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 inches, and we have well over three inches of rain in October already! This is more rain than we received the entire 2009 summer.
Maples are currently in their peak fall color; the maple collection near the Borgeson Cabin is absolutely stunning right now. Interestingly, on this day last year, the red coloration seen in maple leaves then appears to be the same shade of red as today’s leaves, suggesting that the trees are very closely following last year’s progression schedule.
Here are some other highlights from this week in the Arb:
– Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird coming to hummingbird feeder in front of Interpretive Center 10/8 (more than a week later than last year’s late date of 9/30)
– Red-breasted Nuthatch coming to sunflower feeders behind Interpretive Center daily since last week (photographed here on 10/5)
Red-breasted Nuthatch at sunflower feeders behind Interpretive Center, 10/5/09.
– Both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets in deciduous woods north of Borgeson Cabin 10/7
– Late monarch butterfly seen flying south near Interpretive Center 10/7
– Darner dragonflies migrating south near Jim Gilbert Teaching Pond 10/7
– Stella D’Oro daylilies still blooming in perennial gardens near Interpretive Center 10/8