May 5

For my 11^th encounter with the North Branch of the Bad River, I’m 7 miles west of Saginaw County’s village of St Charles, watching its water flow quietly through a greening landscape. The early morning sky is sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s and a stiff west wind as I take in the sights and sounds along the bank. At my feet, I see patches of Ground Ivy with their tiny purple, tubular blossoms. Also known as Creeping Charlie, this perennial plant is native to Eurasia but has become naturalized in North America. Its leaves and stems release a strong, minty odor when crushed. They also have a slightly bitter flavor and can be used in soups, salads, or as a flavoring in dishes. Their blossoms provide nectar for pollinators, particularly bees, during the early spring when few other plants are in bloom. Ground Ivy can be toxic to some livestock, especially horses, if consumed in large quantities. Exploring the river’s edge, I first spot some Raccoon tracks in the mud when suddenly a noisy Belted Kingfisher flies in front of me. This amazing bird (stock photo) nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving into the river to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. Further along the shore, I barely see a perching Song Sparrow and then pause to hear a Robin while watching flowers on a female Box Elder tree sway in the breeze. Female trees are the only ones to produce clusters of winged seeds later in the year. Back on the flood plain, I spot blossoms of Sweet White and Woodland Violets as well as a young edible Pheasant Back mushroom growing in the crevasse of a tree trunk. Nearby, I come upon one of many fertile stems of Field Horsetail.  This plant is part of one of the most primitive living plant families in the world. Dating back to the Carboniferous Period (354–290 million years ago), the ancestors of horsetail were tree-size and dominated the landscape, ultimately transforming into coal deposits found today. A perennial relative of ferns, it has many common names including scouring rush, meadow-pine and snake-grass. Later in the season the stem will become sterile and look like miniature pine trees (stock photo). After taking one last look at the scenic river as the morning sun reflects off the water, I proceed toward the car, where I observe branches of an Austrian Pine tree displaying 5-inch, stiff needles,  female flowers, new male pollen cones and old female seed cones.

Stage is set

Opening scene 

Curtain rises

Trees hint green

Nature takes her place

Moving through spring

Her violets bloom

Amphibians sing

Back from the south

Right on cue

Swooping the river

Swallows of blue

 

D. DeGraaf