• Mon, Sep 28
• Tue, Sep 29
• Wed, Sep 30
• Thu, Oct 1
• Fri, Oct 2
• Around 2:40 p.m.
• Sat, Oct 3
• Sun, Oct 4
• Mon, Oct 5
• Tue, Oct 6
• Wed, Oct 7
• Thu, Oct 8
• Fri, Oct 9
• Sat, Oct 10
• Sun, Oct 11
• Mon, Oct 12
• Tue, Oct 13
• Wed, Oct 14
• Thu, Oct 15
• Sat, Oct 17
• Sun, Oct 18
• Mon, Oct 19
• Tue, Oct 20
• Wed, Oct 21
• Thu, Oct 22
• Fri, Oct 23
• Sat, Oct 24
• Sun, oct 25
• Mon, Oct 26
• Tue, Oct 27
• Wed, Oct 28
• Thu, Oct 29
• Fri, Oct 30
• Sat, Oct 31

Late Sep and Oct 2015 Notes

#bird - #home - #nature - #insect

Mon, Sep 28

at 7:20 p.m., at least two Scissor-grinder Cicadas are singing around our home. temps still in the mid 70s. calm wind. partly to mostly cloudy sky. good weather to sing if a cicada. love their song. unfortunately, it won't last much longer. i don't think that i heard Dog Day Cicada today.

Tue, Sep 29

my rain gauge recorded 0.20 inches of rainfall

Wed, Sep 30

front passage on the day before. partly cloudy and breezing morning on Sep 30.

during early morning walk, i heard GCKI and MYWA call notes. I heard call notes from other warblers that I did not recognize.

along grantley, I saw a RTHA fly from a tree and fly away low. I saw a GBHE fly east to west over the road, below tree-top height.

midday walk with barney, saw a common buckeye butterfly resting in the sun on a sidewalk.

Thu, Oct 1

More MYWA and GCKI call notes during early morning walk.

I found a dead warbler on a sidewalk. it looked like a hatch-year Cape May Warbler.

During walk, I heard what sounded like a distant EAWP song. I heard pee-eww. then a short while later, i heard pee-a-wee. that's what it sounded like. distant though.

saw an autumn meadohawk dragonfly lift off a sidewalk.

Fri, Oct 2

More MYWA and GCKI call notes on morning exercise walk.

At 10:22 a.m., I saw two WTSP foraging on our west spirea bed.

12:00 p.m. - SWTH perched on the middle oval shrub in our backyard.

Around 2:40 p.m.

Mostly cloudy to cloudy and windy. Temps in the mid 50s. Observed in the backyard:

• SWTH
• at least three WTSP
• at least three RCKI
• Cape May WA
• Female BT Blue
• BLPW

The warblers and kinglets were all feeding very low, between the ground and four feet above the ground, in shrubs and spirea and flowers. Cape May drank water from our bird bath dish.

I don't see any birds as of 2:49 a.m. Two or three BCCH were also foraging low in the backyard. Maybe a little mixed flock of chickadees, warblers, and kinglets were moving through our property.

Sat, Oct 3

Rainy, windy, chilly day. Strong northeast winds. Light rain and drizzle all day from mid-morning into the evening. Temps around 50 degrees. Very low cloud base. Low light.

In the morning, I saw four WTSP forage on our west spirea bed.

Sun, Oct 4

Morning started partly sunny. It clouded over later. Temps were in the 60s. Comfy. Light wind.

I saw a MYWA bop around in our produce garden and in our Oak Openings natives flower bed.

Mon, Oct 5

During my early morning exercise walk, I heard callnotes from MYWA and several GCKI.

I also heard a partial secondary song of the NOPA.

WTPS were in our backyard during the day.

Partly cloudy day. Temp 70 degrees at TOL at 2:00 p.m. Maybe a cicada will sing today. Today is the warmest day since last Monday or Tuesday.

GCKI in trees over our backyard at 3:40 p.m.

I did not hear a cicada today.

Tue, Oct 6

During my exercise walk this morning, I heard several GCKI making their "see-see-see" notes

I heard AMRO notes again this morning. I've been hearing AMRO noises about every day over the past week, during my walks.

