March 17

It’s early morning with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 40’s, as I find myself in Mt. Pleasant’s, 46-acre, Veit’s Woods for my weekly nature hike. Following a narrow earthen trail, I’m greeted by the call of a Northern Cardinal, a faithful harbinger of the upcoming season. After crossing a boardwalk lined with leaf-less Red- Osier Dogwood shrubs, I pause at an Austrian Pine tree so see that some of its lower needles have turned yellow. The most likely cause is low soil moisture from long-term drought conditions. Up ahead, I spot a perching Black squirrel, before it scampers up a leaf-less branch. These squirrels are not a separate species, but rather a color variant of the eastern Gray squirrel. It’s evident that their population has increased around here over the past several years. Despite the dark color making it more visible to predators in the winter, it’s the dark fur retaining more heat that gives it a better chance to survive. While moving through a forest of mature, smooth-bark American Beech trees and coarse-bark Red Oak trees, I examine the leaf litter that confirms the proximity of these trees. Next, I come upon a puddle of water while my ears perk up to the distant call of a male Redwing blackbird. First of all, this puddle, referred to as “vernal pool” is an important breeding habitat for salamanders, frogs and toads. Secondly, the call of a male Redwing indicates he has return from his southerly migration and will be establishing a breeding territory before females arrive to mate.  Arriving at a high bank of the fast-flowing Chippewa River, I look at a listen to a mating pair of Canada Geese as they announce to other geese that this will be their nesting territory. During the egg-laying and hatching period, the pair will aggressively defend this part of the river. Nearby, two pair of Geese and one pair of Mallards catch my eye. Looking downstream, I watch flowing water move rapidly on the outside curve of this meandering river, creating a steep “cut bank”. Slower moving water on the inside of the meander has less energy, so it creates a “point bar” of sediment. Over time, the continued erosion on the outside and deposition on the inside causes the meander to migrate, or move, across the floodplain. As meanders migrate and grow, they can eventually cut off a loop of the river, creating an "oxbow lake". Turning away from the river and heading back to the car, I notice a Common Privet bush displaying. small, blue berries.. This fruit is mildly poisonous to humans and dogs causing extreme irritation to the hands, mouth and digestive track.

Frigid morning 

Sun shines bright

Last days of winter

Landscape not white

Bare branches

Shape the trees

Hanging catkins

Await the leaves

Track of a creature

Marks the ground

Searching for food

Has to be found

 

D. DeGraaf

March 10

The mid-day skies are partly sunny with temperatures in the upper 30’s and a SW wind, as I watch the water of Salt Creek flow through huge culverts under Blanchard Rd, just east of the village of Shepherd. While current maps label it “Salt Creek.”, maps in the 1800’s called it “Salt River”, which was also the name of the village that is now Shepherd. To the best of my knowledge, the term “salt” in the name has nothing to do with the salinity of the surface water, instead it refers to brine-rich aquifers and springs in this area where valuable chemicals were extracted. Following the creek bank north, I still see lots of ice covering the water. Exploring the floodplain, I spot a rosette of green leaves of an invasive Dame’s Rocket plant. This rosette represents the first year of two-year life cycle. In the second year, it's a tall plant with clusters of flowers (stock photo). On the ground, an Orange Milkcap mushroom displaying gills, catches my eye. Mushroom gills are thin, papery structures on the underside of the cap where spores are produced and released. Still hiking through the flood plain, I come upon Turkey Tail mushrooms stained with green algae. This coloration indicates these are false turkey tails. True turkey tails typically have minimal algae growth and appears more uniformly colored. Moving back to the creek’s edge, I watch the water flow gently between icy shores. In the distance, I see two Canada Geese walking and honking. Most likely a mating pair, they are seeking a nesting site. Mating pairs like these will stay together for life. If one member of a pair dies, the other goose usually finds another mate within the same breeding season. Turning around, I work my way back toward the car where, I notice a few spore stalks of Sensitive ferns and imagine the green fronds displayed next summer (stock photo). Before reaching the car, I cross a foot bridge and hike along the far shore where I can barely make out a Chipping Sparrow perched in the dense undergrowth. Early naturalists had a way of describing birds you just don’t see anymore. In 1929, Edward Forbush called the Chipping Sparrow “the little brown-capped pensioner of the dooryard and lawn, that comes about farmhouse doors to glean crumbs shaken from the tablecloth by thrifty housewives.” Continuing along the creek, I notice the ground is covered Cottonwood leaf litter. Looking up, I see the branches are displaying new leaf buds. These buds exude a reddish resinous sap that has medicinal compounds for making salves and oils to treat inflammation, pain, and soreness in muscles and joints. 

