October 14

This morning, I’m greeted by sunny skies, chilly temperatures and a gusty west breeze as I begin my hike in the 17-acre, Mill Pond Natural Area, one of the newest preserves owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. After pausing to watch the Chippewa River flow east toward the rising sun, I make my way along the shore where I spot Raccoon tracks in the mud and dozens of tiny Whirligigs darting over the water surface. Up ahead, I notice a Mallard drake swimming upstream and a 1-inch, male Autumn Meadow Hawk dragonfly basking on a large flat rock. Turning away from the water into the floodplain, I spot several patches of dried stalks of the notorious Garlic Mustard plant that had previously foliated and flowered (stock photo). This species has become one of Michigan’s most invasive weeds, rapidly dominating the forest floor while destroying woodland habitat for many plants and animals. One mother plant can produce thousands of seeds that may remain viable for up to 10 years and while growing, its lateral roots are spreading rapidly, producing chemicals in the soil that repel native plants. Nearby, I come upon some fresh edible and favorable fungi called, Chicken-of-the-woods. Next, I pause to observe a never-before-seen shrub called, Black Jetbead with its fruit clusters. Rarely seen in Michigan, this plant is known to invade forested areas, creating a thick shrub layer which can displace native shrubs and shade out understory species. The berries are highly toxic to humans and can be fatal if eaten. Symptoms, include difficulty breathing, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, abdominal pains, vomiting, spasms, convulsions, coma and respiratory failure. Hiking over the dry, crunchy leaf litter, I look up to see a Catalpa tree with its large leaves and foot-long seed pods. These trees are the sole source of food for catalpa worms—caterpillars that feed on the foliage (stock photo). These 2-3 -inch long worms are valued as fish bait whereas some fishermen plant the trees solely for this purpose. Eventually the caterpillar turns into a Catalpa Sphinx moth (stock photo). Nearing the car, I look up to observe the leaves of a never-before-seen tree, called a Chestnut Oak. Rarely seen this far north, this species of oak gets its name from Chestnut-like leaf structure. A closer observation reveals the presence of a round Bullet Gall on one of the leaves. This growth occurs after a tiny female wasp deposits an egg on the leaf. Subsequently, the spherical gall grows around the developing larva (stock photo).

Coo of a dove

Or propeller above

Buzz of the bees

Or blower of leaves

Babbling streams

Or siren that screams

Killdeer afar

Or muffler-less car

Sandhill cranes

Or low-flying planes

Hammering nails

Or tranquil trails

 

D. DeGraaf

October 7

The morning is sunny with temperatures in the low 40’s as I find myself in the Maple River State Game Area, hiking along the bank of the Maple River, as water vapor rises from its surface. As one of few area water courses that flows east to west, this river begins its journey some 60 miles northeast of here, near the town of Owosso and then flows southwest from here another 14 miles where it empties into the Grand River in the village of Muir. Walking east on a dirt road toward the rising sun, I’m surrounded by large Poison climbing Ivy plants, displaying their thick, hairy vines, their colorful leaves and their ¼-inch ripe berries. Birds and mammals eat this fruit and excrete the seeds. Birds may also spread the seeds by regurgitation. However, because all parts of this plant contains a potent allergen, human contact often causes severe itching and blistering of the skin. Walking along the water’s edge, I spot several 3-inch Mussel shells. These bivalve mollusks are filter feeders that eat algae, bacteria and diatoms. In addition, they remove impurities, sequestering heavy metals, and even removing pharmaceuticals and bacteria such as E. coli. Based on the numerous Mussel shells and Raccoon tracks I observe together along the muddy shore, it appears these mammals forage mussels as a main food source (stock photo). Other predators, include birds, otters and muskrats. Empty mussel shells are a refuge for crayfish, snails and fish. Near my feet, I examine the mother-of-pearl inner shells displaying concentric rings. While foresters can look at tree rings to measure its age and learn about the climate and conditions of a forest over many years, limnologists can determine the age of mussels by counting these rings and make observations about long-term stream health. Near the shore, I notice a dense patch of Duckweed with the head of a 3-inch Green frog poking through. Noting that the size of the circular patch (ear drum) behind the eye is similar to the eye, I conclude it’s a female. Males, on the other hand, have eardrums larger than their eyes (stock photo). While frogs don’t eat Duckweed, it is an important food source for aquatic waterfowl and fish. While this tiny, fast-growing plant can completely cover surfaces of ponds, lakes and rivers, blocking sunlight, depleting oxygen and killing submerged wildlife, it can also be used for bioremediation of waterways with excessive amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen from agricultural runoff. Harvesting duckweed (stock photo)can remove these pollutants and provide valuable livestock feed or fertilizer. 

