May 26

The early afternoon weather has temperatures in the low 50’s, cloudy skies and a steady north wind as John Clark, a longtime friend and mentor, and I begin exploring Ithaca Schools’ Outdoor Education Area. While teaching science for 30-some years in Ithaca, John played a vital role in acquiring and developing this property for district students to visit and learn about the natural world. Shortly after entering a woodland of mature Beech and Maple trees, we come upon a familiar wood-decaying fungus called Chicken-of-the-Woods. This edible mushroom can be fried, sautéed, grilled, or baked. It's often compared to the taste and texture of chicken. We then follow a sign to a small pond named in honor of John. Continuing to explore the area, we spot a resting Chipmunk, some Morning Star Sedge and a Sensitive Fern. Up ahead, we observe white blossoms of Silky Dogwood and Maple-leaf Viburnum. On the ground, we spot a 3-inch female flower that fell from a nearby Quaking Aspen tree. These flowers appear as dangling clusters called catkins (stock photo) before the leaves appear. Up ahead, we come upon the base of an invasive Oriental Bittersweet vine. We then observe one of its vines as it tightly wraps itself around the limb of nearby tree. This often girdles and kills these younger trees as the hard woody vine constricts the trunk.  The vine will climb anything it can wrap itself around, and it grows very quickly. This makes smaller understory tree species, and shrubs particularly vulnerable to these vines.  They continue to climb in search of the canopy while they increase in diameter and put out more leaves, shading out the leaves of the host tree. A single vine can grow as thick as an adult person’s forearm. Further ahead, we spot the rough-looking trunks of a couple of Shagbark Hickory trees. Looking up, we notice some newly forming leaves from one of the trees displaying tiny, multi-colored growths called Hickory Midge Galls. These galls are caused by the feeding and development activities of midge larvae (stock photo). Although infested leaves have abnormal growth and less photosynthetic capabilities, the tree itself is rarely harmed. Heading toward the car, we come upon a decaying log displaying brown-rot. A selective degradation by a certain species of fungi results in a reddish-brown, crumbly appearance of the affected wood. Near the car, we notice a Motherwort plant with its star-shaped leaves. This summer it will produce a stalk of delicate flowers (stock photo).

 

From a verdant meadow

From the forest ground

From trees on high

Jewels are found

Some bright yellow

Others white and blue

Some mostly red

Others, a purple hue

Colorful displays

To earth they cling

Nature’s gems

Blossoms of spring

 

D. DeGraaf 

May 19

The sky is cloudy with temperatures in the mid 60’s, as Caroline, Riley and I start our midmorning nature hike at Lumberjack Park, near the village of Riverdale. Right away, I come upon a wildflower that I’ve never seen before. Called Grape Hyacinths, these plants are native to southeastern Europe and Turkey. However because of their popularity as garden plants and their ability to naturalize, they are now found here in the USA and many other parts of the world. The flowers and buds are edible for humans, but not the bulbs. The flowers can be infused in beverages or used to add a grape-like flavor to dishes. Exploring the ground, I notice the unique leaf shape of a Bloodroot plant. As the name implies, the roots of these plants contain a blood-red juice (stock photo). Native Americans used this juice as a valuable dye for coloring baskets, clothing, and war paint. Heading north on a boardwalk, we cross a shallow wetland lined with Skunk Cabbage and Pennsylvania Sedge. Turning east, we walk on the edge of Mud Creek where I spot some blossoms of Wild Strawberry that rarely bear fruit because of difficulties in pollination. Turning north, we follow a path lined with towering Red and While Pine trees whose dead needles cover the ground. Making it to a high bank of the Pine River, we rest on a bench to take in the scenic riparian landscape. Continuing west through a corridor of leafing-out trees, we are serenaded by a noisy Blue Jay. Up ahead, I come upon a colony of May apple plants, some displaying their lovely white  blossoms. After pollination, the fruit, a green “apple” develops and ripens to a golden yellow. (stock photo). When ripe, the walnut-size fruit is edible with a distinctive flavor described as a combination of pineapple, Starburst candy, and passion fruit, with a hint of citrus and berry. However, it is rarely found before it is most often consumed by wildlife like deer, raccoons, squirrels, and turtles. Crossing a road bridge, we look at and listen to the river as its water funnels through some smooth rocks. Heading south into the campground, I notice beautiful blossoms of Trillium and Wild Geranium. Off the trail, I come to a silken nest in the crotch of a young Cherry tree where 1-inch Eastern Tent Caterpillars are crawling around. Having hatched in early spring, they are now feeding on the foliage of the host tree. When they mature in early summer, they will crawl to the ground away from the tent to find a protected place to spin a cocoon and pupate. Adult moths (stock photo) emerge in late June and July. 

