Nature Walk: End of September

I headed to Starkey Park for a nature walk this morning. The sun was bright, the temperature about 58F and the wind blowing just like it does during the transitional seasons of spring and fall. New England asters and bright goldenrod put a smile on my face immediately.

I came across this bird house covered in a vine whose leaf looked a bit like bindweed but I couldn’t figure out the seed pod shape. Look how many there are! I’ll have to keep my ears out for the name of this plant.

Bur Cucumber is new to me. It’s not edible, but look how the leaves resemble our edible cucumber! The spines were soft enough not to hurt me as I felt its texture.

I love the way Queen Anne’s Lace dries up into a shape so different from the summer bloom. They’ll keep us company most of winter.

And the Bee Balm has left its seed heads. Crushing one in my fingers delivered an oregano scent to my nose. Another way to stay reminded of the identification of this plant.

I’d forgotten the name of this plant but knew it was a title that made me laugh. Common Sneezeweed. Yes, that still makes me laugh!

Hardly a colored leaf in sight but there was a bit of Virginia Creeper fallen from a nearby tree.

I think this is Little Eagle Creek and it’s very picturesque with the old bridge.

See how green the trees are! We’ll give them a few weeks…

Look at this flowerhead! Touching it was a painful reminder that it is wood nettle, Canadian Wood Nettle to be precise. I don’t recall ever noticing its flowers before. How can that be?

And here is another new discovery for me: the False Milkweed Bug! See the similarity in color to the Milkweed Bug? But this one is smaller and the markings are different.

Just an hour out in nature in a small park and I’ve discovered new things! Now I want to hurry back to see what things change in the next week or two. That is a dilemma — how do you stay focused on one area to observe its changes, when there are so many other areas nearby whispering their secrets in your ear, beckoning you to take interest in them as well. The joys of never-ending discovery!

Find a video of this walk by clicking this link.

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September Gratitude

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Loving Walden — Connections New and Old