Phenology Report Mid August 2018

This morning as the world began to lighten, I looked out the window. While sipping my morning cup of tea and welcoming the day, I couldn’t decide if it would dawn clear or cloudy. Then the orange circle of the sun popped up through the trees confirming it’s another smoky August day.

This is just how it is in the west during fire season. It makes for some gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. We’ve also had a bit of a cold front moving in, making for delicious sleeping temperatures, but also making it just a bit too cool for the morning once I’m no longer snuggled down under the covers. However, I know that won’t last long, so just get myself moving.

Here in Cody, the hummingbirds have arrived here on their migration back south. The Calliope arrived two weeks ago, and the Broad-tails showed up four days ago. The house finches found the hummingbird feeders a month or more ago and learned to drink from it. Can’t tell if there are multiples of them with a “sweet tooth” or just a couple of them.

Last week the yellow jackets also showed up at the hummingbird feeder – no longer feeding larvae, they have time now that the “kids” are taken care of.

I saw a report on Facebook that someone spotted a bull elk in Yellowstone shedding the velvet on his antlers yesterday. Waiting to see a report of the first elk bugle heard. It’s about time for that.

I’ve also heard that the bison rut is sometimes blocking traffic in Hayden Valley for a two hour animal jam, and then the next day not one bison can be found there.

These are just a few of the signs of the shift to fall that’s well underway that need to get jotted down and make it to my field journal.

I’ve been busy this summer and need to get my seasonal phenology notes transferred to my field journal and online as well. One of the things I love about tracking the seasons is that you can jump back in wherever you are.

Nature is always there – doing its thing and hoping you take a moment to notice, but not waiting for you. There is comfort in the steadiness of that.