Ripe Mountain Ash Berries
We have now entered into the meteorological fall season with considerable evidence of that transition. It is a time of vibrant color changes, taking advantage of available food sources and migration to warmer climates.
Cedar Waxwing feeding on Mountain Ash Berries
We have a mountain ash tree near our bird feeding station. Recently, we have become aware of the proliferation of berries as they have ripened to a brilliant orange color. At 9:00 am this past Friday September 2nd, a large flock of mostly juvenile cedar waxwings discovered this wealth of nourishment. They will exhibit an array of contortions just to get at the next berry.
By noon on Friday, the tree was void of berries and color
This past week my morning canoe outings were greeted with heavy layers of dense fog the result of the interaction of cold air and the warmer water of the river. A definite sign of approaching fall.
Merlin
River travel by canoe affords one the opportunity to observe unusual and sometimes rare sightings. With the assistance of Scott Mehus, Education Director, at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha I was able to add another bird species to my life list. This merlin, a member of the falcon family, was observed perched high on top of a dead willow branch at the edge of the marsh. Their main source of food is small birds which are caught in flight.
Pale Touch-Me-Not
The most common wildflower one can observe along wooded sections of the Rattlesnake Bluff trail in Wacouta is Pale Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens pallida). This wild flower is sometimes called "Jewelweed" because water droplets on the leaves sparkle in the sunlight like jewels. The juice from this succulent plant is sometimes used to sooth the stings of nettles and help prevent the rash from developing from poison ivy.
Baltimore Orioles
Wednesday, August 31st was the last day that we observed orioles at our nectar and jelly feeders. This has been a wonderful summer for these birds with as many as a dozen orioles at our jelly feeder at one time earlier in the summer, just after the young birds had fledged. This summer we emptied 15 32 ounce jars of grape jelly for our adult entertainment center. We are still seeing an occasional migrating hummingbird at the nectar feeder.