Spring starts to pull

Winter won’t let go

One warms the ground

Other returns the snow

One thaws the pond

Welcoming the geese

Other refreezes

Nesting efforts cease

One brings Redwings

Songs from the marsh

Other keeps the wind

Still blowing harsh

 

D. DeGraaf

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 

February 24

The mid-morning skies are mostly sunny with temperatures in the high 20’s ,as I trudge through 5-6 inch snow cover while exploring the grounds of the Runway Disc golf course, on the east side of Alma, next to the Pine River. Heading east toward the river, I notices lots of fresh deer tracts. Less noticeable are tracks of a Short-tail Shrew. These 4-inch, mole-like mammals (stock photo) are active day and night, making “runs” above ground or tunnels underground. Their diet includes insects, worms, birds, roots, nuts and fruits. To maintain their body temperature in the winter, they eat about 40% more food than at other times of the year.  Also, less noticeable are tracks of a Deer Mouse. These 3-inch rodents (stock photo) are nocturnal, and most active at twilight. They spend most of their time under snow in the winter, burrowing tunnels to travel between their nests and food sources. These tunnels help protect them from predators like foxes and birds. They eat a wide variety of foods, including seeds, nuts, fruits, and insects. Nearby, I’m surprised to see a small Juniper tree recently fed on by several deer. Usually its pungent fragrance, sharp prickly needles and bitter-tasting bark will keep them away. However, a shortage of regular food sources must be forcing them to feed on this tree. Further exploring the area, I come upon an open field with lots of dried seedheads of Spotted Knapweed, reminding me of what a large patch of these invasive plants look like when blooming (stock photo). After hiking under some tall White Pine trees while a Cardinal was singing, I come to the edge of the Pine River where lots of tracks crisscross the ice-covered water. Turning around and heading back to the car, I look afar at a White-tail deer staring back at me. Suddenly, it takes off, leaping over the snow-covered fairway. Being curious about the length of its leap, I find its tracks in the snow and estimate the distance at about 10 ft. Near the car, I spot a Wild Rose shrub with thorny branches, red hips and a strange looking hairy growth called a Mossy Rose Gall. While mostly harmless to the plant, these galls are an intricate ecosystem, created to house and sustain a complex world largely unnoticed. The life cycle involves a tiny wasp laying eggs on the plant, the eggs hatching and the feeding larvae triggering the plant to grow larger cells, eventually forming the mossy gall. The gall provides some protection from adverse weather, predators and parasites. After the larvae pupate in the gall, adult wasps emerge in the spring or summer. 

In the season of snow

When leaves disappear

You dart over branches

You display no fear

You scamper so fast

From tree to tree

You chatter above

You fascinate me

Creature of nature

In light of these days

Squirrel of the winter

I admire your ways

 

D. DeGraaf

February 17

The early morning sky is cloudy with frigid temperatures around 15 degrees as I stand on the St. Charles Rd bridge in the small village of Sumner and watch the ice-covered water of the Pine River flow south. From here the watercourse curves to the northeast and meanders about 10 miles before reaching Alma (stock photo). Moving along the snowy bank, I spot Muskrat tracks accompanied by a continual groove made by its dragging tail. While observing a patch of flowing water in midstream, I look down at the river’s edge to admire the ornate ice crystals. Following a trail through the flood plain, I find deer tracks crossing the ice-covered river among more patches of open water. Exploring the woodland away from the river, I come upon clusters of dried up seed capsules from a Golden Rain tree and think about what they looked like in the summer (stock photo). Nearby, I notice some dried seed heads of a Ninebark shrub. The name "ninebark" refers to its unique bark that peels away in layers, giving the appearance of multiple layers, although there are not actually nine distinct layers. Continuing along the trail, I gaze up to see both male and female catkins on a Tag Alder shrub. Then, I gaze down on the ground at a decomposing log where Bark Beetles made their tunnels. Some time ago, adult beetles bore through the bark where females laid eggs. Larvae hatched and fed on the bark and wood forming tunnels (stock photo) that eventually girdled and killed the tree. Working my way back to the car, I notice some circular shield lichens growing on a maple trunk. The health of these foliose lichens are good indicators of air quality. Further along, the red catkins from a large female Red Maple tree catch my eye. Some maples, like Red Maples, are what we might call “gender fluid.” A tree that’s been female for years might one year produce some male flowers as well while a male tree some years might decide to bear female flowers. Back to the car, I pause to imagine the early history of this village when George S. Bell from Ohio, among the first settlers arrived in 1854, bought land where a store and sawmill were built. The sawmill (stock photo) operated by using flowing Pine River water to spin a large wheel connected to a spinning saw blade that cut logs into lumber. In the early days, when logs and lumbering were the mainstay of Sumner's economy, Joseph Fitzpatrick owned and operated a sawmill, a block off the main street. Logs were brought in by truck, and lumber sold to various places, including Lobdell-Emery in Alma, when they were in the furniture business.

