February 24

The mid-morning skies are mostly sunny with temperatures in the high 20’s ,as I trudge through 5-6 inch snow cover while exploring the grounds of the Runway Disc golf course, on the east side of Alma, next to the Pine River. Heading east toward the river, I notices lots of fresh deer tracts. Less noticeable are tracks of a Short-tail Shrew. These 4-inch, mole-like mammals (stock photo) are active day and night, making “runs” above ground or tunnels underground. Their diet includes insects, worms, birds, roots, nuts and fruits. To maintain their body temperature in the winter, they eat about 40% more food than at other times of the year.  Also, less noticeable are tracks of a Deer Mouse. These 3-inch rodents (stock photo) are nocturnal, and most active at twilight. They spend most of their time under snow in the winter, burrowing tunnels to travel between their nests and food sources. These tunnels help protect them from predators like foxes and birds. They eat a wide variety of foods, including seeds, nuts, fruits, and insects. Nearby, I’m surprised to see a small Juniper tree recently fed on by several deer. Usually its pungent fragrance, sharp prickly needles and bitter-tasting bark will keep them away. However, a shortage of regular food sources must be forcing them to feed on this tree. Further exploring the area, I come upon an open field with lots of dried seedheads of Spotted Knapweed, reminding me of what a large patch of these invasive plants look like when blooming (stock photo). After hiking under some tall White Pine trees while a Cardinal was singing, I come to the edge of the Pine River where lots of tracks crisscross the ice-covered water. Turning around and heading back to the car, I look afar at a White-tail deer staring back at me. Suddenly, it takes off, leaping over the snow-covered fairway. Being curious about the length of its leap, I find its tracks in the snow and estimate the distance at about 10 ft. Near the car, I spot a Wild Rose shrub with thorny branches, red hips and a strange looking hairy growth called a Mossy Rose Gall. While mostly harmless to the plant, these galls are an intricate ecosystem, created to house and sustain a complex world largely unnoticed. The life cycle involves a tiny wasp laying eggs on the plant, the eggs hatching and the feeding larvae triggering the plant to grow larger cells, eventually forming the mossy gall. The gall provides some protection from adverse weather, predators and parasites. After the larvae pupate in the gall, adult wasps emerge in the spring or summer. 

In the season of snow

When leaves disappear

You dart over branches

You display no fear

You scamper so fast

From tree to tree

You chatter above

You fascinate me

Creature of nature

In light of these days

Squirrel of the winter

I admire your ways

 

D. DeGraaf

February 17

The early morning sky is cloudy with frigid temperatures around 15 degrees as I stand on the St. Charles Rd bridge in the small village of Sumner and watch the ice-covered water of the Pine River flow south. From here the watercourse curves to the northeast and meanders about 10 miles before reaching Alma (stock photo). Moving along the snowy bank, I spot Muskrat tracks accompanied by a continual groove made by its dragging tail. While observing a patch of flowing water in midstream, I look down at the river’s edge to admire the ornate ice crystals. Following a trail through the flood plain, I find deer tracks crossing the ice-covered river among more patches of open water. Exploring the woodland away from the river, I come upon clusters of dried up seed capsules from a Golden Rain tree and think about what they looked like in the summer (stock photo). Nearby, I notice some dried seed heads of a Ninebark shrub. The name "ninebark" refers to its unique bark that peels away in layers, giving the appearance of multiple layers, although there are not actually nine distinct layers. Continuing along the trail, I gaze up to see both male and female catkins on a Tag Alder shrub. Then, I gaze down on the ground at a decomposing log where Bark Beetles made their tunnels. Some time ago, adult beetles bore through the bark where females laid eggs. Larvae hatched and fed on the bark and wood forming tunnels (stock photo) that eventually girdled and killed the tree. Working my way back to the car, I notice some circular shield lichens growing on a maple trunk. The health of these foliose lichens are good indicators of air quality. Further along, the red catkins from a large female Red Maple tree catch my eye. Some maples, like Red Maples, are what we might call “gender fluid.” A tree that’s been female for years might one year produce some male flowers as well while a male tree some years might decide to bear female flowers. Back to the car, I pause to imagine the early history of this village when George S. Bell from Ohio, among the first settlers arrived in 1854, bought land where a store and sawmill were built. The sawmill (stock photo) operated by using flowing Pine River water to spin a large wheel connected to a spinning saw blade that cut logs into lumber. In the early days, when logs and lumbering were the mainstay of Sumner's economy, Joseph Fitzpatrick owned and operated a sawmill, a block off the main street. Logs were brought in by truck, and lumber sold to various places, including Lobdell-Emery in Alma, when they were in the furniture business.

