushrooms form important associations with various tree species and are valuable to wildlife. Perhaps the most exciting feature of these mushrooms is that some are edible. After trudging through the floodplain and not finding where the creek flows into the Pine River, we turn around and retrace out steps back to the house. Later on, I drive east and make my way onto a two-track, south along the Pine River (stock photo) where I find, what I think is, the confluence, which is merely a subtle stream of creek water flowing slowly through small openings in dense vegetation on the river’s edge.

Outer edge of summer

Nature’s colors revealed

Purple aster blossoms

Dot the golden field

Maples of the forest edge

Those in between

Still hold some leaves

Still show some green

Rose hips of red

Berries of blue and white

Thistle for the finch

New season in sight

 

D. DeGraaf

September 11

The morning is mostly sunny, warm and humid with a slight southerly breeze as our daughter, Allison and dog, Riley join me on a hike at Forest Hill Nature Area. Along the edge of North Trail, I notice several seed heads of Queen Anne’s Lace have folded up into cup-like shapes, comparable to birds’ nests. Nearby, I open up one of these seed heads to reveal a ½-inch, spotted, Carrot Seed Moth caterpillar.  The caterpillar feeds on the seeds, spins a web and hibernates, sometimes for two years. After pupation, the adult moth emerges (stock photo). Passing through Pollinator Meadow, yellowed with Goldenrod, I spot a ¼-inch Asian Lady beetle on a Wild Grape leaf and then, open up another seed head to reveal a ¼-inch Ground beetle. Following the trail into the shade of North Woods, the song of an Eastern Wood Pee-wee gets my attention. Up ahead, we come upon a pile of fresh feathers and bones of an Eastern Screech owl (stock photo), indicating a predator-prey confrontation. Even a bird-of-prey like this owl has predators, including other owls and small mammals. Exiting North Woods, we begin circling Succession Field where I come upon a 1-inch Pearl Crescent butterfly perched on a blossom of Queen Anne’s Lace and a ¼-inch Shining Flower beetle, crawling on a nearby seed head. In fall, larvae fall from the plant and tunnel into the soil, where they spend the winter. Before turning into South Woods, we pass through Birch Row where I observe a patch of Small-flower Asters, a sign of the upcoming season. Along the trail through South Woods, I notice a 4-inch cap of an Amanita mushroom and a cluster of Jack-in-the-Pulpit fruit. Exiting South Woods, we head for Willow Wallow where I observe a ¼-inch Spined Soldier Bug nymph crawling on another seed head of Queen Anne’s Lace. The adult bug (stock photo) is a predatory stink bug that is sometimes found in cotton and soybean fields. After pausing on the new deck to scan Willow Wallow, we climb to the top of Reflection Hill where I observe a Monarch butterfly feeding on a blossom of Red clover. After a brief glance at Grebe Pond, we descend the hill where I come across a patch of Wild Grape leaves being eaten by several Japanese beetles. Circling past Brady Cemetery into Native Grassland, we walk along the edge of Grebe Pond where I spot several Canada Geese swimming close to the far shore. Finally, we complete the circuit, back to the car for our trip home.

Summer’s waning

Birds vacate the nest

Some heading south

Food aplenty for the rest

Meadow changing colors

Asters reveal their flowers

Wetlands are drying up

Awaiting autumn showers

Leaves lose their hold

Forest floor strewn

Nature giving hints

Fall is coming soon

 

D. DeGraaf

September 4

The early morning is mostly sunny, breezy with temperatures in the mid 50’s, as Caroline, Riley and I stroll along a Lake Michigan beach near Whitehall, Michigan. Exploring the sandy shoreline, I notice Herring Gull tracks as well as two kinds of their feathers. One tiny shell that catches my eye is a ½ inch Ramshorn snail. These snails are hermaphroditic, meaning that each individual functions as both female and male, and a pair of mating snails typically fertilize each other, with both individuals laying eggs afterward. They typically lay gelatinous masses of eggs underwater on the surfaces of plants or rocks. Nearby, I come upon another tiny shell, a ½ inch Zebra mussel. For the past three and a half decades, zebra and quagga mussels have fundamentally altered the ecology and hijacked the food web of the Great Lakes. These small mollusks are literally sucking the life out of the lakes by filtering out the food that many fish and other aquatic organisms need to survive. They also transform the habitat, light environment, and chemical composition of the lakes. Further along, I spot a ¼ inch vertebrae bone, likely from a small fish such as Lake Perch or Bluegill. As the waves break near shore, I observe several small, mysterious holes in the sand. When a wave breaks, it pushes foamy water up the beach. Some of this water flows back, but some of the water sinks down into the sand. As the water sinks, it forces the air between the sand particles back up, creating theses holes. After taking one last look at this amazing, massive body of freshwater, I move over to the foredune where I see two type of grasses that help with beach erosion-American Beachgrass and Sand Reed grass. Continuing into the back dune, I notice a Monarch Butterfly on an Aspen leaf, blossoms of Evening Primrose and a Bumblebee feeding on one of hundreds of blossoming Horsemints (Spotted Beebalm). On my way back to the car, I spot an American Painted Lady caterpillar crawling on blossoms of Pearly Everlasting, one of its favorite host plants. The caterpillar uses its silk to create a nest out of leaves, usually at the top of the plant (stock photo). This serves as both a shelter and restaurant, where it nibbles away at the leaves caught inside. During the day, the caterpillar remains hidden inside, and it comes out on cloudy days and at night for more feeding. Adult butterflies (stock photo) can’t survive the cold winters in northern states. Generally speaking, in the spring they migrate north and in the fall they migrate south..

 

Great Michigan Lake

On shore I stand

Liquid for the living

From horizon to sand

Great Michigan Lake

Too much neglect

Precious freshwater

Conserve and protect

Great Michigan Lake

Gift from the earth

Future increases

Its value and worth

 

D. DeGraaf