"Sometimes the sunset is so beautiful, I think it might be the very last one."
― Nitya Prakash
Sue and I headed back to Sauk on Sunday to see if we could turn up any lingering tiger beetles. The forecast called for only a few hours of clear skies that morning, but the sunshine held throughout the day. Our first planned stop was the canoe launch, where we came up empty. At Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area, however, we managed to find a single Oblique-lined Tiger Beetle. Well, Sue found it first—she has a knack for spotting them when numbers are low.
As a spring-fall species, this adult emerged earlier this summer, showing only minor damage on one of its elytra. While they typically go inactive for the winter by late September, warm weather can keep a few active into October. You may recall I've spotted Bronzed Tiger Beetles in early November, but this individual might be my final tiger beetle of the 2026 season—though Oblique-lined holds my personal record for the earliest emergence.
While this individual seemed unable to fly, it could still run super fast, making it a challenging subject to photograph. Naturally, they're exceedingly more difficult to deal with when they can fly.
A four-month hiatus from tiger beetling is a long wait, but the quiet of winter shifts my attention to other aspects of the natural world. It also gives me a chance to catch up on all the reading I've put off since spring. If the warm weather holds, there may yet be a November sighting, but we'll see. Something tells me, though, this one was the last of the season.
Before going to Sauk Rec, we checked the canoe launch on the Wisconsin River where we did not find a single tiger beetle—recall that there was a Bronzed here the previous week. Well, it's a lot of territory to cover for just one insect. We could have easily missed it.
There were a few Shoreline Wolf Spiders (Arctosa littoralis) on the beach ...
This one was on the larger side with an unusual coloration—more mottled orange than tan. While this species can match substrate tones during development, the vivid pattern and larger frame might also reflect a recent molt or age.
A final look at the river habitat framing the lingering fall foliage. We still love visiting in winter, when the shifting ice creates remarkable photographic subjects.
We spent the remainder of the day looking at fall colors, checking the area at the south end of Burma Road near Devil's Lake State Park, which is accessible from Sauk Rec.
On our way back to Middleton we stopped at Indian Lake Park for a late afternoon hike.
The colors were definitely at peak!
Partway down the main trail, we discovered that a new section of the Ice Age Trail opened on Friday, so we decided to check it out. After hiking it, Sue and I agreed it'll be our new favorite trail at ILP, offering a fresh perspective on the landscape and the kettle lake.
Naturally ...
During my final visit with my mom, I told her something I've said to her before: Thank you for giving me life. I said the same thing when she gave me my grandfather's telescope. But the words that followed carried the true weight of a life lived on my own terms—I haven't wasted it.
I think to say this to one's parent isn't just an expression of gratitude—it means looking back over decades of curiosity, patient observation, and quiet discipline, knowing that time wasn't spent idly or lost to distraction, but anchored by being in the present moment. Living life filled with purpose—whether spent studying patterns of the natural world, sharing knowledge with others, or simply standing still in wild places—is perhaps the highest form of thanks anyone can offer for the gift of existence.
All images © 2026 Mike McDowell