The autumn migration is in full swing via our prairies. Dragonflies, birds, butterflies, and extra are shifting southward. Going out on dewy mornings is a good way to investigate cross-check butterflies and dragonflies as a result of I can discover them motionless and coated in dew on their in a single day roosts. This week was a giant week for variegated meadowhawks (dragonflies), apparently. I discovered dozens of them at our household prairie one morning (extra pictures towards the top of this publish).
There are many little brown birds skulking within the vegetation this week. A lot of them are grassland sparrows of varied species, however there additionally have been a bunch of sedge wrens at our household prairie. Most of these birds are laborious to see until you flush them whereas strolling via the prairie, however simply standing nonetheless can also be a great way to listen to them as they rustle round in patches of tall grass. The sedge wrens made it simple as a result of they not solely rustled, in addition they known as to one another with their machine gun songs (“Dot Dot d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d!”).
Monarchs are removed from the one migratory butterfly (to not point out moths) coming via. I’ve seen quite a lot of painted girl butterflies this week and located just a few orange sulphurs that (in all probability?) have been on the transfer. There was a cluster of pearl crescent butterflies in our yard this week, too, however so far as I do know, these aren’t migratory. They regarded like they’d all lately emerged as adults, in order that they’d higher hurry in the event that they’re going to put eggs earlier than freezing temperatures hit!
As I see the abundance of flies nonetheless energetic presently of 12 months, I can’t assist questioning what number of of them are migrants. A 12 months in the past, I wrote a publish complaining concerning the lack of North American analysis on migratory flies. I’m certain that spurred a flurry of exercise amongst researchers (eye roll) and that we’ll quickly know much more concerning the matter. Within the meantime, I’m left to surprise, particularly about all of the completely different drone flies and hover flies I see. Are they simply scrambling to eat (and lay eggs?) earlier than frost? Or are they fueling up throughout an extended southward journey?
Most bugs, after all, don’t migrate, in order that they should survive Nebraska winters nevertheless they will. That often includes discovering a sheltered place to cover after which simply withstanding freezing circumstances. Species fluctuate when it comes to whether or not they undergo winter as adults, eggs, or larvae/nymphs. All of these choices appear to work okay.
A variety of the person bugs out and round now will merely die as winter hits. The one bumblebees, for instance, that survive the winter are the fertilized females that can be subsequent 12 months’s queens. Everybody else within the colony will perish on the finish of this season. Different bugs that lay eggs earlier than winter will even die after finishing that job. I think about that abundance of lifeless bugs gives a giant bonanza of meals for any animals out poking round after the primary massive freeze or two. If not, micro organism, fungi, and different microorganisms will clear up the remaining.
Vegetation are additionally shutting down for the 12 months. Most wildflowers and grasses are completed blooming and have produced seeds if they will. Perennial prairie vegetation are additionally making buds. Woody vegetation make buds aboveground the place new leaves or stems will emerge subsequent 12 months so the vegetation can proceed to develop bigger (assuming they don’t get burned, chewed, or reduce down). Herbaceous vegetation, although, together with grasses, wildflowers, and sedges, create buds at their bases, often proper under the floor of the soil.
Over the winter, your entire aboveground portion of perennial herbaceous vegetation dies again. Within the spring, although, these vegetation will begin a brand new season of progress from their basal buds. Seeds are nonetheless vital for these perennials, although, each as a result of it permits them to mix DNA with others of their species (cross-pollination) and since it lets them unfold progeny into new locations. Seed dispersal methods are fascinating and delightful, and it’s a enjoyable time of 12 months to see quite a lot of them in motion.
Late summer season and early fall are nice occasions for dewy mornings. These water droplets are a boon for insect photographers, however in addition they make good photograph topics on their very own.
Again to the abundance of variegated meadowhawks this week… I can’t bear in mind seeing so many at a time earlier than, however that doesn’t imply a lot. I attempted to rapidly {photograph} a choice of these I discovered at our household prairie one morning, however I simply saved discovering increasingly. Listed here are those I managed to {photograph}:
There was one dragonfly specifically that was perched attractively on prime of some stiff goldenrod because the solar got here up. I circled again to it a pair occasions because it began warming up and managed to {photograph} it from a number of angles whereas it was nonetheless too chilly and moist to fly away. All the remainder of the pictures under are of that very same particular person.
I don’t understand how for much longer this late season flurry of exercise will final, so I’m attempting to catch as a lot of it as I can. I’ve gotten behind on some initiatives as a result of I’m attempting to see issues earlier than they’re gone, however I’ll have the entire winter to catch up, proper?
