A Glimpse of Nature

Both species featured in last week’s “What Is It!” were observed in eastern Massachusetts during early autumn. The plant image, submitted by Karen, was photographed in the town of Harvard on September 29. Let’s look closely at her photo to gather the details that will identify it.

This week we offer a doubleheader!  If you recognize either the plant or the caterpillar, submit your ID to lrubinacci@amesfreelibrary.org.  Where have you seen these species?

The October 14 post will provide identification and some interesting background.

On Monday, September 19, some enthusiastic and knowledgeable folks savored the wildflowers of the Ames Free Library campus. If you weren’t there, you missed a good time of shared curiosity, experience, discovery, and laughter. You also might have missed the peak of this season’s blossoms. After a very hot and dry summer, the rains and cool weather have finally arrived. The forecast now includes daytime highs below 60℉ and nighttime lows near 40℉. Happy fall! Of course, our glorious native asters will continue to put on a show, but more on that another day.

This week, the lovely but highly invasive porcelain berry takes center stage at the Ames Free Library. Look for its grape-like leaves and vines and its attractive multi-colored fruit. The speckled berries change color as they ripen, passing through shades of green, pink, purple, and blue. This species won’t be difficult to locate as it has spread extensively throughout the unmowed sections of the library’s campus.  

Three mystery birds are the stars of this week’s “What Is It!”  Think you know this bird? Submit your ID to A Glimpse of Nature.  If you have ever seen this species, please share your experience as well.  Next week’s post will tell the story behind this photo.

For those of you who avoided our recent dragonfly quiz, and for those who played the game but felt uneasy, here is an observation primer. As with all new subjects, it takes time to get one’s bearings, but there are some easily observable aspects of appearance and behavior that can point you in the right direction.

Here’s the latest news.

Part 1:  The Robin.

If you recall, last Friday a dramatic thunderstorm passed through our region. It began to sprinkle as I headed to my car; soon there was a deluge. As I readied myself for the commute, I looked towards the robin’s nest and wondered how it would fare through heatwave and storm. That’s when an adult bird zipped around the library at breakneck speed.  It needed to protect the nest.

As I was watering the library’s tomatoes and fall greens, I spotted a small object just outside the entrance. It was new, and its color stood out from the gray and pink masonry.

Dragonflies have been among the library’s most conspicuous animals during July – if you’ve been outside long enough to notice them!

I’ve always enjoyed wrestling with a project – asking questions, making observations, doing research, testing ideas – digging deeper. This temperament and habit informs my natural history study, my writing . . . my lesson plans, garden, home repairs, meals, and just about every creative undertaking that’s come my way.  As an approach to life, this is deeply satisfying to me, beneficial to others, and VERY time consuming.