Curious Fall Finds

 I can always tell it is closing in on fall when I head outside and walk right into a 3 ft diameter spider web. Not much makes me squeamish, but a face full of spider web comes close.  Fall is the time to be on the lookout for the orb weavers! 

Photo by Kathy Fell: Orb weaver

Also, their colorful cousins, the Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia).

Photo by Kathy Fell: Yellow Garden Spider

I also spotted a rather large beetle that I think might be a Horned Passalus Beetle that likes to eat decaying wood. 

Photo by Kathy Fell: Horned Passalus Beetle?

Being more of a plant person, this weekend, I also noted the start of the changing of the sourwood and dogwood leaves and the start of bloom for the fall wildflowers! 

Photo by Kathy Fell: Frost aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum) 

I need to learn how to tell the goldenrod species apart.  I think this is solidago canadensis, which is putting on a vibrant show at my place. 

Photo by Kathy Fell: Goldenrod

And finally, Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, which is gaining a foothold in places. This one has several common names including rabbit tobacco, sweet everlasting or field balsam. 

Photo by Kathy Fell: Sweet everlasting

All three of these fall bloomers are important native species that either popped up from the seed bank in the soil or were left as a gift by one of my bird neighbors (who also like to leave me lots of poison ivy seedlings).  

So... what curious things have you found this fall?