A Season of Change

We often associate the “end of summer” with Labor Day even though the Autumnal Equinox will not be upon us for another two weeks, September 22. Warm days are still with us although we can expect chilly nights and mornings at this time of year. It’s a time of flux in the natural world…..a time of preparation for perhaps the most dynamic time of year, fall.

Although it is a little early, we should be on the lookout for changes that are beginning to signal the new season’s approach. Allow me to recommend a wonderful book by Peter Marchand entitled, “Autumn: A Season of Change”. A quick read of this book may peak you interest and make you a bit more aware of the myriad of changes that occur in our natural surroundings at this time of year,

One of the things to look for are the signs of migration. Some birds are long on their way south while others are preparing for their long journey. On our trip to Kenridge Farm this weekend, we witnessed a good number of Chimney swifts high overhead. Swifts are amazing birds spending a majority of their time during the day on the wing. At night, they will gather in communal roosts in chimneys or structures which resemble chimneys. One of the major concerns for these birds is the fact that there are fewer and fewer large chimneys for these birds to use as resting places at night and during their migratory travels. It is about now that the swifts will be gathering together to make the journey down to the Amazon Basin where the mild temperatures and abundant insect life is found.

Chimney swifts

Chimney swifts resemble flying cigars with long scythe-shaped wings. They fly high and fast making them one of the more difficult birds to photograph in flight. Those long powerful wings give the swift amazing agility which allows them to capture insects on the wing. Watch for these amazing aerialists high overhead …. they won’t be here in the northeast much longer!

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Another bird we find up here in the northeast during the summer months is the Northern flicker. Flickers will migrate in search of a more abundant food source during the cold months. Southern birds are known to stay right where they are because the food source (insects) are plentiful there year-round. The northern populations must move south, however, and will head down the Atlantic coast in large numbers. We did find several still foraging in the dead trees during our hike around the farm. Soon, however, these birds will join others in the move to the southern states. It is, indeed, a Season of Change.

This is one of a pair of Northern flickers we found at Kenridge Farm in the past several days. Plenty of food for them right now, but soon they will begin to head to better feeding grounds in the south. If the insects become too scarce, the flickers will adapt and will eat berries and seeds as well.

Not all the residents of the northeast have the luxury of being able to fly. How will this Pickerel frog we found along the trail’s edge be able to cope with the adverse weather of fall and winter ? During winter, the Pickerel frog enters a state of brumation, a form of dormancy similar to hibernation, to survive the cold months. These frogs typically burrow into leaf litter, mud, or under logs in shallow water or on land to avoid freezing temperatures. Their metabolism slows significantly, allowing them to conserve energy until warmer weather returns. Unlike some amphibians, Pickerel frogs do not produce antifreeze compounds but rely on selecting microhabitats that provide insulation and moisture, ensuring their survival through the winter season.

Pickerel frog

And finally, what of the insect population? Yes, some can fly and some do migrate considerable distances. The Monarch butterfly is in fact making the move right now from the summer habitat up here in New York all the way south to Mexico! What an incredible feat. Others, however, like this Spotted lantern fly which seems to be everywhere we look and step, have a different coping mechanism. They die! But….in late fall, they deposit egg masses covered in a waxy protective coating on trees or other outdoor surfaces (or your car!). Those egg masses incredibly survive through the winter and hatch in the spring.

Spotted lantern fly

And so, as summer begins to wane and the cooler autumnal months arrive, we will continue to monitor the natural world and see how many of the changes we can document It is indeed a “Season of Change”.