Autumn days ahead

Mother Nature slows

Redwings have left

Goldenrod shows

Cicadas in concert

Blue Heron wades

Asters in bloom

Greenery fades

October rises

Maple leaves fall

Canopy opens

Snow geese call

 

D. DeGraaf.

September 30

The early morning sky is partly cloudy with temperatures in the low 50’s and a westerly breeze as I begin hiking on the paved Meijer Heartland trail, east from Academy Rd. in Montcalm County. As autumn commences, seasonal changes in foliage color that catch my eye, include Staghorn Sumac, Virginia Creeper and Cinnamon fern. Looking down on the paved trail, it was easy to make out the size and shape of Aspen leaves and leaflets of Green Ash. Looking more closely on Milkweed plants, I first notice a Harvestman resting on a leaf and then a Cluster fly and a Green Bottle fly resting on a seedpod. Continuing east, I glance skyward to see a quarter moon appear next to the short green needles and small brown cones on branches of a Tamarack tree. While these needles are still green, it won’t be long before they all turn brown and drop to the earth. While most conifer trees are evergreen, Tamaracks are a rare exception. On either side of the trail, I observe seedpods of St. John’s wort and Hemp Dogbane as well as nutlets of Basswood. Further ahead, as the morning sun appears, I enter the Vestaburg State Game area where I spot a stand of 10-ft tall stalks of Phragmites with their wispy seed heads swaying in the breeze. Many cattail stands within the state game area have been choked out by this highly invasive reed. Near the 1 ½ mile turn-around, I pause at the edge of a pond and get a close look at the head of a Green frog next to a lily pad. Like other frogs, these amphibians have well developed senses. Their bulging eyes allow them to see in many directions. The round spot behind the eye is used for hearing (stock photo). This specialized patch of tissue vibrates when sound waves hit it. The vibrations are then transferred to the frog’s brain where there interpreted. Nearby, I watch some Milkweed bugs crawling among the dried out pods and flossy seeds of Milkweed. Turning around and heading west, I look up to watch the leaves of an Aspen tree “quake” with the mild breeze. Near the ground, the breeze sways the flossy seeds of Old Man’s Beard while a noisy Blue Jay calls out. Continuing west, colorful blossoms that capture my attention, include Tickseed Sunflower, Flat-top Aster and the highly invasive, Spotted Knapweed.  Up ahead, I observe the scale-like needles and pale blue berries of a Red Cedar tree as well as the white berries of Gray Dogwood. Near the car, I pause on the edge of a small pond to watch a swimming muskrat and notice a hybrid species of cattail with brown, female flower spikes 12-inches long, twice as long as native species. 

Late in September

Summer falls asleep

Lady Autumn awakes

In the forest deep

Quaking Aspen leaves

Litter the muddy ground

Most are pale yellow

A few, spotted brown

Beside a peaceful glade

Ferns give up their green

On the meandering creek

Mallards can be seen

 

D. DeGraaf

September 23

The early morning temperatures are in the mid 50’s while the sun shines bright in a cloudless sky as I hike on private land, a few miles north of Sumner, MI. Overhead, I see some Red Maple leaves are changing colors with the season, while at my feet, I notice a resting, 1-inch Meadow Grasshopper. Entering an open field ahead, in the distance, I spot an Eastern Phoebe perching on a plant stalk. Continuing to explore the area, I first come upon yellow blossoms of Gray Goldenrod and then a circular web where a small spider, called a Spotted Orbweaver hangs upside down in the center, waiting for prey. The web is made of non-sticky silk lines that nearly intersect in the middle and sticky concentric silk lines that extend to the center. This spider species eats flying insects that get caught in its web, such as beetles, moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, and damselflies. When an insect is trapped, the spider rushes to bite and paralyze it, then wraps it in silk. Nearby, I come upon a never-before-seen plant, called Carolina Horsenettle with sharp prickles on its stem and a few nearly-ripe olive-size berries. This invasive, noxious weed spread northward to Michigan from southeastern US. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and livestock, if consumed. Also, the sharp prickly stems can cause mechanical mouth and esophageal injury to foraging livestock. Entering a nearly-dry wetland, I first notice blue blossoms of Swamp Aster and then watch a Turkey Vulture descend and perch high in a leafless tree. From a distance, I determine it’s a female, since she does not have a red head. As a defense mechanism, these birds may vomit on another bird, animal, or human that gets too close. Considering what they eat, this can be a powerful weapon. When it’s hot outside, they will defecate on their feet to cool off. Their stomach acid is extremely acidic, so they can digest just about anything. This also allows them to eat carcasses tainted with anthrax, tuberculosis and rabies without getting sick. By taking care of the carrion, vultures provide an essential service for the health of our ecosystems. Without them, carcasses would accumulate and diseases would spread from rotting flesh. Heading back toward the car, I pass a small pond, a fawn carcass and then pause to observe some fall-blooming white flowers of Old Field Aster, also referred to as Hairy Aster or Frost Aster.

