September 30

Tuesday, Remi & I returned to Forest Hill Nature Area where I planned to take my annual saunter around the top of Reflection Hill and pause as I face different directions to take in nature’s sights & sounds. The early afternoon weather was overcast with a temperature of 55 degrees and a chilly breeze from the northwest. Arriving at the top of the hill, I first noticed a Honeysuckle bush with several Honeysuckle Witches Broom Galls that had turned pale purple. Looking north, I was not surprised that the dense cattail growth surrounding Mallard Marsh made it impossible to see the water surface and the trees of North Woods were showing some color change. Following the trail counterclockwise, I noticed that most Goldenrod flowers had gone to seed while a few Milkweed leaves were turning yellow and dropping off. Further along, the bird box that the cub scouts put up last spring was empty as the Tree Swallows who nested there had left and were gathering for their fall migration. Nearby, I saw that a Velvetleaf plant had dropped all of its leaves and only the dried up fruit capsules remained. Following the trail as it turned south, I could hear all around me the constant, low background noise of grasshoppers and crickets while in the distance I could see the tall White Pine trees of Brady Cemetery sticking up behind the Willow thicket of Frog Fen. Just off the trail I spotted another sign of the season as a Goldenrod stem gall had turned from green to red. Turning back toward the north, I hopped on top of a bench and did a 360-degree scan of the surrounding landscape including Grebe Pond where over the past week I had been watching with amazement a resident Great Blue Heron share a fishing spot with a transient Great Egret. After doing some research on this behavior, I discovered it’s not that unusual in other parts of the country. Continuing north, I could barely make out dozens of tiny, black Ground Crickets hopping through the grass along the edge of the trail. After completing the loop, I descended the hill back toward the classroom where I observed my first Spotted Tussocks Moth caterpillar of the season on a willow leaf. Finally, we made it to the car and left for home.

As September ceases

The heron still wades

Colder winds blow

Goldenrod fades

Whining Cicadas

Crawling Wooly Bear

Turtles are gone

Logs are now bare

Tree Swallows gather

South they will go

Cattails explode

Nature’s autumn show

D. DeGraaf