"At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds. Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost."
― Rainer Maria Rilke
The Boreal Sparrow Parade continues! Let's begin with these nifty portraits of White-crowned Sparrows Zonotrichia leucophrys. The birds were on alert for a Cooper's Hawk patrolling the drumlin's trees and shrubs. Alas, it wasn't a particularly good morning for photographing songbirds, but I earned a few lucky moments with these two. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks kept the sparrows in low cover most of the morning ― the hawks were likely more interested in ground squirrels or rabbits, though. I did observe an American Kestrel dive straight down to pounce on a small rodent, then carrying it off to a nearby tree where it ate its meal. Also, a pair of Bald Eagles flew over a few times, so it was kind of a raptor-y day.
Here's a juvenile, a little lower on the same branch:
Today (Sunday) looks to be a repeat of yesterday's beautiful weather, but I have a lot of other non-nature-y things I need to get done. If I can at least get outdoors one of the two weekend days, I'm nature-satiated for another week of being responsible. In no way do I suggest that being outdoors isn't an essential part of my earthly existence ― vocation fuels avocation, and avocation provides balance for my vocation.
Most songbirds kept to dense tangle and only occasionally popped up to survey the situation ― they were definitely more wary than my previous visits to the prairie this month. Naturally, accipiters have to eat, but I can't help feel I'd rather have them take European Starlings, House Sparrows, or even Mourning Doves. In all the years I've birded, though, I don't think I've ever observed a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk grab any the native sparrows.
The guarded and watchful White-throated Sparrow.
A skittish Lincoln's Sparrow. I suspect these sparrows will have moved on by next weekend, but there could still be a few stragglers here and there.
My first Fox Sparrow of fall migration. There will be more next weekend.
Palm Warbler. I saw several Orange-crowned Warblers as well, plus a few Yellow-rumps and a single Common Yellowthroat singing full song.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
We haven't had a hard freeze yet here in southern Wisconsin, so there are still some insects around. I haven't bothered to go looking for tiger beetles recently, though. Remember the Cow Path Tiger Beetle mission/location? Bob Jacobson was still finding the beetles early October at that spot. The above fresh Red Admiral was thermoregulating by the sunlight on a Common Milkweed leaf. Dragonflies were doing much the same on heat-absorbent surfaces like logs and rocks. This (below) is probably a Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum costiferum, but I'm not 100% certain. My insecting pal, Lori Widmann, is fairly sure that's the correct species and she's way better at insect-ID than I am.
Nifty, eh?
Given the combination of cooler temps, mix of rain and sunshine, mushrooms are popping up all over the place. I'm not really into mycology, so identifying mushrooms is not one of my strong naturalist suits. Perhaps these are Agaricus campestris, commonly named Field or Meadow Mushroom. I did not bother to check underneath them for gills or spore color. It's actually a good thing to have an abundance of flora and fauna yet to discover and master ― a complete hobby of just mycology exists.
For now, they make interesting photographic subjects ― merely a part of my outdoor excursion.
Pokeweed! Fall color-wise, we're not yet at peak. There are dramatic red, yellow, and orange foliage highlights here and there, but the trees are still mostly green. I don't think we're going to have a very colorful fall on account of the lack of rain during summer. At this juncture it looks like most trees will brown and suddenly drop leaves once we have freezing temperatures. There remains color reminiscent of late summer in flora closer to the ground ― but winter is coming.
Pheasant Branch Prairie
Oct 16, 2021 7:30 AM - 11:00 AM
48 species
Canada Goose
Mallard
Ring-necked Pheasant
Mourning Dove
Sandhill Crane
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Horned Lark
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Winter Wren
European Starling
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Lapland Longspur
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
All images © 2021 Mike McDowell