What a winter we have been having. Like they say about Michigan’s weather, “If you don’t like the weather, stick around five minutes it will change”. Well this time it’s a bit more than five minutes. Two weeks ago, there was little ice in the area and it wasn’t safe enough to be on, then we had a couple of nights with temperatures below 0. Now that we have ice on the lakes, rivers and along Lake Michigan for the first time this winter, it’s just too cold to go out. I normally like to shot ice formations along the Lake Michigan shore line and on the light houses. But with high temperatures today around 0 and the windchill hovering around -25 or colder I haven’t left the house.

So, what do you do on these kinds of days when you are getting the bug to get out and shoot? The first thing is to set the camera and tripod by a clean window and shot the snow clinging to the trees and bushes by the house. I would have shot some finches in the Lilac bushes but they didn’t go there today. Any time you can use your camera, you are practicing and hopefully refining your knowledge and understanding of the settings. Then you catch up on seed orders, newsletters, listen to webinars or whatever else needs to be done so you can get out as soon as it’s safe enough.
Well I hope to get out and shoot some yet this week but as soon as this Polar Vortex moves on it is forecast to be 49 degrees and rain, so much for the ice formations on the light houses and such. But that’s Michigan, get used to it!

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We seem to be hearing more and more about the loss of bees, Monarch butterflies, and other insects in general. There are groups on both sides of the issues and they may both have some valid points, but also be aware that what has been reported as facts may not always be exactly true. Should we be concerned? I think so. I will share some information and thoughts, but I encourage each reader to do his or her own research and observations to draw your own conclusions.

The above photo was taken of me when I was 10 years old in 1970. This was only a portion of my insect collection. While most of the species in this photo are common, we seem to be seeing less and less numbers of them each year. Some of them have not been seen by most of us in the area in a very long time. I first noticed this when I was in my early 30’s and while I maintain a smaller insect collection for educational purposes, I try to collect photos of insects when possible. You see, I realized or thought that my over collecting as a child may have played a part in the disappearance of some less common species in the area in which I did much of my collecting. The farm chemicals or pesticides I am sure may have also contributed to this decline as well. There may also be other unseen factors at play here. A more recent practice (not by me) that I believe has affected moth, butterfly and other tree leaf eating insects was the unbridled spraying of forests and urban trees for the Gypsy moth not so many years ago. Another out of control and rampant practice is the over use of pesticides on completely unnatural lawns and landscapes. These chemicals turn our yards into toxic waste dumps, killing many beneficial organisms. You see, we have accepted this idea from the chemical companies that “bugs” are bad and should be euthanized. By not educating ourselves and understanding them we have developed unnecessary and unfounded phobias of spider, insects, and bats; all of which can be very beneficial. Only one tenth of one percent of all insects worldwide are pests or harmful. Many of our pest are form other continents and not natural here.

There are groups that say the Monarch butterfly is headed to extinction. Well numbers have been lower in the past and they have come back. The problem now is that we are on a constant down slide overall with higher years being lower and lower across the graph at https://monarchwatch.org/blog/uploads/2018/03/monarch-population-figure-monarchwatch-2018.png. Is there one answer to the loss? No, but rather a combination of loss of habitat, especially for fall nectar sources when preparing for and while migrating. Winter grounds are possibly also being destroyed according to some reports. The real areas of concern for milkweed loss may be the Midwest grain farming areas where milkweed is sprayed with herbicides, creating a gap in enough places to lay eggs on the journey north. Many Monarch groups strongly advocate for planting more milkweed, but we have more milkweed than Monarchs in most northern areas. We should be planting and maintaining native nectar sources as well. If you are planting milkweeds, use only native species and locally sourced seed. Also remember Monarchs are not endanger worldwide, only the eastern US migrating group. There are other populations that monarch groups seem to forget, so the species really isn’t endanger of extinction.

What about the bees? The exact amount of your food pollinated by bees is being debated by both sides. The truth is that our major source of food like corn, soy beans, and grains are all wind pollinated. We might better compare the amount of healthier fruits and vegetables that need bees. Tree fruits like apples, peaches and cherries as well as blueberries all need bees. There are several problems plaguing our honey bees, which are not native to North America but are used widely in crop pollination. Native bees are disappearing, most due to habitat loss. We have many species of native bees, over 340 species in Michigan alone. These are not major crop pollinators but do play an important role in pollination our native plants.
I have noticed over the last couple of years that my windshield gets many less bug splats than before. This is one gauge being used by scientist to indicate that insects in general are on a steep decline. So what, you may think. The ramifications are huge. Many birds, amphibians, and some mammals that rely on insects for food are declining. Insects help in pollination, decomposition of plant and other dead materials as well as being the food source I just mentioned.