From trail afoot

To sky afar

Our daily light

Our neighbor star

Season to season

Summer’s curtain call

Magnifico Sol

Welcome to fall

Earthly orbit

Never to end

Another year

Back again

 

D. DeGraaf

September 16

The late morning sky is sunny with temperatures in the upper 60’s and a gentle westerly breeze as I begin hiking in Forest Hill Nature Area. Proceeding through a meadow, blanketed in yellow blossoms of Goldenrod, my ears perk up to a loud chorus of insects, including the continual trill of Tree crickets (stock photo). These rarely-seen, delicate, lime-green insects are a far cry from the sights and sounds of ground-based, dark-colored field crickets (stock photo). Moving to the muddy shore of a nearly-dried up, vernal pond, I spot a ½ inch Marsh Rams-horn snail shell. This gastropod is a detritivore, grazing on decaying plants, dead organism and algae. They also play a role in the aquatic food web by serving as prey for fish, turtles and birds. Following an earthen trail, the bright red fruit on a Winterberry shrub catches my eye. While many mammals and bird eat these berries, they are considered toxic to humans.. Ingestion of the fruit is known to cause dizziness, stomach pain, nausea and low blood pressure. Looking up, I spot an oak tree where some leaves are curled and covered with bumps, a condition called Jumping Oak Gall. Caused by a very tiny wasp (stock photo) that laid eggs in leaf buds, each pinhead-size gall contains a developing larva that eventually falls to the earth. Fallen galls are sometimes observed to “jump” due to vigorous movements of larvae within each gall. Further ahead, I pause and scan a large wetland as a loud Blue Jay adds to the sound effects. Looking near shore, I spot a 6-inch Painted Turtle basking on a log. These reptiles have few predators. However, skunks, raccoons and foxes may eat the eggs from their subterranean nests. They are diurnal, being most active in the morning. At night they may sleep at the bottom of a pond or on a partially submerged rock. Painted turtles hibernate at the bottom of a pond during the winter to avoid extremely cold temperatures. Turning back toward the car, I first see a colorful Autumn Meadow-hawk dragonfly. These insects feed on small, soft-bodied invertebrates that they spot from a perch and then fly out and “hawk” from the air. Nearby, I notice a Viceroy butterfly, perched on a folded-up, flowerhead of Queen Anne’s Lace. Unlike a similar-looking Monarch, this insect does not migrate. Instead, it will spend the winter in a caterpillar stage (stock photo), rolling itself up in a leaf. When the temperature warms in spring, it will leave the leaf shelter, resume feeding on willows and poplars, pupate and finally emerge as a butterfly. 

September days unfold

Way it’s always been

Mother Nature artist

Dips her brush again

On the forest canvas

Dabs of orange and red

Among leaves of maple

Some yellow is spread

In the open meadow

Prairie grasses seen

Late summer palette

Few strokes of green

 

