Prepared by Barbara Rafaill and Linda Vanderveen
On July 19th, 15 Cobmoosa residents came out for our first nature walk of 2018. The walk was organized and conducted by Barbara Rafaill, and Bruce and Linda Vanderveen, who shared information on plants and birds in the local area.
The group walked along the roadsides of Cobmoosa and through the “Black Forest” spotting trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, ferns, and birds. We then ambled down parts of Second St., Thomas St., and Garfield Rd. along Stony Creek before heading back.
Barb and Bruce helped participants learn to recognize native and nonnative plants, including invasive species, pointing them out within their different habitats (see partial list, below). Linda identified birds when they appeared, but mostly noted when she heard their different songs and helped everyone recognize them by playing bird songs on an app on her portable device. A list of the species we either saw or heard is found below.
Partial List of Plant Species Encountered, July 19, 2018 Nature Walk
(*indicates invasive species in Michigan)
Trees
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Boxelder (Acer negundo)
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Northern red oak (Quercus rubra)
White oak (Quercus alba)
American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
White pine (Pinus strobus)
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Small Trees & Shrubs
Raspberry & Blackberry (Rubusspp.)
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnumacerifolium)
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)
Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Honeysuckle species (Loniceraspp.)
Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
*Japanese barberry (Berberisthunbergii)
*Autumn-olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Herbaceous Plants & Ferns
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Partridge-berry (Mitchella repens)
Bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis)
Burdock (Arctiumsp.)
Curly dock (Rumex crispus)
Narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Periwinkle/myrtle (Vincaminor)
False nettle (Boehmeriacylindrica)
Milkweed (Asclepias sp.)
Spreading dogbane (Apocynumandrosaemifolium)
*Lyme grass (Leymus arenarius)
Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata)
Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
Indian-pipe (Monotropa uniflora)
Enchanter’s-nightshade (Circaeasp.)
Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
*Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
*Knapweed (Centaurea sp.; Centaureastoebeis invasive in MI)
Helleborine (orchid) (Epipactishelleborine)
Japanese spurge/pachysandra (Pachysandraterminalis(?))
Woody vines
River-bank grape (Vitis riparia)
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
List of Birds Seen and/or Heard, July 19, 2018 Nature Walk
American Robin
Northern Cardinal
White-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
Pine Warbler
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Ruby-throatedHummingbird
On July 19th, 15 Cobmoosa residents came out for our first nature walk of 2018. The walk was organized and conducted by Barbara Rafaill, and Bruce and Linda Vanderveen, who shared information on plants and birds in the local area.
The group walked along the roadsides of Cobmoosa and through the “Black Forest” spotting trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, ferns, and birds. We then ambled down parts of Second St., Thomas St., and Garfield Rd. along Stony Creek before heading back.
Barb and Bruce helped participants learn to recognize native and nonnative plants, including invasive species, pointing them out within their different habitats (see partial list, below). Linda identified birds when they appeared, but mostly noted when she heard their different songs and helped everyone recognize them by playing bird songs on an app on her portable device. A list of the species we either saw or heard is found below.
Partial List of Plant Species Encountered, July 19, 2018 Nature Walk
(*indicates invasive species in Michigan)
Trees
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Boxelder (Acer negundo)
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Northern red oak (Quercus rubra)
White oak (Quercus alba)
American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
White pine (Pinus strobus)
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Small Trees & Shrubs
Raspberry & Blackberry (Rubusspp.)
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnumacerifolium)
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)
Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Honeysuckle species (Loniceraspp.)
Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
*Japanese barberry (Berberisthunbergii)
*Autumn-olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Herbaceous Plants & Ferns
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Partridge-berry (Mitchella repens)
Bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis)
Burdock (Arctiumsp.)
Curly dock (Rumex crispus)
Narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Periwinkle/myrtle (Vincaminor)
False nettle (Boehmeriacylindrica)
Milkweed (Asclepias sp.)
Spreading dogbane (Apocynumandrosaemifolium)
*Lyme grass (Leymus arenarius)
Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata)
Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
Indian-pipe (Monotropa uniflora)
Enchanter’s-nightshade (Circaeasp.)
Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
*Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
*Knapweed (Centaurea sp.; Centaureastoebeis invasive in MI)
Helleborine (orchid) (Epipactishelleborine)
Japanese spurge/pachysandra (Pachysandraterminalis(?))
Woody vines
River-bank grape (Vitis riparia)
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
List of Birds Seen and/or Heard, July 19, 2018 Nature Walk
American Robin
Northern Cardinal
White-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
Pine Warbler
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Ruby-throatedHummingbird
