Time for Fall Projects
by Kathy Fell
Now is a good time for sharp eyed naturalists to take a hike
with your camera and do some observing. I
discovered the sourwood is starting to make a display. There is an approved project called Budburst https://budburst.org/ that collects data about
plat phenology. This might be something to sign up for in the
spring. Data is used to track the impact
of global warming on plants.
I did a little research and discovered the peak of the
southern migration of the monarch butterfly will be later this month. The site has a predication chart, based on
your latitude: https://monarchwatch.org/tagmig/peak.html. I am at about 38 degrees latitude. Keep an eye out for the eastern migration
from Maine to Mexico, starting next week.
A southern migration map can be found here: https://maps.journeynorth.org/map/?map=monarch-peak-migration&year=2021
Monarch monitoring is part of our
approved project “Report Insect, spider
and tick sightings”. https://monarchjointventure.org/mlmp
and
Our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will also be heading south
soon. I went outside this morning to check the hummingbird feeder. A “customer” was there, waiting for me. As soon as I had hung up the fresh sugar water,
she went for a drink. I was maybe 6 ft
away. You will not see flocks of
hummingbirds. They are solitary
creatures and travel alone. Check
out https://www.audubon.org/content/hummingbirds-home
if you want to contribute as part of the “Bird Counts” project.
Another good fall project is to collect acorns for the Department of Forestry. Acorns (and other nuts) are due by October 15th. My Black Walnut trees have a bumper crop this year! For more information, visit https://dof.virginia.gov/forest-management-health/seedling-nurseries/acorn-collection/
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