July 11

Monday, while still vacationing on Beaver Island without Remi, I hiked in the 285-acre Barney’s Lake Nature Preserve, located on the northeast side of the island. The early morning weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 64 degrees and a light breeze. Exiting the car, I began hiking on a little-used, muddy trail along the north shore of Barney’s Lake where I heard the distant wail of a Common Loon. Soon after, I spotted the aquatic bird (not a true duck) floating far off in the lake. I continued west along the lush shoreline where I spotted blossoms of Canadian Thistle, St. Johns wort and Swamp Candle flower. Just ahead, I noticed a mother Mallard and her chicks swimming out from the shore. Also, beyond the reeds, the loon I saw earlier was swimming with her two chicks. Hugging the trail were Juniper shrubs displaying bluish seed cones and a perching, inch-long, Short-horned grasshopper while on a white cedar branch was a resting, Beaverpond Baskettail Dragonfly. Down on the water’s edge, I stooped to see a small, Two-ridge Rams-horn snail shell. Suddenly, from the opposite shore, I heard the piercing yodel of the father Loon calling his mate as she swam toward him with her chicks. Next. I left the shore and climbed a steep bank into a wooded area where I saw thick foliose lichens growing on some dead cedar branches. Turning east toward my starting point, I came upon a patch of Large Hop Clover. Approaching the car, I paused to observe a Wood Nymph Butterfly perched in an apple tree. Finally, I found the car and headed back to our rental at Lookout Point.

Wisdom from nature’s tales

Hiking one of the island trails

Far beyond, bird so small

To my ears, a haunting call

Swimming among cattail reeds

Chicks follow, mother leads

Middle of a distant cove

Seeking fish, the father dove

Placid lake, among the dunes

Observing a family of loons

D. DeGraaf

July 5

Tuesday, Remi remained in Alma while I vacationed on Beaver Island and hiked in the Gull Harbor Natural Area, a 25-acre preserve on the northeast end of the island. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 64 degrees and a steady lake breeze from the southwest. Leaving the car, I immediately spotted a Herring Gull perched on a rock 30 yards off shore in Lake Michigan. I then headed north on a path through a wooded corridor of mostly White Cedar, White Spruce and Tamarack. On the ground, I noticed patches of Northern Bedstraw and Indian Paint brush. As the trail curved east, I paused to observe an area now flooded by Lake Michigan water that has risen dramatically in the past year. Exploring the shoreline, I came across a snake shed. Based on its size and habitat location, it most likely came from a Northern Water Snake. Further ahead, I spotted a few flowery stalks of Bugloss and yellow blossoms of Ragwort. While turning around and retracing my steps, I noticed several blossoms of Bladder Campion with their bulbous calyx. A layer of air inside the calyx insulates the flower’s more delicate inner parts from heat. The flower’s petals can lose their water content during the day and wilt, but in the evening they return to normal and start to secrete a pleasant, clove-like fragrance that attracts moths and night butterflies. Finally, I got back to the car and headed to our rental house nearby.

Gulls in my view

Sand in my track

Lake Michigan

Welcomes me back

Milkweed blossoms

Monarch Butterfly

Water snake

Slithers by

Yellow Primrose

Purple Beach Pea

Nature’s wonders

My eyes to see

D. DeGraaf

June 28

Tuesday, Remi and I traveled 30 miles northwest of Alma to hike in the Hall’s Lake Natural Area, 140 acres of land off Broomfield Rd. owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. The early morning weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 57 degrees and gusty winds out of the north. We left the car and hiked north into the Kabana Preserve when suddenly a strong gust of wind blew through the leafy canopy disturbing the peaceful forest landscape. Turning west and following the Lakeshore trail, I paused to watch an American Redstart guarding a nest of hatchlings. Further along, I entered Schaftenaar Preserve and hiked over Sofie’s swamp where, after hearing several calls of Pileated Woodpeckers, I spotted one on the ground ahead of me. Nearby, I also noticed a well-worn snag with several holes made by these large birds. Soon after turning around and beginning to retrace my steps, I looked far off to my right where some pink blossoms of wild Rose caught my eye. Next, I took the Hilltop Loop up to where I could barely see Hall’s Lake through the dense foliage. Also, from there I enjoyed the choral duet of a Northern Cardinal and a Red-eyed Vireo. Back on the Lakeshore Trail, I proceeded into scenic Neely Preserve where I spotted a patch of Fan Club Moss on the ground. Looping back toward the parking area, I noticed some new trail signage authored by local naturalist, Doug Valek. Finally, we got back to the car and headed home.