To sum things up, the problems are compound and complex. But there may be some simplicity here as well. Putting our health and the wellbeing of the environment ahead of greed and not following the status quo will have far reaching but positive implications for all of us. The cause of these losses is not a single cause or source, but many. We have lost valuable tree cover that cools and purifies the air, cleans run off storm water helping to keep our waters clean. Natural habitat that provides homes, cover and food sources for bees, butterflies, bat, mammals and a whole host of other insects is slipping away to progress at alarming rates. Amphibians are vanishing along with the wetlands, particularly vernal pools that they breed in. These are all indicators of a very large and serious problem; loss and misuse of natural habitats and contamination of our waters, air and lands. Maybe, just maybe, taking better care of creation is better for us and our health.

I leave you with the following quote from a great man that was before our time but has affected all of us in a positive way. “I wish I was a despot that I might save the noble, the beautiful trees that are daily falling sacrifice to the cupidity of their owners, or the necessity of the poor. The unnecessary felling of a tree, perhaps the growth of centuries, seems to me a crime little short of murder.” Thomas Jefferson

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As winter sets in, there is much to find and see in the out of doors. In this entry I will point out some of last summer’s left overs from birds and insects, as well as current overwintering forms of insects and animals. All is not as dead as it may seem when looking out over a field or marsh with the brown plant material left from last summer’s growth.

Most all animals in Michigan do not truly hibernate. Most can or due awaken during the winter with some being very active. Look for the large, rounded leafy nests in trees, these are winter shelters for the Fox Squirrels. Squirrels cut stems with leaves in the fall or late summer and make these nests which are actually leafy twigs stuck together to make the shelter. Screech Owls and some other birds may take refuge in a hollow of a tree or large bird house. Beaver and Muskrats make mounded “lodges” of plant material where they eat and shelter from the cold weather and predators. As seen in the photo, Muskrat lodges or “houses” as I used to call them, are fairly easy to see in marshy areas ounce the cattails begin to go down in winter. Muskrats will also use dens in banks along streams or ditches. Other animals are active in winter and it is easy to find their tracts in the snow, especially in the woods and along streams.

Winter is a great time to look for last summer’s bird nest. With the leaves off of the trees and shrubs, it is much easier to find them. Look up along roads for the hanging woven Oriole’s nest. Many species of birds, including Red-winged Blackbirds make nests that are low, below, at or near eye level, making them easy to see. Take a moment to look at the materials and structure of the nest. Look inside and out, how is it attached to the plant? How high off the ground and in what species of plant; these are all clues to help identify the bird that made the nest. Look for woodpecker holes in trees. The size and shape will help identify the maker.

Insects over winter in various stages, depending on the species. Some as eggs, just hatch larvae, fully or nearly developed larvae, pupa, cocoon or chrysalis or as an adult. Large silk moth cocoons can be found attached to plant material including tree branches from a couple of feet off the ground and upwards. Look for tent worm egg masses on cherry twigs. Praying Mantis egg cases are easy to sight attached to plant material. The large egg cases like the accompanying photo are Chinese Mantids. We do not have any native species here in Michigan. If you decide you want to bring home a cocoon or egg case, don’t bring it inside the house. It is warm and things with hatch too early and die as it will be to cold and not food if you release them outside. I leave them in an unheated garage and the timing is usually pretty close to normal. Just don’t forget about them.

Winter is a great time to see how many different galls you can find. Each gall is unique to the insect that causes it. With around 1500 insects that cause galls in North America, they are so precise as to the gall form and the species of plant, that the insect can be identified or nearly so without the actual insect. As with the bird’s nests, galls are fairly easy to find in winter. Although you will be looking for those that are usually stem or bud galls, galls of some kind can affect nearly all parts of plants. Depending on the gall and insect species, you can often find a larvae or pupae inside the gall. Some do hatch in fall and have likely already laid eggs for next years generation. Galls come in all shapes and sizes, I have only shown a few more common ones here.

If you find a hard, black mass surrounding cherry twigs, it is known as Black Knot Fungus. Some years it is more common than others. Another black mass that looks similar but found on American Beech twigs is Black Sooty Mold. This is a mold that grows on the “honey dew” of scale insects and remains visible through out the winter and into the next spring or summer. It does not harm the tree.

Now that winter is here, get out and see what you can find. Look things up to identify them and learn about the world in winter around you. Next time I will share some plants in winter.

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