Welcome September 2018!
Ah – September, so glad to see you! It’s going to be a glorious month. The month started off great for me with an eruption from Giant Geyser. This is the month that we have days without a cloud in the sky, the chill of fall is in the air each morning and warms each day to almost summer temperatures. It’s a month where sweaters come out to start layering to stay comfortable all day.
It’s also a month of lasts. These are much harder to catch than the firsts of spring The Rufous hummingbird pair has moved on – last seen on August 31st here at the house. The Turkey Vultures in town seemed to have increased in numbers last week and now I need to make an effort to head out each morning or evening to try and catch their last day, though I may have already missed it. While at Giant Geyser on the first, I noticed about 50 Mountain Bluebirds flying by in groups of twos or threes. Easy to overlook, but they are gathering and getting ready to migrate. Also, the number of Tree Swallows seemed to be down in the park.
But there are also firsts to observe as well. Trumpeter Swans are arriving in Yellowstone, and while I’ve not seen them at Mary Bay yet, there are more reported in Hayden Valley and one is back on the Firehole River between the top of the Firehole Canyon and Fountain Flats. The first elk bugles have been reported as well, signaling that the rut is on. The elk herd out in Wapiti was seen the other day – I noticed them along with many others. They were all bunched up when I drove by heading into the park on the 2nd.
And we’re waiting for that first hard, killing frost here in Cody. I swear God made hayfever to help us long for the transition to winter. They say you’re always worst with hayfever wherever you grew up – and overall that seems basically true.
Mom realized the other day as she spotted her first Miller Moth, that we really didn’t have them this year here in Cody. Interesting to note.
The bears are coming back down and have been seen on the North Fork by the fishing guides at North Fork Anglers. And the color in the fall leaves has been slowly making its way down from the top of Sylvan Pass to Cody. We even have a few leaves starting to fall from the trees in town. We are well into the transition to fall.
September is a favorite month of many – whatever is happening your area, make time to be out in it and celebrate the changing of the seasons.