September 11

The morning is mostly sunny, warm and humid with a slight southerly breeze as our daughter, Allison and dog, Riley join me on a hike at Forest Hill Nature Area. Along the edge of North Trail, I notice several seed heads of Queen Anne’s Lace have folded up into cup-like shapes, comparable to birds’ nests. Nearby, I open up one of these seed heads to reveal a ½-inch, spotted, Carrot Seed Moth caterpillar.  The caterpillar feeds on the seeds, spins a web and hibernates, sometimes for two years. After pupation, the adult moth emerges (stock photo). Passing through Pollinator Meadow, yellowed with Goldenrod, I spot a ¼-inch Asian Lady beetle on a Wild Grape leaf and then, open up another seed head to reveal a ¼-inch Ground beetle. Following the trail into the shade of North Woods, the song of an Eastern Wood Pee-wee gets my attention. Up ahead, we come upon a pile of fresh feathers and bones of an Eastern Screech owl (stock photo), indicating a predator-prey confrontation. Even a bird-of-prey like this owl has predators, including other owls and small mammals. Exiting North Woods, we begin circling Succession Field where I come upon a 1-inch Pearl Crescent butterfly perched on a blossom of Queen Anne’s Lace and a ¼-inch Shining Flower beetle, crawling on a nearby seed head. In fall, larvae fall from the plant and tunnel into the soil, where they spend the winter. Before turning into South Woods, we pass through Birch Row where I observe a patch of Small-flower Asters, a sign of the upcoming season. Along the trail through South Woods, I notice a 4-inch cap of an Amanita mushroom and a cluster of Jack-in-the-Pulpit fruit. Exiting South Woods, we head for Willow Wallow where I observe a ¼-inch Spined Soldier Bug nymph crawling on another seed head of Queen Anne’s Lace. The adult bug (stock photo) is a predatory stink bug that is sometimes found in cotton and soybean fields. After pausing on the new deck to scan Willow Wallow, we climb to the top of Reflection Hill where I observe a Monarch butterfly feeding on a blossom of Red clover. After a brief glance at Grebe Pond, we descend the hill where I come across a patch of Wild Grape leaves being eaten by several Japanese beetles. Circling past Brady Cemetery into Native Grassland, we walk along the edge of Grebe Pond where I spot several Canada Geese swimming close to the far shore. Finally, we complete the circuit, back to the car for our trip home.

Summer’s waning

Birds vacate the nest

Some heading south

Food aplenty for the rest

Meadow changing colors

Asters reveal their flowers

Wetlands are drying up

Awaiting autumn showers

Leaves lose their hold

Forest floor strewn

Nature giving hints

Fall is coming soon

 

D. DeGraaf