Daybreak in February 

Ends the frigid night

Nature opens her eyes

In dawn’s early light

Gone, birds of summer

Butterflies, out of sight

North wind prevails

Gone, bees in flight

A quiet morning hike

For me is just right

 

D. DeGraaf

 

February 10

A frigid north wind and temperatures in the mid 20’s greet me as I stand on the Washington Rd. bridge and look down at a wide, icy, snow-covered channel of the Bad River. Looking up, I spot an old, 4-inch long nest of a Baltimore Oriole hanging from leafless tree branches. Suspended like a basketball net, this nest stands out from any other North American bird’s. With hundreds of thin, intertwined fibers, the seemingly delicate cradle can carry up to seven eggs and last for months beyond its intended purpose—a testament to the skill and dedication of female Orioles. The only reason why there aren’t dozens of old nests hanging from the trees is because oftentimes the material from the old nest is recycled to make a new one. Following a deer trail over the wooded flood plain, I come upon a Box Elder tree with large branches that have been stripped of their bark by a chiseling Pileated Woodpecker. This woodpecker was feeding on the ¼ inch grubs of Power Post Beetles. The tiny holes seen in the wood are exit holes where adult beetles have chewed out of the wood after completing their development. (stock photo). Next, I come upon a large Eastern Cottonwood trunk with a very unusual knot hole at the base that almost appears to be man-made. These abnormal growths are often referred to as "burls," which are caused by stress factors like injury, insect damage, or environmental stress. Up ahead, I see a pile of dark brown pea-size pellets in the snow. This dry form of deer scat is typical in the winter when they have less water in their diet, However, in the summer with better access to water, deer scat can appear as soft, clumped masses. (stock photo) Turning around to observe the bridge, I notice the river to be about 30 ft wide as it passes under. Making my way back up onto the road, I glance at the far bank where I spot a Red-osier Dogwood shrub with its crimson-colored branches. This is one of several plants referred to as “kinnikinik” by American Indians for its use as a tobacco substitute. The inner bark of young stems was split and scraped into threads and toasted over a fire before being mixed with real tobacco. For centuries, humans have also used the hard wood of dogwood for basketry, wicker, farm implements, and weaving shuttles. Back to the car, I drive a short distance and stop on the Woodbridge Rd bridge where the Bad River continue its journey eastward. Having completed my 6^th encounter with this watercourse, it appears I’m about a third of the way from beginning to end (stock photo)

Tracks in snow

Let me know

You walked last night

O’er fields of white

Your hooves reveal

You found a meal

Nocturnal creature

Favorite of nature

Deer of the forest

It’s time to rest

 

D. DeGraaf

February 3

It’s early morning with temperatures in the low 30’s, under mostly cloudy skies as I pause on the Pierce Rd. bridge and look north at a 10 ft-wide channel of the Bad River, covered with a thin layer of slushy ice. In the water right below the bridge, I observe a small school of 2-3 inch minnows swimming upstream. In all, there are more than 50 species of minnows found across our Great Lakes waterways. A variety of shiners, daces, minnows, and chubs offer examples of the small silvery fish that we commonly think of when we say ‘minnow.’ (stock photo). Proceeding north, I look across at the far bank to see what appears to be a snow slide made by a river Otter. Like gleeful kids, this playful mammal likes to slide down the slope and skid across the ice-covered channel. Down in the water, I notice another small school of minnows swimming downstream. Minnows, like many other fish school by using a combination of senses to navigate and maintain their position within the group.  They have pressure-sensitive pores along their bodies called the lateral line. This line allows them to feel the vibrations created by other fish, which helps them maintain their position. They use their eyes to see where their neighbors are and what they're doing. Also, they use their sense of smell to detect chemical signals in the water that help them find and coordinate with other fish. Trudging along the bank, I feel a strong gust of wind and then hear the steady "whooshing/swishing" noise from the rotation of huge blades of a nearby wind turbine. This noise can negatively impact wildlife by disrupting mechanisms that crucial for their survival. In particular, it can reduce predator/prey behavior in some or cause them to flee the affected area, leading to habitat loss. This low-frequency sound and audible noise of a turbine can interfere with communication among many bird species, especially during courtship and nesting, Overall, noise like this alters animals’ communities and contributes to a decline of an ecosystem. Turning away from the river, I proceed back toward the car through an adjoining woodland where I come upon some yellow-stained snow from Whitetail urine. Depending on the deer's sex, reproductive status, and season, its urine contains compounds like creatinine, urea, electrolytes, and various organic acids, During breeding season, buck urine contains higher concentrations of pheromones which are crucial for attracting females. It is also used to mark territory. Doe urine is used to attract bucks during the rutting season.  

Drifting snow grips the meadow

Old man winter has come to stay

Silence sweeps the forest edge

All the redwings have gone away

North wind brings arctic air

Ice conceals a verdant pond

Muskrats hide in their mounds

A crow calls from far beyond

In the midst of a cedar swamp

Sheltered from the bitter chill

Steam rising from its nostrils

A Whitetail deer stands still 

 

D. DeGraaf