At 6:56 p.m., I heard a Scissor-grinder Cicada singing !!! My first cicada song of October for this year. I just opened a window at 6:56 p.m., and I heard it. It's not in our yard. It may have been singing earlier, and I couldn't hear with the windows down. It's a comfortable day.

TOL at an hour ago:
Oct 6, 2015 5:52 pm
Weather : A Few Clouds
Temperature : 68 F
Humidity : 68%
Wind Speed : NNW 3 mph
Barometer : 30.08 in
Dewpoint: 57 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

It was warmer yesterday, and I had the windows up in the late afternoon and early evening. At 6:55 p.m., I walked a few blocks to another person's house, but I heard no cicadas.

Apparently, this is the only cicada that's singing near our home. It sang again at 6:58 p.m.

As of 7:01 p.m., the cicada has not sang again.

TOL:Oct 6, 2015 6:52 pm
Weather : Fair
Temperature : 63 F
Humidity : 84%
Wind Speed : ESE 3 mph
Barometer : 30.07 in
Dewpoint: 58 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

Toledo Suburban Airport
(near Lambertville)
Oct 6, 2015 6:55 pm
Weather : Overcast
Temperature : 66 F
Humidity : 81%
Wind Speed : Calm
Barometer : 30.08 in
Dewpoint: 60 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

Wed, Oct 7

On my exercise walk this morning, I heard GCKI, MYWA, and AMRO.

3:34 p.m. - Male HAWO fed on the suet feeder. I have not observed the Hairy Woodpeckers much at our feeders in 2015. They were not around hardly at all if at all this spring and summer. This is a nice sighting.

Thu, Oct 8

While walking Barney this morning, I heard AMRO chirping.

Today, I heard GCKI call notes around our home and elsewhere in our neighborhood.

WTSP sang softly in our backyard at 12:19 p.m. Mostly sunny day with temps in the upper 60s.

TOL:
Oct 8, 2015 3:52 pm
Weather : A Few Clouds
Temperature : 75 F
Humidity : 54%
Wind Speed : S 7 mph
Barometer : 29.95 in
Dewpoint: 57 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

Toledo Suburban Airport
(near Lambertville)
Oct 8, 2015 3:55 pm
Weather : Partly Cloudy
Temperature : 77 F
Humidity : 47%
Wind Speed : SSW 5 mph
Barometer : 29.96 in
Dewpoint: 55 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

Whoa! At 4:17 p.m., I walked up to the south-facing window in our computer room, and I flushed two SCJU from the south foundation flower bed. The juncos landed in our middle oval shrub.

Oct 8 for juncos in our backyard ?!?! That's early by about two weeks on average.

While I typically see my first juncos of the season along the lakeshore on the first weekend in October, I generally did not observe the first juncos in our yard until Oct 20-something.

I have been scattering millet for the WTSP, which has attracted more HOSP and MODO. Maybe that activity attracted these migrating juncos. I'm sure that they won't stick around.

At 6:42 p.m., a Scissor-grinder Cicada sang near our backyard. Backyard junco sightings and a near-our-backyard-singing cicada on the same day. That might be a first or at least a rarity. I don't think that the cicadas are still signing in late October when juncos typically make their first appearance in our backyard. Crickets and grasshoppers can still be singing in late October and into November if the weather is mild. But since cicadas only sing when the temp is at least 55 to 70 degrees, it's probably unusual for them to sing around here after mid October.

TOL:
Oct 8, 2015 5:52 pm
Weather : Mostly Cloudy
Temperature : 74 F
Humidity : 60%
Wind Speed : SW 6 mph
Barometer : 29.91 in
Dewpoint: 59 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

Toledo Suburban Airport
(near Lambertville)
Oct 8, 2015 6:34 pm
Weather : Overcast
Temperature : 72 F
Humidity : 75%
Wind Speed : Calm
Barometer : 29.91 in
Dewpoint: 63 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

As of 6:47 p.m., I have not heard the cicada sing again since the 6:42 p.m. song. I have not heard the Dog Day Cicada anymore, recently.

We still have some Sawtooth Sunflowers blooming and even a few Tall Coreopsis flowers are blooming. Smooth Blue Aster also has some bloom left too.

Chipmunk clucking near the west side of our house at 6:49 p.m.

