October in Nature

NATURE in October story and photos by Matt Perry

Witch Hazel flowers

In the three-month-long Fall season, it is October that most epitomizes Autumn in nature. Seed and vegetable harvests, changing foliage, and bird migration make October an eventful month. Although most of the birds that migrate to the tropics (the long-distance migrants) have departed by the end of September, a great number of other birds don’t begin their journeys until October. These are mostly the short distance migrants that travel 1000 miles or less. In this group are most of the sparrows: species like the White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow,andFoxSparrow.Unlikethemigrant warblers which give us neck cramps as we bend our heads back and try to observe their ceaseless flitting inthe tree canopy, sparrows mostly remain low in the brush near forest edges. Most forage on the ground.

Of the sparrows, I think my favorite is the secretive Lincoln’s Sparrow. Lincoln’s Sparrow was originally named Bob’s Finch by legendary naturalist and bird painter, John James Audubon (1785-1851). With the name, Audubon was honoring a friend of his (Bob Lincoln). They had encountered the previously unnamed species together during one of their specimen collecting forays. Later, the name was changed to the more formal sounding, “Lincoln’s Sparrow.”

During the late spring and summer, Lincoln’s sparrow nests in and around boreal bogs and swampland in the Adirondacks and Canada.Theyarenotdifficulttofindbyadetermined scout. To most people, the Lincoln’s Sparrow looks like just another little brown sparrow and nothing to write home about, but to the bird connoisseur, they are quite beautiful. Their breast is a buff color which is intersected by dark longitudinal streaks. Overall, their plumage looks neat and crisp, like a pressed designer suit. Their song is a quick series of trills, some with a slight sizzling quality. To my ear, they sound a little like the warble ofahousewren, butmorerefined. Onecould say they sound like a House Wren that has taken elocution lessons. Try as we might, we never hear their song away from their breeding grounds.

Migrant Lincoln’s Sparrows are mostly mute but will produce some light “smack” alarm notes when provoked, and they are

easily provoked. Sometimes just looking at them could be considered a provocation. They respond by dropping into a bramble and secreting away their splendor. A few years ago in October, I found multiple Lincoln’s Sparrows skulking around the periphery of one of the beaverponds. Inmyexperience, itis rare to have more than one in a single location. On that day, Lincoln’s Sparrows were keeping company with a mixed group ofother sparrow species. Their fellow travelers included White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and a couple of Swamp Sparrows. Sorting them outwasn’tsodifficultdespiteallthedifferent age-related plumages represented.

As the Lincoln’s Sparrows peeked at me and vocally scolded me from their safe place, my eyes wandered into the foliage above them. It was a Witch Hazel bush in full bloom. It is an odd thing that the native Witch Hazel chooses such an advanced time of year to put out its goldenstringyflowers. Evenasthefoliageof the Witch Hazel turns yellow and brown, its flowersarefreshandnew.Ofcourse,byflowering at this time of year, Witch Hazel would have a near-monopoly on late flying polli

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nating insects. Those insects that are hardy enough to tolerate cold fall temperatures have little choices left when it comes to plants they can harvest nectar from. Patient observers have claimed that the only insects seenvisitingtheflowersaremoths. Specifically,cold-hardymothslike the Winter Moth which, amazingly, can breed in late fall. Witch Hazel trees are small trees of the forest understory. They most often grow near wooded creeks and shady wetlands, but they can also occasionally be found in upland woods and away from water. At our nature sanctuary, Witch Hazel grows plentiful around the main beaver pond. It is one of several tree species that are favored by foraging beavers. They rarely turnupachancetoharvestone.LuckilyforWitchHazel,itisproficient at re-sprouting from its roots. You truly cannot keep a good Witch Hazel plant down for long. InAutumn,atthenaturesanctuary,wecontinuetocollectwildflower seeds from native perennials. It is also the recommended time to plant wildflowersonpreparedsoil.Afewyearsago,inOctober,Itookalarge bag of collected seed and, along with a few volunteers, sowed them into ameadowplanting.Amongtheplants inthemixwereBergamot, NewEnglandAster,DownySunflower,LateFigwort,CupPlant,Gaura, Virginia Mountain Mint, and Culver’s Root. Now, six years later, all those plants have been established in the meadow and have become seed sources in their own right. Now we tend to have an abundance of native plant seed at our disposal. We like to share our bounty with other folks dedicated to preserving native plants and supporting pollinating insects. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in undertaking such a project and we may be able to assist with advice and some seed. Seed collecting andsowingprovideagoodexcusetobeoutdoors,tohelptheenvironment,andtoreconnectwithnatureinOctober. •

Blue-headed Vireos migrate in October

White-crowned Sparrow (immature) Swamp Sparrow

Figwort seed pods hold drops of water

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