August

Nearby Camp Newaygo Wetland

I have mentioned local areas to explore in the past and from time to time I will write about specific parks or natural areas. One such natural area about an hour from my home is the Wetland Tail at Camp Newaygo. This is a great place for those who may be a little less venturous or if you are concerned about causing damage to a wetland community by walking in it. This wetland trail is mostly boardwalk that meanders through wetland and bog but also skirts the edges of two ponds. It is an easy walk, being mostly flat with a couple of very slight inclines in the woods at either end. There is a fair amount of interesting flora that many may not see otherwise. The only plant you need to watch out for is the Poison Sumac and that is easily identified. It is not recommended to step of the boardwalk as you will sink over your head in some places and could cause damage to plants by stepping on them. There is much to see from or right next to the boardwalk.

Swamp Loosestrife

The ponds which are acidic show no signs of plant life in the water, but the edges are surrounded right to the water’s edge by Swamp Loosestrife that yields a beautiful pink flower. Near the end of the first boardwalk and the middle of the second this species hangs right over the edges of the boardwalk. Button Bushes also seem to enclose the path ahead of you in a couple of places, but take time to smell these round balls of flowers if they are in bloom. Also watch for butterflies and other pollinators that frequent the fragrant blooms.

Wild Calla

In the open bog area look for Virginia Chain-Fern, Cotton Grass, Wild Calla, Three-Way Sedge and Leather Leaf as all grow right next to the boardwalk. The large and showy white spathe of the Wild Calla is a definite treat as many people don’t realize we have a native calla in Michigan. The fact that so many species are right next to the boardwalk makes this a great place to see bog plants.

Arrow-Arum

As you enter the trail from the small parking area there is a high number of floral species including the robust Arrow-Arum, Mad-Dog Skullcap and several other spring and summer bloomers. At the north ends of both boardwalks, look for Horned Bladderwort. They are right next to west boardwalk and it is easy to see the tiny bladders. Another carnivorous plant that can be found here is the Round-Leaved Sundew.

This and many other areas that may be close to your home are worth a visit.

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August

Every Little Bit Helps

There has been a big push form organizations like Monarch Watch and others to help bring back the Monarch butterfly from declining numbers. To give an idea as to the severity of population loss in the eastern Monarchs that over winter in Mexico, consider these numbers. In the winter of 1996-1997 the over wintering butterflies covered 20.97 hectares or 51.8 acres while in the winter of 2013-2014 they only covered .67 hectares or 1.65 acres at the over winter sites in the Mexican mountains. This means there is about a 96 percent decline in the eastern Monarch population. While there has been up tics in the annual numbers, the overall trend has been a sharp and significant downward slide as can be seen in the graph from monarchwacth.org. There are several factors contributing to this catastrophic decline. Habitat loss, spring weather during migration, winter weather at the over wintering sites, pesticide usage, excessive and ill timed roadside mowing and changes in agricultural practices all have played a major role in the majestic Monarch’s decline.

I show the above information not to discourage you but to hopefully inspire you to help. I did not see Monarch butterflies around the Hudsonville area as early as usual this spring and summer, but they did come and as we are now a couple of generations in for the summer we are starting to see more of them. We may not be seeing the numbers we saw several years ago but they are here and you can help as every little bit of native milkweeds left standing has the potential of hosting Monarch larvae. There are native species of milkweeds t hat are good for and in my opinion, desirable for the garden that will supply egg laying sites and food for developing Monarch larvae. As an example, I left a small patch of Common Milkweed in my vegetable garden which has produced several eggs and larvae this summer. As I wrote about in a previous entry, STAY AWAY from the Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica (see this earlier entry from January 2015 for more information).

I’d like to share a recent experience to show a good example of what a little bit can do. My uncle who is a farmer in southwestern Michigan called and asked if I would come to look at some milkweed he had been working around as he didn’t want to take it out any larvae and contribute to the problem. When I arrived to the field there were 10 to 12 small patches of Common Milkweed totaling between 300 and 500 or so plants (the dark patches in front of the corn are milkweed). It didn’t take long to find the first couple of small larvae. When I was done I had found 25 eggs, some of which had just been deposited by the female flying around the patches ahead of me and at least 35 larvae. The larvae ranged from day old first instar to larger third and fourth instars. I was very encouraged that if more farmers would leave milkweeds at the edges of fields we would significantly add to the numbers heading back to Mexico for the winter and with these higher numbers, hopefully more returning in the spring. But for the spring Monarchs to make a good comeback the farmers in the Midwest need to make changes as well to help.