D. DeGraaf

September 9

The early morning air is cool with temperatures in the mid 40’s while I face the rising sun, hiking through private wooded property near the northern border of Gratiot County. Along the trail, I notice tall Canadian Goldenrod plants with their spreading stems of yellow flowers growing beside the shorter, Flat-top Goldenrod plants with their bushy yellow flowers and lance-like leaves. Also, growing among the Goldenrod are Ragweed plants with their stalks of green flowers. While Goldenrod pollen gets the blame for seasonal allergies, including itchy eyes and runny nose, the culprit is actually the less-noticeable Ragweed. Both plants grow in similar habitats and bloom at the same time. However, Goldenrod flowers produce large, heavy pollen grains carried by insects while Ragweed flowers produce small, lightweight pollen spread by the wind.  A single Ragweed plant is capable of producing over a billion pollen grains that can blow for miles. Up ahead, I pause to watch a Monarch Butterfly perching on white blossoms of Boneset, opening and closing its wings to sun-dry them. Upon a closer look, I determine it’s a Viceroy Butterfly due to its smaller size and presence of a black line on the hindwing, not found on a Monarch. Unlike Monarchs, Viceroys do not migrate. Their caterpillars grow on willows instead of Milkweed and can survive winter. Viceroys are Monarch mimics. Since Monarchs are toxic, any mammal or bird that might wish to take a bite will regret the decision. Because Viceroys have similar bright flashy colors, it warns predators to leave them alone as well. Approaching a large pond, I watch a Whitetail doe on the far shore looking at me and then giving out a warning call as she darts into the woods. Exploring the pond perimeter, I first spot a couple of tiny instars of Milkweed Bugs crawling on seed pods of a Common Milkweed plant and then pods of a Swamp Milkweed plant, some splitting open to reveal their white flossy seeds while others are covered with tiny orange oleander aphids. Turning back toward the car, my attention is drawn to a nearby pine tree where I hear the call of a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Next, my ears perk up to a “chipping” sound coming from the underbrush. Upon further investigation, I determine it originates from an Eastern Chipmunk rather than a similar sound of a Northern Cardinal. Hiking along and pausing to look skyward, I spot long female cones hanging from tall Norway Spruce trees while at my feet, I can barely see a 3-inch Leopard Frog well-hidden in the grass. 

Swan song of summer

Nature has her way

Swallows are swarming

Wish they could stay

Queen Anne’s Lace

Fold up their flowers

Meadow shines golden

In daylight hours

Fungi are frequent

Berries abound

Frogs of the marsh

Surrender their sound

 

D. DeGraaf

September 2

Guided by fellow outdoorsman, Jerry Baker, we begin our hike along the bank of Ferris Creek Drain (“Trout Creek” to locals) in northwest Montcalm County. The morning sky is overcast with temperatures in the mid 60’s as we watch the water flow through a patch of green, leafy Water Cress plants while listening to an orthopterans chorus of crickets, grasshoppers and katydids. Watercress is widely cultivated and commonly used as a salad green. It’s a member of the mustard family which, include vegetables such as collard greens and kale as well as the invasive weed, garlic mustard. On the muddy bank, I can barely make out a two-inch, resting Northern Leopard Frog. This common amphibian can either be brown or green in color (stock photo). The persistence of two colors through its large North American range suggests a balance of evolutionary forces. Up ahead, I spot a cluster of brown bullet galls on the branch of a young Bur Oak tree. Each ½ inch, round, woody growth once contained the larva of a tiny wasp (stock photo) that developed from an egg laid on the branch. As with the vast majority of stem galls on oaks, they cause no appreciable harm to the health of the host tree. Further along, I come upon the ripe, edible red berries of Autumn Olive and the toxic red berries of Jack-in-the-Pulpit that are poisonous to humans and animals. Next to the creek, I scan a meadow, colored yellow with Canadian Goldenrod blossoms where I first spot a perching Cabbage White Butterfly and then follow the flight of a 1-½ inch Bush Katydid, as it lands. Katydids get their name from the 'true katydids', whose nighttime chirps sound like "ka-ty-did". However, other species make different noises, so these insects are better referred to as Bush-Crickets. They can, and do, shed a limb in the event of a predator attack. Although the lost limb will never grow back, it can still hop and fly with only one leg, Following an earthen trail back toward the car, I come upon a patch of immature Giant Puffball mushrooms, ranging from 8-12 inches in diameter. These fungi grow quickly, sometimes more than doubling in size overnight. At this stage, it is solid, white and quite edible, raw or cooked. Some say they have no real taste of their own and just absorb the flavors around them. However, I describe their taste as rich, earthy, and nutty. Overripe puffballs (stock photo) turn a powdery green or brown and are no longer edible. Nearing the car, white blossoms of Wild Clematis (Virgin’s Bower) and pastel blossoms of Sky-blue Aster, catch my eye.

Wildlife wonders

Geese in a flock

Turtles on logs

Lichens on rock

Chicory blue

Wild carrot white

Cawing Crows 

Black as night

Meadow aroma

White sweet clover

Celebrating nature

Summer’s not over

 

D. DeGraaf