Monday, October 11, 2010

Naturalist News - October 2010

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If you keep a naturalist field journal or  a nature journal here are some writing and drawing prompts for this month.



Nature Calendar 
October New moon
October 8th - 9th - Draconids meteor shower
October 21st - 22nd - Full moon
October 22nd - Full moon
October 18th - 31st - Autumn colors peak in Southeastern Pennsylvania

mushroom


What to observe right now
  • Look for migrating songbirds at your feeders
  • Squirrels busy storing food for winter
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are migrating south. Keep hummingbird feeders filled until freezing is a problem.
  • Monarch butterflies are migrating (Cape may point State Park is a good place to see the migration)
  • Waterfowl migrate south this month
  • Hawk migration peaks in mid-October (Cape May Point State Park, Fort Washington State Park, Hawk Mountain)
  • fungi (mushrooms) sprouting in the leaf litter
Natural History - What to learn now
  • Leaf colors of common trees
  • Why leaves change colors
  • Read information on migration in last month's newsletter if you missed it.
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Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) butterfly in the Pine Barrens

Nature Photography and drawing -  What to photograph and draw now
  • leaf colors
  • fall berries
  • nuts and seed pods
  • harvest time
  • animals preparing for winter (including humans)
  • mushrooms and fungi
  • fall flowers
autumn leaf

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