Jonathan Schechter

Countdown to Autumn in Oakland County

Oakland County, MI Government 2 Comments
Chipmunk

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

I’m often asked how I select Wilder Side of Oakland County nature topics. I’m easily distracted, that’s how. Being distracted as I hike is a very good thing for me. Distractions often lead to noting aspects of nature’s way that I was not searching for as the countdown to autumn accelerates. Distractions increase when I hike with my trail companion. An extra set of eyes notes wonders of nature I might just pass by. “Did you see that?” I’m asked. My answer is often no, and that means it is time for me to stop, observe, discover, and learn.

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Nature’s Way on a Summer Day

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment
Scarlet Tanager in tree

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Despite the heat waves that swept across Oakland County, it’s hard not to think about the chillier nights that will soon turn into even chillier days. Early August was sizzling hot with the temperature soaring into the upper 90s. Some of us hunkered down in air-conditioned worlds. But for those of us that wandered the woods, meadows, and lakeshores of our county, the world of nature’s way was very much alive. What was there to see? Here’s just a small sampling from a few short treks on the wilder side of Oakland County.

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Cicada Killer Emergence

Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment
Cicada killer on leaf

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Cicada killers (Sphecius speciosus) are a little known, but rather frightening looking member of the wasp family that are very much at home in Oakland County. Just the fact that the word “killer” is part of their name draws attention and causes unnecessary anxiety and fear.

You may have seen cicada killers already without even knowing what they were. They are emerging now and are often misidentified as yellowjackets or baldfaced hornets. That misidentification is not surprising, since cicada killers bear a strong resemblance to yellowjackets—very big yellowjackets. However, unlike yellowjackets and baldfaced hornets that respond ferociously in a defensive manner if their papery nest is disturbed, cicada killers are solitary creatures and tend to totally ignore humans, even humans that intrude into their territory or disturb their underground tunnels.

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As Summer Sizzles On

Oakland County, MI Government 4 Comments
Flowers near fence in the summer

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

“The ordinary citizen today assumes that science knows what makes the community clock tick; the scientist is equally sure that he does not. He knows that the biotic mechanism is so complex that its workings may never be fully understood.” –Aldo Leopold

I take great pleasure in observing common place “little things” of nature’s way, even when I do not fully understand their every changing biotic mechanism. Perhaps, you, like me, also appreciate our small wonders of nature that draw our attention or just make us smile as the “clock” of the sizzling days of summer ticks on. I’m sharing a few from this past week.

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