This week we offer a doubleheader! If you recognize either the plant or the caterpillar, submit your ID to lrubinacci@amesfreelibrary.org. Where have you seen these species?
The October 14 post will provide identification and some interesting background.
Last weekend I cleaned my goldfish pool which really needed to be refreshed. Although I felt very guilty for its neglect, the task required a chunk of time, something that has eluded me lately. The container, a converted planter, holds about 20 gallons of water, a potted pickerel weed, and three fish. A solar-powered fountain keeps the mosquito larvae in check, and a snail sometimes visits. Here it is on my patio in midsummer.
On Monday, September 19, some enthusiastic and knowledgeable folks savored the wildflowers of the Ames Free Library campus. If you weren’t there, you missed a good time of shared curiosity, experience, discovery, and laughter. You also might have missed the peak of this season’s blossoms. After a very hot and dry summer, the rains and cool weather have finally arrived. The forecast now includes daytime highs below 60℉ and nighttime lows near 40℉. Happy fall! Of course, our glorious native asters will continue to put on a show, but more on that another day.
This week, the lovely but highly invasive porcelain berry takes center stage at the Ames Free Library. Look for its grape-like leaves and vines and its attractive multi-colored fruit. The speckled berries change color as they ripen, passing through shades of green, pink, purple, and blue. This species won’t be difficult to locate as it has spread extensively throughout the unmowed sections of the library’s campus.
Last week’s “What Is It!” did not occur at the Ames Free Library. This handsome trio needs more elbow room than Queset Garden offers.
Beyond Queset Garden, past the reflecting pool and hedgerows, is a “neglected” area that provides safe haven for plants and animals. This densely-vegetated thicket offers shelter to the cottontail rabbits, the woodchuck, and the garter snake. Bird songs emanate from this spot, dragonflies cruise over it, and bees and wasps visit its many blossoms.
In late July, I noticed an exquisite flower beginning to bloom there.
For those of you who avoided our recent dragonfly quiz, and for those who played the game but felt uneasy, here is an observation primer. As with all new subjects, it takes time to get one’s bearings, but there are some easily observable aspects of appearance and behavior that can point you in the right direction.
Here’s the latest news.
Part 1: The Robin.
If you recall, last Friday a dramatic thunderstorm passed through our region. It began to sprinkle as I headed to my car; soon there was a deluge. As I readied myself for the commute, I looked towards the robin’s nest and wondered how it would fare through heatwave and storm. That’s when an adult bird zipped around the library at breakneck speed. It needed to protect the nest.
Dragonflies have been among the library’s most conspicuous animals during July – if you’ve been outside long enough to notice them!
I’ve always enjoyed wrestling with a project – asking questions, making observations, doing research, testing ideas – digging deeper. This temperament and habit informs my natural history study, my writing . . . my lesson plans, garden, home repairs, meals, and just about every creative undertaking that’s come my way. As an approach to life, this is deeply satisfying to me, beneficial to others, and VERY time consuming.
