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Elk Rapids Almanac-October 2017
October 1-This Mountain Ash tree was in full glory at Farmer White’s, just south of town. An Indiana couple was asking about the tree, and wondering if it would grow in Indiana. We all chimed in with an affirmative. Native to the northern hemisphere, Sorbus Americana, mountain ash, is a hardy ornamental tree/ shrub native to the Northern Hemisphere, and not related to the true ashes. They are deciduous and bear flat-topped clusters of white flowers followed by orange or brilliant red berrylike fruits in the fall, for which they are widely cultivated as ornamentals, and greatly enjoyed by hungry birds. This tree is one of the most revered plants in the folklore of the Old World. Bits of its wood were thought to avert disaster and ward off evil influences, and known as "Thor's helper". __Royce Ragland October 5-Preditors and Monarch butterfly larvae- Monarch butterfly 2017 update in Michigan: “Monarch populations are increasing in Michigan, but they are still low due to factors including milkweed quality and predators. We are interested to hear if you’ve seen organisms preying on monarch eggs and caterpillars.” _Posted on October 5, 2017 by Douglas Landis, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Entomology. For more information contact landisd@msu.edu October 14- Promise I will listen and taste life in every season in all earth cycles spring, summer, fall, winter through sun, wind, rain frost, snow. I smell, feel, see, kiss the full hot greenery beneath my dance happy to live awaiting the wild bloom her ripe flower to ferment and give wine. Linda Travis 10-14-17 October 21-While hiking at Maple Bay, we spoke with a birder from Charlevoix who asked if we had seen any kinglets. Since we both drew a blank, he proceeded to describe them to us as follows: Kinglets are found in our region, and he has seen them at Grass River. There are two types; the Golden-crowned Kinglet and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. These small birds are more often heard than seen, making a “whissing” sound high in the treetops, and are barely bigger than a hummingbird. They are often seen with chickadees, hanging upside down while searching for their food. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is found in deciduous forest mixed with conifers. The Golden-crown Kinglet prefers the conifer forest._Two GreenER hikers |
Kinglet
Mountian Ash tree
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