Earlier today, I saw two of those large, black beetles with the green metal flake-like appearance. They were in our front yard along the sidewalk. My Nov 10, 2014 note :

During my walk with Barney around 12:30 p.m., I saw a 'Meloe impressus' beetle crawling across a sidewalk and across the lawn. It's the large, black beetle with the hints of green metallic color that I typically spot in the late summer and fall, crawling across sidewalks and driveways.

Fri, Oct 9

TOL:
Oct 9, 2015 8:52 am
Weather : Overcast
Temperature : 61 F
Humidity : 87%
Wind Speed : NNW 9 mph
Barometer : 29.94 in
Dewpoint: 57 F
Visibility : 9.00 statute miles

This morning, I heard AMRO chirps around our home and during my exercise walk. While walking, I saw a Meloe impressus beetle, slowly crawling across a sidewalk. Tis the time.

Some of our Oak Openings natives plant stalks are taking on the burgundy or maroon color of fall.

Sat, Oct 10

Early morning weather: sunny, vivid blue sky, temps in the 40s.

During my morning exercise walk, I observed:

• RCKI singing a partial song in our neighbor's yard.
• Heard RCKI "ja-dit" call note elsewhere.
• Heard GCKI call notes in multiple spots. Been a good fall for GCKI in our neighborhood.
• Heard AMRO chirps.
• Heard MYWA call note.

While walking Barney, I saw two large, dark birds in a glide, high up, moving east to west. I believe they were eagles.

Sun, Oct 11

Temps in the 70s this afternoon, but I did not hear any cicada song this evening.

Noticed over two dozen Meloe impressus beetles near our front porch. I went to water the new grass seed area in our front yard when I noticed a lot of movement after watering for a few seconds.

In late August or early September, I dug up, cleaned, and seeded two areas on each side of the sidewalk near the front porch. This area was beat up from Barney being tied up outside last year and from crabgrass that had taken over the areas. Barney has not been tied up out front in 2015.

For some reason, these beetles love these short grass areas. Some beetles were mating. I have never seen so many of these beetles in one area.

Mon, Oct 12

Toledo 7-day forecast
Last Update: Oct 12, 2015 6:23 am

Columbus Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Southwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Today will probably be the final chance to hear a cicada sing for 2015. The forecast high temps for Tue through Sun are only expected to be mainly in the 50s and possibly a couple days in the low 60s. We could be in the mid 30s on Sun morning, Oct 18. I'm guessing we will be warmer in the city and under the oak tree canopy.

As of 6:45 p.m., no cicada song around our home. Then I went out in the back driveway to hear better. I thought that I heard distant song coming from the north. I walked out to the street, and I could hear it singing at 6:51 p.m. I walked a few houses to the northeast to where it was singing, which was in an oak tree that was located in a row of oaks, and the cicada seemed to be in from the street a few trees. I walked around close by to hear it sing from 6:55 p.m. to 7:08 p.m. Then I walked west just past our house, and I heard one singing to the southwest of our house. Maybe this is the one that I've been hearing in October. Then I heard another one to the north. I walked north and found this cicada singing in a maple along Bowen. I walked under its loud song. I heard the Bowen maple tree cicada last sing at 7:16 p.m., and that was the last cicada song that I heard for the evening. I walked south a ways, but no song. 7:16 p.m., Oct 12, 2015, my last cicada song. It might be warm enough next week to try again. I may try later this week if temps reach the 60s just in case. These were all Scissor-grinders.

It was a mostly cloudy to cloudy evening. Some weird orange-purple pastel color in the west and purple stripe in the east. Temps in the mid 70s at dusk. Nice evening for a walk. Nice evening to be dining out if not in the wind, although the wind speed has increased. Nice night to be outside at Mutz.

TOL:
Oct 12, 2015 6:52 pm
Weather : Fair
Temperature : 73 F
Humidity : 55%
Wind Speed : SW 12 mph
Barometer : 29.48 in
Dewpoint: 56 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

(near Lambertville)
Oct 12, 2015 6:55 pm
Weather : Fair
Temperature : 74 F
Humidity : 54%
Wind Speed : WSW 9 mph
Barometer : 29.48 in
Dewpoint: 56 F
Visibility : 10.00 statute miles

The BSBO banded a Pine Siskin on Fri, Oct 9, and they reported a lot of PISI moving that morning.

