Seasonal Signals Show Summer Changing Into Fall

Beautiful blue dragonfly perching on my mailbox

Insect life is still going full speed with all the sunny and hot weather, which is conducive to an on the go lifestyle. Ants and bees are the most common sightings, especially since they are always actively working to better their home colony. I recently came across a freshly built honeycomb on the underside of a large live oak limb, and I consider such a sighting to be rare. I shared my observation with a friend, and he had also recently identified a similar honeycomb. Not everyone will have the same observations, but keep an open mind about what you are seeing in your neck of the woods.

            

Some subtle observations have been made since the month of August began. As an avid birdwatcher, I can report that there has been a slight increase in the activity of the hummingbirds. These hummers move in during spring and stick around for six months or more, so this observation is based over time. I still see plenty of flowers in bloom right now, and nectar can be a main source of food for the hummers, but as summer dwindles so too will the blooms.

Other August observations include leaves on hardwood trees already changing colors and beginning to fall off. Go find and look at a black gum tree in the woods right now and you will likely see red leaves, and any early changes might be greatly influenced by the long hot and dry summer season of 2015. As temperatures cool down just a bit, reptiles like snakes will increase their daytime activities and sightings will likely increase. Snapping turtles will emerge from farm ponds with the onset of fall, and the larger specimens are always worth a quick look to marvel at their continued presence on the landscape.

To read this article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries on other wildlife click on Bats - Horses - Wood Storks