Swamp Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is blooming in Kalamazoo.  Its eye-catching clusters of flowers are more vivid than the blossoms of Common Milkweed.  Like other milkweeds, it is an attractive source of nectar for butterflies.  The leaves are eaten by butterfly caterpillars, including Monarchs.  As its name suggests, this tall milkweed grows in wet soils.

Dragonfly

Dragonflies are one of summer's most interesting insects.  I don't know much about them and I was surprised to see the number of different dragonfly species in Michigan.  I thought I'd do a quick internet ID on this one, but quickly got lost.  Even the beginner's guide to Dragonfly ID was intimidating.

I probably need to spend some more time reading about these airborne predators.  Mark Cassino's dragonfly photos and Mark O'Brien's blog on Michigan dragonflies and damselflies would be good places to start.

Photo by Maria Stull

Slime mold

Slime molds are interesting creatures.  They look enough like a fungus that they have typically been studied by mycologists, who study mushrooms.  But, unlike mushrooms, slime molds move.  They're most closely related to amoebas.
     
We came across this one recently at K College's arboretum.  I'm pretty sure it's Fuligo septica (charmingly known as Dog Vomit Slime Mold) which was featured on XKCD.

Best in Tent Camping Michigan

Best in Tent Camping Michigan
Matt Forester
2011

This guidebook is part of a series by Menasha Ridge Press for car campers who want a more nature-centered experience and who aren't looking for a slab to level their RV.  I've used several books in the series and have found some great campsites, so I was happy to see the Michigan book released.  The book divides Michigan into five regions: Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast, and the Upper Peninsula.  As might be expected, the book recommends many campgrounds in northern Michigan and the UP but there are some close to Kalamazoo.  Each chapter includes a description of the campground, a map of the sites, and recommendations for the best individual sites.

Best Tent Camping in Southwest Michigan
1. Warren Dunes State Park Rustic Campground
2. Yankee Springs State Recreation Area: Deep Lake Rustic Campground
3. Pines Point National Forest Campground
4. Highbank Lake National Forest Campground
5. Tubbs Lake State Forest Campground

The book has a Facebook page and is available from Amazon and other booksellers

Owl Pellet

While I know Kalamazoo has owls, I hardly ever see them. Mostly, I'd guess, because they're active at night. I hadn't thought about owls in my own backyard until my daughter found this owl pellet on a tree branch. Since then, I've been looking on occasion but without success, so far. I don't know if it was from Screech Owl, a Great Horned Owl, or a Barred Owl.  The neat package of fur and bones was pretty interesting.

Grizzly Bear

 

Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are found in Alaska and Canada with a small population in some northwestern states.  Grizzlys are a subspecies of Brown Bear (Ursus arctos); other Brown Bears are found in Europe.  Yellowstone's Grizzly Bears are probably the best known in the continental US.

Grizzly Bears are omnivores, eating both plants and animals.  They hibernate in the winter.  They are significantly larger than the Black Bear.  Grizzly attacks on people are rare, but they can be fatal, so it's worth taking safety precautions.  
      
The bear pictured here, drew quite a crowd of spectators at roadside in Yellowstone National Park.

This post is part of series on a Road Trip from Kalamazoo to Wyoming.

Rattlesnake

Michigan's rattlesnakes are small and timid compared to their western cousins.  The snake pictured above is a Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Like other snakes, rattlesnakes are cold-blooded (or poikilothermic) so they often warm themselves on roads.  Rattlesnakes eat a variety of rodents and other small animals.  In general they avoid conflict with people, but if disturbed their bite is venomous.   

This post is part of a series of Road Trip posts.