If we would change some of these agricultural practices, stop mowing the milkweed patches along the roads just as Monarchs are laying eggs and all of us plant a few milkweeds in our yards or gardens we could make a difference. If a million people do a little it turns into a lot!

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June

Where The Mosquitoes Are

Indian Paint Brush

Many people think of wildflower season in Michigan as the woodland flowers in the month of May and are surprised to hear there are wildflowers blooming from early spring on through late fall. As the woodlands slow down, the more colorful flowers will now be found in wetlands and prairies. While there usually are more deer flies than mosquitoes in the prairies one must be prepared for the heat as they can be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than the surrounding areas. Except for the brilliantly colored Indian Paint Brushes and Ragworts in the Maxton Plains and along the roads some of the most interesting flowers I found on a recent trip to the Upper Peninsula were where the mosquitoes are.

Yellow Lady Slipper

Yellow Lady Slippers can be found by the dozens along the roads at the edges of cedars. Indian Paint Brushes ranging from various shades of red, orange and yellow can be seen on the beaches and along the roads. White patches of Cotton Grass are also visible as you drive by them. Once you learn the colors and shape or structure of the plants you can pick out several species of colorful flowers from the road. Just south of the parking at Whitefish Point the massive areas of pink Bog Laurel surely catch the eye, even being several feet from the road.

Stipped Coaral-Root

While slowly traveling down a gravel service road outside of St. Ignace I found three species of orchids, Pink Pyrola, low growing wild roses, Mountain Maple and many more blooming. I also observed male mosquitoes feeding on nectar of the flowers of the Mountain Maple, at least they don’t bite. Again, where the mosquitoes are so are the flowers.

Arethusa

In the bogs and some lake shores the Pitcher Plants were in full bloom, what a sight! Also in the bogs were Bog Beans and Dragon’s Mouth or Arethusa and Bog Rosemary blooming.

Butterwort

Even with all the mosquitoes and ticks to deal with, this time of year can be rewarding by getting out and looking for the flowers many miss by staying in. I did have a few plants I was looking for, like Butterwort, but mostly just visited different places to see what was there without a lot of anticipation. When out in these areas use whatever protection you prefer for mosquitoes and ticks and put on the boots, long sleeved shirt and a hat and enjoy seeing what new and wonderful plants you can find.

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June

Using Social Media to Find Natural Features

I have had several great and successful outings this spring looking for new life plants and butterflies. How do you find Olympia Marble Butterflies or the threatened Dwarf Lake Iris and know when to look?

Dwarf lake Iris

First of all pay attention when you are out and about, not only to what is blooming when you are there but what may be there at other times of the year. For instance, in the fall of 2014 while at the Headlands new Mackinaw City, I notice some large patches of a very small iris on the rocky beach area. My first thought was Dwarf Lake Iris. I made a note and decided to return when they were blooming as I had never seen them bloom before. But when should I drive 300 miles and not have a wasted trip? Enter Facebook! While I was trying to figure out when to make a couple of day trek north for this flower someone posted on the Michigan Botanical Club’s Facebook page that they were blooming in the Upper Peninsula. I began checking weather forecasts and my calendar to see when I could go and decided everything would come together for 2 days, beginning in 2 days. I also wanted to see Butterwort in bloom and had noted seeing some in the UP. While researching Butterwort, I also discovered that Bird’s-eye Primrose grows in the same habitat. Dwarf Lake Iris and the Primrose bloom May – June and Butterwort blooms June – July but since I would be within an hour of where I had seen Butterwort east of Cedarville it was worth the chance to check out the Butterwort. Well, Butterwort was not blooming but literally hundreds of Primroses were blooming at all my stops near Lakes Huron and Michigan. The beauty of these little flowers was worth the drive even without the Butterwort blooming. While searching the rocky beaches of Lake Huron I was delighted to find Dwarf Lake Iris as well and yes the suspected iris at the Headlands was Dwarf Lake Iris.

Another success thanks to the Michigan Butterfly Facebook page was the Olympia Marble in Allegan. I saw posts with photos that they had been sighted there. But Allegan game area is a large area, where do you look. Fortunately I remember where I had seen host plants last summer and returned to that location to find the butterfly. After a short walk, there one was sitting on a flower 20 feet from my truck. An added bonus in the area was the Lupine and Bird’s-foot Violets in bloom.