Stately bird of prey

Early morning search

Still as a statue

High on a perch

Scanning a meadow 

Clover of white

Field mouse scampers

In the raptor’s sight

Swoops fast, kills quick

Mother Nature’s way

Red-tailed Hawk 

Lives another day

 

D. DeGraaf

May 12

The early morning sky is sunny with temperatures in the upper 50’s as I hike on the bank of the Bad River, off Dempsey Rd, 3 miles due west of the town St. Charles in Saginaw County. Soon my ears perk up to the attractive song of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak ,coming from a nearby tall leafless tree.. This robin-like song has inspired many a bird watcher to pay tribute to it. A couple of early twentieth-century naturalists said it is “so entrancingly beautiful that words cannot describe it.” Following the sound, I’m pleased to see a multi-colored male Grosbeak perched high in the tree. Further ahead, I spot a Staghorn Sumac displaying its reddish fruit clusters. Although the fruit ripened last fall, the seeds can still be used whole, dried, or ground into a powder for various culinary applications. Next, I pause to take in the gently flowing river while listening to a chorus of birds. From the bank, I watch a Muskrat swim by with some aquatic vegetation in its mouth. My guess is it’s food for babies born a few weeks ago that are being weened from their mother’s milk. Adult Muskrats are primarily herbivores, feeding mostly on cattails, sedges, and water lilies. They may also eat some animal matter, including mussels, crayfish, and frogs.Continuing along the bank, I observe an Autumn Olive bush beginning to flower. Glancing skyward, I notice the red flower buds and white flowers of Crabapple. Near the river’s edge, I spot a spider web. Whenever, I see these ornate patterns of silken threads, I’m amazed that it likely will be dismantled and rebuilt by tomarrow. Rebuilding a new web is more efficient than repairing a damaged one, and it allows the spider to have a fresh, functional web each night. These orb weavers digest the silk from their old webs, allowing them to recycle the proteins and rebuild their webs without wasting resources. Exploring the muddy flood plain, I notice yellow blossoms of Wild Mustard and Buttercup as well as a pile of fresh Raccoon scat. This sight reminds me of a funny jingle I recited years ago with school kids during field trips at Forest Hill Nature Area.“Starts with an S, ends with a T, comes out of you, comes out of me. I know what you’re thinking. It’s not that. Let’s be scientific, call it SCAT.” Turning back toward the car, I hear the lovely song of a male Baltimore Oriole along with the disturbing sound of a chainsaw. In a nearby tree, I get a brief look at the colorful source.  These birds got their name from their bold orange-and-black plumage, the same colors as the heraldic crest of England’s Baltimore family (who also gave their name to Maryland’s largest city).

Perching squirrel

Chitter, Chatter

Chipmunk runs

Pitter, patter

Wood duck pair

Flies and squeaks

River rapids

Babbling creeks

Frogs and toads

Start to sing

Natures choir

Songs of spring

 

D. DeGraaf

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

April 28

After a 25-mile, southeasterly drive from my home in Alma, I stand on the Merrill Rd bridge watching the water of the Bad River flow under me. The early morning sky is clear with temperatures in the mid 40’s as I descend to the flood plain and hike on a groomed trail along the riverbank, listening to a chorus of birds. Soon, I come upon a noisy Canada Goose swimming alone on a small pond. It is most likely a male guarding a nearby nest, warning me and other intruders to stay away. While the female is incubating, the male's primary role is to protect her and the nest from predators and other potential threats. Beside a loud honking sound, he may use displays like lowering his head, hissing, and pumping his head up and down. Up ahead on the wet ground, I spot dainty blossoms of Purple Cress, my first ephemeral wildflower of the season. Ephemerals are short-lived plants that bloom briefly in spring before trees leaf out, taking advantage of sunlight before quickly going dormant. Still focusing on the ground, I notice a patch of tiny green leaves of Woodland Stonecrop. It wouldn’t be long before this plant blooms (stock photo). Along the way, I first pass by dead vines connecting some decomposing, walnut-size seed pods of Wild Cucumber and then pause to observe some Multi-flora Rose branches displaying symptoms of Rose Rosette disease including reddish clusters of distorted leaves. Continuing to follow the riverbank, I recognize mottled trunks of Sycamore trees, drooping seed-heads of Foxtail grass and red flowers of a Red Maple tree. Turning around and heading back to the car, I look up and listen as a small flock of Sandhill Cranes fly overhead. Returning from their wintering grounds in Florida and Texas, many of these large wading birds (stock photo) will stop and breed among the vast wetlands here in Michigan. About one-third of the population will continue north to breed in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska. The estimated summer population of Sandhill Cranes in Michigan is around 23,000. This is a significant increase from the 1940s when only 27 pairs were found in the Lower Peninsula. These birds produce a variety of calls that range from a piercing rattle that can be heard two miles away to low purrs that only carry a few yards. Rattle calls can be sung in unison by several members creating a cacophony of noise. By contrast, the quiet purrs are often heard just before they take-off, while they’re feeding, or as a sign of aggression. Nearing the bridge where my car is parked, I enjoy a Robin solo before heading home.

