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After a much too hot and dry summer, autumn is here at last! I love autumn - the crispness of the air, the smell of fallen leaves, and of course the colors of the leaves as they fall. We received a good amount of rain in late September which will hopefully set the stage for a fall and winter in which our flora and fauna can recover from the summer.

As the length of daylight (photoperiod) decreases, many species found in this area migrate to their winter nesting sites farther south. Two of the most notable are the Monarch butterflies and Ruby throated hummingbirds. To learn about another migrant in the area go to this month's nature trivia.

The change of season has led to a new and very different group of wildflowers. With the canopy still full of leaves, most of the color at this time of year is found along roadsides and edges. Many species of Aster such as New York Aster, New England Aster, White Woods Aster, and Curtis' Aster can be found locally, along with many different species of Goldenrod. Also found at this time of year is one of my favorite flowers, Ironweed. Even these late blooming plants are on the downward spiral as we prepare for the colors, smells, and feel of autumn.

As the flowers die for the winter, and before the trees start turning their fall colors, there is still color to be found. One of the great things about nature is how well coordinated many events are. At this time of year many migrations are taking place, with many birds and butterflies traveling great distances.

The butterflies feed on the late blooming flowers, but the birds rely in great part on the berries of plants that bloomed earlier in the year. That these berries ripen to coincide with the migration is just one example of how inter-related the natural world is. The seeds of False Solomon's Seal, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Umbrella Leaf are a few that can be found at this time of year. Perhaps the most striking of these seeds are those of the Hearts-a-busting. The birds benefit from a quick fix of energy while the plant is rewarded with the dispersal of its offspring.

In closing for the month, I'd like to share a verse from one of my favorite poems, "When the Frost is on the Punkin" by James Whitcomb Riley:

They’s something kindo’ hearty like about the atmusfere
when the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here -
of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,
and the mumble of the hummin’birds and buzzin’ of the bees;
But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze,
of a crisp and sunny morning of the early autumn days,
is a picture that no painter has the colorin’ to mock -
when the frost is on the punkin, and the fodder’s in the shock.