To aid in finding when and where to look for new and interesting things use these helps.

Keep notes on what you see when out in the field and note when might be a good time to return.
Join email list or join Facebook pages for groups such as the Michigan Botanical Club, Wildflower Association of Michigan or local butterfly, insect, bird or plant groups,
Follow people on Twitter that will post when they see things.
Be a detective and follower all clues you find.

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April

Harbinger-of-Spring – Really

Harbinger-of-Spring

Harbinger-of-Spring, Erigenia bulbosa is a cheery little member of the parsley family that usually blooms in April, although I have seen it in March on occasion. Look in rich, moist deciduous woods, floodplains and river banks in the southern half of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula were it can be locally abundant. This small but attractive flower can be found within a few weeks of snow melt in the woods. Emma Cole in the “Grand Rapids Flora” lists it as our earliest spring wildflower which “appears even before the snow has left the shady nooks”. It can be hard to see when it is growing up out of the leaf litter in the woods but is well worth the effort. Once you find one, carefully look around and you will most likely find many more.

Harbinger-of-Spring Size

The individual flowers are not more than a quarter of an inch across. Each consists of five narrow white petals with five blackish-red anthers which give it the name of Pepper and Salt. They are born in umbels consisting of one to four umbellets with one to six flowers in each umbellet. A small leafy bract can be found at the base of each umbellet. Each compound leaf is irregularly cleft into about 3 narrow oblong lobes with entire or smooth margins. Leaves appear soon after the flowers begin to bloom. The plants are very short at first, but by seed time the plants are 3 to 10 inches tall.

The Cherokee Indians used to chew the bulb for toothache relief. The small, round bulbs are deep seated a few inches down but are said to be eatable if you could get enough to make it worth your while.

Harbinger-of-Spring is blooming today with Cut-leaved Toothwort close behind.

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April

Spring Treasures

Cut-leaved Toothwort

As I walked the trails in the Hudsonville Nature Center yesterday afternoon, the temperature was in the mid 60’s and sunny. During this walk I was able to find and photograph nearly 20 species of spring flowering plants, 12 of which I am including in the gallery with this entry. No, none of them were blooming, but some are less than 2 weeks away if the weather stays warm. Some like the Woodland Phlox and Hepatica are easier to find and identify with last year’s leaves still showing. As exciting as these can be to find many others are beginning to grow and rise above the fallen leaves that carpet the woodlands. Most of the Cut-leaved Toothwort that I found were purple and curled under, not yet exposed to enough sun light to begin photosynthesis and thus turn green. But on the southern facing slopes, some of these plants are quit far ahead of the majority, the leaves are opened and green with flower buds well exposed.

Wild Ginger

For those who have been on some the winter nature hikes I lead, you will know I enjoy identifying plants year around a much as possible. As I have pointed out numerous times on these walks, if you become intimately familiar with the plants when in season, you can often identify them when out of season. By learning the leaf shape and configuration on the stem as well as the plants characteristics in general, you can at least get to the genus many times. Many spring wildflowers are fairly easy to identify as soon as they are visible in the woods and wetlands. Pay attentions to the conditions they are growing in and look at the leaves as they begin to unfurl. It does help to know what was growing in a particular spot last year but with some practice you can learn to identify them anywhere. Remember that each of these plants are unique in appearance and some of those coming soon like the Blue Cohush, are especially interesting. Don’t wait for the flowers to bloom to get out and start enjoying the spring wildflowers, go see how many you can find now and then go back when they are blooming to check you success.

Mourning Cloak

On the way out through the woods from the prairie to the parking area at the HNC I saw 3 for sure and I think 4 Mourning Cloak Butterflies. These butterflies overwinter as adults in Michigan and are a joy as well as sure sign of spring.

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March

Finding Spring

Indian Pipe

It has been a long cold winter with a record cold February and even though it is still cool, spring has finally arrived. Skunk Cabbage has been blooming for nearly two weeks here in west Michigan and other early spring flowers are identifiable as the snow continues to recede. While in area of the Allegan State Game area a couple of days ago I had to bail on attempts to get into an area by Eli Lake to explore. One tow bill in recent weeks is enough. A fair percentage of the woods still had snow and the seasonal roads are mostly impassable in a 2 wheel drive vehicle. I ended up walking and exploring by the Swan Creek flooding which turned out to be an area worth stopping at. I will definitely be back several times in the spring and summer ahead to photograph Pyrola, Pipsissewa and other flowers as they bloom.

