Vesper sparrow watching a wasp. Photo by David Lukas
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This will be a short and simple newsletter today, and I'll be closing out the summer by taking the next week off, but I'm looking forward to seeing what autumn has in store for us when the newsletter returns.
It's been another crazy and mixed week with bits of rain, sun, and hazy smoke.
One of this week's smoky sunsets. Photo by David LukasAnd another smoky evening. Photo by David Lukas
But these changing conditions don't seem to have impacted the migrating birds. Many groups of yellow-rumped warblers have been moving through, along with swallows, groups of sparrows, and a scattering of western tanagers.
Female western tanager eating black hawthorn. Photo by David LukasFemale yellow-rumped warbler with a migrating flock. Photo by David LukasJuvenile accipiters are among our most common migrating raptors. Photo by David LUkasSome common mergansers may stay in the valley until winter sets in. Photo by David Lukas
A handful of deciduous trees are beginning to change colors, while lingering seeds and berries continue to provide a bounty for the migrating birds.
Early colors on aspens. Photo by David LukasRipe chokecherries. Photo by David LukasColumbia hawthorn berries are red, unlike the dark purple berries of black hawthorn (in the tanager photo above). Photo by David Lukas
Given how dry and brittle everything is, it's been a pleasure to see how many different kinds of insects there are. Dragonflies and grasshoppers are still the most obvious insects, but they're not the only ones.
Darners have been the most common dragonflies for weeks now. Photo by David LukasBut once you start looking closely, you can find many other kinds of dragonflies. Photo by David LukasWe get so used to seeing the same kinds of grasshoppers over and over again that seeing one that looks different is a surprise. Photo by David LukasPraying mantises are more visible in late summer when they reach their maximum size. Photo by David LukasThis bizarre little insect is one of our many robber flies. Photo by David Lukas
It's also time for dandelion flowers. Over the years, I've noticed that dandelions have two flowering periods, one in the early spring and one in the late summer. Both times, they are incredibly important to pollinators because they flower when there are few other flowers around. I used to pull dandelions from the yard, but as soon as I realized how many insects were using them I now leave them and am thankful for their presence!
These colorful little hover flies seem to be one of the most common dandelion pollinators. Photo by David LukasThese larger flies are also in the mix. Photo by David LukasAs well as these huge, astonishing wasps. Photo by David Lukas
In short, this has been an amazing spring (!) and summer, and I'm looking forward to the colors of autumn now!
