Archive for 2009
Arb Sightings 11/5/09
It appears the weather we had all hoped for in October had instead been reserved for November. Since November 1 the weather has been fairly dry and pleasant, with high temperatures reaching the mid-50’s. The forecast for this coming Saturday calls for high temperatures in the low 60’s; while this seems unseasonably warm for November, [...]
Arb Sightings 10/30/09
It appears that we’re going to end October just a quarter of an inch short of the rainfall record for the month; yesterday we received another half inch or so of rain. Finally, though, the forecast for the next ten days predicts more sunny and dry days than cloudy and rainy, and we might even [...]
Arb Sightings 10/22/09
What might have been our Indian Summer occurred this past weekend into Monday, with a high temperature near 60 degrees Fahrenheit Monday afternoon. That same day the Asian ladybird beetles were out in full force, although their annual fall flight did not last long. Since Monday, the high temperatures have once gain been in the [...]
Arb Sightings 10/15/09
Last week’s weather forecasts were correct: our first snow came early this past Saturday morning 10/10. Not only did we wake up to a thin coating of snow that morning, but also we experienced the first temperatures below freezing (as low as 23 degrees Fahrenheit!). Since Saturday, temperatures in southern Minnesota have struggled to reach [...]
Arb Sightings 10/8/09
This week has been a cold, wet one. High temperatures have been in the upper 40’s and 50’s all week, and the forecast for this Saturday calls for highs in the upper 30’s with a chance of snow! This past Tuesday, 10/6, 1.3 inches of rain fell; add that to last weekend’s total of 2.04 [...]
Arb Sightings 10/2/09
While this report is coming a day late, there has been no shortage of interesting sightings this week! The weather, finally, seems to be acting more autumn-like, as temperatures are now struggling to reach the mid-60’s. The arboretum has received more than two inches of rain (and still counting!) between today and yesterday; this October [...]
Arb Sightings 9/24/09
Yesterday we finally had our first significant migration push. While the winds were light, they were from a northerly direction, which means birds, dragonflies, and butterflies were all heading south. On yesterday’s birdwalk 31 species were sighted in the Arb, with highlights being seven species of warbler (including very good looks at a Palm Warbler [...]
Arb Sightings 9/17/09
Today’s date belies the weather we’re experiencing right now in south-central Minnesota. Last year on this date the temperature was comfortable in the low 70’s; today it feels like mid-summer with temperatures in the mid-80’s. While we should have only a few more hot days like today left, rain appears to be quite rare in [...]
Arb Sightings
Hello! It’s been a while since anything has been posted about the Linnaeus Arboretum, but that will now change. Beginning this Thursday, a weekly update of “Arb Sightings” will be posted to keep readers informed of what’s being observed in the arboretum. These posts will serve as a sort of phenology guide to events in [...]
Perry’s Putrid Plume Prods Primeval Sense
Here’s the latest roll-out of the serial tabulation of public impressions of Perry’s complex, magnificent fragrance (#4 in the series). For the previous installment, click here. Note the change in perceptions over time. I thought that the fragrance changed significantly over the couple of days that Perry was in flower (though she/he was only in [...]