Lake News – Autumn Is Here
Well, it has started. Autumn is here. The greens of the trees are just a bit less vibrant than they were. The first fall colors appeared in the maples right about September 1st, as if on schedule. It was shocking to see the first oranges and golds in the trees. It seemed to happen over night. We have many large, old maples around and if this first peek of color is any indication, it will be an outstanding fall. Photo by mandj98
Fall is a great time for prairies too. The big bluestem and little bluestem are also rich in color, red shafted grasses with seed heads, ripe. A few prairie plants have yet to bloom, so the prairie color show will last for a few weeks yet. We didn’t get the bluestem planted in our prairie garden this year, but definitely will next year. Prairie plants show some amazing adaptations for the harsh life they’ve had to lead. I never knew how cold winter can truly be until I was doing some conservation work in the middle of a prairie during the winter, with a steady north breeze. Equally so, a hot summer day in the middle of a prairie is not easily forgotten. Without structures or trees to divert the wind, prairie plants have adapted to having extremely long root systems, if just to hold them in place. Bluestem will have roots upwards of 15 foot long. This could explain the fact that it takes a few years to establish a prairie. The energy goes into establishing the root system first, then the rest will follow. We like to think of our prairie garden as our legacy. Long after we’re gone, the roots will still be there, waiting to take hold again if the garden should be planted over.
The wildlife around seems to be preparing for the change of season too. Ducks are forming rafts on the water at night. It’s rather an eerie sight to come upon them all of a sudden as we bring the boat in from our sunset cruise. They’re so quiet too; no squawking or fussing as we too move silently through the water. Now speaking of quiet, we’ve also seen flocks of pelicans flying high in the sky. It’s like seeing a specter during the day. They seem to hover in small tight groups in the air, hardly moving their wings. The white of their bodies catches the sunlight. Their flight pattern is unmistakable.
We’ve noticed too that the fall warblers are starting to come through. Warblers can be a challenge to identify in the spring, but during the fall without their showy breeding plumage, they are even more of a challenge to ID. Well, I guess I’ll have to make sure and spend even more time outside, listening to the the melodious singing of the birds before the resident birds too make their way south.
