March 3

With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 30’s, I’m on an early morning hike at the Florence Maxwell Audubon Woods preserve, 10 miles west of Mt. Pleasant. Proceeding downslope toward the Chippewa River on a trail of crusty snow, I’m alert to the loud call of a Red-bellied Woodpecker (stock photo). Up ahead, I come upon an exposed Carpenter ant nest containing hundreds of pupae inside their ½ inch cocoons. It’s hard to know if they’re viable but they’re known to enter a dormant state called diapause during the winter. This period of inactivity helps them survive cold temperatures and food scarcity. As temperatures rise in the spring, the carpenter ant colony becomes more active as some of the adults tend to the larvae and pupae (stock photo). Nearby, I spot a large tree trunk whose bark is lined with dozens of small, white Turkey-tail fungi. Arriving at the river’s edge, I pause to look at and listen to the flowing water as a White-breasted Nuthatch (stock photo) calls from afar. Moving along the shoreline, I see some Opossum tracks in the snow. Unlike some mammals, opossums do not hibernate in the winter. They need to leave the safety of their dens to forage since they don’t store food in their dens or collect excess fat in their bodies. Opossums are opportunistic omnivores feeding on insects, small animals, cat or dog food, nuts, berries and anything else they can find in open garbage cans. Down in the water, I observe a pile of Eastern Elliptio Mussel shells with their purple-colored interior layer. This type of mussel is rarely seen around here but is commonly found in the upper peninsula. Up ahead, I stop and watch the river water flow northeast toward Mt. Pleasant and beyond (stock photo). Turning south away from the river, I trudge through a dense woodland, where the drumming sound of a woodpecker catches my attention. This rapid tapping of their beaks on trees is how they communicate, including attracting a mate and defending their territory. Next to the trail, I spot an 18-inch, knobby, woody growth on a young Maple tree. This unusual growth, called a burl, may be caused by burrowing insects, viruses, pruning cuts, storm damage and fungal or bacterial infections. Woodworkers prize burls for their unique grain patterns. Burl wood can be expensive (stock photo) due to its rarity, exclusivity, and labor-intensive harvesting process. Continuing back toward the car, I take in the lovely song of a Tufted Titmouse, a signal of the season to come.

 

In the dawn of March

Old man winter won’t let go

Mother Nature still asleep

Trail still covered in snow

Walking through a silent forest

Naked maples on a floor of white

Squirrel tracks to my left

Deer tracks to my right

Turning to a rising sun

Hands cold. Cheeks numb

Few sounds of singing birds

Few clues of spring to come

D. DeGraaf