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| Grasses and goldenrods dominate |
Autumn is just starting. Cooler nights and days, dewier and foggier mornings and some leaves turning red and yellow are all evidence of the change coming this month. The cool temps will also dampen mosquito activity making woodland hikes alot more pleasant!
Here are a few things to watch for this month as you hit the trails.
Prairies
Plants
The colorful blues, pinks and even white asters make their welcome return in September. The tall grasses are dominating the prairies and are lovely on a windy day. Goldenrods and native purple field thistles still flower and provide needed nectar to bees and migrating butterflies alike. It's not unusal to see a host of insects on thistles this month. |
| Brown-belted bumblebee on cutleaf coneflower |
Bumblebees
You will be seeing some giant bumblebees as you hike among flowering plants. These are the new, young queens (gynes). They are entering their mating season and will soon begin to dig their hibernaculum to shelter themselves through the winter. This month you may also note bees that have ragged wings and bald spots on their back as well. These are the males and workers of the colony who, along with the old queen, will die as autumn comes. The gynes will be the only survivors when they emerge from diapause next spring and lay their eggs to begin a new colony.
Monarch Butterflies
Their migration south has begun. As their sources of nectar age and dwindle and daylight and temperatures decrease, the butterflies experience a change that sets off their migration instinct. You can stop here to read more about their remarkable life cycle as well as a list of resources on how we can support this lovely butterfly. Be sure to stop by prairies in the heat of the day to watch the action.
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| Image - Xerces Society |
Woods
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| Shaggy mane inky cap |
Fungi
This is another great season for fungi fans. The woods are full of a huge variety of mushrooms and fascinating fungi. Two of my favorites in the Driftless are inky caps and any of the milk caps. The distinguising feature of inky caps is that, at maturity, their gills dissolve into a marvelous soupy black ink. What could be better? And milk caps, when cut, ooze milky latex, often in blue, violet, orange, green or white. They'll bruise those colors as well. Happy 'shrooming!
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| Early color on stressed leaves |
Plants
A few flowering plants like self-heal, white snakeroot and asters will hang in there along the forest floor. But it is the changing leaves on bushes and trees that are the star in the life cycle of plants in September. Early colors pop up in sumacs, poison ivy (hurray, easier to spot!) and red maples. You might note that trees near roadsides or parking lots often display their colors early or drop brown or yellow leaves first. That is due to the stress from heat generated by pavement, accumulated salt and soil compaction of roadside construction near their roots.
Orb Spider webs
With dewy and foggy mornings followed by sun, intricate orb spider webs are easily spotted in the woods. With these spiders at their full growth, their webs are also bigger and more noticeable. Dropping temperatures and still abundant prey stimulate increased web-building and feeding activity this month before cold weather ends their life cycle.
Migration
September is always notable for the volume of migrating birds that travel the Mississippi Flyway through the Driftless. You can follow Cornell University's Birdcast to anticipate their flights. You can also subscribe at birdcast to receive alerts when the migration forecast is high.
Waterfowl migration
The migration south to wintering grounds starts slowly this month for waterfowl. Canada geese are starting to flock. Early duck migrants like blue wing teal, wood ducks, shovelers, widgeons and mallards are starting their journeys. They respond more to length of daylight than low temperaturs to start their migration. It's a great time to see them as you hike our many Driftless wetlands trails.
Songbird migration
Songbirds are flocking and have begun their nightly southward journeys. In the past two weeks, in fact, we've had millions of birds passing nightly through our Driftless area. I have noted in my bi-weekly phenology posts the lessening of bird song and one can see why! It's also recommended that you consider turning off any outside lights from 11pm - 6am to help these migrators on their way. Darker skies help them avoid confusion..
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| Green darner dragonfly Image - UW- Milwaukee |
Migrating green darner dragonflies?
You may have noticed fewer green darner dragonflies lately. That's because some of them migrate, typically July through October. They can fly up to 80 miles in a day with favorable winds. Their descendants will return in spring. For other darners in the Driftless, they will overwinter as naiads under frozen ponds. If you are lucky this month on sunny days, you may catch one of their flying swarms.
No matter where you go this month, be curious. Take some extra time to look and see what you can see along the trail. You’ll be delighted!
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| Indigo milk cap |
Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters
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