May is a marvelous month to explore nature’s way. The combination of warm sunny days followed by gentle rains has fueled the growth of vegetation and accelerated the activity of reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds.
The first day of summer is more than a month away, but the scene is being set for its arrival. Here’s a snapshot of my wanderings in the hills and woodlands of northern Oakland County. What have you been seeing?
SHAGBARK HICKORY: Shagbark hickory trees are extremely eye-catching in early May and when leaves begin to appear they are often mistaken for flowers. The truth is their rather prominent buds at the end of twig are known as terminal buds and they curl back and create an exotic-looking display. As for the name shagbark, the bark of the mature trees is shaggy and the outer bark is mostly unattached at both ends. I have about a dozen mature shagbarks on my property and their nuts have been referred to as the “black truffle” of the nut world. Bottom line is they are a delicacy.
RED MAPLE: Red maple trees are one of the most common trees in and near wetlands, so much so that the National Wildlife Federation states they have earned their nickname of “Swamp Maple.” It’s one of the most common trees in Oakland County and has tiny vivid red flowers in spring. I noticed bright red maple leaves just yesterday emerging from a red maple stump on a trail at Independence Oaks.
GREEN FROGS: I wander in woodlands and wetlands more hours than I care to acknowledge. That act refuels my energy. Nature beckons me every day and on sunny days I often have causal meet and greets with green frogs, which is their real name, not just their color. They are extraordinarily good ambush hunters. They perch motionlessly at the water’s edge or on a partially submerged log waiting for a bug to come within range and when that happens, its long tongue rockets out to catch dinner.
TURTLES SUNNING: In the early days of May turtles are often seen sunning on logs aligning themselves so their shells get the most direct light. Being cold blooded creatures, they bask in sunlight to regulate their body temperature. The sunlight also kills parasites such as leeches that attach to them.
SANDHILL CRANES: There is something almost primordial about watching sandhill cranes. They thrive in sections of Oakland County and hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear their loud rattling calls. I’ve been keeping an eye on a pair of them at a local park and perhaps one day I’ll see my favorite pair out strolling with their chicks. The sandhills at Kensington Metroparks are so accustomed to people, they will approach looking for food. But they are not to be fed.
ASSASSIN BUGS: Just the name alone is eye-catching. I encountered my first one in its nymph stage a few weeks ago at Independence Oaks County Park and at first, misidentified it as baby praying mantis. As for the name assassin bug, it’s well-deserved if you are the prey species. Humans are not. An adult assassin bug injects toxic saliva into its prey which will usually be a caterpillar, beetle or other small insect.
GREAT EGRETS: Thanks to some excellent wetland habitat in our Huron-Clinton Metroparks, Oakland County Parks and areas protected by the Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy, the Great Egret, also known as the Great White Egret, is very much at home in our area. I take great pleasure in watching one hunt along the shoreline of Crooked Lake at Independence Oaks. It will stand motionless in the shallows waiting for a fish or frog to come into range and then in lightning-fast motion, it stabs its prey.
MAP TURTLE: Just when I thought I knew all the species of turtles living in our region I photographed a species I could not positively identify that was sunning on a log. A herpetologist friend at Michigan State University easily identified it as a Map Turtle. As for the name, the light markings on the carapace (the shell) resembles waterways marked on nautical charts.
MALLARD DUCKS: Mallard ducks are one of the most commonly seen ducks of our county. I see them frequently in a wetland that abuts my property, but those mallards are skittish at my approach and take flight even if I attempt stealth mode approach for a photo. This pair is often seen on the west shore of Crooked Lake and continued their daytime nap as I walked by to take photos.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: These woodpeckers are increasingly common in our area and have a very distinguished appearance. The slight reddish hue patch on the abdomen is hard to see, so don’t look for a red belly to make an identification. Look for black and white markings on the back to confirm identification. I’m excited to say I stumbled upon the location of one of their nesting holes in a dead tree, but I’m not disclosing that so they can live their life without disturbance from humans. Factoid: Red-bellied woodpeckers have a sticky barbed tongue that can be rapidly stuck into bark crevasses to snag insects.
BABY RACCOONS: I live in northernmost Oakland County and one of the primary reasons I purchased the old house on a hilltop is because I have an eleven-acre backyard that is mostly woodland and is maintained by nature, not me. I walk the trails I created almost daily. Last week, I was wandering on one of my trails when an odd mewing, almost crying sound caught my attention. I walked towards the sound and quickly spotted baby raccoons living in a tree. Here’s a short video of that encounter. And lest you wonder, they were not abandoned. Mom was probably at the nearby swamp fishing for frogs and a few days later she moved them into a more spacious hollow of a nearby oak tree.
Jonathan Schechter is a naturalist, eagle watcher and nature education writer for Oakland County Government and blogs about nature’s way on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.
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