Pixie-cup Lichen

At this time in early spring there is much to be found and observed in the woods before many of the spring flowers bloom. Mosses, lichens, left over plant parts from the previous season and those that over winter as green plants can all be found. In the woods along the pond at Swan Creek I found many Hepaticas, Wintergreens, Partridge Berries, mosses, lichens, ground pines, fungus on fallen trees and the remains of last year’s Indian Pipes. On the water I saw Buffleheads, Goldeneye Ducks, geese and Trumpeter Swans. Although noisy when you are getting to close, it doesn’t take long to know why they are called Trumpeter Swans. Follow this link to here the Trumpeter Swans http://youtu.be/7hu5OF8OzAs. I have included a moss here without the identification asI have some ideas but no conclusive id. It does have an interesting appearance though.

Trumpeter Swan

Today I know spring is close at hand. While photographing Great Horned Owl chicks on the nest I also saw a Mourning Cloak Butterfly. Mourning Cloaks over winter as adults and are a sure sign of spring when they begin to awaken and fly around the woods.

As you look at the picture of the owls you can see a fuzzy chick looking out from the left side of the nest. This nest is a good illustration of how little effort these owls put into building a nest. It is basically on the side of a tree. Great Horned Owls will use other left over nests from crows or hawk as well as broken off trees. They generally lay eggs in February, but could be any time from late January through mid April.

So even though the woods look barren and void of anything worthy of exploring from a distance, get out and see what you can find of interest when up close. You can also recon for spring and summer areas to visit.

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January

Native Plants for Butterflies

Monarch Larvae

It’s not too early to begin planning your gardens and landscaping for this year. A good, well thought out plant list and design goes a long way towards success in the garden. In this entry I would like to focus on using native plants, especially in the butterfly garden. There are various reasons to use native plants in this situation. Natives provide excellent nectar sources as well as larval host plants. In one case with the Monarch (which I’ll elaborate on later in this piece) planting the wrong non-native species of milkweed has proven detrimental to the butterflies. Native plants not only survive but thrive in some adverse conditions when properly matched to those conditions.

First, you should do a site analysis. Consider the soil type and moisture conditions as well as the amount of light the site receives during the day. Other environmental factors should also be considered. In the case of the butterfly garden at the Gary Byker Memorial library in Hudsonville, we used Michigan species that fit the soil and moisture conditions for this project. Since the site was a former church building and had been filled in with poor fill sand and very little top soil and has an asphalt parking lot on two sides, dry sand prairie plants were used. One species that seems to do well next to hot roads, parking lots or sidewalks is the Orange or Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa. As you are matching plants to your site conditions look for those that are from your part of the state, not 200 or 300 miles away and in different cold hardiness zones. Match these factors as well. For instance don’t spec plants that are naturally found in the bottom one or two tiers of counties when you live in the northern lower or upper peninsulas. Also pick from those plants that are known as nectar sources and larval host plants from butterflies in your area. You can get a good idea of what butterflies are possible in your area by consulting the book, Michigan Butterflies and Skippers by Mogens C. Nielsen.

After you have a plant list, you need to decide if you are going grow plants from seed yourself or buy potted plants. Either way there are a couple of good sources to help you find native plants and seeds to purchase. Both the Wildflower Association of Michigan (www.wildflowersmich.org) and the Michigan Native Plant Producers Association (www.mnppa.org) list members that offer plants and seeds for sale.

Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica

One case that shows the importance of being careful of what plants we plant for butterflies has to do with helping the Monarch Butterfly. If you have watched the reports coming out of Mexico the past several years, you know that the overwintering population has dwindled significantly. The counts for the winter of 2013/2014 were the lowest ever recorded. There has been a gradual decline over the past decade or so, but the good news is that this year’s numbers are just short of double for last year. There are several factors contributing to this decline including but possibly not limited to loss of milkweed in Midwest farm fields, wet, cool and stormy spring migration weather and pesticide use. After hearing of this decline many well meaning people started planting milkweed to help, since Monarchs lay their eggs only on milkweeds. The problem that arose was that Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica was all that was readily available at most greenhouses or nurseries. Asclepias curassavica is a neo-tropical species that has naturalized in some southern states but is not native to any part of the United States. A quick search of the internet yields a load of sites promoting this plant as a great butterfly magnet and Monarch host. Grown as a perennial in the south and an annual in the north, Asclepias curassavica blooms later in the later fall and doesn’t die back or shut down like native species. Native Asclepias’ die back in late summer to fall, leaving now place for eggs to be laid. They may also have a chemical change in late summer which is transferred to the feeding larvae and as a result signaling the hatching adults to prepare for and fly south rather than continuing to mate and lay eggs. This change does not occur in the tropical species, instead it provides food for larvae all winter in the south and the adults do not migrate. If you have watched any weather reports this winter you will realize this is not conducive to their survival with the cold freezing temperatures. In a normal winter they would continue the cycle of laying eggs all winter and never migrating, leading to the proliferation of another issue; these plants host a debilitating protozoan parasite. Larvae ingest the parasite and the hatching adult is covered in spores and is much weaker and will not live as long as it’s healthy counterparts. Many will not successfully make the migration even if they attempted to, thus reducing the numbers and disrupting the natural cycle.

Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa

There are many native species that are better choices and some are just as colorful and showy. For a complete list of Asclepias’ native to Michigan and where they are found in the state, go to http://michiganflora.net. A few of the more common ones I would recommend starting with are Clasping Milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis, Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnate, Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca, Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa, Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata, and Green Milkweed Asclepias viridiflora. Match these to your conditions and enjoy the beauty and the butterflies they will attract.

Remember, natives are the best!

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December

Winter Opportunities

Snowy Owl

I want to encourage people to get out and see what this time of year has to offer. It is easy to traverse the woodlands with the lack of snow this year and these are great places to see and enjoy some friendly birds like Chickadees, Nuthatches and other song birds. Skunk Cabbage should also be poking through and be seen with its pointed mottled hoods in wet areas. Watch along gravel roads and farm fields for the Horned Lark and Snowy Owls. Just the other day I saw four Snowy Owls between Hudsonville and Hamilton, just look for the clump of white sitting on the ground or sometimes on a perch.

With the lack of ice in the rivers and Lake Michigan, ducks are not necessarily as confined to the openings in the ice as they might normally be this time of year. They can be found in sheltered river mouths or along the sheltered side of the piers when it is windy and rough on Lake Michigan. While fishing from the piers in Grand Haven the last couple of weeks I have seen an Eider, some Long-tailed Ducks, Redheads and Golden Eyes close to the pier in the calmer water. Be careful if venturing out on the piers as the colder temps set in, any water splashing on the pier will quickly freeze making it quit slippery.

Cork Elm

This is a great time to get out and work on winter botany. Learn to identify plants that are still standing. You can learn to identify trees by their bark and buds. Some have very unique limbs or twigs like the Cork Elm pictured above with its thick layer bark and ridges. One goal I have is to find and identify the Shellbark Hickory in bud, this will give all four of our Hickories listed in the Michigan Flora.

Even though the temps are forecast to be colder the next week or so, the lack of snow and ice make much easier to get out and look for birds and other natural features that would normally be buried under the snow in winter. Who knows, you could even see some rare or not so common birds for our area or add some new ones to your life list.

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December

Photo Op

Chickadee on Deer Carcass

While out collecting Hackberries and just seeing if anything of interest was happing in the woods near the Grand River I came across two animal carcasses which poachers had apparently striped and dumped in the woods. Upon closer inspections they appeared to be deer carcasses with the choicest meat, head, feet and hides removed. As I was looking at the one I had walked up to, Chickadees began to move into within a few feet from me. As I stood there the White-breasted Nuthatch came in also and I noticed both Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers within a close proximity to me. So I went back to truck to get my camera and take advantage of the situation.

White-breasted Nuthatch

As I knelt on the cold ground to be less of a threat to the birds and be able to steady my 300mm lens better the birds returned and allowed me to get some nice close up shots. What was drawing these creatures into the deer carcass? Suet! We usually think of suit as the hard fat from beef and that is consistent with the dictionary definition, but apparently other animal fat such as deer are eaten by birds as well. The Chickadees and Nuthatches would approach, moving from tree to tree while working down closer to the ground and the deer fat. They would then peck pieces of the frozen fat to eat. They would fly off and after a couple of minutes return for more.

Black-capped Chickadee

When out in the out of doors it pays to always be curious and check things out, even the unseemly.

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