Daybreak in February 

Ends the frigid night

Nature opens her eyes

In dawn’s early light

Gone, birds of summer

Butterflies, out of sight

North wind prevails

Gone, bees in flight

A quiet morning hike

For me is just right

 

D. DeGraaf

 

February 10

A frigid north wind and temperatures in the mid 20’s greet me as I stand on the Washington Rd. bridge and look down at a wide, icy, snow-covered channel of the Bad River. Looking up, I spot an old, 4-inch long nest of a Baltimore Oriole hanging from leafless tree branches. Suspended like a basketball net, this nest stands out from any other North American bird’s. With hundreds of thin, intertwined fibers, the seemingly delicate cradle can carry up to seven eggs and last for months beyond its intended purpose—a testament to the skill and dedication of female Orioles. The only reason why there aren’t dozens of old nests hanging from the trees is because oftentimes the material from the old nest is recycled to make a new one. Following a deer trail over the wooded flood plain, I come upon a Box Elder tree with large branches that have been stripped of their bark by a chiseling Pileated Woodpecker. This woodpecker was feeding on the ¼ inch grubs of Power Post Beetles. The tiny holes seen in the wood are exit holes where adult beetles have chewed out of the wood after completing their development. (stock photo). Next, I come upon a large Eastern Cottonwood trunk with a very unusual knot hole at the base that almost appears to be man-made. These abnormal growths are often referred to as "burls," which are caused by stress factors like injury, insect damage, or environmental stress. Up ahead, I see a pile of dark brown pea-size pellets in the snow. This dry form of deer scat is typical in the winter when they have less water in their diet, However, in the summer with better access to water, deer scat can appear as soft, clumped masses. (stock photo) Turning around to observe the bridge, I notice the river to be about 30 ft wide as it passes under. Making my way back up onto the road, I glance at the far bank where I spot a Red-osier Dogwood shrub with its crimson-colored branches. This is one of several plants referred to as “kinnikinik” by American Indians for its use as a tobacco substitute. The inner bark of young stems was split and scraped into threads and toasted over a fire before being mixed with real tobacco. For centuries, humans have also used the hard wood of dogwood for basketry, wicker, farm implements, and weaving shuttles. Back to the car, I drive a short distance and stop on the Woodbridge Rd bridge where the Bad River continue its journey eastward. Having completed my 6^th encounter with this watercourse, it appears I’m about a third of the way from beginning to end (stock photo)

Tracks in snow

Let me know

You walked last night

O’er fields of white

Your hooves reveal

You found a meal

Nocturnal creature

Favorite of nature

Deer of the forest

It’s time to rest

 

D. DeGraaf

February 3

It’s early morning with temperatures in the low 30’s, under mostly cloudy skies as I pause on the Pierce Rd. bridge and look north at a 10 ft-wide channel of the Bad River, covered with a thin layer of slushy ice. In the water right below the bridge, I observe a small school of 2-3 inch minnows swimming upstream. In all, there are more than 50 species of minnows found across our Great Lakes waterways. A variety of shiners, daces, minnows, and chubs offer examples of the small silvery fish that we commonly think of when we say ‘minnow.’ (stock photo). Proceeding north, I look across at the far bank to see what appears to be a snow slide made by a river Otter. Like gleeful kids, this playful mammal likes to slide down the slope and skid across the ice-covered channel. Down in the water, I notice another small school of minnows swimming downstream. Minnows, like many other fish school by using a combination of senses to navigate and maintain their position within the group.  They have pressure-sensitive pores along their bodies called the lateral line. This line allows them to feel the vibrations created by other fish, which helps them maintain their position. They use their eyes to see where their neighbors are and what they're doing. Also, they use their sense of smell to detect chemical signals in the water that help them find and coordinate with other fish. Trudging along the bank, I feel a strong gust of wind and then hear the steady "whooshing/swishing" noise from the rotation of huge blades of a nearby wind turbine. This noise can negatively impact wildlife by disrupting mechanisms that crucial for their survival. In particular, it can reduce predator/prey behavior in some or cause them to flee the affected area, leading to habitat loss. This low-frequency sound and audible noise of a turbine can interfere with communication among many bird species, especially during courtship and nesting, Overall, noise like this alters animals’ communities and contributes to a decline of an ecosystem. Turning away from the river, I proceed back toward the car through an adjoining woodland where I come upon some yellow-stained snow from Whitetail urine. Depending on the deer's sex, reproductive status, and season, its urine contains compounds like creatinine, urea, electrolytes, and various organic acids, During breeding season, buck urine contains higher concentrations of pheromones which are crucial for attracting females. It is also used to mark territory. Doe urine is used to attract bucks during the rutting season.  

Drifting snow grips the meadow

Old man winter has come to stay

Silence sweeps the forest edge

All the redwings have gone away

North wind brings arctic air

Ice conceals a verdant pond

Muskrats hide in their mounds

A crow calls from far beyond

In the midst of a cedar swamp

Sheltered from the bitter chill

Steam rising from its nostrils

A Whitetail deer stands still 

 

D. DeGraaf