The Meadow’s Edge

The flower tops of Queen Anne's Lace form a "bird's nest" in the fall.

September is traditionally a month of harvest.  It brings the look and feel of autumn as summer slips away. Listen for the night sounds of tree frogs and crickets. Fall bird migration begins, with Hummingbirds, Broadwing Hawks, Yellow-shafted Flickers, and Geese leading the way. Watch for Red Admiral butterflies. Grapes ripen along stone walls and woodland edges. Peaches droop in orchards. Deer stay closer the woods. Bears eat nuts and berries. Redwing blackbirds prepare to migrate. Muskrats build winter homes. The praying mantis deposits a frothy egg mass on twigs and rocks. Wild carrot (Queen Anne’s Lace) forms a “bird nest” growth at tip. Apples ripen in orchards. Deer, fox, ruffed grouse, and raccoons eat apples in orchards.  Insect larvae feed on the apples. Yellow jackets are especially fond of the decaying fruit.  Hitch-hiker seeds – beggar ticks, burdock, and tick trefoils – are picked up on pants and socks. Field and woodland Asters are numerous. Wooly bear caterpillars seek shelter. Thistle heads are now silvery. Look for mushrooms following a rain. Red Maple leaves turn crimson. Pods of Milkweed crack open. The dark purple-black berries of Pokeberry hang along country roads. The blue flowers of the Chicory bloom along sunny streets. Two species of butterflies that migrate south are the Monarch and the Painted Lady. The first frost of the year may occur this month. Fall leaf colors begin showing. Green Darner dragonflies and Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies dazzle with their speed.