Dawn of summer

Neath a mackerel sky

Hiking a forest edge

Jewelwings flutter by

Blanket of ferns

In a scenic glade

Breaking silence

Vireos serenade

Shadows cross below

Turkey Vultures glide

Remi right behind

Nature by my side

D. DeGraaf

June 20

Monday, Remi and I returned to Conservation Park, next to the Pine River in Alma for our annual solstice hike. The early evening weather was mostly sunny with a temperature of 86 degrees and a stiff breeze out of the west. We left the car and headed west on a paved trail sprinkled with white blossoms that had fallen from an overhanging Catalpa tree. Near the river’s edge, a Hedge Bindweed blossom had closed up for the evening while a Honeybee fed on a Dogwood blossom. As the trail moved inland, I spotted an American Beech tree with a bur-like husk that contains the nut. Turning south, the earthen trail took me through a mature Oak-Maple forest where I paused at exactly 6:34pm to face the sun as it once again crossed the celestial equator to begin summer in the northern hemisphere. Leaving the woods, I stopped to observe a seldom-seen, American Redstart as it perched in a dead Ash tree and sang away. Along the edge of a small field, I spotted a perching Viceroy butterfly followed by several Odonatae including a Common Blue Damselfly, a 12-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly and a well-camouflaged, Green Darner Dragonfly. Also, the bright red fruit of Red Elderberry caught my eye. Turning east and then north, I wandered through a small native prairie where I saw a patch of Butterfly weed, soon to blossom and a Hoverfly feeding within a patch of False Sunflowers. Walking along the edge of a well-hidden, vernal pond, I caught a glimpse of a Green Frog resting near shore. Finally, we completed the loop back to the car for the short trip home.

Sun of the earth

Star of the sky

Glad you’re back

Your place on high

Your light is life

Your heat is too

Celestial neighbor

I welcome you

Today is your day

This time of year

Summer solstice

The season is here

D. DeGraaf

June 16

Thursday, Remi and I traveled 26 miles southeast of Alma to hike the Fox Ridge Trail located off Grant Rd. in a section of the Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area, east of Ashley. The early morning weather was overcast and hazy with a temperature of 66 degrees and no wind. We left the car and headed north on a two-track through an open field dotted with blossoms of Yarrow, Cow Vetch and Birdsfoot Trefoil. While unsuccessfully searching for Monarch Caterpillars on the many Milkweed plants, I spotted a mating pair of Japanese beetles on one of them. As the trail continued into a mature oak-maple forest, I noticed the understory was dominated by Tag Alders and Bracken ferns as well as a few Sassafras saplings. On one of the ferns, a resting White Wave Moth caught my eye while the condition of a few White Oak leaves indicated they were being eaten by an Oak Skeletonizer caterpillar. Most people recognize this green larva when it hangs down from a tree on a single silken thread. Later it will turn into a tiny moth. Continuing through the forest, I noticed a type of edible fungi called, “Chicken of the woods” growing on a fallen log. Next, I followed the trail as it turned east and paused to scan a large wetland. Nearby, I saw a patch of Cinnamon ferns with their cinnamon-colored, spore-producing fronds from which they get their name as well as ground cover that included Wintergreen, Bog Blueberry and Whorled Yellow Loosestrife. The pond’s edge was teeming with small frogs that quickly hopped in the water before I could identify, let alone photograph them. Finally, we turned around and retraced our steps back to the car for our journey home.

Another week, another hike

What will my journey be like

Will I see a pheasant in flight

Or will it be hidden from sight

Will I find a blossom so fair

Or will there be nothing there

Will I hear a songbird’s call

Or will there be none at all

Nothing to fret, nothing to fear

No matter what, nature is near

D. DeGraaf