April nears the finish 

New season grabs hold

From the river’s edge

Blossoms of Marigold

Chipmunks scamper

On the forest floor

Looking for a carcass

Turkey Vultures soar

From a vernal pond

Peeper frogs sing

Nature comes alive

Glad tidings of spring

 

D. DeGraaf

April 21

The late morning temperatures are in the low 50’s, under partly sunny skies as I hike the bank of the Pine River on the north boundary of Alma’s Conservation Park, listening to the songs of a nearby Northern Cardinal and a male Redwing Blackbird (no females yet to be seen). With the sun at my back, I move from a paved to an earthen trail, looking in vain for any green growth of spring.  Up ahead, I observe a couple of Painted Turtles on a log basking in the sun. Their mating season lasts from April to June. The male courts the female in a ritual involving stroking her head with the back of the long claws on his front feet. The female in turn strokes his front legs with her claws. After mating, the female digs a nest in soil a few feet from the edge of the water. Turning left, I follow a trail along the park’s west boundary listening to another Northern Cardinal. Up ahead, I watch a Pileated Woodpecker fly silently overhead and perch in a distant tree. After passing a large Shagbark Hickory tree, I’m relieved to finally see some green as new leaves begin to emerge on a Honeysuckle shrub. Turning left again, I move past one of many vernal ponds along the park’s south boundary where Chorus frogs are calling loud and clear. The sound of this tiny amphibian (stock photo) is not a simple croak, but more of a fine-toothed comb being stroked or a nail scraping across a comb. Up ahead, in the distance, I get a brief glance at a group of Wood ducks, including a very colorful male. After coming upon a standing Whitetail deer camouflaged against a green-less, wooded background, I turn left again to follow the park’s eastern boundary where I pause to observe the midden of a Red Squirrel. Middens are large piles of food scraps, including pinecones around the base of an evergreen tree. Unlike Fox Squirrels that store food underground in the winter, Red Squirrels gather and store food sources in these central locations. Continuing on an earthen trail among many dead and dying evergreen trees, I spot an 8-inch, juvenile Garter Snake, motionless among the leaf litter.  Up ahead, I pass through a grove of mature Red Pine Trees while being greeted by a Blue Jay. Heading back to the car, I’m not surprised to see a few small, male Boxelder trees beginning to flower. Since these trees are dioecious, female Boxelder trees produce a different looking flower (stock photo).

Remembering Earth Day (April 22)

 

Mother Earth, child of the sun

You are a very special one

Water to drink, air to breathe

Life abounds on land and sea

Some worlds are far too cold

Living things cannot take hold

Some worlds are way too hot

Uninhabitable at every spot

Mother Earth, dwelling place

Rightful region in outer space

Sphere of white, sphere of blue

We dedicate this day to you

 

D. DeGraaf

April 14

Temperatures are below freezing under mostly clear skies as I stand on County Line Rd bridge and watch the Bad River flow from the green-less landscape of eastern Gratiot County into western Saginaw County. Exploring the floodplain, I spot several large spore stalks of native Ostrich ferns. Characterized by their tall, lacy fronds and upright, spreading growth habit, I imagine the area will be lush with these plants this summer (stock photo). Approaching the river’s edge, I notice the mottled bark on the trunk of a Sycamore tree next to the trunk of an oak.  Sycamore wood is used for crafting furniture, flooring, and interior trim due to its fine grain and workability. It is also utilized in making butcher blocks, barrels, boxes and crates. This wood is used in the production of pulpwood, particleboard, and fiberboard. Its fine grain makes it suitable for musical instruments like violin backs and even guitar bodies. Looking up, my attention is drawn to a mix of calls of a Northern Cardinal and Bluejay. Blue Jays make a large variety of calls, including the most often heard loud jeer. Occasionally, they mimic hawks, especially Red-shouldered Hawks. After a friendly reminder from a landowner that I’m trespassing, I return to the car, head east into Saginaw County and park alongside of Fenmore Rd., to watch the river flow below a high ridge. Referred to as a moraine ridge, this prominent landform was created by the advance and retreat of glaciers during the Ice Age. Further along the bank, I notice a drain tile coming from pastureland across the road. Often when I come upon these metal tubes, it begs some questions. What is the quality of the water flowing out? Is it tainted with coliform bacteria from animal manure? What is the impact downstream? Are there any restrictions on how many tiles can drain into the river? Descending the steep bank to the river’s edge, I look at and listen to the water as it flows rapidly downstream. Along the floodplain, I explore the muddy ground, where I spot a green shoot of Wild Blue Iris and imagine its blossoms appearing in May (stock photo). Making my way along the river’s edge, I stoop down to observe tiny green leaves of Purple Cress and Early Saxifrage. These ephemeral or quasi-ephemeral plants will grow, bloom (stock photo) (stock photo), and die back quickly, before the surrounding trees fully leaf out, taking advantage of the early spring sunlight. As I take one last look at this watercourse, I think back to how far I’ve come from the start and how far I’ve yet to go to reach the end. 

Mid of April

Into the wild

Life and death

Are reconciled

Flesh and bone

Creature gives

Blood and fur

Predator lives

Off the path

Muddy field

Carcass aside

Sprouts revealed

 

D. DeGraaf