Oct 10 BSBO note: "... considerable Pine Siskin movement."

Tue, Oct 13

Overcast, chilly, breezy day with temps in the 50s all day.

Wed, Oct 14

Partly cloudy morning, temp around 50. During my exercise walk, I heard AMRO, GCKI, RCKI, MYWA.

I saw several AMRO in tree tops and fly from tree to tree.

I heard several GCKI. Good morning for them.

Saw one of the yellow sulphur butterflies lift off a lawn during my middday walk with Barney.

Thu, Oct 15

Heard GCKI and AMRO on my walk this morning. I saw AMRO on our front lawn and our neighbor's front lawn.

Sat, Oct 17

One SCJU at our feeders at 12:38 p.m. Overcast, breezy day with temps now in the low to mid 40s after dipping down into the upper 20s to low 30s around 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Our first freeze of the season.

This morning, I heard an NOCA sing softly along the west side of our house.

Sun, Oct 18

Heard AMRO singing lightly while walking Barney.

Morning temps were around freezing again.

Two Tall Coreopsis blooms remained heading into this weekend, along with a cluster of late-blooming Sawtooth Sunflowers in the middle oval bed.

Yesterday morning, I snipped some of the sawtooth blooms and placed them in a glass with water.

Still hear GCKI about every morning.

Mon, Oct 19

Morning temps in the low to mid 30s.

Afternoon temps around 70. Breezy.

Heard several GCKI on exercise walk.

Tue, Oct 20

Temps reached the mid 70s at least.

I searched the neighborhood for a singing cicada between 6:34 and 7:20 p.m., but nothing. Heard Greater Anglewings clicking and the usual nighttime crickets and/or trigs.

Wed, Oct 21

Saw an AMRO on our backyard.

Thu, Oct 22

Fall colors prevalent in our backyard include:

• golden yellow
• greens (dark greens and light greens that are trending toward yellow)
• maroon / burgundy
• warm brown (light reddish-brown)

These colors exist in our plant leaves and stalks, shrubs, lawn, and fallen oak leaves.

Heard AMRO while walking Barney just before sunset. The colors were amazing. Mostly clear sky, the blue, with scattered patches of white or light grey cirrus, greens, golden yellows, burnt oranges, reds, maroons. One oak tree was mostly burnt golden yellow.

Fri, Oct 23

Heard a few GCKI this morning while exercise walking.

Sat, Oct 24

I heard GCKI while exercise walking this morning. Heard an AMRO near our backyard.

According to my rain gauge, 0.21 inches of rain fell early this morning before daybreak.

Great fall color in our neighborhood. Green is still the predominant color in the hardwood trees by at least 60 percent. But some oaks are showing the fine "burnt" tones of reds, oranges, and yellows. Some maples and other hardwoods are showing vibrant reds and oranges. We probably have another two weeks, at least, of good fall color.

Sun, oct 25

Sun oct 25 2015
RCC back parking lot
Bird obs
Mywa
Rcki
SCJU
Cawr
AMRO
ETTI
WBNU
DOWO
Rwbl group flyover
CEDW
Clear sky morning, upper 40s to around 50. Little to no wind.

Mon, Oct 26

SCJU at our feeder.

I heard a WTSP sing near the west side of our house.

Tue, Oct 27

Nothing to report

Wed, Oct 28

SCJU at our feeder again.

From late last night to this evening, 1.37 inches of #rainfall fell at our home.

Thu, Oct 29

At 7:30 a.m., crisp clear sky, temp around 40, full moon or near full moon shining bright high up in the west, and high up in the east more than 45 degrees up are jupiter and venus also shining brightly. Yellowish light in the eastern horizon. fine morning.

Full moon was yesterday, Oct 28.

https://stardate.org/nightsky/moon

Jupiter above and Venus below. And with optics, could probably see Mars next to Venus.

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury

Heard GCKI during my exercise walk.

Fri, Oct 30

While walking Barney at late morning, I heard GCKI.

At least one SCJU in our yard this morning.

Sat, Oct 31

One SCJU on the west spirea bed at 8:40 a.m.