September 15

The early morning sky is sunny with temperatures in the low 50’s as I hike east on a railroad track to Bush Creek where its water flows under me through acres of crop land. Next to the steep bank, I spot a funnel-shaped web made by an American Grass Spider (stock photo). This arachnid spends most of its time hidden in the web's funnel, emerging and moving rapidly to catch insects that land on the web. Nearby, I notice a patch of Beggarticks with their yellow blossoms. The "beggar" part of the name refers to people who might be walking through fields or areas where the plant grows and then having the seeds cling to their clothes.  The "tick" part of the name comes from the seeds' ability to stick like ticks. The seeds have barbed awns or hooks (stock photo) that grip surfaces, resembling the way a parasitic tick clings to its host. This plant has many common names that describe its seed-dispersal method, including Stick-tights, Pitchfork weed and Bur-marigolds. While examining one of the many orb webs clinging to the vegetation, I observe a 1-inch Banded Garden Spider. Female spiders produce over 1,000 eggs that overwinter in egg sacs attached to vegetation. In the spring, the eggs hatch and young spiderlings disperse by ballooning in wind currents as the life cycle continues. A short distance away, I come upon a 2-inch Virginia Tiger Moth Caterpillar, crawling upside down while clinging to green stem with pairs of prolegs on its abdomen. These prolegs have small, hook-like structures called "crochets" at the tips, which help the caterpillar grip surfaces like leaves and stems. Also known as yellow wooly bears, these caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plants eventually emerging as white moths (stock photo). Turning around, I see blossoms of Wild Carrot as well as one that has lost its flowers and folded up into a seed-head. Knowing that these nest-like shapes provide habitat for insect larvae, I open up one of them to reveal a tiny, spotted larva of a Carrot-seed Moth (stock photo) These larvae feed on the flowers and developing seeds of plants in the parsley family, including dill, carrot, parsley, and fennel. Making my way back to the car, I spot a patch of Field Pepper Grass and also catch the glimpse of a bird perched on the railroad track that looks like a Savannah Sparrow, Finally, I reach the car and drive a short distance to M-46, turn right and pause on a road bridge to watch the creek flow downstream toward its confluence with the Pine River, some 8 miles NE of here. Also, I’m reminded that this once natural watercourse has been drastically altered to serve farmers at the expense of water quality and a thriving habitat for local flora and fauna.

Mid of September
Summer’s goodbye
Monarchs leave
Gone, geese that fly
Yellow drapes the fields
From oaks, acorns fall
Fawns continue to grow
Crows continue to caw
Seasons are changing
Maples showing red
Autumn coming soon
Nature moves ahead 

 

D.DeGraaf